Selling at Face Value Linda Swanson concentrates on counseling customers, not selling tax forms. Her face-to-face sales strategy seals deals and is part of "the whole magic," she describes, explaining that her database is filled with long-time customers, including some she has had for 15 years. "People buy from people who take care of them," says Swanson, account executive at distributorship Shamrock Solutions, Grand Rapids, Mich. Swanson sells herself as much as she sells tax forms, a product she says boosts sales for Shamrock Solutions. The forms are an introduction to other products in the company's portfolio, including laser toner, ink cartridges and magnetic media. Swanson sells 1099s and a variety of W2s to schools, manufacturing companies and small businesses. "In some cases, I'm in their offices two to three times a week," she says. "I treat customers like I want to be treated, and I take care of their needs. They know once they give me a job, they won't have to worry about it." Face time during the tax selling process quells customers' insecurities with orders, such as whether forms will be compatible with their programs, which type of form will best suit their businesses and how many forms they will need. Swanson says close customer relationships pay off when they call her with questions. For example, when her largest customer, a transportation freight company, changed its order recently from mailers to laser forms, she coordinated a solution. "We got the laser forms in, but they couldn't get the programming done in time," she says. "We had to go with another laser form that was more compatible with the form they had been using. I got the catalog, made some suggestions, and they ended up choosing a form that had all of the information on one sheet of paper." Swanson saved the firm from missing tax deadlines, and the freight company likely will order its standard 350 tax forms and special envelopes from her next year, she says. "I try to get catalogs out to customers in July, and I keep a history of each customer and which forms they order," she says. "From that point, the sale is very simple: Let them know there have been tax form changes, tell them what the changes are and get the forms ordered."