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I received an e-mail last week containing a video. It was from the Sales Representative where I bought my new car 18 months ago. In a personalized message, he was reminding me that free oil changes come as part of the deal. Ordinarily, I'd be excited about that news. There was just one problem: My car is fully electric. Such lack of preparation is laughable. He has all the data on me at his fingertips and yet he didn't bother to check. The unprepared sales call is borderline criminal. How can you pick up the phone and prospect without knowing anything about the company other than the fact that it's the next name and number on your list? How can you make a sales call without doing a lick of research? In my book, it's completely inexcusable. If you just did your homework, imagine how much better your sales call would go if you knew: The client was launching a new product at an upcoming trade show; The contact you are meeting with is new to the job. That means he is likely anxious to …

thINK is pleased to announce the thINK Ahead keynote speaker and additional new inkjet resources. All in the May E-Newsletter ! …

Achieving higher prices and defending them starts with one essential element: value. If you’re struggling with pricing but your print quality is inconsistent, your turnaround times are unreliable, or your customer service is lacking, pricing isn’t your real problem. Fix those first. But if you provide high-quality, high-speed, variable-data-driven inkjet printing that delivers superior results, how do you defend your pricing against a barrage of price objections from customers? How do you hold firm when customers say, “Your price is too high,” or “We can get this cheaper elsewhere” ?   How do you hold the line in the face of constant feedback from customers that your prices are too high?  The answer is simple formula: Messaging + Preparation = Confidence Messaging: What’s Your Value Story? Your ability to hold the line on price starts with a clear and compelling message about why your production inkjet print services are worth a premium. You need answers ready for: “Why are you more …

I can make a room full of business owners change their minds about their pricing power with a simple game that takes two minutes. First, I ask, “What’s the current price for a gallon of gas?”  Every time, they all come within a few pennies of the right answer. Everyone knows the price of gasoline. Then, I ask a second question: “What’s the current price for a bottle of hot sauce?”  This time, no one answers. Their silence begs another question: “Who cares?” And that’s the point. The price of hot sauce doesn’t make any difference. It’s beneath our notice. When pressed, the average guess is three times the actual price of hot sauce. Why do we know so much about the price of gas and so little about the price of hot sauce? Because we buy gas all the time. We drive past a dozen gas stations per day advertising the price. Gas prices impact personal budgets, daily commutes, and even the news cycle. When gas prices move, we all notice. But hot sauce? If the price of hot sauce goes up, no one …

When a customer tells you, “We went with another print provider because your price was too high,” what do you do?  Too many sellers drop their chin, kick the dirt, and lose even more pricing confidence. But here’s the truth: that moment is a goldmine of insight. Most sellers miss the chance to mine it. Recently, a client in the inkjet printing space shared with me that they’re facing a lot more competitive pressure in the past couple of months. They’ve been hearing “no” more, and they’ve been hearing that their “price is too high” more.  When I asked him if they’ve seen a drop in their win rate, he didn’t know.  (Are they paying more attention to the “no” more or are they truly hearing “no” more?  Is this the negativity bias at work?) If they really are hearing “no” more, we need to ask: Is price really the issue or is it just the easiest excuse? Customers indicate price as the reason for choosing a competitor as the easy way out.  It’s more expedient and more polite than telling you …