The Seasons Beatings of Sales

Well I never thought I'd be saying this so soon but the Holiday Season is once again upon us, and people of course are watching their dollars and cents. Even in the sign business, many companies are finding themselves making strategic moves that will keep their homes heated this winter. The real question is are the tactics you are using really saving you money? Or are they costing you money in the long run.

For those of you who are looking to make a sound investment into the world of digital graphics, you've got a lot more going for you than you may think. Many people sometimes consider November and December to be a little slow going each year, but the right people will use this time to learn to tricks, take advantage of some end of the year write offs on new equipment and head into 2010 more fired up than anything else.

Having that said, let's get right to it..

Sign Show or Shark Tank?- Many people head to Atlantic City, NJ for the USSC Sign Show every year looking to upgrade their existing equipment, meet with their local vendors or shop new ones, or even start up a business. Unfortunately, there are some that just go to shop price and nickel and dime dealers so that in the end no one wins. Why do I say "No One wins"? Simple. The customer loses out because he spends so much time trying to work the best deal on a piece of a equipment that they really lose focus of the features of the machine, the value, and can it even help them accomplish their goals. The dealers lose out because while they are spending their time playing "deal or no deal" with a price shopper, people who are actually there to learn are soon to be considered "missed opportunities.

Not to mention, as dealers, the name of the game should not be "snag em and tag em". We are there to educate, guide these individuals, and help them learn all the ways they can make money with their equipment. Lacking confidence in our own abilities is what leads us to sell on price and price alone. In the end you have a frustrated customer, who may have saved a buck or two at a Sign Show but lost thousands in time and aggrevation when they aren't properly trained.

Personally, I don't believe in "shaking people down for money" or taking their credit card information when I know they aren't ready, and the practices I believe in aren't just ones that I follow, but they are practices that I encourage not just my staff to practice, but my customers as well.

So when you visit the Sign Show this year, think about why you are there. What are you looking to learn? Are you there to walk the show, meet with experienced individuals who can teach you all the latest techniques and new product offerings? Or are you going to make a quick deal and snag a free pen. Let it be known that in going from booth to booth grabbing and FREE handouts all weekend, you won't find anything worth re-wrapping and giving away at Christmas.

Just WHAT Exactly Are You Looking To Accomplish? -Here's a scenario, a customer comes into my showroom with a mind set that he wants to produce a certain type of product. When he finds that the machine he is looking for is going to cost a lot more than just the sticker price on the machine, he seems to toss his ideas to the wayside and just go the "cheaper route"

Now why is this so ridiculous? Here's several reasons..

1. Never sell yourself short in ANYTHING you do. You set out to reach a goal. Accomplish a dream, so why let the price of the equipment package make you restructure your entire way of thinking all inside of 30 seconds. You have to spend money to make money. There is no "easy way". Don't believe me? Wake up at 4am sometime and see how many informercials are on tv and then think about how many people you actually know that made a million overnight with that garbage.
2. Buying a machine is easy. Running a business isn't. A lot of customers seem to think equipment purchases are like purchasing a car. WRONG. You buy a car, you drive it off the lot, it depreciates. It loses value INSTANTLY. A car doesn't make you a dime. It costs you money. A printer makes you money. It's such a simple thought process yet it is so overlooked.
3. You can never expect to go and buy a printer and nothing else and you're going to make it big. Look, I know people out there get a little discouraged when they hear they need a laminator, software, a computer and all that. That's the name of the game. When a machine comes out that designs, prints, cuts, laminates, weeds, and applies, you be sure to let me know, but until then, you're going to need to get the right equipment. Here's the thing, you shouldn't be saying "Do I have to buy a laminator?", "Do I have to buy software?" No, you're right, you can buy a house, but do you have to heat it? You can have kids, but do you have to take care of them? These are things you should WANT to buy. You want to produce high quality images from high quality equipment that produce high profits. No rocket science needed. It's simple business.
4. Accept that you don't know as much as you think you do. Many people take offense to this statement, but why? If a customer walks into my showroom looking for nothing but a great deal and is shopping on price alone, sometimes I take the deal and sometimes I send him elsewhere, but the result is the same, when they need support they always come running back to me. You have to sit and ask yourself "Can I really do all this work the right way on my own?" You want to make money and be successful right? You need to consider all the things that go along with this equipment, and I don't mean supplies and ink. How much do you know about networking? Color Management? Design Software? Application? Pricing? These are things that I teach my customers inside and out, and they understand the value.

