The definitive Web2Print sales manual

ALI RIDHA JAFFAR

... delivers an essential and invaluable understanding of Web2Print”

Brian McBrideFormer CEO, Amazon UK

In partnership with

The Definitive Web2Print Sales ManualHow to Effectively Pitch and Close Web2Print Sales

How to Effectively Pitch and Close Web2Print Sales

The Definitive Web2Print Sales Manual

First-hand experience totalling more than 15 years and a desire to give back to the print industry has produced this Web2Print sales manual.

Packed with advice and brimming with helpful tips, this manual will help guide you through the sales process, including crafting a perfect sales pitch, managing the sales process itself and closing a Web2Print sale successfully.

The combined efforts of EFI and Syncoms bring you this definitive manual that focuses on how you can experience your own increase in revenue with Web2Print and achieve success with your Web2Print platform.

Learn everything you need to know about Web2Print to ensure your success!

+1 [email protected]

+44 (0)208 181 [email protected]

Web2Print Benefits

Client retention

Online marketing

Enhance profits

Reduce costs

Appeals to end usersEasy customization

Turbocharge your printing

Enhanced business presence

Cloud technology

Brand management

Acknowledgments

Syncoms

Elio GiannatempoHaving led the development of client StoreFronts, Elio’s inputs have formulated the experiences of the business engagements cited within this manual.

Anthea Whelan For planning, researching, organizing, editing and making this manual actually happen.

Ana Azparren For design and editing talents that have served to really bring this manual to life.

EFI

Charlotte Tueckmantel and Aaron TavakoliWith gratitude to EFI for giving due consideration to our unique position as an independent Web2Print consultancy while offering their perspective and observations from their vantage point as a global Web2Print provider.

Brian McBride Chairman, Trainline Plc

Former CEO, Amazon UK

Foreword

The world, and business within it, is heading into a very uncertain time. But like all crises there will be winners and losers. Those who buried their heads in the sand, or sat on their hands waiting for the storm to blow over, or for someone else to fix it, will be the ones who failed. I have lived through, and helped drive, digital disruption over the past 15 years in my time as CEO, Chair or Board member of some great companies like Amazon, AO, Wiggle, ASOS and Trainline. There is no doubt that the already fast pace of disruption is going to accelerate. Satia Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft said recently, “We have seen 2 years’ worth of digital transformation in the past 2 months.” Customers, consumers, commuters, employees will look at every process of a company through critical eyes, and if those processes are old-fashioned, unhealthy or unsafe, or just don’t make sense any more – flying somewhere for a one hour meeting – they are not going to support them; they will vote with their feet.

So, I think it is imperative that, as the world of business becomes even more competitive, we quickly move to a frictionless, touchless way of working, as soon as possible. Web2Print is one way of making that happen. The second edition of the Definitive Web2Print Sales Manual delivers an essential and invaluable understanding of Web2Print, in order to facilitate an easy uptake by an industry that should be embracing it, whole-heartedly.

Brian McBrideMay, 2020

Contents

Acknowledgments 4Foreword 5

Chapter 1: Introduction 8About EFI 8About the Syncoms Group 9About Ali Jaffar 10Goals for this publication 11An example of a model B2B deployment 12

Chapter 2: Transitioning to Web2Print 14Do I really need a Web2Print solution? 14Do I need a B2C or B2B solution? 16Why is my Web2Print solution failing? 19What’s the ROI on my Web2Print investment? 26

Chapter 3: Successfully planning for Web2Print 28Before pitching, plan 28Roadmaps: How to align your resources 30Essential marketing materials 35How to migrate between systems 38

Chapter 4: Organizational transformation 46What people resources do I need? 46How do I optimise my people resources? 48Take firm decisions, and don’t waste time 51Hiring: Don’t focus solely on print experience 53Training your internal teams 56How to successfully recruit new talent 64

Chapter 5: Pricing strategies for solution selling 86One size does not fit all 87The importance of flexible pricing 88How to price through higher margins 89

Chapter 6: Identifying and converting enquiries 92Learn to identify potential Web2Print enquiries 92The traditional approach that printers adopt 93Thoroughly modern methods 94Business cards: The Web2Print starting point 95

Chapter 7: Successfully pitching Web2Print 102The secret to pitching 102The essential demo storefront 104Customer meetings, online and face-to-face 106

Chapter 8: Customer objections 113Marketing managers 113Designers 116General objections 117

Chapter 9: How to not fail 119Heed customer objections 119Tightly manage all processes 121What are the most common pitfalls? 124

Conclusion 136

Chapter 1: Introduction

Proud to serve our customers

EFI is leading the transformation from analogue to digital imaging with scalable, digital, award-winning products. Based in Silicon Valley, California

with offices around the world, EFI develops break-through technologies for the manufacturing of signage, packaging, textiles, ceramic tiles, and

personalized documents, with a wide range of printers, inks, digital front ends, and a comprehensive business and production

workflow suite that transforms and streamlines the entire production process, increasing

your competitiveness and boosting productivity.

