Print
Solutions July 2005
Strategic
Sales
By
Dick Gorelick
Lexicon
of Lousy Words
Since
the 15th century, the printing
industry has developed several
terms with unique definitions
such as “hickie” and
“bleeding in the gutters.”
Our industry also has popularized
some words and phrases worthy
of the trash can because they
are meaningless or misleading.
Consider:
Schedule
This
word implies a precision that
often is a fantasy, leading the
print buyer to believe there is
a hard-and-fast lineup of jobs
on the production schedule. Let’s
face it: At most plants, there’s
no such thing. There’s an
ongoing triage in job sequencing
based on customer value, needs
and past performance. A better
word to describe the process is
“sequencing.”
Fulfillment
I
don’t know the genesis of
this word as it relates to the
graphic arts industry and inventory
management. I grew up believing
that “fulfillment,”
“conversion,” and
“redemption” were
words used in Western religions,
not the handling of information,
print and promotional products.
A more accurate term is “customized
distribution.” It encompasses
some combination of customized
kitting, storage, mailing, bulk
shipping, ink jet addressing,
vendor-managed inventory, usage
reports, call center operation,
mail list procurement, list management
and research. The process can
be complex. Its successful implementation
can be fulfilling.
Presentation
No
word more accurately reflects
“old school selling”
than the word “presentation.”
Salespeople routinely refer to
an important meeting with a prospect
as a “presentation,”
but they should be aware that
many buyers consider this word
pejorative. The word often connotes
a packaged, all-purpose solution
in a business environment in which
there’s a need for a tailored,
customized solution. Interviews
and surveys of buyers reveal that
they see the buying/selling process
as collaborative or a dialogue.
The word “presentation”
implies one-way communication
and a “take it or leave
it” proposition. Salespeople
should avoid the word.
Overtime
This
is code for extra charges to be
imposed for the inconvenience
and difficulty involved in accommodating
a customer’s special request.
Quality
Without
question, this is the most meaningless
word in the lexicon of lousy words.
It means different things to different
people under different circumstances.
I recommend that you never use
the word “quality”
and encourage your customers to
avoid its use. Instead, confine
the discussion to elements considered
by the customer to be important
and/or critical.
Rebate,
Discount, Credit
Ambiguity
clouds the use of these words.
In too many cases, the buyer and
seller attach different meanings
to them. The words often are used
carelessly and interchangeably.
A rebate is cash resulting from
attainment of a predetermined
objective of purchases. A discount
is a reduction in price. A credit
is applied to a buying organization’s
account against future purchases.
It’s bad news if, after
arriving at verbal agreement on
one of these three concessions,
the seller says, “That’s
not what I meant.”
In
some of the cases cited above,
buyers are loath to engage a salesperson
in verbal combat or express disagreement
or disappointment. Prevention
is the best course of action.
Be precise. Don’t rationalize
that “everyone knows what
we mean” when using these
words. The buying community is
heavily populated by novices.
