SALES CALL: Variable Print, Variable Success

One of the cooler things about my so-called job is traveling to fun places and being a keynote speaker. Organizations that hire me hold their conferences in beautiful resorts, on sunny islands and sometimes in foreign countries. Thankfully, no one calls and says, “We are gathering in Cleveland, can you come?” (Oops, sorry Cleveland readers, that was mean. How rude of me to single out a city. I meant to say Newark.)

Anywho, during a recent stay at a wicked swanky five-star soirée north of Montréal, I delayed my departure so that I could hear a speaker deliver the results of a six-month trial program where she worked with a handful of printers to sell variable-data printing (VDP).

Rarely do we get a glimpse into the “actual.” More often, we see variable through those rose-colored glasses handed out by vendors (the better ones come in 3D). At last, a case study of variable-data implementation! I had Canadian geese bumps just thinking about it.

Long-time readers and groupies don't need to be reminded that I am not a huge fan of VDP. It's not that I don't think it to be a profitable opportunity. I do. My beef is with how easy it is made to look by equipment manufacturers and their software cousins. The “plug-and-play” mindset taken by a lot of early adopters got them into trouble and besmirched the good name of digital in general. Still, being an open-minded guy, I sat and listened as the story was told.

After six months of trying to sell VDP solutions, the printers were still empty-handed, with not so much as a Purchase Order to show for their efforts. Okay, that fits with what I teach (that the selling cycle for digital and VDP is 6-12 months), so I was still on board the S.S. Optimistic. When the question of “why?” came up, the speaker rattled off a list of roadblocks—some for customers, others for printers and still others for sales.

Here were some of the challenges on the customer's end:

• Too new of a concept to grasp;
• Little to no good data to print;
• Little to no money to buy VDP;
• Confidentiality concerns of list owners.

Many customers felt they had no time to learn or implement VDP, or they became encumbered by “committee” decisions and analysis paralysis. Others felt they were “too successful,” that they couldn't possibly need a new solution. Printers, meanwhile, had difficulty learning who to talk to about VDP, and some print reps had no interest in selling it.

I suppose now you are waiting for me to draw a conclusion, something that is clear and concise and printable yet contains a dash of sarcasm. Okay, here's my conclusion: Neener, neener. I told you so! For 16 years I have been telling printers to do the free things first and the cheap things second. Do NOT buy any piece of equipment, digital or otherwise, until you have done your research into its feasibility. In this case, it means talking with customers well ahead of the purchase decision as opposed to the opposite (buying, then talking).

Look back at the list and consider this: Everything these digitally equipped printers discovered you could have found out without having the equipment on the floor. The difference? Six months' worth of lease payments! The lesson: Talk to your customers about their needs and the potential for digital and VDP solutions. If they show interest, buy. If not, you've just saved a bundle! Aren't you glad you read GAM?