All of us at EFI are relentlessly focused on just one thing: the growth and success of your print business. That’s why tens of millions of print professionals worldwide turn to EFI to fuel their success.

About EFIEFI fuels success

In partnership with

The Synchronized Communications Group is a multi-national technology corporation specializing in software development, design, tailored eCommerce platforms and Web2Print solutions. With offices across North America, Europe and Asia, we are aware of the global landscape of today’s corporate world. We have been providing cutting-edge technology solutions and world-class customer service through dedication, innovation and a relentless commitment to quality.

We are a global company and, of course, have experience in both B2B and B2C commerce. Not only do we run B2C websites servicing over a million customers, but we also

run our own B2B Web2Print storefronts. In addition, we support fellow print companies in achieving their

Web2Print aspirations with our technical and sales consultancy services. This sales manual is part

of our thought leadership series where we give back to the industry and share our experience.

This is where most of the content for this book comes from: experience.

About the Syncoms Group

A relentless commitment to quality

Giving back to the industry

9In partnership with 91. Introduction

10 In partnership with 1.

Intr

oduc

tion

Ali JaffarEVP - eCommerce

About Ali Jaffar

Ali’s experience in eCommerce spans over 15 years and covers a range of enterprises from web design overhauls to marketing automation consulting.

Having pioneered the Web2Print initiative at the Syncoms Group, Ali transformed the commercial print division from a traditional printing company, to a specialist tech firm, delivering advanced Web2Print implementations.

Under Ali’s stewardship, the Syncoms Group has on-boarded a range of significant clients, ranging from government institutions to NASDAQ and Fortune-500 companies.

When not traveling the world, spreading the word about digital storefronts, print management services and automation through webinars, blogging, and speaking engagements, Ali is a family man who enjoys spending time with his wife and three children.

11In partnership with 1. Introduction

With this manual, I seek to tackle the operational challenges surrounding Web2Print. You need to transform your business from that of traditional printing, to becoming a modern tech company.

How do you go about doing that? What are some of the internal objections that you may encounter? How do you convert an enquiry, if you are selling a Web2Print service? How do you tell the difference between a print enquiry and a technical enquiry?

I will share some hints on how to successfully pitch Web2Print, how to attend a meeting and what to say and do at the meeting.

I will also tackle the question of Return on Investment (ROI). Additionally, I will share some ideas about how to manage client objections – if you can’t overcome reluctance, you can’t successfully sell! Along with a couple of sales and operations hints and tips, I will also run through some common pitfalls and how you can prevail.

By the end of this manual, you should know how to successfully pitch Web2Print and by the end of this series, you should know everything you could ever desire about running a successful Web2Print business!

Goals for this publication

Welcome to the definitive Web2Print sales manual

12 In partnership with 1.

Intr

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An example of a model B2B deployment

The Royal Voluntary ServiceA volunteering charity working throughout the

United Kingdom in order to help people maintain independence and dignity in their homes and

communities, particularly later in life.

Before we tackle the subjects outlined in the table of contents, here is an example of a successful Web2Print deployment that I managed myself, for the Royal Voluntary Service – a national charity with 300 offices all placing orders via our B2B platform.

In order to win their business, we had to present our proposal, competing with over 60 other suppliers in the formal tender process. Our demo provided the level of design and user experience to which RVS aspired and was one of the key factors in deciding our overall success.

A great deal of the content in this manual will be drawing upon such experiences.

Digital repository

Custom login

HTML5 editor

Fully-customized Web2Print

In partnership with 13

Ali’s top tip

Do I really need a Web2Print solution?

Chapter 2: Transitioning to Web2Print

Web2Print is necessary. If you do not have your own platform at the moment, you need to stop reading right now and go out and get one. Then pick up back here. Don’t worry, I’ll wait.

Why do you need one? Because your competitors already have one, so if you don’t, your competition will approach your customers with their Web2Print platform and you will lose the customer.

Hence my advice. If you’re one of those without Web2Print

at the moment and you’re procrastinating, I would say

that you need to take action immediately, before the end

of this sentence: go out and invest in a Web2Print platform of your own. If you were questioning this as a purchase decision, don’t. It’s a sound investment.

In a word? Yes.

