Summertime Selling: Three Cures for the Summertime Sales Blues

Don’t be fooled by the song, Summertime Blues, and the singer’s lament that “there ain’t no cure for the summertime blues.” Not true at all, especially when it comes to sales.  

One might think that in the summertime, when the weather is hot, is a challenging time to sell RSA’s production print software like WebCRD, QDirect, and ReadyPrint. People are on vacation, they have other things on their minds, or they have shorter work weeks because of summer hours, but there is an exception to every generalization. Just as important, don’t make any assumptions about a prospect’s or a client’s summer working habits. 

Savvy sales reps recognize the untapped potential that summer days present. After all, print shops still have work that must go out, often regularly scheduled monthly jobs that don’t take the summer off. And even if some shops find themselves running fewer jobs in the summer compared to the rest of the year, this is an opportune time to schedule an appointment and explain the benefits of how your software can enhance efficiency and reduce costs when work picks up again. And for existing users of your software, this could be a prime opportunity to discuss the latest version of the software or train staff on the software’s latest features and benefits, especially if they haven’t taken the time to learn about all the software’s capabilities during their peak months.  

Keep these three points in mind to beat the summertime sales blues.

1. Easy access to decision-makers. In some organizations, the summer months produce a more relaxed atmosphere in the workplace with fewer urgent deadlines and reduced workloads. This means purchasing decision-makers may have more time and willingness to engage with you. Take advantage of this window of opportunity by reaching out to potential clients for face-to-face meetings or virtual presentations. And don’t just focus on new clients, use this time to strengthen relationships with existing clients.
   
   
2. Monthly jobs and uninterrupted workflows don’t take the summer off. Although some print shops may experience a dip in overall business during the summer, many clients still have monthly jobs that they depend on the print shop to produce. These ongoing projects are often unaffected by seasonal fluctuations, ensuring a steady stream of work. By recognizing this, you can position your software as a solution that enhances productivity and streamlines workflows, allowing these organizations to better and more efficiently handle their monthly commitments. Consider this time another opportunity to highlight features such as automated job scheduling, intelligent job routing, and real-time monitoring, which can significantly reduce downtime and optimize resource allocation, especially when employees are on vacation and fewer staff are available to complete jobs.
   
   
3. Make yourself and your products a part of the print shop’s strategic planning. Those long summer days, particularly when things are slow, allow print shop managers and purchasing decision-makers time to reflect on their operations and explore strategies for enhancing productivity and reducing costs. This introspective period creates an ideal occasion for introducing production print software to organizations that aren’t already using it or have yet to upgrade to the latest version. By highlighting the software’s capabilities, such as automated workflow, job automation, and more, you can demonstrate how your software can expedite production processes and efficiencies. In addition, by emphasizing the cost-saving benefits of the software, such as reduced waste, streamlined job setup, and optimized resource utilization, you can position RSA’s production print software as an investment that yields long-term benefits.

Don’t Give Up 

Just as your clients might have other things on their minds during the summertime, you too can be affected by the summertime blues. However, there is no better cure for your own summertime blues than a sale, whether it is hardware or software. And once you close that sale, you’ll be having fun all summer long. Indeed, by leveraging the three strategies outlined above, you can maximize your sales efforts and achieve successful outcomes even during the summer lull.