In closing, take a look at the bigger picture when getting started in the business. Decide what typs of business you see yourself becoming in 5 years. Think about who you are looking to buy from. Consider all the values and education that comes along with your purchase. Once you learn that this business and buying equipment isn't all about price price price, then you'll begin to focus on the tools that will make you money.

This is the difference between people who want to be box movers and people who want to provide you with professional help and educate you the right way. This is the philosophy of TyrrellTech on a whole. We firmly believe in standing by you and supporting you 100%. We have the experience of all the "other guys" out there combined and it's what sets us apart from all the rest.

Good luck and have fun! Passion is everything!

Until next time..

Daniel Ramm

To New Beginnings...Random NJ News

So there's just so much going on in the NJ office these days, I sometimes feel like there isn't enough hours in the day, but dispite the fact that I really need to get some sleep for a change, I wanted to get on here and post some news for the NJ office and let everyone know what's going on!

NJ STAFF CONTINUES TO GROW..So I had the chance to pick up another employee a few weeks ago in my father. I truly cannot put into words how amazing of an experience it is to work side by side with my pops. It's gotten us so much closer and being that he was the one who got me in the business to begin with, it makes so happy to have him working with us on this journey. Not to mention, it's a ton of fun. I never realized how good he good he is with people. The guy is a natural when it comes to giving advice and lending a hand. All it took was a little time to re focus on products he hasn't worked with in years and it's off and running.

We are constantly growing and making the right moves to bring on the absolute best staff possible. What's next? Just wait and see!

READY TO ROLL...So the day has finally arrived. After months of back and forth with realtors and contractors. After months of carrying machines up and down the stairs and elevators. After months of electrical permits and networking issues, the time has arrived. Tomorrow, 9/9/09, we move into our downstairs facility! We've had the pleasure of having many people visit our upstairs facility and worked with us as we were somewhat tight on space, but your patience has not been overlooked.

As for the layout and plans of the new facility...stop by in a week..You ain't seen nothing yet!

NBM, BALTIMORE... Man what a great show! I had my doubts, I'll admit it. Mainly because the show was a 1/3 of what it was last year and with the way the economy has been, but that was not the case down in MD. We had a great crowd, with a great response!

For me it was sort of like a homecoming. I had not been to a trade show in quite some time and was itching to get to one. Tradeshows are one of my favorite things in the industry. There's nothing like meeting your customers face to face and helping them out!

It was also good to see all the people I haven't talked with in so long. There was over 20 customers that I have not seen since I left my previous employer. Some were a little upset that I didn't reach out to them, but hey it's nice to be missed right!

All in all, we have been building quite the following and we plan to keep the momentum going strong as we roll on into SGIA, USSC, and much more..

NJ WRAP CLASS...If you haven't signed up for our FIRST EVER Wrap Class, what are you waiting for seriously? We're slated to hold it for 2 days, hosted by Oracal, Oct 21st & 22nd in NJ. $795 gets you EVERYTHING you need without the cheesy QVC sales pitches every 10 minutes where people beg you to spend more money. Nah, no lame tactics on this blog. Here's the deal. Sign up..Learn...Nuff said.

IS MONEY A CONCERN?..A lot of customers are tight with their spending these days, but the question is, are you being tight with your money in the right areas? Think about it. I am not going to throw answers at you. I am here to offer guidance and advice but this time around, I want you to really think about it. Have the things you cut back on really helped you in your business? Have you cut out the right types of spending habits? If you are still finding yourself struggling with some of the decisions you are faced with in this business, please give me a shout. Let's sit down and go over what your needs are. Maybe you need a change in marketing. Maybe you need to sell some equipment you aren't using and we can find a buyer for you. Maybe you aren't using your software in the most effecient manner. Whatever it is, if you don't ask for help, we can't assume you need it.

Until next time people...

Investment v Expense-Which Side Are You On?

I wanted to post this article that my boss wrote on Investment Purchases v Expense Purchases. I find it to be dead on and very informative. Customers have read this recently and not only commended him on it but my customers have looked at their purchases differently ever since. Hope you find it as informative as I have. Enjoy!

