If you are selling labels and packaging and just don’t know where to start, go to your local grocery store and scour the shelves to find products that are local for leads, or find local trade shows and walk through them. Many larger cities have a lot of small weekend shows that you can walk through to find new local products. You can also use a local manufacturers’ guide but always look at the company’s website before making a call. It’s good to know what they manufacture and how they package their products to help get your foot in the door. And finally, go after product labels for products you enjoy using. If your heart is into the product, you are more likely to pursue the project more aggressively.

Focus on value instead of price. Knowing your customer’s budget is important, but providing a product that solves a problem is valuable. Get to know the major material manufacturer’s products. Then you can recommend the right material (facestock and adhesive) for your customer’s application. Many times the material they are currently using is overkill, so test a less expensive material that will work for your customer’s application and save them money.

Always look for better options for your customers and prospects. For example, your customer may be using a certain label size because someone else had a template or die. Today’s technology offers laser cutting, which allows your customer to “custom fit” the label to their application.

When you get to the quoting stage, samples help tremendously. Show your customer samples printed on the same material and with the same equipment so they can see exactly what they will receive. If you are quoting a multiple version job, talk about digital printing with laser cutting. Since there are no plates or tooling, the customer can change the label design anytime they want. For example, they can make the label pink or add a ribbon for breast cancer awareness in October. You will be providing more value to your customer without changing the price!

Keep checking back. If you hear “no”, don’t let it be forever. Keep in front of the customer through emails, direct mail, and drop in to show the customer new solutions. Be patient and keep an eye out for how you can add value.

Sales Tips from Our Pros:

Tony Heinl, President:

• Get to know your manufacturer’s main materials. Then you can recommend the right material for your customer’s application. Many times the material is overkill, so you can test a less expensive material to save your customer money.

Andy Heinl, Vice President, Digital Printing

• Hit up your local grocery and scour the shelves to find products that are local for leads.
• Sell your service, not pricing.
• Find out if there are challenges or problems with the current product(s) and fix the problem.
• Go after the labels, shrink sleeves or pouches for products you enjoy using. If your heart is into the product, you are more likely to pursue the project more aggressively.

Nick Heinl, Vice President, Shrink Sleeve Labeling

• I feel it is extremely important to know everything about the product you are trying to sell. While it is important for you to know everything, your potential buyer may not care about 95% of it. Rambling off every capability and process you offer can shut down a buyer as opposed to presenting relevant solutions that benefit them–and turn it into a sale.
• Pick up the phone and call your customers, or go see them any chance you get. With technology advances, it is becoming less common to have actual conversations. Try to replace one email conversation a day with a real phone conversation. Having a relationship with the buyer will win you many opportunities.

Andy Goins, Account Manager

• Immediately, establish the difference between yourself (your company) and the competition. Highlight the Value Add you can offer your prospect in answering their requirement. It may be as simple as providing samples for testing, or an onsite visit to walk the floor and view this requirement. While at the prospect’s location, keep your eyes wide open for other opportunities that were not even mentioned, and for an opportunity to share your capabilities with other decision-makers within the targeted prospect location.
• Present additional Value Add in offering your readiness to further review their requirement with a manufacturer or materials expert if needed, to ensure the exact qualification of their application. As you establish this degree of separation from your competitor as a part of the Value Add you have presented, it will only grow the confidence level your new prospect has in your company services and abilities.
• Ask for the Order!
• Close the Business!

Jennifer Fister, Account Manager

• When providing a quote, I always follow up with a sample. I think it helps tremendously if they can see exactly what they would receive.
• Also, for multiple version jobs, I always talk about our digital press. Since we don’t use plates and dies, they can change the label design anytime they want. For example: in October we can make the label pink and add a ribbon for breast cancer awareness, or add Halloween graphics, and it won’t change their price.

Samantha Forster, Account Manager

• When using The Manufacture’s Guide, always look at the company’s website before making a call. Knowing what they manufacture, and how they package it, can help get your foot in the door.

Rob Galyon, Account Manager

• Always look for better options for your customers and prospects – they may be using a certain label size because someone else had a template or die, laser cutting option allows us to produce a “custom fit” without purchasing tooling.
• Find local trade shows and walk through them. In Arizona, as we have a lot of small weekend shows that you can walk through and see new products that need labels and packaging.
• I agree with Andy 100% on going after products you use and like–if you like the product; you are more likely to pursue the project.

Craig Frost, Account Manager

• Listen more, talk less! Salespeople like to talk…and sometimes we deliver capabilities and solutions well before the customer has explained their issues. If you’re formulating your answer in your head before you fully understand the pain, STOP! Listen with the intent to fully understand and then repeat it back to your customer so they can affirm you have the details correct.
• Find the pain, fix the pain. Typically you win the business!
• Make more phone calls! Nobody seems to return emails these days. Make phone calls instead to generate meetings. Formulate what you want to say before you get your customer on the phone. You only have less than 30 seconds before you’ve lost their attention.