How to
Sell the Difficult Prospect By Peter Ebner

Accepted sales theory states that selling is simply a matter of finding a problem and offering a solution, but what this theory fails to take into account is that selling is an interaction between people and that brings a whole new set of variable to the table. Dealing with people can be a slippery and confusing exercise that often defies all logic. As most of us have already noticed, just because we have the best and the most economical solution to the prospect's printing problem doesn't mean that he will buy from us because your presentation must not only appeal to the prospect's reason, it must also speak to his or her emotions.

Dealing with sensitive egos

While most prospects are willing to recognize your expertise and as such are receptive to your suggestions, some prospects have egos that overshadow this logic. When confronted by a salesperson that is suggesting a new and better ways to run the job these individuals begin to feel incompetent. They feel that the salesperson is telling them that they are wrong or that they've made a mistake; so they take a defensive position. For example, a marketing manager or graphic artist may view your suggestion to use a different stock as a challenge to his or her judgment or a print buyer may feel his position threatened when you show him a better way to run the job.

One of the most effective ways to deal with prospects that have a fragile ego is to satisfy their need for recognition by acknowledging their authority. Conceding to their expertise creates an inconsistency between the prospect's perception and reality; while your acumen makes them feel stupid your acknowledgment makes them feel important. Psychologists call this contradiction cognitive dissonance and the prospect will usually change his or her perspective in order to bring it in line with this reality. For example, it's not unusual for art directors, advertising agencies, print buyers or marketing managers to resist your ideas because they want to show that they are the experts. So here's how to use the Ego Response to stroke their self-image and defuse their opposition.

Mr. Marketing Manager, I certainly understand that you are the expert here; I'll never know as much about marketing as you do. But if I might be so bold, I'd like to share some new ideas that other marketing managers are already using to enhance their marketing collateral and gain market share; just so that you can evaluate them. Would that be okay?

The power of new

Although some prospects have a strong need for recognition others just don't like to change their mind and what they like even less is to have a salesperson change it for them; it makes them feel weak and stupid. Keep in mind that while your presentation may offer valuable solutions that resolve your prospect's printing problems, it is also speaking to his or her ego and your presentation must accommodate it. So when dealing with a strong minded prospect that wants to hold his ground don't try to change his mind, instead provide new information that allows the prospect to make a new decision.

Now here's a word of caution; while your prospects will consider making a new decision in view of new information, they're less likely to be swayed by old news. Old information is something they believe they should have already known, so to avoid appearing uninformed, they'll act as if they've already considered this information and stick to their position. Here are a few examples of what I mean.

Prospect: Digital printing is poor in quality.

Salesperson: Actually, it has really improved over the past few years.

Prospect: Well, I've seen these improvements and the quality is still poor.

Now look at the difference when you use new information to change the prospect's mind.

Prospect: Digital printing is poor in quality.

The Power of New: I can certainly understand why you feel that way; in fact many of my clients felt the same way. They also thought that digital printing was of poor quality until they saw the recent advancements in digital technology. Let me show you what I mean.

Here's another example.

Prospect: I'm not interested. My printer is doing a great job

The Power of New: Mr. Prospect, I understand and I would never ask you to take any business away from your present supplier, but from time to time I stumble across some new ideas that could your enhance your marketing material and help you gain market share. All I'm suggesting is that you evaluate these new ideas and should you decide to implement them, that you consider giving me this new business. In that way you can continue your relationship with your present supplier and take advantage of outside opportunities. Isn't that a good idea?

Creative Coupon Offers

It's an age-old debate. Which is better: percentage off or dollar-off coupons? There is no right or wrong answer, since both options can be very appealing to consumers looking to save money. Here are a few creative offers for your next coupon campaign:

• Offer the best of both worlds with a coupon such as: "$15 off or 15% off, whichever is higher." This will also encourage customers to buy more to save more.


• Consider offering a bonus item to increase the value of your coupon. This will also let you compete with your competition without actually lowering prices.


• Offer incremental percentage-off amounts based on what the customer spends. An example of this would be "save 30% on $150 or more, 20% on $100 or more, or 10% on $10 or more."


• When using a dollar-off coupon, customers respond best to round dollar bill denominations whenever possible, such as $1, $5, $10, or $20 off. Not only are the amounts easy to calculate, but it easily translates to a bill in their pocket.


• Try a BOGO (buy one get one) campaign, such as buy one get one free or buy one get one half price.


• Use easy-to-remember codes like FEB20 rather than KTR10R44YZEX to make it easy to use during online checkouts.

Another great way to increase the value of a coupon campaign is to offer a follow-up survey for customers based on their purchase with your coupon. Offer another coupon as a thank you for completing the survey. Adding a survey will help you gain valuable input about what types of coupon promotions influence your customers.

An Internal Newsletter Your Team Will Love

While newsletters are a great way to build relationships with customers, many companies overlook the team-building opportunity an internal newsletter offers within their own doors, as well. Internal newsletters are a great way not only to learn more about colleagues, but also to keep employees informed about company news, events, and other important announcements. Here are a few tips for creating an internal newsletter your employees will love:

• Create a plan by defining the frequency of your newsletter (such as monthly or quarterly) and the types of articles or sections you'd like to include. Also develop a template you can easily modify for each issue.


• Encourage teamwork by assigning a few people to specific parts of the newsletter each month, such as pulling company stats (sales volume, incoming calls, trade show outcomes, etc.), writing feature articles about company events, and so on.


• Create an idea library. Stockpile various ideas, photos, jokes, quotes, seasonal graphics, etc., to save time down the road.


• Acknowledge employee birthdays, corporate anniversaries, new hires, promotions, etc.


• Consider offering a "message from the president" to make employees the first to know about new products, company changes, initiatives, etc.


• Highlight successes. If a department had an outrageous month, highlight their achievements, and offer a company-wide congratulatory message.


• Share encouraging survey results, customer compliments, and thank you notes from appreciative customers.


• Consider a Q&A section where employees can submit questions and have a leader provide answers in an open forum for all to see.


• Use an "employee spotlight" article to help staff members get to know their colleagues better. This type of article can range from information about the employee's position within your company to their personal hobbies, interests, and the like.

By creating an internal newsletter that encourages team-building and focuses on the successes of your employees, you can not only increase communication amongst your colleagues but also boost employee morale and give your team something fun to talk about around the water cooler.

What other ideas can you think of for an internal newsletter? Share your thoughts in the comments below.