Becoming a superhero in print sales and marketing

Becoming a Superhero in Print Sales and Marketing

Joe Kern
Vice President of Marketing
PagePathTechnologies, Inc.
866-770-7569
JKern@PagePath.com

PagePathTechnologies, Inc., an
awarding-winning Web-to-Print
storefront provider, is committed
to our client's profitability. Since
1983, we have been helping those
in the printing and graphic arts
industries become the most
productive and profitable in their
respected markets.

Avengers: Age of Ultron is a 2015
American superhero film based on the
Marvel Comics superhero team the
Avengers. It is the sequel to 2012's
Marvel'sThe Avengers and the eleventh
installment in the Marvel Cinematic
Universe (MCU). In Avengers: Age of
Ultron, the Avengers must work together
to defeat Ultron, a technological enemy
bent on human extinction.

 an expert tactician and an excellent field
commander, with his teammates frequently
deferring to his orders in battle
 endurance far in excess of an ordinary human being
 reflexes and senses are also extraordinarily keen
 strength, endurance, agility, speed, reflexes, and
durability are at the highest limits of natural human
potential
 one of the best hand-to-hand combatants in the
Marvel Universe
Captain America
Powers & Abilities

Captain America is the likeable
salesman:
 He's the one you want on your side
 He's the one you know won't lie to or
manipulate you.
 You can trust him to really work for
you and your company, and to be
there for you 24/7.
Captain America
What kind of a sales person?

Captain America is all about building
trust. People would buy from him
because they trust him.
 Learn what the buyers expect from
YOU, not just your printing company
or product
 Get specific about the process
 When you ask, buyers see it as a sign
that you’re committed
Captain America
What can we learn from him?

Sample trust building questions
 What’s the best way to keep in
touch?
 How often should I call you?
 How quickly do you expect a return
call?
 Is it okay to tell you about our online
ordering site and new technology?
Captain America

 Iron Man possesses powered armor that gives him
superhuman strength and durability, flight, and an
array of weapons.
 repulsor rays that are fired from the palms of his
gauntlets
 ultra-freon (i.e., a freeze-beam}
 creating and manipulating magnetic fields
 emitting sonic blasts
 projecting 3-dimensional holograms (to create
decoys).
Iron Man
Powers & Abilities

Iron Man is a flexible sales man
 He will go through every tool and
gadget at his disposal to help his
potential customers.
 He also has great confidence in his
capabilities, and can back that
confidence up.
Iron Man

Iron Man is most-likely best at the cold
call. He would script out his first 20
seconds.
 A strong script is an absolute must.
Invest the time in writing, practicing
and rewriting until it works.
 Before you write a word, think about
what the prospect cares about.
Remember, they DON’T care about
you or your product.
Iron Man

The three key elements of your script:
1. Who are you? - Keep it short. Don’t
embellish.
2. Why are you calling? - Prospects don’t
want to be sold. If you’re calling to
introduce them to a product and
explain the features, you’ll lose them.
3. What’s in it for me? Focus on how you
can help them achieve critical
business goals.
Iron Man

 extended lifespan
 immunity to conventional diseases
 enhanced endurance
 superhuman strength
 skin and bones are several times denser than those
of mortals, granting him extreme resistance to
injury
 strong affinity with the forces of weather allowing
him to summon lighting from his hands
Thor
Powers & Abilities

Thor is a sales man who has been around
for a while:
 He's dependable
 He's a leader in the business because
he's been around since the beginning.
 He's grown accustomed to the ups and
downs, and it doesn't get to him.
 He shifts and changes as necessary, and
yet always has the same sturdy,
dependable base.
Thor

Thor is probably great at handling
objections.When an objection comes
between you and the buyer most can be
converted into an objective –a goal you
can share with the buyer. Follow these 4
steps to reframe the conversation:
 Embrace the objection
 Don’t try to minimize it or run away from
it
 Show buyers that you “get” their
concerns
Thor

 Validate the objection
 Make sure it’s not a smokescreen or an
excuse to end the call
 Key question: “If it weren’t for that, is
this something you’d consider?”
 Convert it to an objective
 Redefine the objection as a shared goal
for you and your buyer
 Objection: “It’s too expensive”
 Objective: “Let’s find a way to fit this into
your budget”
Thor

 Gain commitment
 Ask buyer to work with you to achieve
the shared objective
 Now you’re both pulling in the same
direction
 If the buyer won’t commit, find out
why
Thor

 expert martial artist
 marksman, and weapons specialist as well as having
extensive espionage training
 She is also an accomplished ballerina
 enhanced by biotechnology that makes her body
resistant to aging and disease and heals at an above
human rate
 gifted intellect. She displays an uncanny affinity for
psychological manipulation and can mask her real
emotions perfectly
Black Widow
Powers & Abilities

Black Widow can see the unseen, the
trends that have not yet revealed
themselves.
 She's also good at talking to
potential clients, at really listening to
them, and not just hearing what
they're saying but the actual
messages behind the words.
 She can create great
relationships/insights into potential
clients utilizing her abilities
Black Widow

Black Widow would be great at getting
through to the deep layers of a
prospect.
 We reveal what’s important to us a
layer at a time
 Superficial layers are less risky and
build trust
 As trust increases, your buyer will
reveal more
Black Widow
What can we learn from her?

