Newsflash! Print buyers don’t care about your new gear.
 

If you were at Print World last fall you witnessed demonstrations of the latest and greatest equipment the printing industry had to offer. To be sure, the devices on display were faster and the quality more impressive than ever before. In the printing industry, despite the high costs of equipment, the pressure to continually upgrade in an attempt to gain the edge over the competition is relentless.
 

The industry certainly has changed dramatically over the last few years and the pace of change doesn’t appear to be slowing. But does all that high technology really make a difference in the print buying decision? Does it matter if you’re producing the work on the latest 10-colour press or on a vintage machine in your brother’s garage?
 

Not really. To get print buyers as excited about your new equipment as you are, you need to demonstrate how your new gear will help them better meet the needs of their clients. Modern equipment does offer “new and improved” ways of working, so one strategy is to treat the things that “improve” existing processes differently from something truly “new” in your sales process.
 

As I see it, most print buyers don’t really care about the technical specifications of your equipment. If someone is already a client, he’ll want to know that the new equipment will help him. If you’re talking to a prospect, you need to demonstrate how your new equipment is better than the machines her current printer is using. Either way, you need to tailor your sales message; you’ll need to be a good listener.
 

Once you understand the needs of the client, you’ll be able to talk about the benefits of the new gear without falling into a jargon-trap. You’ll know the business-related issues the client is facing. Once you understand the issue—for example the studio is chronically late in producing finished artwork files—you can talk about how the new equipment might save a day or more from the production time. A conversation around those lines is much more productive than simply talking specs.
 

Several years ago I agreed to meet with a sales rep from a large local printing company. The rep showed me spec sheets and equipment lists and an endless stream of samples of the shop’s work. Nice stuff. It was almost exclusively high-volume web press runs. Unfortunately, we had no need for a web  press. A typical order for us was 5,000 copies of a four-page brochure. The sales rep completely missed the market and talked about his company without understanding our needs.
 

If your new gear doesn’t solve an immediate problem for the buyer, don’t try and shoe-horn it into the relationship. Wait for a better opportunity. And resist the temptation to talk about how the new gear will improve things on your end (unless you’re also passing those efficiency benefits along to the client in the way of lower prices). Buyers don’t care about you, they care about themselves.
 

Printers invest in emerging technologies. Often, though, this leaves them with expensive gear that their customers either don’t see a need for or don’t understand. While it’s great to be ahead of the curve, you may find that creative teams haven’t created jobs, or clients haven’t approved approaches, that take advantage of the new equipment. It takes time for any new technology to be fully adopted by the industry. But, once it’s established it can quickly become the norm. Just look at the impact that variable imaging had on the direct mail business. Now, not a day goes by that I get personally addressed ad mail. I’m almost longing for the days when the ad mail was addressed to “Occupant”, but I digress.
 

The solution here is to begin engaging the creative teams about the power of new technology. Many printers offer on-site tours for design teams to demonstrate new technologies. Some print sales reps will conduct information sessions for creative teams inside their studio setting. Get them thinking about how to use the new technology for their clients. Inspire them! Show samples of successful campaigns. Remember, it isn’t the equipment that inspires people, its what that equipment is capable of doing. If you’re the person who sparks the creative idea, you’ll likely be the person who will produce the finished product.
 

Of course, these ideas only work if you really know and understand the needs of your client. I once had a printer extol the virtues of his firm’s commitment to the environment. It was a great program, but the problem was that another printer I was already using had a better program in place. That sales rep re-enforced my decision to stay with his competition.

Knowledge is power. The more you know, the more you can tailor your presentation to meet the print buyers needs. If you are consultative in your approach, you’ll begin to instinctively know what the key points are inside any organisation and customize your pitch accordingly. Before long, the new equipment will become the backbone of your business.