By Sid Chadwick, Chadwick Consulting, Inc. – 09/19/2024
Published in American Printer : “Sid's article emphasizes the power of collaboration between production and sales. Learn how requesting buyer samples can enhance insights, improve production quality, and strengthen relationships. You can transform your sales strategy with teamwork and secure more follow-up appointments.”
Do You Use Samples ....To Win Customers Time... Trust.. and Revenues...?
“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” …….... Albert Einstein
INTRODUCTION:
Too many organizations in our great industry are not committed - to education and training – especially of their Business Development Team.
The following outline and suggestions could provide a dynamite Business Development Education and Training session – attended by all Account Executives, Inside Account Executives, CSR’s, and Estimators, plus senior management and Production Supervisors – with Sample examples.
With Buyers, I would ask:
“May I see a previous sample or two of this publication – you are asking us to quote…?”
“May I take these two samples with me to show my production personnel and my Estimator…?”
“Was there anything in either of these two productions - that you wish had been…better?”
What was I pursuing…in those innocent questions and requests….?
My production team is much better at evaluating a competitor’s work than I am. Also, my Estimator tends to see a project and specifications differently, more accurately, not needing to build-in “extra estimate safety values” - when he has an actual sample or two - as references.
Let’s remember that my objectives are multiple, and include: (a) to win more profitable work, (b) support my production team’s efforts to produce better work than our competitors – especially for our (new) customers, and (c) educate my customer on, “What could and should be better – for them – from us.”
My production team had the ability to identify flaws in our competitors’ work. Examples could be as basic as (a) two or more grades of stock in the same publication, to (b) the stock in the publication being different (cheaper) from what we were asked to quote, to (c) inconsistent color.
Note: My quote letter would contain issues my production team had identified, and which we expected to (a) improve, or (b) correct – relative to what my customer/prospect had previously received (and was not happy with – because I had asked).
Buyers can’t afford to waste their time, and lack of obtaining follow-up appointments by Account Executives – Too often tends to be a trail of frustrating failure and tears.
Story-telling with Buyers through the presentation of Samples - is a powerful tool for educating my Buyers, and providing real value in a Sales Call.
My Buyers always received “Two Pieces of Useful Information” from me, during my Sales Calls. And one of the two was always a dramatic Sample Story. (Our Sales Team reviewed dramatic samples at our bi-weekly Education Meetings.)
And, for some reason, because that was an expressed standard Buyers could expect from me, I always got a follow-up appointment, making it worth their time to see me (and eventually… buy from me and my organization).
Anyone having trouble getting repeat, follow-up appointments ….?
SUMMARY:
How often are Estimators applauded for their excellent work – and contributions toward winning customers’ projects?
How often do Account Executives and Inside Account Executives review Samples of their projects with their peers – so that others can also intelligently show their Production Team’s excellent work to Buyers…?
Collaboration between Sales and Production – can be a powerful force for improving performance.
Great Leaders have written: “Anything is possible – if credit is shared…!”
“Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.” ………………………..……………………………………………Steve Jobs
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