By Rick Ysunza
PEiR Group Sales Consultant
When I started selling in this business eight years ago, I had never heard the term “reprographics.” With a background in construction I certainly knew what blueprints were. I felt I was well qualified to sell blueprint services and had the ability to connect with architects, engineers and contractors. I figured I was a natural.
I learned all about how prints were reproduced. I could tell my prospects about our impressive capabilities with those eight blueline machines humming away all day. Being a rookie, I was happy to go out on a few sales calls with some real business veterans. I was eager to learn from those with over 10 year’s experience in "the biz."
I soon developed a fool-proof sales approach with only two simple probing questions and one good closing question:
· Who is your current vendor?
· How much are you currently paying per square foot?
· If I could give you a better price, could we earn your business?
That seemed to work for a while, until my prices went lower in order to stay competitive. Unfortunately, there was a corresponding reduction in the size of my commission checks.
I learned all about how prints were reproduced. I could tell my prospects about our impressive capabilities with those eight blueline machines humming away all day. Being a rookie, I was happy to go out on a few sales calls with some real business veterans. I was eager to learn from those with over 10 year’s experience in "the biz."
I soon developed a fool-proof sales approach with only two simple probing questions and one good closing question:
· Who is your current vendor?
· How much are you currently paying per square foot?
· If I could give you a better price, could we earn your business?
That seemed to work for a while, until my prices went lower in order to stay competitive. Unfortunately, there was a corresponding reduction in the size of my commission checks.
Sometimes it takes a real hit to our wallets before we wise up.
The point I am trying to make is that even though your company name may contain the word “blueprint,” or some derivative thereof, we can no longer remain sustainable in the blueprint business. All you need to do is take a look at your monthly print volume, multiplied by your average unit price to know what I’m talking about.
I joined the team here at The PEiR Group because I want to see our industry not only survive, but thrive. Let’s make sure the reprographics industry remains meaningful, and functions as a critical supplier to the construction industry. The old blueprinting revenue model is no longer applicable in this digital era. The reprographics business is now about providing digital services and document management, as well as printing on paper. So don’t be afraid to sell, and get paid for all that “behind the scenes” work you do.
Let us show you how!
Rick
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