As in previous editorials, my goal is to pass on some of my experiences in life, in hopes of making your business life a little easier. In 28 years of sales consulting, I’m often amazed at some of the purchasing practices I’ve come across. Let’s face it; there are many people in this industry and others that may not have the best business sense. For the most part, business is not all that difficult. There are many people that have blazed this trail long before we came along. Just like in life, mistakes have been made that should not be repeated, lessons both good and bad are out there for all of us to learn from. We are not re-inventing the wheel. This has all been done before. All you need to do is to look at the past and see what has worked and what you need not repeat. (If only our government could do that). I guess you could say it’s easier said than done. I believe that these topics should be taught in school before some of the other topics.

In general, anytime you are purchasing something for your company, there are two basic approaches: investment purchases and expense purchases. Although both purchases are similar, one couldn’t be any more different than the other.

There isn’t a week that goes by that I don’t hear an unhappy customer say that they purchased a piece of equipment on the Internet and either it doesn’t work or they can’t get any support
or training. I’m not talking about a toy; I’m talking about a major piece of equipment like a large format printer. In their small shop, this printer will be the single most important income producing piece of equipment and probably one of the biggest investments they will make in their business for the next year or so.

This is a perfect example of an investment purchase that was treated as an expense purchase. In other words, the owner thought the cost was more important than the return, or they tried to save a few dollars over the Internet versus buying locally from someone that could help them. Another common mistake is the perception that the purchase of equipment is the END of the buying cycle, when in fact it is just the beginning.

Please let me explain the difference. There are many thingsevery business needs to do their day to day work; staple items like laser printer paper, pens, coffee, paper towels, toilet paper, etc. None of these items generate any revenue for the business, yet they are essential to help run the business (some more so than others). Without them, we would struggle. These items are expense purchase items. They are literally an expense of running the day to day business, they don’t produce any income for your business so you don’t want to pay any more than you have to. You can get them from a huge number of suppliers and having a good reliable supplier, convenience as well as a good competitive price, is usually the only concern here.

In a nut shell, an investment purchase is exactly the opposite of an expense purchase; it is something you purchase because it’s going to make money, hopefully more money than the
investment cost itself. It’s as simple as that— you are purchasing it because of the return on your investment.

Similar to stock on the stock market, people invest in a particular stock because either they believe or have been advised to believe that they will make more money (the “return”) by
investing in a particular stock. With the exception of extreme cases, the price of a single share of stock is usually not a big concern; the big concern is what will the “return” be or how much money will it make. The price of a stock is relative to the return; in other words if you invest $50.00 per share the return should be bigger than the return of stock bought at $5.00 per share.This concept is not new to most people and everyone seems to get it.

This is where the criss-cross happens, as I mentioned earlier, when people make important purchasing decisions over the Internet and sometimes make the dreadful and tragic mistake of
treating what should be an investment purchase as an expense purchase.

For many small businesses, I know a major equipment purchase like a large format printer or flatbed printer should have a lot of thought put into it. It’s not something you buy on the
Internet. After all, it is usually the single most important income producing piece of equipment and the biggest investment they will make in the near future. Most likely, all income producing
activities in their shop will revolve around this important INVESTMENT. Yes, I said investment, and that’s exactly what they are doing. Don’t take this purchase lightly. You are making the
investment for the return, not for what the equipment costs.

If you are going to make a rinky-dink investment, expect a rinky-dink return. How much money do you want to make in your business? A little or a lot? Since the Gerber Edge came out in the early 90’s, to this day, I will still find someone saying, “they never bought an Edge because it was too expensive.” I know dozens of owners that, over the years, made several MILLION dollars with their Edge they purchased for only $22,000. Investment purchasing is not about the cost, it’s about the return.

Most companies that have been in business for years understand the importance of part two of their investment purchase. With the purchase of an important, pivotal piece of equipment (say that three times fast), these companies know who they choose to purchase their equipment from can be just as important as the equipment itself. Most of these owners have experienced
the horrors of costly down time or, worse, they have lost a big client because they couldn’t get the support they need when they needed it. Basically, when you invest in a machine that prints money, how much does it cost you when your money printer doesn’t work? How much would it cost you to lose one of your biggest customers? Even spending several thousand dollars more to buy your equipment from a local dealer that will support you, that is a ONE TIME expense that pales in comparison to losing one of your biggest accounts ($50,000 - $100,000 per year). It is a one time expense versus missing multiple jobs for multiple repairs over the life of the machine. A few thousand more dollars is worth every penny when you think of it this way!

