Does a digital printing company need a sales rep?

[easiprint]

Hi

Just after some other printers opinions. We're a small family run digital printing company in the UK. Currently have 4 of us working here, 2 in production and 2 in the office, although no-one is a dedicated sales person. We also outsource litho work so cover a broad product range. Whilst we are currently ticking along nicely, there is loads of room for more work. In our position, looking to bring in new clients, do you think employing a sales rep to work purely on sales would be the best option or would you choose to spend any salary payments we would make on seo and other forms of promotion?

 

[Possumgal]

Do the vendors you outsource to have any smaller jobs they could pass on to you? That might be a good source. Try contacting any other print shops that don't do digital to offer your services. Every print shop gets customers that bring jobs too costly for the press or too little to bother with.

Direct mail doesn't bring in a flood of customers, but it does get your name out there to potential customers. Try following up with e-mails or phone calls to businesses you mail to. You might try something like that before hiring an employee.

 

[arossetti]

If you are not selling, you will not survive. That is my opinion and I think a lot of industry experts. In a company your size the owner should be doing outside sales, I would say at least 2 of the 5 work days.

 

[easiprint]

If you are not selling, you will not survive. That is my opinion and I think a lot of industry experts. In a company your size the owner should be doing outside sales, I would say at least 2 of the 5 work days.

I'm working 12+ hours a day 7 days a week now. Not enough hours for me to be selling too.

 

[arossetti]

I'm working 12+ hours a day 7 days a week now. Not enough hours for me to be selling too.

Right, so what the consultant would tell you is to hire someone to do whatever it is that you are doing inside. If its running production hire another production member, If its doing bookkeeping outsource your bookkeeping. No one is going to sell for your company as well as you will, people will also be more willing to buy from you if it is the owner who makes the sales call opposed to a salesperson. This is a common push back from owners that they don't have time to sell because they are working in the business. If you can get the people in place to allow you to sell you will have much better results than hiring a sales person.

EDIT: PS, if you currently are working 80+ hours a week with your current workload how will you manage with additional sales from your proposed salesperson?

 

[easiprint]

Thanks. I hear what you are saying and totally agree. I've even given exactly the same advice to others before! Problem I have is that what I do is not something which could be easily delegated to one person. As I say we have 2 people in production and me + 1 part time in the office. My workload varies from helping in production when someone is off, to general management, to quality control, to processing new orders, to sucking up (dealing with) existing customers, to problem solving, to planning, to quoting, to delivering, to artwork.... the list goes on.... My job is not something which could easily be assigned to one person - I need another one of me! My job needs someone who can do everything, but no one part of my job is enough for one person to be employed to do this. This is why I am thinking hire a sales rep. One BIG mistake we made a couple of years ago was to offer free artwork on all orders. Was fine when we were quiet, but now it's just eating up so much time for no money. We have therefore just started charging for all artwork, so we get some money to look at taking on someone to cover this in the not too distant future which will free me up. Just looking at many options at the moment.

 

[arossetti]

I do not own my own business so I'm just speaking from what an outside consultant would tell you. I know of but have never lived the struggles of owning my own business.

One other thought, could your day to day be replaced with a general manager?

 

[easiprint]

I do not own my own business so I'm just speaking from what an outside consultant would tell you. I know of but have never lived the struggles of owning my own business.

One other thought, could your day to day be replaced with a general manager?

Thanks for your input, it has made me rethink things.

Unfortunately, finding a general manager who could handle everything I do would be difficult and expensive. At least a sales person could be on a low basic so only needed paying higher wages if they were actually bringing the money in. A general manager would be wanting a high salary from the start without contributing to that salary directly. O where is my magic wand....

 

[copycolour]

Thanks. I hear what you are saying and totally agree. I've even given exactly the same advice to others before! Problem I have is that what I do is not something which could be easily delegated to one person. As I say we have 2 people in production and me + 1 part time in the office. My workload varies from helping in production when someone is off, to general management, to quality control, to processing new orders, to sucking up (dealing with) existing customers, to problem solving, to planning, to quoting, to delivering, to artwork.... the list goes on.... My job is not something which could easily be assigned to one person - I need another one of me! My job needs someone who can do everything, but no one part of my job is enough for one person to be employed to do this. This is why I am thinking hire a sales rep. One BIG mistake we made a couple of years ago was to offer free artwork on all orders. Was fine when we were quiet, but now it's just eating up so much time for no money. We have therefore just started charging for all artwork, so we get some money to look at taking on someone to cover this in the not too distant future which will free me up. Just looking at many options at the moment.

I would encourage you to read a book called the e-myth revisited. It talks about how to grow a business - and it will slightly tweak the way you look at things which allows you to see the different roles within what you do.

Just off the top of my head it looks like you do QC, processing orders, account management, planning, quoting, delivering.

It is possible no one can do all of those things, but it is entirely likely (and possibly necessary for your sanity and business growth) that you put processes in place that allow someone to do at least some of them!

I think if you have stop and think for a moment about 3 years down the track - that is 3 years of working 60 hour weeks with presumably no holidays, I think you will realise something needs to shift, and you will need to find a solution that works for you - but will ultimately involve; intense automation or swapping roles that allow staff to complete them.

 

[Craig]

easiprint - As a small business owner who has ALL the hats too, listen to my advice! Hire a GOOD production manager!!! It will pay off in spades.