The Well Is Dry

Do you want to sell more? Stop spending time trying to get water out of wells that have run dry. By that, I mean stop spending time on customers who have communicated one of these common messages repeatedly.

1. We no longer buy what you sell. The customer stopped spending money on printing one or two years ago. So far, they’ve seen no compelling reason to start investing in these marketing materials again—or they are still suffering from the effects of a tough economy and they have no money to spend on these products.

2. We found a cheaper source and we’re perfectly happy with them. When people are happy with their current situation, they’re hard to sell. Move on! There are plenty of dissatisfied buyers in the market place.

3. We found a cheaper source. Their quality/service is not as good as yours, but we don’t care. Your competitor is good enough. This may be an opportunity—if you can find an new angle to approach the customer. If the new angle isn’t obvious right now, look elsewhere but stay in touch.

Spend your time wisely. Remember, time is money. Stop visiting customers where sales have dried up hoping for something to miraculously change. Figure out a way to make change happen or look for new wells.