David M. Fellman
The process of developing a new customer starts in the same place every time—with the identification of a person with decision-making authority within a company that seems to have need for your kind of printing and other services.
Please note that it’s the person who’s most important here. Why? Because a company may have printing needs, but it doesn’t have any feelings, and the opening process is really all about developing those feelings. The person has to like you, but more importantly, he/she has to trust you. Remember, what you’re really selling is that idea that you can meet their needs and their expectations better than the printer(s) they’re dealing with now.
Remember too that you can’t offer your ability to meet their needs and expectations as a fact at this stage of a relationship, only as an opinion. Granted, you can show samples and talk about quality control and provide testimonials which support your opinion, but you have to understand that every printing order is an act of trust and confidence on the part of the buyer. Your current customers continue to buy from you because they have that trust and confidence. Your prospects will only buy from you if they develop enough trust and confidence in your ability to meet their needs and expectations.
What that means is simply that the major challenge in opening an account is to build the necessary level of trust and confidence. And please note the difference between “build” and “develop”—most printing sales underachievers sort of hang around with prospects and hope a relationship develops. Top achievers make it their business to build trust and confidence.
Trust Builders
How do they do that? Rule #1 is to always look, act and sound like you can be trusted. You don't have to wear Armani, but you do have to “dress for success.” Acting like you can be trusted includes returning e-mails and phone calls promptly, showing up on time for meetings, and keeping every promise that you make.
Sounding like you can be trusted includes knowing your business—a very solid level of product knowledge!—and making a serious attempt to learn about their business. In selling, you often build more trust when you’re listening than when you’re talking!
If you can build trust, you can build sales. Period!