Please don’t misunderstand what I’m about to say… In many cases, even the purchase of an identical piece of equipment for anywhere from one to several thousands of dollars less over
the Internet or from “the cheapest guy in town” compared to purchasing from a local dealer that can train you, support you, and service your piece of equipment is most likely NOT in your
best interest. Many times I’ve seen people that got little to no use what so ever out of what they bought from the “cheapest guy in town” or over the Internet. At one time or another, most
of us have been burned going the cheap route, and it’s much harder to swallow this concept when the dollars are much bigger. And, especially when the dollars are much bigger, it is more
important that you take a step back. Do more investigating and research on what you are investing in with regard to WHO you are investing in. After all, running your business is like running an Indy race; you want to invest your money wisely in the best equipment/car and invest your money in the best pit crew if you really want to win the race.

-Craig E. Tyrrell

What makes us different than everyone else?

There's a millions reasons why you can buy from a million different dealers in this industry. Everyone has their own pitch, their own perks, and even their own style that makes them different from everyone else. What makes a dealer different is how they answer the question listed above. Will you go on the defensive? Will you try to put down the competition to make yourself look better? Realistically, one would assume that I am even writing this to compare myself to other dealers. WRONG.

The same rules and basic principals that apply to how I deal with my customers are not too different from how my clients should treat their customers. Throughout my years in this industry, I have been both a customer and the product specialist and I have seen what it takes to help customers bring their business to the next level. I base my success on professionalism and personality. It's about going the extra mile for the customer. It's about going above and beyond the call of duty and not just being the 9-5 guy, simply because in today's world, that does not cut it.

Here's some tips and tricks for you to use in your business when dealing with customers. I train my staff to use them every day and pass along as much helpful advice as possible.

1. We are all people. Here's a great way to start. Many people have a hard time dealing with other human beings. I used to be the exact same way. You get so nervous about having a simple conversation with another person that you mentally take yourself out of the game before you even say hello. Look, here's the deal. We all get up. We all eat drink shower (hopefully) and put our pants on one leg at a time. We all have a job to do, your job is to make your customers job a little easier. That's customer service. If you have apprehensions about talking to people in general, sales is not for you. But when dealing with other human beings, simply remember that they are seeking YOUR advice, YOUR help. They may know absolutely nothing about what you are selling or offering. If you can't show enough confidence in your own product, then why should they take a chance on you.

2. Forced Selling. There's nothing that angers me more than tactics like this. Granted I've done my share of trying to get in touch with a customer but here's the deal. Take step 1 and remember that we are all people. When you go home, and you're having dinner, and the phone rings, and someone is trying to sell you something you have no interest in, you instantly get annoyed. Worst of all, with these telemarketing type tactics, "NO" is never a good answer. The LAST thing you are going to do is buy their product. These are companies that hound you and hound you and hound you until you buy and once you do..GOODBYE! You become another statistic and can't get the support and service you need. Now granted, there are also times when the CUSTOMER is at fault. Yes that's right..the whole "customer is always right" theory doesn't always ring true..Which brings me to #3.

3. Treat people the way you want to be treated. Here's what I mean. There are customers that come to me with all sorts of requests. Some of which have nothing to even do with products I sold them, but they still need my advice. I still help. Now here's where it gets a little sensitive. I don't follow any forced selling tactics, but I base a lot of my qualities on #1 We are all just people. If you come to me looking for a machine or a solution to your problem, and it turns out you are no longer interested, simply tell your rep. It's no sweat off their back. No one is going to come to your house with an axe forcing you to buy. You move on and so do we. Fair enough. Think about your customers. If you quote out a project for a customer which would you rather happen: A) your customer calls you to keep you updated on whether the job will go through? or B) you have to hunt the guy down each and every week only to find out that it's not going through. I've had customers call me for prices on machines, then not call me back for weeks, then send their employees to call me when their existing machines have trouble so I can help. I still help, but that's just me. Sometimes the courtesy isn't returned. Keep the rules simple and everyone will get along just fine.