2. Transitioning to Web2Print

15In partnership with

Why you need Web2PrintI touched on this subject briefly previously, but you may have asked, “Yes, but why do our competitors have it?” Simply put, Web2Print ringfences the customer and it simplifies the ordering process.

The former point is possibly the most important – how many customers have you lost, simply because your contact moved on to pastures new, and the replacement had their own print relationships already in place?

With Web2Print in their organization, the new person simply continues with the same processes that the former person left in place. In the absence of a Web2Print platform, you leave the relevant account vulnerable to takeover. It is far easier to switch print supplier than to switch an entire Web2Print platform. People come and go, but tech generally remains!

Your competitors

have Web2Print

Ring-fence yourcustomers

People come and go - tech

remains

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rint If you are just in the process of investing, or

having invested, in a Web2Print platform, then I strongly advise that you do stick with B2B as your sales focus, as that is essentially where the most opportunity lies.

16 In partnership with

Start with B2B

Do I need a B2C or B2B solution?

A B2C platform could be used for existing customers that order general printed collateral. Do not expect new customers to arrive at your website simply because you have a B2C offering.

When it comes to B2C, there are significant barriers to entry. These barriers are not insurmountable, but it is a time-consuming process to overcome them. Unless you have a very niche product, or you are already in the B2C world, I find that most printers tend to struggle to get a B2C foothold – but when it comes to B2B, they’re effective!

B2C is strongly competitive

B2B has plenty of opportunity

Make a decision and stick with it



That is not to say that Web2Print isn’t for B2C – it is, and a lot can be achieved with it. It is simply to say that Web2Print is much more effective as a B2B tool due to the strong incumbent competitors in B2C. These are simply my own experiences of the marketplace – you may already have a cult-sized B2C following, in which case, none of this would apply.

If, however, you are having this internal debate, it is unlikely that this is your circumstance, in which case I recommend picking one and sticking with it, as opposed to trying to mix’n’match.


Internal design and sales teams may feel

imminent redundancy, but assure them that this is an opportunity to grow

and expand their skill set.”

Ali’s top tip

Very often, it happens that decision-makers may invest in a Web2Print platform without being very diplomatic about it, when it comes to internal stakeholders.

Web2Print automates.

1. Sales personnel

Web2Print is designed to automate processes that sales professionals are used to undertaking. Web2Print automates a significant portion of their role.

If you suddenly implement a Web2Print platform, your sales personnel may get a bit nervous because if anyone can order online, what’s going to happen to them?

Internal challenges

Why is my Web2Print solution failing?



You have to reassure your sales personnel that they are not going to be made redundant, that you aren’t seeking to fire them – you’re seeking to empower them, so that rather than taking orders, they can meet with their clients, add value and carry out all the human interactions that personalize a sales relationship and ensure your customers remain your customers.

You are not seeking to fire these people: you are seeking to empower them.

They are worth, both to you and to your business, much more than simply undertaking tasks that are, in fact, so low level, that they can be so easily automated.

Often, sales personnel can be reluctant to sell Web2Print, because they are insecure about their own position. I will discuss management of these issues, and others, later in this manual (see page 46). Effective management of your human resources is key to transforming your business.

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2. Internal design team

Ordinarily, designers can spend a great deal of time working on projects such as amending business cards for clients. With Web2Print, clients can perform their own name-changes and other corrections, as well as generally ensure other details are up-to-date.

Again, this may make the design team feel insecure, so you need to remind them that there is plenty of online design

work that will need to be done for Web2Print clients, in addition to templating,

website mock-ups, etc.

In my experience, designers deeply despise mundane tasks. Web2Print allows them to refocus on the creative. Your designers will now be called upon to engage in actual design as opposed to merely artworking and will have some sort of engagement with your clients. Every time a customer requests a new Web2Print site, it

is likely they’ll also require bespoke design work and your design team is

responsible for this.

As with your sales crew, their role has not been

diminished, but enhanced.



3. Customer relationships

A word of caution: do not underestimate the relationship between your account managers and your customers. I have experienced situations where clients have told their account managers that if, by implementing Web2Print, their jobs will be under threat, they will refuse any Web2Print proposition directed at them.

It is very important to ensure the client is aware that the person with whom they have been dealing for the last decade or so – or even longer, as is the case with some of my own sales team – is not suddenly going to become jobless. As you can see, the client may resist Web2Print because they have built a rapport with that account manager; one which involves trust and human contact.

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4. The reality check

Fundamentally, when it comes to internal challenges and changes, there is a reality check.

