Press-A-Print

How To be A Good Sales Rep

I always enjoy reading Don Spiers' posts to the Mastermind group.  He recently offered some advice and commentary in reference to his record breaking quarter.  Congratulations Don and thank you for sharing your ideas.

"Good morning, everyone… and a very early morning it is. We’re heading out today to the NSA show about 40 miles south of here. In terms of

Seattle traffic, that’s a 90-minute drive through the rush hour traffic.

Just finished another record sales quarter – increases of 27% above last years, and 6% over the previous record quarter. For someone who for years acknowledged he had no sales ability, I appear to have turned into a good sales rep. But how?

Well a few things come to mind:

1)       Get involved, and then make things happen. I have become the ultimate joiner – Rotary, PTA, Swim Club board. Biggest join: I am an active member of the Chamber of Commerce, and have become the committee organizer for the local business showcase. I donate all my graphic design work, volunteer hours, and announcing skills. I also ran my own booth, designed four others for other businesses – and sold promotional items for giveaways to another 20%. I figure I’ve created my own new profit center.

2)       Find someone else’s killer app and then “borrow it.” In this case, I had filed away an idea from Don Arbuckle (Creative Resources in AZ.) for a new business startup package. In this case, a business branding package, good for both new businesses starting up and businesses looking to refresh their brand or image. I developed partnerships in the community to produce the items for me at a substantial discount, and then I developed two layers of alternate sources as well. Since introducing them March 1, I’ve sold six packages… and developed six long term customers…

3)       Positive visualization: You may have seen “The Secret” discussed in the media, or on your bookshelf stores. I’ve been using the technique for about a year and a half now, and for me, it works. Read it, try it. If it works for you, great! If not, find your own path – but be sure to include thoughts and desires for success…and not just little success…. See yourself selling that million dollar account, or sailing that yacht, or (my own dream), writing that check to fund to renovate the 100-year-old theater in a nearby town. That sort of dream, that vision, is a very, VERY powerful motivator.

That’s it for now from the poolside. I’m back doing a few more laps… Take care, write soon."

Hometown Pride

Marketing via special events is a great inroad to a lot of fantastic opportunities to meet potential clients, land some great orders, and get your name out there.  There are numerous ways to get involved with events like these, but recently, Press-A-Print Owner/Operators Shane and Dixie Wise of Idaho Falls, ID, took the initiative to create their own special event, with some excellent results!  Note the presence of the promotional products involved, as well as the creative fundraising strategies involved:

Fine fall weather Saturday helped contribute to a massive turnout at Idaho Falls’ Freeman Park, bringing more than 10,000 out into the sunshine and surprising organizers. Food was sold out, and prizes were won long before the celebration ended at 8 p.m. Organizer Dixie Wise was glad that they ran out of supplies because it showed the amount of support from Idaho Falls residents. “I am so proud of my hometown and this area for supporting farmers and our heroes and making this event a success,” she said. It was the first Harvest Fest, and Wise said they had no idea of what to expect. She said they’d love to double everything for next year, and is excited about turning it into an annual event. One of the main attractions events was the Heroes Chili Showdown between Idaho Falls Fire and Police departments and Bonneville County Search and Rescue. Each prepared their chili, with festivalgoers voting for their favorite by putting a dollar in a five gallon jug. The Bonneville County Search and Rescue team won the contest by collecting the most money. But the donations weren’t the most important part. Educating children and getting in touch with the community were the purpose of the event, said Mike Vorachek, one of 32 Bonneville volunteer rescuers. Safety whistles were given away, as were signs teaching children what to do in case they get lost in the woods. “Hopefully they remember one or two things they learned here,” Vorachek said. Harvest Fest sponsors donated $10,000 to the fire department to be used for assisting families who suffer needs following fires, said Brian Robison of Idaho Falls Local 1565 Fire Department. The size of the crowd caused a few problems, but nothing major. There were four lost children that Search and Rescue helped return to their parents, but none went missing for more than two minutes, Vorachek said. There were also a few fender benders due to the large amount of traffic, Officer Garren Kelly said. The Harvest Fest featured musical performances from Spunk Pharm, a local Idaho Falls rock ’n’ roll band; the Bar J Wranglers of Jackson Hole; and the Rocky Mountain “dancegrass” band White Water Ramble. There was also Scarecrow Row, a scarecrow competition including entries such as Captain Jack ScareCrow from “Pirates of the Scare-a-bean.”