Two columns ago we discussed how to rate the vendors’ manufacturing plant. This week, I will address those wonderful people on the other side of the desk from us - The sales rep!

Sales representatives of printing companies and letter-shops have asked me how to better "break down the barriers" print production experts sometimes (always?) set up.

This is an edited version of a white paper I recently wrote for the Chamber of Commerce for the Province of Quebec. It was included in a seminar given to print/letter shop vendors from Quebec on how to open their plants to the United States market. I have edited out the references to Quebec for our purposes, though I believe the essence of the words hold true.

You have done your research. You know the company in question purchases materials that you produce. So, how do you get the production manager’s attention? The majority of production managers I know will not meet with someone who just shows up at their office. Many will take a phone call, but you need to be aware that the first 20 seconds of the call will make or break your attempt for an interview.

When you get the production person on the phone, tell them your name and company, clearly. This seems like a no-brainer, but many times I hear:

"HimynameisBillSmithandIworkforXYZprintingandIwanttotalktoyouaboutyourprintingneeds."

This comment is said so quickly, I miss the important information. Speak slowly. Yes, you only have a few minutes, but why waste them with gibberish.

Now, the best way to keep my attention is not to talk to me about "my printing needs". What I want to hear is what you can do for my company. If you have done your research into our company, you know our printing needs. Tell us about something you do that is unique to our needs. Many times I am told, "Well we have 5, 4-color presses." If the salesperson had researched my needs, they would find that I rarely print only 4-colors. My company tends to produce 5,6,7, even 8 color projects. In addition, what size presses are they? Are they thirty-eight inch presses? If so, they don’t make the cut most times. Besides, you have to know I already have multiple printers with those capabilities.

Tell me about your ability to run UV inks. Maybe you just implemented an outline estimating service. If you are a letter shop, maybe you can soft proof online. THESE are the types of items that will get my attention.

What about beginning the conversation with the most basic of facts. "We are a high-quality shop AND because of our location/pricing/equipment, we can save you XX%, without having you change any part of your project except for the manufacturing location." Humm…you have my attention, you just gained an additional 2 minutes to state your case.

So, now we are conversing. Remember that I am a New Yorker and I like to see what I might be buying (sure Missouri is the "Show-Me State, but New Yorkers follow that rule also!). Ask for an appointment and don’t tell me you will be in the city next month and would like to stop by. Be ready to be in my office within a week at most. Have a day and date, with a backup, in case I am not available for your first choice.

When you do come in, I will want to see a few things, including samples of projects you have produced for other accounts. They should be samples of work similar to the work I produce. Maybe even some competitor samples. Believe me, I am not in the business of stealing ideas. Additionally, specialty items you produce will also get my attention and give me format ideas to show to my creative teams. Have a facilities brochure. It assists me to see your capabilities. My files contain facilities brochures from every vendor who has ever called on me (yes it is an enormous file!). Why do I keep them? Well, when I encounter a new project, this is my first stop in sourcing a vendor(s) for the project.

Understand this does not have to be an 8-page, 8-color printed piece. Some I have are on company letterhead with a listing of equipment. I am not looking for the "gloss"; I am looking for the "meat" of the story. List all of your pre-press, printing, letter shop equipment. Include your options for sending and receiving files electronically. If you have other features (CTP, in-line finishing) let me know about that here. Remember that I see many printers, I need something to refer back to when sourcing.

You are in the door… now what? Listen to me. Do not walk in with a set sales pitch. Follow my lead. I may open a door you would not have thought to open. Do not stretch the truth. Most production people are smarter than you think and can catch a truth-stretcher a mile away. With that in mind, if I happen to ask a question that you do not have a definitive answer on, tell me you will get back to me. I appreciate the fact that you are not a total fountain of information and that you have support back at your plant.

Tell me about your organizational workflow. Will I be working with a CSR? What will their role be? When I send in an estimate, do you see it prior to going into estimating? Personally, I like a salesperson that is involved with the entire process. I am not always comfortable placing an order and never hearing from my main contact again.

Don’t expect to take me to lunch immediately, but when we begin working together, lunch meetings can be very productive. This is the time I want to know about you, not your company. I have to like my salesperson. I can not work with a salesperson unless we have something in common.

This is certainly more a New York occurrence. There are more lunch meetings in New York than Boston, for instance. In Boston, they rarely occur. In New York, they occur frequently.

Once we have had our initial meeting, I still want to hear from you, but do not make a nuisance of yourself. You can also be kept in mind with mailings of projects you are producing. Especially those unique items which will get my attention. Don’t mail me a basic 16-page brochure. What will that show me? Mail me the 16-page brochure with specialty finishing, with unusual varnish techniques or produced on a special stock. These are the things that will stop me from what I am doing and make me look them over.

Now, we have a budding relationship. You even begin getting some requests for quotations. Follow up after sending them in to ask how you did. Don’t ask for specifics, I probably won’t tell you. Most likely, I will give you feedback to assist you in massaging your quotes to better fit within my pricing world, or possibly we will both realize your pricing structure does not fit into mine. Better we learn this sooner or later. I do not keep vendors on a bid-list to have a place to get numbers. Yes, I know of people who do this, but I can not see stringing someone along to have one high bidder all the time.

In most instances, you will not get the first or second job. I need to feel comfortable that your quotes are not low-balls. Be patient.

In most instances, I will also need a plant visit prior to my awarding you a project. When this happens, make sure the plant is ready for me. Have all the right people aware I am coming and assure they will be available to meet me. I will not intrude on their day, but I want to meet the President, plant foreperson, CSR assigned to my account, and the estimator(s) who work on my quotes. Having my name on the greeting board is not enough, in fact, I actually feel weird seeing that.

When you do finally break through and we award you with a project be specific with your schedule. If something happens to change the schedule, let me know first thing. When you do, once again, tell me the truth. If proofs are due Tuesday morning, make sure they arrive Tuesday morning, or make sure I know they will not be there by Monday afternoon. Remember, I have let many people know they are arriving, I do not like to look incompetent to my fellow team members.

I will also be on press for the approval. Now, this is where it becomes a personal choice. Some like to sit in the quiet customer lounge and never walk near a press. Some want to be press-side and could care less about the satellite TV system you have in the customer lounge. I am one of the later of these two. I can tell you that our press approvals will take half the time if I am press-side.

Finally, no surprises. If we make a change at the proofing stage, let me know the costs involved immediately. When it comes time to bill, ask if your customer wants to see a pre-bill prior to the actual invoice being submitted. If the invoice is submitted and there are discrepancies, the time to get payment will be extended while the discrepancies are resolved.

Print production managers, do you see yourself in this column? What do you do that is different? Do you have other ideas you would like to share? I’d like to know.

Sales reps, has this been helpful? Did you spot the errors you have made? Did you spot the things you do correctly? Again, I’d also welcome your comments.

The more we communicate, the better we will be at our careers.