4. Deliver on your promises. This one targets EVERYONE. Customers and Dealers. Man, going back AGAIN to #1. We are all just people. We all go through this life together. Why promise things to customers only to get a deal closed and then not stand by your product. Do you know how many people I speak to on sign forums and technical support calls that have NO faith in their dealers whatsoever? That's absurd. If you are going to be in this game, then give it your all or go home. Now customers on the other hand, one bit of advice I'd have to give, if you feel you didn't receive all the training and support you wanted, do something about it. People make mistakes. Call your dealer and openly discuss the problems with them, rather than wait until something DOES go wrong and then you spend more time badmouthing either the machine or the rep or both, when a simple phone call can solve everything.

So call me a preacher, call me what you will, but these are rules and guidelines I follow with my business. What makes me different that the rest is not based on a list of what everyone else DOESN'T do..It's more about what I can do for my customers. People need to understand and have more faith in the value of support and service and that's what I sell. Selling a printer is one thing. Anyone can write the order. The REAL job of a Consultant begins once the ink is dry on the order.

Now one thing I am faced with day in and day out is pricing. Customers will ask "What's MY price?" "What's YOUR BEST price?" Which is fine..I have no issues with people trying to get the best deal. However, let's be realistic. After all, if you're reading this blog to find a lame sales pitch, that's not why I created this page. I tell it like it is. So here's my take.

We're all in this business because A) we love it and B) we want to make money. I lay it out real simple for my customers. If you've used a certain piece of equipment before and have all the experience in the world, yeah maybe I'll work up a different type of deal for you. Why? Because what you're paying for is not just a machine, but my time to assist you with it. When my phone rings at 10pm on a week night with a customer's problem (AND IT HAS) guess what..it gets answered. I've had customers call me Friday nights when I'm out to dinner with my bride and I STILL answer it..Can you imagine the trouble I get into LOL. Now if you spend more time beating a dealer up on price and not show any passion for this industry, and all you see the equipment as is an expense purchase that you need to "steal a deal" on so you can make the most money, trust me, it's not going to go well. And when my phone rings, you'd probably get my voicemail.

Now I don't write these things to create any type of controversy. I am an open book to my customers. I sell them what they need to succeed. I do whatever it takes to make them happy. I discount my products to a fair extent, but at the same time, people who DO buy from me, know they are getting the absolute best in support and service and I'll be with them every step of the way. They succeed. I succeed. And round and round we go Jack!

Till Next Time...

Where do we..begin..

I have been in this business for over 8 years and I never get tired of helping people. Since my first day in the industry I have always tried to do what I could to go the extra mile for the people I work with. Alot of my customers over the years have become friends. But that's what this business is all about..building relationships. Sure the money is important, but what good is the money when you don't love what you do? What joy is there in making millions of dollars when you have no memories of how you got there?

My love for this business came at the age of 21 years old. My father was full time police officer and part time everything else! He was in construction, computers, boats, planes, movies, drums, music you name it, and my father experienced it. The man was the perfect role model on how to truly learn all there is to know in this world. One day he came home with some information about starting up a small sign business. He and I discussed plans to remodel our garage to build a shop. He knew a lot of people in town and they were already lining him up with work. I loved the idea. The idea of doing this with my father..together was even more enjoyable.

We ordered our first machine from Marty Connelly, a Roland Camm 1 CM-24 24" Vinyl Cutter.We purchased Signmate Elite and some supplies and we were off and running. We would work together and come up with our own techniques for application and installation. Some of my more closer customers may have heard my "oven cleaner" technique, feel free to ask and I'll give you the details. Over the next few years, my father and I had our work proudly displayed all over town. There really wasn't anyone else in the area doing what we were doing. Not too mention, the money I was making at 21-22 years old was great too!

Soon my father let me take over the shop, and I ran things myself. I had my first REAL taste of what business was like. I was working construction in Jersey City by day and my sign company on most nights and weekends. I wanted to learn as much about the business as possible, but financially, I had reached my limit, or so I thought.

