LESLIE GROENE


This October PIA will launch the new Power Selling Program. This eight-week turnkey training program features a unique combination of online training, weekly student projects, and live coaching sessions with sales coach superstar, Leslie Groene. Through the new program, printing firms have the opportunity to enhance their sales revenue by improving the effectiveness of the sales team.


Q: LG:


Can you tell us about your experience in print sales?


Altogether I have more than 20 years of experi- ence in print sales. I started as a sales associate with Zellerbach Paper in Los Angeles after I graduated from


Leslie Groene


California State University Fullerton. Five years later I took my skills to Penn Litho, where I won Rookie of the Year in 1994. Then I joined George Rice & Sons and became one of the company’s leading producers and, again, earned the Rookie of the Year title. I was also named Top Achiever at George Rice in 1993 and 1994, selling in excess of $6 million per year. In 1995 I made the transition to sales management at Direct Color, where the company increased sales by 50 percent within my first two years.


Since 1997 I’ve been Founder and President of my company, Groene Consulting, where I get to help thousands of sales professionals from many types of businesses, including Forture 500 companies. I believe that people have plenty of resources within themselves to accomplish their goals—they just need to learn how to tap into them. So I wrote and published a sales strategy book, Picture Yourself & the Life You Want. In 2010 I was named 35th on the Leadership Excellence List.


Q: LG:


From a print salesperson’s perspective, how has selling transformed in recent years?


We need to be so much more strategic in the print solution selling, market-facing arena. Clients are more sophisticated, and that requires reps to understand their marketing needs


and objectives.


Our skills and focus need to be not only meeting our customers’ needs but also bringing new ideas and solutions to them to reach and enhance their objectives. Our business can be made up of transactional sales along with long-term print solution opportunities.


INDUSTRY Q&A


BUSINESS CONSULTANT/AUTHOR, PRINT SELLING CONSULTANT FOR THE POWER SELLING PROGRAM


Q: LG:


Q: LG:


Q: LG:


What are some of the biggest challenges you see as a sales coach for print sales professionals today?


Salespeople stop prospecting and get compla- cent with their current sales revenue. Another challenge is keeping selling activities in the forefront of the plan for every day. In our busi-


ness, we get drawn into the manufacturing process, which is necessary to make sure the projects are produced correctly and on time. But, in addition, we must spend the majority of our time on revenue-generating activities to keep our revenue


where we want it to be and have enough activity in our pipeline.


What goals do you want today’s print sales pros to achieve through the Power Selling Program?


The program will help new reps learn the ins and outs of selling while giving them a perspective on the print solution dynamic that is critical in today’s competitive selling envi-


ronment. For the more experienced rep, the program will help them build a more defined, strategic selling plan, which will lead to increased sales revenue and stronger long-term relationships.


One unique feature with this program is the live phone calls—I can talk to all participants in real time. It makes this program custom and relevant to all experience levels—those who are new, rebuilding, and established reps who want to reboot.


If you had one piece of advice for print salespeople, what would it be?


Keep prospecting, because you will lose revenue over the course of your career— perhaps through no fault of your own, but it is inevitable. Stay focused on revenue-


generating activities. It’s easy to get distracted by project management and problems in the manufacturing process while the sales activities fall by the wayside! Stay in the game and keep selling!


The Power Selling Program kicks off on October 12, 2015. Because there are private coaching sessions, participation is limited. For more information, or to register, visit www.printing.org/powerselling.


The Magazine 13 9.2015


INTERVIEW

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