There are 4 Layers to get through
 Clichés and rituals
 Facts
 Opinions
 Feelings, fears and frustrations
Black Widow

The Deepest Layer
 Feelings, fears and frustrations reveal
what really matters to the buyer
 Connect on this level and buyers will
feel you “get” them
 The more they trust you, the more
they will reveal
Black Widow

 can lift approximately 100 tons when calm
 limitless strength when stressed or angry
 can travel miles in a single casual jump
 quickest healing factor of anyone in the
Marvel Universe
 immune to all known Earth-based diseases
 ability to resist mind control
Hulk
Powers & Abilities

The Hulk simply can't be stopped.
 He is determined to no end.
 He isn't arrogant, but he can't be
knocked down.
 He will always try again and again,
and people will remember his name
for his persistence.
Hulk

The Hulk is a closer. When the process
gets tough here are some things to
consider:
 Don’t cave on price.When you cave
on price you:
 Risk destroying profitability
 Set yourself up for further
concessions
 Undermine perceived value.
Hulk

Don’t accept customer objections asYOUR
problems
 Customers are taking control of the negotiation
when they say, “I can’t afford your price – what
canYOU do about it?”
 Don’t take the bait and don’t get
confrontational
 Use “you” questions to reframe their objection.
Example: “Is it more than you can afford to
pay? Or is it that you don’t see the value?”
 This pushes the problem back to the customer’s
side – where it belongs
Hulk

It’s your problem but I can help
 Redirect the negotiation – help the
customer solve HIS or HER problem
 Offer payment options, help the customer
separate “must haves” from “nice to haves”
and ask follow-up questions to clarify the
value proposition
 Remember: Customers negotiate because
they want to do business with you – it’s
your job to help them figure out the best
way to do it
Hulk

 aging has been slowed greatly by the
Infinity Formula
 active athletic man despite his advanced
chronological age
 seasoned unarmed and armed combat
expert, was a heavyweight boxer in the
army (duringWorldWar II), and holds a
black belt inTae Kwon Do
Nick Fury
Powers & Abilities

Nick Fury plain and simple is a leader.
 He can adapt and change as
necessary. However, Nick Fury plays
the rogue a bit.
 You're not going to see him asking
the same sales questions as everyone
else, or playing by the same rules.
 He shakes things up, he does things
his own way.
Nick Fury

Nick Fury is clever. He knows how to get past the
gatekeeper.
Assume the Gatekeeper is
 SMARTER than you
 Gatekeepers have knowledge that you
don’t that’s relevant toTHIS sale.
 They know their company’s history,
products, people and culture.
 They know how decisions get made and
the needs of the boss they’ve been hired
to protect.
Nick Fury

Engage them and make them feel RESPECTED
 Ask questions that show you acknowledge the
important role they play.
 Share the details and demonstrate that you’re
confident they “get it.”
DEMONSTRATE your own competence
 Gatekeepers need to know you’re for real before they
let you through.
 Gatekeepers serve two key roles: 1) Keep out the
pretenders and – more important – 2) Make sure that
the right people get through.They never want to block
information that the boss will find useful.
Nick Fury

ARM them with ammunition to make your
case
 Gatekeepers will go to bat for you if they’re
confident you have something that the
company (and the boss) needs.
 Give them all the facts they need to
become your advocate.
 Remember, they get to look like a hero
when they’re astute enough to spot a
valued partner.
Nick Fury

 enhanced strength; stamina, speed, durability
 possesses the ability to manipulate magical forces
for a variety of purposes: energy projection, creation
of force fields, temporarily increasing his own
physical strength.
 possesses extrasensory abilities and is capable of
astral projection and casting his thoughts across
great distances
 adept shapeshifter and can change into animals or
impersonate other people
Loki
Powers & Abilities

Loki is the best.
 With that being said, he can cast his
ideas far and wide.
 He has amazing SEO.
 It's easy to fall in line with him, to
hear his unique and fresh ideas and
say, "Yes, this man knows what he's
talking about."
Loki

Loki is a manipulator. He uses his time
wisely and knows how to disqualify
prospects with that “magic” question.
Spend your time only with prospects who
need, want and can afford your product.
Don’t waste time on the rest.
When you find truly qualified prospects,
use The Magic Question. Find out what it
would take to meet their needs and ask,
“If we can meet your conditions, what
will you do?”
Loki

 The “price objection” obstacle: “We
can deliver your product early and
with better quality and service than
the competition. But we are 3%
higher. Are you prepared to pay that
or not?”
 The “other decision maker”
obstacle: “You told me this was your
decision and you won’t have to
consult others. Has that changed, or
not?”
Loki

 The “favored vendor” obstacle: “Is
there another supplier you prefer to
do business with, or not?”
 The “product quality” obstacle:
“You told me quality was hugely
important to you. If I show examples
the prove our quality is better than
what you expect, what will you do?”
Loki

 Sales and marketing are largely
about life experiences.
 Be creative
 Find what your clients are
passionate about
 Use what you are passionate
about
 Be different
Sales/Marketing Inspiration
Why we chose Avengers

Joe Kern
Vice President of Marketing
PagePathTechnologies, Inc.
866-770-7569
JKern@PagePath.com
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Becoming a superhero in print sales and marketing

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