Colin Sinclair McDermott, aka The Online Print Coach, focuses this issue on whether new sales people can really solve problems, when better infrastructure and investment in other areas can solve a lot of bottlenecks
I often hear the same frustration from sign and wide-format business owners. It is usually expressed with a heavy sigh, but time and again they believe a new salesperson will solve all their problems.
The story often remains the same – they feel stuck in a rut they just can’t seem to get out of. They’ve reached a limit in revenue, and their only thought is to hire a hungry new hunter. Someone fresh and assertive, with a great contact book and the drive to get out there and bring in a lot of new business.
But the truth that most owners don't want to hear (I’ll whisper it quietly), most of the time, that is not actually true.
In many cases, a new salesperson is actually the last thing they need. They will likely end up making the situation worse. What they actually need is an operational framework that allows them to effectively care for their existing customers and, importantly, frees the owner to focus on developing the relationships they already have. They have built the business this way, so it’s probably something they are naturally excellent at.
Hiring a new hunter is often the most expensive and least effective way to address a growth problem. It is a symptom-chaser. You are throwing money at a weak pipeline when the real issue is poor operational processes.
Owners insist on hiring hunters when what the business truly needs is robust workflow software and a set of integrated systems built to support the high-level relationship work
I was working with a client recently who demonstrated this flawed thinking quite clearly. They had a capable sales representative, but they struggled to gain access to key, large accounts. The doors stayed shut. However, when the owner entered those same accounts, the doors opened immediately. Why?
Because the owner possesses knowledge, authority, and the full confidence of the company. Most importantly, the owner often has the strongest rapport with clients. They built the company, making them the ultimate relationship builder.
The paradox, of course, is that the same owner was drowning in administrative chaos. They were fighting fires, chasing late materials, managing the inefficient quoting process, and dealing with technical questions that should never have reached their desk. They were stuck managing spreadsheets and data entry rather than building the relationships they could foster.
I have seen this scenario play out for years. Owners insist on hiring hunters when what the business truly needs is robust workflow software and a set of integrated systems built to support the high-level relationship work.
Let's be clear about the owner’s role in a scaling sign business. It is not to process quotes manually. It is not to chase job tickets that have gone missing between departments.
The owner’s most valuable activity is the work that demands trust, authority, and in-depth knowledge of the business. It involves securing major accounts, nurturing substantial relationships, and setting the company’s vision. This is relationship-building work. It is the sales work that a new salesperson simply cannot perform as well as the owner, if only they had the time.
When you hire a new external salesperson, you introduce a new friction point. They lack the institutional knowledge, do not have established authority, and seldom stay long enough to build the deep, long-term trust that wins high-value contracts.
The best salesperson you have is already in the building. And if you own the business, it is you.
The aim should be to set aside your time and focus to dedicate fixed hours each week to that high-value relationship work. You need to step back from the details so you can concentrate on growth.
The solution to this structural issue isn't necessarily a person. First and foremost, you should focus on a system that handles repetitive, time-consuming administrative tasks. This is where modern workflow software proves valuable.
You need to develop a system that liberates you from the burden of manual tasks, enabling you to concentrate on strategy and relationships. When you utilise workflow technology, the software functions as a reliable, tireless administrative assistant.
An automated quoting system handles complex pricing logic and materials tracking, enabling any team member to generate accurate quotes quickly, without waiting for the owner's approval or calculations.
A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system automatically monitors every interaction, quote status, and re-order history. You don't need to remember when to call the client back because the system prompts you, and with smart use of AI, can even do it for you.
Job ticket flow software seamlessly converts an accepted quote into a production order, routing the information instantly to the correct department. This eliminates the need for manual paperwork and chasing.
These are just a few examples of the immediate benefits workflow software can deliver. Check out SignLink's feature that looks at some of the providers of these tools on page 37.
When you relieve the owner from this operational and administrative burden, two things happen very quickly. Firstly, your existing clients receive better, faster, and more consistent service, which naturally leads to more organic sales. Your retention rate improves. Your best customers stop looking elsewhere because the quoting and ordering process is frictionless.
Secondly, you, the owner, are given the opportunity to focus on chasing big wins and nurturing those key accounts that only you can secure. It is not always about adding more staff. Sometimes, it is about implementing the right system to elevate the right person (you) into the right role.
If you believe you have a sales issue, ask yourself some key questions.
Where is the owner spending their time? If it exceeds 20% on calculating quotes or tracking job statuses, you have a structural problem that technology can address.
Is your quoting process causing delays? If a client waits over an hour for a price on a standard job, your manual workflow could be costing you the sale.
Are existing customers being properly nurtured? Are they contacted proactively for re-orders, or do you only hear from them when they need something? The CRM functions within good workflow software can automate those prompts for you.
Addressing these issues involves establishing a solid operational framework around the owner, which is precisely the purpose of modern workflow software. You need to implement systems that ensure consistent quoting, transparent communication routing, and automated job tracking.
Once the admin is delegated to the software and the systems are running, the owner has the time, the mental space, and the energy to go out and close the deals that require their unique authority. When the owner is focused on their highest-value activity, the sales will take care of themselves.
Try to imagine your business 12 months from now. You will have more clients you genuinely enjoy working with, higher profits because you're not haemorrhaging money on systems that don't communicate with each other, and less operational firefighting because the admin is managed by structure, not by you.
If that is the direction you want, let's stop chasing symptoms and start automating the structure.
More Information
Book your discovery call with Colin Sinclair McDermott today, so he can help you design the plan: https://calendly.com/theonlineprintcoach/30-min-discovery-call