If you don’t embrace change – if you don’t embrace Web2Print technology as the future of your print company – then the reality is, you will get knocked out of the market. This is because Web2Print is the future of print ordering. This is the reality and it must be explained to and accepted by internal stakeholders.



Is there a defined Web2Print strategy?

Have you invested in the right resources?

Have you considered

hiring in help?

Is there a strategy in place?

Sometimes, people say to me, “Look! My Web2Print strategy is failing!” Often, I have to tell them that perhaps it fails because there isn’t a strategy in place, at all! Perhaps we aren’t training our sales team to sell Web2Print properly. Perhaps we aren’t attending the right webinars or don’t have the right resources. The Web2Print solution itself is not failing – the implementation of it is.

This is one reason Syncoms gets called in to consult for many organizations. We help define their strategy and execute actions based upon that strategy. There is nothing wrong in admitting it can’t be done by yourself – that’s literally the backbone of business – but trying to effectively pivot your business without any strategy at all is doomed to failure.

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Ali’s top tip

Proper planning and preparation prevent poor performance.”

Ali’s top tip


Ali’s top tip


Ali’s top tip


Ali’s top tip


Ali’s top tip


Ali’s top tip

Proper planning and preparation prevent poor

performance.”

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The most common question I hear from printers is, “What am I going to get for my investment?” When I’m on-site, carrying out training of sales teams, the first thing I get asked is usually some variation on this theme.

Let me break down some ROI-related arguments and the answers I have discovered.

Manage your great expectations

What’s the ROI on my Web2Print investment?



Set reasonable ROI expectations

Customer retention in an eCommerce environment is one of the most sought-after miracles and Web2Print delivers it as part of its service to your end users. In real terms, it means the customer is comfortable with you, with the ordering process and with the Web2Print platform itself. They are, therefore, unlikely to move away.

What is your customer worth to you? If you lose that customer, you will be losing out by $x amount of sales but by sticking your customer to you with your Web2Print platform, you will get a return on your investment. This is an aspect of ROI that business owners can sometimes fail to comprehend and fully appreciate.

Customer retentionthrough “stickiness”

What’s your customer worth to you?

Expect tofuture-proof

your business

Before pitching, plan

Chapter 3: Successfully planning for Web2Print

How do you ensure you are ready? You have selected

your Web2Print platform from the dozens out there; it’s set up and good to go.

Roadmaps – time as a resource

Personnel as a resource

The key is to remember your resources – they extend from marketing collateral, such as easy-to-read brochures and blogs, to your employees and colleagues who specialize in the disciplines required to make the whole thing work.

This section will cover your three main resources: Personnel, marketing and time.

Printed marketing collateral

In partnership with 293. Successfully planning for W

eb2Print29In partnership with

Roadmaps: How to align your resources

Roadmaps are very important, if you are to succeed with your Web2Print strategies.

Are your design teams able to produce web pages and designs for your Web2Print platform? Are they able to understand the requirements of online design? Are they able to help you template designs online?

Similarly, your web development teams – are they familiar with what needs to be done, too? Are they au fait with the technology and what will be required of them in the coming sales cycles?

Design teams

Web development teams

Pre-press special is ts

Finance department

Market ing resources

Sales team

Primary resources checklist

In partnership with 303.

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Ali’s top tip

Does everyone understand their

role?”

One team that seems to get overlooked occasionally, in my experience, are the

pre-press specialists. When a file comes in, do you want it to go straight to the

machines, or be manually processed at press? If the former, how is that going to happen? What research is your pre-press team carrying out?

Will they also require additional training?


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t32 In partnership with

What about your financial team? Are they ready for automated invoicing? What about the accounting systems they use? Or the format of invoices; are they prepared to integrate? Are the new billing models compatible with existing processes?

All of these are extremely important concerns and you must be mindful of them and track the progress of each department and their preparations for becoming a technical print business. Detail when you will be actively pitching and when you intend to implement your Web2Print platforms. This will enable you to ensure that all your primary resources are ready to play their part.




B2C or B2B? Don’t try to do both, when first starting. Choose one

and stick with it.”

Ali’s top tip

To help you effectively pitch your new Web2Print platform, ensure you have a wealth of marketing materials that span all media-types, including proposal templates, videos and a working demo site. Your customers will love receiving a beautifully-published piece of collateral – especially if you can say it came from your own Web2Print platform!

Essential marketing materials



Create bold marketing literature

Customers love the look and feel of print. Not only are you leaving behind a high-quality sample of your work, but you’re giving them inspiration for their next design.

By ensuring that Web2Print is the focal point, internally, and that every meeting is accompanied by a Web2Print pack, you are adding extra value to your customer interactions and they will remember you positively. Remember, marketing material can be sent both by post and digitally.

