What if you knew that your success during a sales presentation on digital/inkjet printing was predetermined? That is, what if it was the steps you took prior to walking in the door that accounted for the success or failure of the meeting? In fact, this is exactly the case. In addition to knowing what you are going to say, you must also think about what you might hear and be ready for response.

Wikipedia defines the word, "objection" as “a request for more information.”  Keep this in mind when you consider a response to the following possible statements you'll hear from prospects and customers.

1. “I don’t understand digital.” It's highly unlikely you will hear someone use this exact statement. Rarely will you find someone brave enough to utter the words. Instead, you might hear something irrational or nonsensical doubting the validity of your arguments but what it comes down to is, they don't have a clear picture of what digital is and what it can do for them. If you know someone to be on the lower end of the technically-savvy measuring stick (a flip phone sitting on their desk would be a dead giveaway), simply assume that this is the case and include a recap of the basics of digital in your response. You want to show them samples of companies that are very similar to theirs who have successfully tried digital and make sure to give them a happy ending in which goals were realized and fears were smashed to bits.
    
2. “I don’t believe digital is as good as conventional.” By "good" we assume the customer means quality. Digital/inkjet printing has come an awfully long way in closing the gap between it and traditional offset. That, however, might not be enough to overcome this objection. The right approach to someone like this is going to be to prove digital to be acceptable for this particular application.  Perhaps you want to give them your best version of the Pepsi challenge, in which you show the same piece of artwork printed on several different presses and ask the customer to rank them in order of quality with the naked eye.  NO loops allowed. This will take some work on your part and you probably want to arm your entire sales team with these sample kits. Your equipment vendors should be able to help you get sets of these from their showrooms and training floors.
    
3. “I am old and lazy and do not want to learn anything new.” This objection might also sound like, "We've always done it this way and have never had a problem. I see no reason to switch." Such a stance is all about fear and not wanting to work harder than is necessary.  Remove the fear and you’ll remove the obstacle. Again, an anecdotal approach would work wonders here. If you have a client who was also skeptical and fearful, tell him about it. Make him understand that you will be there every step of the way, with proofs, press samples, and make it personal.  PROMISE that things will be OK, and GUARANTEE that they will be happy or they can go back to the old way of doing things no worse for wear. Use FACTS. There are some great statistics and facts and figures available to you about the growth and continued rise of digital printing, so use that in your messaging.  They don’t want to be left in the dust if all the cool kids (and even old folks) are now on the digital train.
    
4. “Digital is more expensive” — The most important phrase you can use to illustrate the power of digital printing is “It’s not what it costs, it’s what it’s worth.” If you are dealing with a person who has spent their entire career buying printing by choosing the lowest cost per thousand for the last 30 years, all is not lost.  Remember, we are advocating a discussion at a higher level with a different buyer, with people who understand that the printed piece has a mission, and you are here to help that piece realize its full potential. So just say that. Even a print buyer who buys on the cheap can be helped to understand the reality of spending more per thousand to accomplish things like saving the planet and better efficiency.  Use personal examples to help illustrate the point. Most people are willing to spend more on certain things in their lives if what they are getting as a result means something. Luxury cars and clothes, organic food, and real estate are good examples of this. Get away from cost as fast as possible and get back to what got you here, the problem being solved better by a digital/inkjet solution.

Athletes use visualization techniques as a way of improving the outcome. Lawyers think through all possible answers a witness might provide in order to prepare for all options. Now that you have secured the appointment with a buyer/decision-maker, make the most of it by considering the more common reactions to your sales presentation. These and other objections* will help you prepare for the best possible outcome.

*See Barb Pellow’s blog for 10 objections as well as her online video series.

Ready to learn more? Register to participate in one of three thINK Virtual Sales Workshops.

Bill Farquharson and Kelly Mallozzi have sold digital print themselves and create a lot of content around the subject.  Their book, Who’s Making Money at Digital/Inkjet Printing is available on Amazon.