In this discussion with Print Matters on variable data printing (VDP), Dr. Harvey Robert Levenson, Ph.D., describes how you can motivate you sales staff to sell VDP and convince customers that it's an effective solution. Levenson is a professor and department head of Graphic Communication at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Calif.

1. What are some of the challenges that are unique to selling VDP? How can printers overcome them?

One main challenge continues to be developing the "front end" and setting up databases. Having a high-quality and accurate database is vital because if you have the database you have the customer. And databases are confidential information that the customer does not want to move from printer to printer. However, some printers just getting into digital printing do not understand what aspect of the databases to focus on. The more successful digital printers go into customers' sales data and pull out all transactional information. What was purchased is more important than demographics such as where the customer lives. Once the printer begins managing the database for the customer, "What will the campaign cost?" is not the question of utmost importance to the customer. It will more likely be, "Which new customers have I attracted and which previous customers have returned with new jobs?"

Another challenge is customers thinking that digital printing quality does not match offset lithography. However, from what I see, this obstacle is quickly disappearing because some systems have come close and others have reached this goal. It will be the first-time digital print buyer who must be convinced by firsthand observations that digital printing can match offset printing in quality. Showing samples or even doing a small free job is often convincing.

Another challenge is convincing customers that doing many short run jobs can be more effective that doing a few long run jobs. Arguments can be developed around the advantages of having no or only a small inventory, as well as the opportunity to change the content and "look" of a job with each short run.

Yet another challenge is hiring a sales force that is not "tainted" with the experience and attitude of the traditional printing salesperson. Strategies for selling digital printing are much different than strategies for selling traditional printing.

I believe that I was the first to say, "This is not your father's printing job." Sales cycles take longer than traditional printing. The printer must come to terms that he or she is dealing with projects, not individual jobs. And, that the future for most commercial printers involves doing many small jobs as opposed to a few large jobs. In the end the digital printers must know print production, must know database management and must know the ultimate goal of their customers' programs. And they must demonstrate that the "campaign" works based on ROI.

2. How should printers motivate their sales people to sell digital printing?

This is tough when using a sales force experienced in selling traditional printing, but much easier when bringing on professional salespeople who understand marketing but may not yet have experience in the printing industry.

Salespeople must be made to understand the concepts of direct marketing where each piece is personalized with text and or images of interest to a specific recipient. Further, the salesperson must be versed, as well as personally convinced, that the advantage of digital variable data printing is that the response rate is greater than that of non-personalized correspondence. He or she must be trained to then convince the print buyer of this.

3. Many companies that offer digital printing face customer resistance. How can they overcome it?

A very fundamental aspect of customer resistance to the new digital printing client is: When buying digital printing the cost per piece is the same regardless of the length of run. Therefore, the successful sale of this technology to print buyers is based on the understanding that the value is in the cost per response as opposed to cost per piece. The printer must demonstrate this--you must show proof. Some have held special seminars for prospects as well as providing free, but relatively simple jobs in which the printer becomes part of the print buyer's strategy, executes every detail of the strategy, and tracks the results for the customer and, thus, shows the value-added equated with VDP and the cost per response concept.

Another aspect of resistance is developing databases with highly confidential information and then entrusting the printer with this information. Similar to the financial printing industry, the printer must convince the customer that all data in the database will be secure and kept highly confidential.

Yet another area of customer resistance to the new entrant into the digital printing world is what was previously mentioned regarding the quality comparison between traditional offset lithography and digital toner-based printing. This is an easy "sell" if appropriate examples are available.

Finally, there is often resistance to customers giving up the notion that long run printing on 4-, 5-, and 6-color traditional offset presses is the answer to profits and survival in the commercial printing industry. Case studies of printers that have successfully made the conversion, or have shown that digital and traditional printing can survive and grow within the same printing company, are often convincing. There is evidence that expanding into digital printing does not take away from traditional printing but enhances it, as digital customers will stick with their new vendor for traditional offset jobs. On the other hand, when a traditional printer expands into digital printing, traditional customers often discover new applications that benefit from digital printing without reducing the volume of traditional printing being purchased.

4. Do you have other suggestions for companies that offer digital printing?

Digital printing is the fastest-growing segment of the printing industry and has demonstrated the effectiveness of 1-to-1 marketing. The most important facet of variable data printing is setting up databases of information that allow true personalization. A printer "going digital" has to increase hiring in data processing because a different skill set is needed than that of a designer or electronic prepress technician. For sophisticated variable data jobs, the printer must invest a lot of time and money in front-end technology and personalization systems.

Finally, to be successful in digital printing, the printer must hire good employees, select customers carefully who have complete databases and have bought into the digital printing concept, and use vendors to help get started. Vendors are very knowledgeable on the subject.

Click here to read Levenson's interviews on hiring young graduates and VDP.