Sales success depends on knowing your customer’s ‘why’

Why do your customers need to produce labels, packaging and signage? Why do they choose your firm for their production projects? These are basic questions. The most effective salespeople regularly ask and have clarity about what is most important to key customers. Great salespeople can articulate the customers’ ‘why’. 

Salespeople who ask and understand why customers need print and know how the projects in your shop are related to larger business goals. Goals that are specific to new product launches, market share, brand awareness, acquisition, retention, etc. Part of a predictable sales discovery process is defining customers’ business goals and metrics, especially for large projects. Strategic sellers know that winning larger deals requires understanding key decision- makers’ long-term goals beyond the quality and cost requirements of specific jobs. 

In the print and labeling sector, salespeople often don’t know the why or specific goals for major projects. This often results from: 

• Not asking about customers’ goals, 

• Not speaking with decision makers and,

• Not following consistent pre-call planning for customer calls.

Salespeople who are successful with account expansion prioritize spending time with decision makers. They schedule planning meetings quarterly or more frequently to clarify their customers’ business issues and goals. With this knowledge, they can suggest products and services that align with customers’ needs. Without defining the ‘why,’ price becomes a driving factor in the decision process. 

Pre-call planning: Just do it 

Pre-call planning involves dedicating time to strategically planning how best to conduct mutually beneficial meetings that will move closer to closed deals and then writing it down. 

Pre-call planning works. There are several proven benefits, including: 

• Improved sales confidence in leading meetings, 

• Increased internal collaboration, 

• Productive communication with clients and prospects, 

• Increased sales effectiveness.

Most importantly, pre-call planning delivers better outcomes. Sellers who engage in thorough pre-call work experience a minimum 20 percent boost in productivity. Every B2B sales manager would be thrilled if they could implement a process that would make their sales team 20 percent more effective. 

Sellers who engage in thorough pre‐call work experience a minimum 20 percent boost in productivity

Pre-call planning is not looking up the news page and LinkedIn posts 30 minutes before a customer meeting. Instead, it involves researching and documenting the purpose, goals and topics for the meeting. This includes determining each attendee’s role, motivations and level of influence on closing the deal. 

Pre-call planning includes defining potential outcomes for the seller, and the customer, in the context of documenting a detailed agenda. The agenda enables your sales team to stay on point and effectively manage time to address relevant points. Planning means salespeople are prepared to focus on the key topics when senior-level people arrive late or announce their early departure. 

Align with customer goals 

One best practice for demonstrating value to decision-makers is to open a meeting with the question, ‘What would you like to learn and accomplish from this meeting?’ This approach acknowledges your respect for their time and your desire to offer ideas that align with their goals. It may also send the meeting in a different direction than your pre-call plan. 

The planning process will support your sales team’s ability to pivot and focus on ideas and content that are most important to the customer. When your team provides the customer value, and they feel heard, relationships expand. 

If you are looking to improve your sales strategies, I suggest reading the book, ‘The TOP Sales Leader Playbook: How to Win 5X Deals Repeatedly’ by the talented sales coach and LinkedIn trainer Lisa Magnuson of Topline Sales. 

What got your company to this point is unlikely to get you where you want to go by the end of 2025. If you would like to speak further about effective strategies for sales growth, please contact me for a free 30-minute consultation call. 

Click here to download and use the HubSpot pre-call template to enhance your sales process. 

Lois Ritarossi is a certified management consultant,
and president of High Rock Strategies, an independent management consulting firm focused on sales and marketing strategies, and business growth for firms in the print, mail, communications and B2B sectors. You can read more about sales strategies at www.highrockstrategies.com. Email Lois at Lritarossi@highrockstrategies.com.