Bonus points for translated copies!


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Do not expect an immediate return on

investment – what is your customer worth, if you

lose them?”

Ali’s top tip


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Often, one of the activities you will be required to perform will be a Web2Print system migration, where you will be replacing an old system with a new and – hopefully – better one!

New systems usually mean new features and very few vendors release upgrades for no reason. This newer version presents you with multiple opportunities to contact your clients and help them upgrade.

From the old to the new

How to migrate between systems

Keep a firm hand on the tiller with an excellent plan and achievable

timelines. ”



You may be met with resistance, but you should persevere - for your customer’s sake, most of all.

Here are some key points to bear in mind.

Migration is necessary!

Internally, it must be acknowledged that migration is necessary. You have to be committed to the migration of systems and be serious in your approach – it is not a simple process, but you can make it straightforward.

Set timelines accordingly. You must put together a plan of action and then follow it through, including planning for eventualities where everything goes wrong.

Without a plan, you may end up running multiple, parallel systems, indefinitely. The commitment to change must be there.

Become pitch-perfect

If you have customers using your Web2Print platform and you want to move them to a different one, how do you persuade them that this is in their best interests? You really want to spend some time thinking about your pitch.

Resist the temptation to say things like, “Well, your current platform is clunky, doesn’t work and

causes a lot of problems.” These sorts of things are not really the things you want to be saying

in front of a customer, at any time!


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Likewise, don’t be tempted to over-dramatize the new system to your client by saying things like, “It’s the first time we’ve done this, but we’ve got to do it.” The customer really will not be amenable to a situation like that!

The correct way to approach this process is to say, “Look, we’ve invested in this fantastic new Web2Print platform and we want to offer you a free upgrade. It’s worth $50,000 but we are going to give it to you for free.” A positive attitude will serve you best, here.

Of course, with some customers, they may well be amenable to paying the $50,000 - but migration should not be made contingent upon getting a customer to pay for your business decision, even if they are getting a better end product as a result.


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Create excitement

When we (eventually) do perform our Windows updates, generally it’s to fix a specific problem that has been reoccurring, or to address a particularly annoying bug. Create excitement around the new system in a similar way – “Your current system doesn’t support that weird format you love, but the new one does”, for instance.

As highlighted above, however, be cautious when creating pain around the old system so that you can create pleasure with the new one – you don’t want to denigrate the old one so badly that they wonder why they ever trusted you and signed onto it, in the first place.



Instead, try using functionality and features to highlight positive changes. Buzzwords help create buzz, so you can mention things like, “The new system has an HTML5 Editor – your current system doesn’t support that, but the new one will.”

If you create a buzz of excitement about it, your customer is likely to be far more amenable to the upgrade and the pains which go with it, whereas if you simply state you will be performing an upgrade, they may become nervous about the system. They may wonder, if it’s a new system, perhaps it did not get tested as thoroughly as the old one and may refuse the upgrade because of worries about potential downtimes, bugs and breakages.


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Upgrades are essential!

We’re human. We don’t even like carrying out Windows updates, despite the usability issues and security risks presented by out-of-date software. We know we have to do it and we still resist it. Your customers are the same. Explain that upgrades are essential, give them three months advance notice and then start migrating them.

Three months is a polite amount of prior warning to ensure your customer has sufficient time to accommodate the upgrade. Any more and it tends to be forgotten – any less and you might start a panic. Three months should give you enough time to liaise with all relevant stakeholders so that everyone knows what will happen, who is involved and what they will be doing.



Show no fear!

Be brave – customers are far more amenable than you might think. They are actually quite understanding! It’s very important not to be scared when you introduce your new system.

And why should you be? After all, you have tested it, you have run through some installations and migrations internally, you’ve put your best developers on it and they’ve run a thorough risk analysis and are completely familiar with it – right?

Right?

Because if you’re going to install a new system and it doesn’t work, that customer will remember… and they do have long memories.

So, be brave – but also be smart and prepare properly.

Originally created in 2019 by Synchronized Communications Ltd. Second edition 2021.

Copyright © 2019 and 2021 Syncoms Education, part of Syncoms Ltd. (Synchronized Communications Ltd.)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the permission of the copyright holder.

ISBN 978-1-8383213-1-4

Published by PrintExpress International Limited, 4 Christopher Street, London, EC2A 2BS, England.

The Definitive Web2Print Sales ManualHow to Effectively Pitch and Close Web2Print Sales

+1 [email protected]

+44 (0)208 181 [email protected]

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The definitive Web2Print sales manual

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