Breaking Down The Appointment

We have a dog in our neighborhood who chases cars. Yesterday, I drove past his house, stopped, and drove about 200 yards with Bucky in hot pursuit. Then, suddenly, I stopped. I wanted to see what he would do. Just as I suspected, he stopped barking, stopped drooling, wagged his tale, looked stupid and walked home humiliated. He had no plan to follow the hunt itself.

It amazes me, but few printing sales people give the sales call much thought. They are so focused on getting the appointment that the concept of what to do with the appointment completely escapes them. Fear not, Bucky, I've got you covered.

Your first step is to think about what you'll need to do beforehand and what to bring to the call. It makes a critical difference to the prospect that you understand a few things about their company: What business are they in? What are the major challenges of their industry? All of the answers come from the research you do prior to walking in the door. Check its website. Click any association links. Read all press releases. Do your homework.

Next, get a presentation binder and put together an attractive set of problem-solving examples of your work. And tell the stories behind those samples.

Arriving for your appointment, there are two essential mindsets: focus on one solution and know the overall goal of the first sales call.

The mistake that many printing sales people make is to arrive with nothing specific to talk about. As a result, they succumb to oral diarrhea and spew out their equipment list and talk about their print capabilities, leaving the prospect glassy-eyed. Have a reason to be there. Talk about what you've learned in your research and how you believe you can help with a specific print solution.

Finally, remember that the purpose of the first sales call is to earn a second sales call. Don't overcomplicate. Don't oversell. Don't overreach. Simply look for a reason to come back.

What to do after the sales call ends is another surprising challenge to the average printing sales person. Assuming the call went well, you have that coveted second appointment and your follow-up is simple: Prepare for the next call by pulling together the tools and resources you'll need to forward the relationship. But what if you walked away from Call One with nothing? My advice is to begin a program of follow-up whereby you mix voicemails with e-mails, all with the intent of keeping your name fresh in the prospect's memory while demonstrating your capacity for new and creative print solutions. You want to build the brand that you introduced in your sales call, when you positioned yourself as a valuable resource.

The net result is that you will maximize the rare appointment opportunities you earn through your diligent prospecting efforts. By preparing for the call, hitting the ball out of the park on the call itself, and making some well-timed follow-up effort, you'll find that you are building sales momentum and earning a reputation for problem solving, not one of price chopping.