I was picking up coroplast with my local supplier when a girl there asked me if I was interested in working. She and I had spoken many times before as she was my customer service rep, and Marty Connelly was also working with this company as well. I had dealt with Marty many times. When I screwed something up, he was "THE GUY" to call. So I took the job and off I went. Mind you I started my job one week before 9/11. Had I not taken the position I would have seen the entire day unfold..not sure how I feel about that still. Of course many of you know that "that girl" later became my wife and partner in TyrrellTech NJ, Kelly Ramm.

I started out in customer service and soon went to Equipment. I knew NOTHING about ANY of the machines in the building. I only had a cutter, but the previous guy left and Marty got me a shot at selling the big boys and I took it. I'm never ashamed of admitting that I didn't know much about any equipment other than what I owned. Simply because that's the best way to learn. If you think you know everything..you find out fast that you don't. If you are open minded and receptive to learn, you'll move fast.

Over the years, under Marty's guidance I would do whatever I could to learn the machines as best as I could. I saw many many selling techniques, some good, some bad, but what made me different is that I always marched to the beat of my own drum. I stayed true to myself and never went against my beliefs. Soon Marty and Tim Rossetti (my former boss) realized that I had my own style. I enjoyed going above and beyond the call of duty with my customers. I never had any "formal training" in all the 8 years I was employed with my first company. I only worked with experience and knowledge that others gave to me.

In this business and any business, being a self starter can be key. No one is going to hand you anything in this world. No one is going to come take you by the hand and walk you through life step by step. You have to grab it and take it for yourself. Even in this so called "terrible economy". While everyone else is sitting by and "waiting it out' my strongest customers are making some MAJOR changes to their shops and when things to "turn around" they plan to be light years ahead of everyone else..But I digress..

For 8 solid years I maintained a love for this industry. I have made a lot of friends and learned so much, but most important, I have had the pleasure of having customers come up to me every year at the USSC show in Atlantic City, shake my hand and say "Thank you". Why? What's so good about me? Why am I any different than anyone else? Maybe it's my passion. Maybe it's my ability to sell customers what they NEED and not just look to rob them of every penny in their account and leave them to fend for themselves. Perhaps my role in both sides of the industry have helped allow me to listen to a customer's needs and guide them in the direction they need to be headed into. I talk to people like they are human beings..because that's what they are. Treat people the way you want to be treated.

Sadly, last year, a lot of my passion for the industry died when Marty Connelly lost his battle with cancer and passed away. Next to my father, he was someone who I could truly respect and admire. He showed me everything he knew. He was a good man, and a little bit of my passion was lost when the industry lost him. I miss him. I also needed a change in my career, the company I was working with was headed into a different direction. One that did not agree with me so I moved on. But what next? I truly wanted the chance to be in a place where I could feel as passionate about the industry as I did on day one. I found that in TyrrellTech.

Now some can say, "oh sure you can say that about your OWN company" or "well of course he's going to speak highly about the company he works for now" No. That's not the case. Anyone in this industry who TRULY knows me and has worked with me knows I tell it like it is. I don't pull punches and I don't just endorse something I don't believe in. When I left my last job, I felt like I really needed a path. I was seeking a way to regain that passion I once had for the business. I found that in Craig Tyrrell and TyrrellTech.

He and I share a lot of the same ideas about customer service and satisfaction. How it goes so far beyond pushing 200 boxes out the door a day. How it's so important to stand behind your product, your customers and your team. How you sell the RIGHT equipment to the RIGHT customer. Together my wife and I partnered up with the TyrrellTech family and we are once again living that same dream and sharing that same passion and once again it just feels right. To be up and running and managing my own division in New Jersey is something I have always wanted but never saw myself reaching. It's something I will forever be in debt to TyrrellTech for, and it fuels the fire each and everyday.

The reason I share my story with you is this. MY goal as a Sales Consultant is to help you build YOUR story..YOUR legacy. My goal is to guide you in the right direction and give you the tools and the support you need to succeed. When you take the time to invest in TyrrellTech, you'll see why we do whatever it takes to keep our customers successful. Who knows..maybe the next person who shakes my hand at USSC in Atlantic City and says thank you will be you!

Until then

Thanks for reading...

Dan Ramm

Sales Consultant

TyrrellTech New Jersey

200 Route 31 North Suite 109

Flemington, NJ 08822

888-865-0300 ext 230

Email: DRamm@tyrrelltech.com

www.tyrrelltech.com