From slb at inkspot.net Tue Nov 14 21:38:40 2006 From: slb at inkspot.net (Steve Blatman) Date: Tue Nov 14 21:38:54 2006 Subject: [PrintSales] Advice sought - crash sales program? In-Reply-To: References: <45293490.13136.21B4506B@slb.inkspot.net> Message-ID: <455A3760.17598.F171954@slb.inkspot.net> I was informed by my largest account (a monthly publication) that, while we will be printing their December and January issues, they will be moving to a different vendor for the February and subsequent issues. At this point, I'm not likely to be able to dissuade them from the change--we've been doing lots of hand-holding, and producing via offset printing, and they're moving to a supplier with an IGen, who will be going all-digital, with more color than we're now doing, at (they've told me) significantly lower cost. At some point in the future, they may be back--I don't think the new vendor appreciates the level of hand-holding this customer is used to, but I could be wrong about that... All issues of "get them back" aside, I'm looking for advice on moving on. The problem is compounded by my loss a year ago of what was then our top account. We still do some of their work (it used to be all one and two color, but 80% of it moved to 4-color digital a year ago-- we may yet get it back, and cordial discussions are on-going), but I still hadn't filled THAT sales hole, and now I've got another one.. I think I'm looking for advice about "crash" sales programs--are they a good idea (or do they look too desperate), suggestions for what has worked for others, etc. My sales style has been much more long-term (non-confrontational) than I think I have time for here. I'm still at loose ends a bit--my situation is compounded by my having had to do all of the computer prepress for the last few weeks with the departure of an employee (and our new hire will be starting a week from Monday), and I've been short of time for sleep, to say nothing of being able to put more time into selling...so this is probably a bit disjointed. Any advice would be most appreciated.... TIA, Steve Steve Blatman Ink Spot Printing & Copy Center, Inc. 14 Church Road, Frazer, PA 19355 USA Tel: 610-647-0776 Fax: 610-647-4560 From grahams at pris.ca Tue Nov 14 23:37:28 2006 From: grahams at pris.ca (grahams@pris.ca) Date: Tue Nov 14 23:37:42 2006 Subject: [PrintSales] Advice sought - crash sales program? References: <45293490.13136.21B4506B@slb.inkspot.net> <455A3760.17598.F171954@slb.inkspot.net> Message-ID: <006601c7086f$c6ccc890$0501a8c0@FAMILY> Subject: [PrintSales] Advice sought - crash sales program? > > I was informed by my largest account (a monthly publication) that, > while we will be printing their December and January issues, they > will be moving to a different vendor for the February and subsequent > issues. Any thoughts on starting a publication to replace the departing one so you can be the one in control of where its printed, and to provide free exposure to yourself? Add up the revenue in the ads and you will be much farther ahead than if you only do the printing. Most ideas seem to have been done to death but thoughts include restaurant - coffee talk magazines, buy and sell, Tourist maps, Cartoon tourist maps, multi - advertiser calendars, restaurant place mats, Garage Sale Maps. We do a few of these on a yearly basis - most started when we were not so busy. Advertising sales is different as the salesperson is focused on 1 item ideally on a flat 15% to 20% commission. If you do any of the above, Do It, it's your thing, don't let it become a Chamber or other persons thing so you answer to their committee and they can then ask for bids. We've been doing a Garage Sale map summers for several years - see www.communitychats.com . I haven't even tried to get much in 3rd party advertisers, but I noticed something this year I hadn't realized. Business drops off for a couple weeks immediately after we stop this in the fall which does however coincide with snow. I really need to diversify it and make it at least a monthly item for the winter. If anyone wants to use the communitychats idea for similar PG rated info I will be happy to add you to our main page and link to your web publication location. Hope this helps. Ken Graham CommunityPrinters.com 250-782-7108 Dawson Creek BC Canada V1G 2G5 250-782-7108 From csmith at colorondemand.com Wed Nov 15 09:58:44 2006 From: csmith at colorondemand.com (Clifford Smith User) Date: Wed Nov 15 11:41:34 2006 Subject: [PrintSales] Advice sought - crash sales program? In-Reply-To: <455A3760.17598.F171954@slb.inkspot.net> Message-ID: Steve, Digital color printing is growing while offset printing is not. I don't believe your sales ability or your perceived lack thereof has anything to do with it. Xerox and Kodak have the best digital boxes on the market and they are very good at assisting their clients to build their clientele. These are the worst of times for a lot of printers who have not adopted some form of digital printing, weather it is digital offset or digital toner based options. The latter of which continues to grow at an alarming pace of (what I hear to be 30% over standard offset). It is a positive time for adopters of $100,000+ Xerox and Kodak digital "presses". What can you do? You need a website that can handle digital orders and file transfers. Visit http://www.websitesforprinters.com. You need this as a bare minimum to survive in market. Consider diversifying your services and your offerings. Visit my website for some ideas: http://www.colorondemand.com/ It's difficult to make a go of it on printing alone these days. Find someone outside your area who can wholesale iGen to