How well are you
solving business communication problems for your clients? I’m not talking about
marketing-based solutions, just “I use print to drive my business and I have
issues with how I buy it, costs, on-line access, customization and
personalization and distribution” problems.
Most commercial printers
have a suite of capabilities to offer their clients that might include W2P and
online storefronts, digital printing, some VDP, offset printing, data
management, mailing, distribution services and fulfillment. Some are more
sophisticated than others but most have some variation of these services. Your
equipment can no longer be counted on to be the main differentiator. Your team
and how well they are able to identify and solve a client problem through prescribing the right
application of your equipment and services can become one of your strengths in
the market.
A common sales frustration I hear is that “my clients don’t buy VDP” or that “they don’t do any fulfillment.” It may be that they don't realize that those services could improve their overall efforts. The sales team needs to bring ideas to the client as a response to the business intelligence it has gathered about the client, how they use print, the industry they are in and their competitive position within their markets. Business problems aren’t always identified by a thing or process that is broken. They aren’t always spelled out in the RFP. Sometimes they only come to the surface when you begin asking what-if questions. Perhaps there might be a better way to get the job done and drive out costs through the application of your cool stuff and the integrated services you can offer.
If your sales process consists of straightforward transactions then this may not be applicable to you. If however you have client relationships with people who want to be helped, that involve more of a complex sales process with multiple buying influencer's with different needs and priorities, this might be good for you to explore. As many print firms are striving to become marketing services providers, a good intermediary step might be to become a great business solutions provider first. The upside is that you can better utilize your current internal assets as well as expand your reach into your existing client base. Continued success.
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