All the writing I’ve ever seen about hiring sales people mentions the obvious importance of in-depth product knowledge. Anyone selling anything had better know what it does, how to use it, what customers want from it, how to adapt it to unusual requirements, and so forth. Now, in many cases, given that the Canadian sign industry largely consists of small businesses, that salesperson is usually you, the owner.
So, if you’re going to enter a conversation with a potential customer you’d better know all there is to know about every aspect of the technologies and materials that your shop uses. You must know what can and cannot be accomplished with your resources. But, even that is not enough. You must also have a firm grasp on the economic aspects of what you’re selling. If you don’t have this understanding, you run the risk of selling something that’s not going to be profitable when all is said and done.
It’s not just a case of can we or can we not do this. It’s very much a case of can we or can we not do it profitably. Without an in-depth knowledge of every aspect of a sign shop, an owner is neither well equipped for salesmanship nor ownership.