you. Then you might be able to return and win the client back. Build that digital business, call Xerox about a used machine at the very least. IMHO it's not your lack of sales ability. It's the changing economy of printing. Sincerely, Clifford "Biff" Smith ColorOnDemand.com 3100 South Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28209 704.339.0059 Office 704.339.0720 Fax 704.968.6332 Cell On 11/14/06 9:38 PM, "Steve Blatman" wrote: > $ $ $ + This is a PrintSales list message. + $ $ $ > > I was informed by my largest account (a monthly publication) that, > while we will be printing their December and January issues, they > will be moving to a different vendor for the February and subsequent > issues. At this point, I'm not likely to be able to dissuade them > from the change--we've been doing lots of hand-holding, and producing > via offset printing, and they're moving to a supplier with an IGen, > who will be going all-digital, with more color than we're now doing, > at (they've told me) significantly lower cost. At some point in the > future, they may be back--I don't think the new vendor appreciates > the level of hand-holding this customer is used to, but I could be > wrong about that... > > All issues of "get them back" aside, I'm looking for advice on moving > on. The problem is compounded by my loss a year ago of what was then > our top account. We still do some of their work (it used to be all > one and two color, but 80% of it moved to 4-color digital a year ago-- > we may yet get it back, and cordial discussions are on-going), but I > still hadn't filled THAT sales hole, and now I've got another one.. > > I think I'm looking for advice about "crash" sales programs--are they > a good idea (or do they look too desperate), suggestions for what has > worked for others, etc. My sales style has been much more long-term > (non-confrontational) than I think I have time for here. > > I'm still at loose ends a bit--my situation is compounded by my > having had to do all of the computer prepress for the last few weeks > with the departure of an employee (and our new hire will be starting > a week from Monday), and I've been short of time for sleep, to say > nothing of being able to put more time into selling...so this is > probably a bit disjointed. Any advice would be most appreciated.... > > TIA, > Steve > > Steve Blatman > Ink Spot Printing & Copy Center, Inc. > 14 Church Road, Frazer, PA 19355 USA > Tel: 610-647-0776 > Fax: 610-647-4560 > > _______________________________________________ > PrintSales mailing list > Post: PrintSales@printweb.org > Info: http://rb.enter.net/mailman/listinfo/printsales > From Becky at QUALITYPRINTINGONLINE.COM Wed Nov 15 13:20:12 2006 From: Becky at QUALITYPRINTINGONLINE.COM (Becky Whatley) Date: Wed Nov 15 13:18:02 2006 Subject: [PrintSales] Advice sought - crash sales program? In-Reply-To: <455A3760.17598.F171954@slb.inkspot.net> References: <45293490.13136.21B4506B@slb.inkspot.net> <455A3760.17598.F171954@slb.inkspot.net> Message-ID: On Nov 14, 2006, at 6:38 PM, Steve Blatman wrote: > we've been doing lots of hand-holding, and producing > via offset printing, and they're moving to a supplier with an IGen, > who will be going all-digital, with more color than we're now doing, > at (they've told me) significantly lower cost. Please bear with me while I think & type... The situation that I see is that you don't have the equipment to produce what your current clients want. So that leads to two options: 1. Buy the equipment that will let you keep these clients. 2. Find clients that want what you can already produce today. I think Option #1 is a long term strategy discussion...or short term depending on your cash flow, credit ability, retirement plans, etc. -- probably NOT the quick solution you want now. Option #2 is probably the answer for now. First step, bit of planning: determine what products work best for you utilizing the press & bindery equipment you currently have -- brochures, catalogs, sell sheets? Then write down who would buy those things -- types of clients, industries, etc. Final step, write down what you can offer those clients. Then start a sales letter campaign, mail weekly, make follow up calls, set appointments and go out on sales calls. No magic bullet but a consistent campaign will work. There are clients out there who will buy what you can produce and who will need that handholding that you are good at. Go find 'em. Buy a business list; buy a list from Chamber of Commerce or other entity like that, read thru Yellow Pages & Classified section of newspaper and build your own, drive around & build your own.... For research, Bill Farquharson's CD is pretty good basic stuff about how to do it. Dave Fellman also has good sales plan to follow. I know this isn't a CRASH course necessarily but it's fairly easy to implement and it will yield results. I know it works because I did it and grew 20% in this past fiscal year. GOOD LUCK! Becky Whatley Quality Printing 2061 Third Street, Suite E Riverside, CA 92507 Office (951) 784-4100 ext. 22 Fax (951) 682-1274 Becky@QualityPrintingOnline.com www.QualityPrintingOnline.com From john at printingplusinc.com Thu Nov 16 13:04:59 2006 From: john at printingplusinc.com (John Steffes) Date: Thu Nov 16 13:05:15 2006 Subject: [PrintSales] Re: Qualifying New Prospects In-Reply-To: <4522E326.4490.9064BE8@slb.inkspot.net> References: <7.0.1.0.2.20060922071035.06cb9d60@sorrentomesa.com> <4522E326.4490.9064BE8@slb.inkspot.net> Message-ID: <7.0.1.0.0.20061116130256.01a930a0@printingplusinc.com> >How do your CSR's qualify new prospects that inquire by phone? John Steffes Printing Plus Delray Beach, FL