SGIA Journal September/October 2013 - (Page 5)

How to Sell in a Tough Economy! These dreaded statements from a sales prospect could make a sales person turn pale: “Is this your best deal…?” “I’ve interviewed a couple of your competitors, and they are willing to sell for less…“ “Thanks, but we want to ‘shop’ around before deciding to sign up with you.” I recently got a call from a new prospective client who said, “Our business has been so good for the past five years that we haven’t felt a need to do any sales training, but things are different now and we need help!” In today’s market of intense competition and constant margin pressure, this scenario continues to replay itself. When not prepared for price resistance, a weak salesperson stammers with a notwell-thought-out response like, “Well, let me see what I can do.” Is it really about price, or is it value? Let’s consider some solutions. Sales professionals must have strong resolve and a confident approach today. I’ve seen some sales people who will work harder to sell their manager on a price cut for a customer than they will to sell the customer at rate card! Remember, your company could fire the sales force and sell their stuff on the Internet if they wanted to become the low price provider! The justification for your existence is your ability to sell your company’s offerings at premium prices. Unless we can create a powerful and distinct difference to the customer, we all appear to have the same product (service). What is value anyway? Webster’s Dictionary defines value as the amount of a commodity, service or medium of exchange that represents relative worth. Did you catch that word — “relative”? We can be assured that while there are some things that just about everyone values, the truth is that value, like beauty, is quite subjective. It is, indeed, in the eyes of the beholder. It is incumbent upon every sales professional to find out exactly what the prospect values. And their definition of Don Hutson, CEO, US Learning, LLC Visit SGIA at SGIA.org SGIA Journal ■ September/October 2013 | 5 http://www.SGIA.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of SGIA Journal September/October 2013

How to Sell in a Tough Economy
How One Fine-Art Photographer Created a Four-Story-Tall Print
December 1, 2013 Training Deadline Approaches
Affordable Care Act — What is New and What is Happening
Reducing Inkjet Ink Usage
Want Your Graphics to Look Great and Last? Start with Surface Preparation and Cleaning
2013 Market Trends & Product Specialties Report
Digital Ceramic Printing Continues to Cast a New Business Model for Output Providers
How to Hire and Retain a Sales Champion
Going Grand: Does It Make Sense for Your Business?
Flames Made Easy with Knifeless Tape
The Edge is Near: Innovations in Fabric Finishing
SGIA Expo Sponsors Lead the Industry Charge to Orlando
The Innovation of an Art Form: A History of Screen Printing
In Many Specialty Graphics Shops, Old and New Technologies Sit Side by Side
SGIA Helps Making Shipping Easier with YRC
New Products
Specialty Imaging Shines at the 2013 SGIA Expo

SGIA Journal September/October 2013