Sell Smarter:
How to Speak to Clients on Value Vs. Price
Too often, client purchases get decided on cost alone. Not only does this limit your profit potential, but it also means clients end up with less impactful products and may not return for future orders. The result? Poor customer satisfaction and missed opportunities to build solid customer relationships.
To prevent this from happening, you must educate clients on the value of the products and services you offer, rather than just their price. But how do you do that, exactly? Don’t worry: ASI supplier, DFS, is here to share easy strategies you can implement right away to better serve clients and secure higher-spend orders. Let's review how to attain and retain clients and give them a reason to choose you.
Note: Some products shown are available only to U.S. customers.
Tip #1:
Seek to Understand Client Pain Points
One of the greatest values you can provide your clients isn’t about products at all – it’s about finding solutions for pain points they deal with or improving existing processes by saving time or cutting costs. Your clients may not even be aware of what solutions exist. This is where you can add value with your business expertise. For example, perhaps a local business is having a hard time gaining traction in the community and reaching local consumers. You could suggest they take advantage of DFS’ mailing services, such as list processing and Every Door Direct Mail® - services they may have not even known existed.
If this is your first time working with a client, be sure to ask about previous challenges they’ve had in reaching their goals. Their answers will illuminate pain points they faced before, and you can make sure you address those issues so they feel confident working with you in the future.
Identify Client Pain Points: 5 Questions to Ask
- How can I make this process as easy as possible for you?
- What does success look like to you with this project? What results will make you feel like this effort is a success?
- Are there any target audiences you’ve been unable to reach thus far? What tactics have you tried?
- What are some challenges you’ve faced before on previous projects?
- Is there anything about your business you feel people don’t know, but should?
Tip #2:
Always Come Prepared With Alternative Options
If clients do have concerns about a proposed idea, it’s important to have alternative options that speak to their concerns. When these situations arise, put on your creative thinking cap and present new ideas that accomplish the same branding goals, while alleviating the concerns they've addressed. This shows clients how you're truly tuned into their needs and will find a solution that works for them, no matter what.
One great way to do this is by pairing traditional promo items with printed marketing materials. For example, let’s say a restaurant client can’t afford stainless-steel tumblers with full-color imprints. You could recommend they invest in more affordable ceramic mugs with single-color imprints and then add printed personalized postcards with an offer to encourage a return visit inside each mug. Not only will your clients spend less money upfront, but they’ll also achieve greater results because of the enhanced personalization too – all because you had the expertise to suggest this idea, making you an indispensable component of their business strategy.
Discover Creative Solutions With DFS
Whether you’re a print expert or new to selling this product category, DFS is here to help with any client project that comes your way. You’ll have your own advisor at DFS that can help you brainstorm and make recommendations based on your client’s unique goals, budget and concerns. Just let them know the details and DFS will do the rest, allowing you to impress clients with creative solutions on every order, every time.
Tip #3:
Plan Ahead for Challenges With Proactive Solutions
Your clients know their business best. Not only can they share insights on past problems they’ve encountered, they likely have an idea of what future obstacles their marketing & advertising initiative might encounter. This can range from advertising costs, required print quality, consumer education or event implementation. Show your clients that you’re not someone who waits for problems to happen to start fixing them. By asking about potential issues now, you can get ahead of them and show clients your distributorship is essential to smooth advertising, marketing and operational success – a great way to ensure future business and strong customer relations.
Get Ahead of Potential Problems With Full-Color Printing
Full-color printed materials allow your clients to communicate directly with audiences and drive desired results. Get inspiration from the examples below of how full-color printing can solve problems before they happen.
Hover over each problem to see the solution.
Problem
End-users may not understand a new product or service.
Solution:
Hand out informational brochures and sell sheets to explain the details.
Problem
Not enough people may come to shop in stores.
Solution:
Add banners and posters to storefronts to drive foot traffic.
Problem
Direct mail campaigns may get thrown away instead of read.
Solution:
Send out useful items like bookmarks or magnets that end-users will want to keep.
Tip #4:
Suggest Branding Products They’re Already Buying
A company’s brand is important, as it helps them be remembered. To reinforce a strong brand message, companies should put their logo and company colors on every item end-users engage with. This can include traditional promo items like pens, notebooks and apparel as well as business essentials like checks, envelopes, labels and brochures. After all, your clients need to purchase these products anyway – they might as well get branding benefits from these products and get more bang for their buck too.
Not sure where to start? In DFS' recent informative sales guide, The Top 10 Branded Business Essentials Every Company Needs, you can discover often overlooked items to provide your clients.
Design Services: DFS Can Help
Some clients, especially small businesses, may not have a defined brand or logo. That’s okay! This is where your supplier partnerships come into play. Reach out to a supplier like DFS, and they can help bring your client’s company image to life.
To get started, ask your client how long it’s been since their branding was created. Does it need to be refreshed? When you can provide this level of care and creative help for their business, clients will see you as way more than just a promo provider – you’ll be an overall advertising expert that will do anything to make their company succeed. Not only that, offering graphic design services or recommending other products where they can reinforce their brand is an added convenience for your clients – a convenience they are willing to pay more for. It’s a win-win!
Tip #5:
Explain How Products Work Better Together
While every promo is effective on its own, its reach and impact only multiplies when paired with additional promotional tools. Traditional hard and soft goods, as well as print components, all work together to reinforce a clear and consistent brand message, especially when they’re presented to end-users in one bundle. Not only does selling more products increase your revenue, but it also makes clients more likely to continue working with you into the future, as they’ll value your comprehensive brand knowledge.
Promo + Print: Popular Promotional Pairings
Get started increasing your clients’ promotional impact by recommending hard and soft goods and printed items together. DFS recommends these popular pairings below as a great jumping-off point.
Hover over each product description to see the pairing.
Pens
Great for handing out at events, leaving at restaurant takeout windows/counters, or using in doctor’s offices
Pens can accompany business cards, coasters, menus and appointment cards.
Drinkware
Top choice for bars and restaurants, employee appreciation awards and customer gifts
Add print components inside glasses and bottles such as loyalty punch cards, stickers and magnets with contact information, thank-you postcards, or coupons to retain customers and encourage repeat business.
Bags
Popular purchase for retail sales, events, holidays, tradeshows and school fundraisers
Fill bags with informative and useful print items like brochures, product flyers, calendars or magnets.
Step Inside DFS’ Virtual Showroom
Find inspiration and learn even more ways to excite and delight your clients over at DFS’ groundbreaking new virtual showroom! This unique experience allows you to hear from industry experts, browse all of this supplier's must-see services and access sales tools to help your distributorship succeed – all without leaving your home.