News
Recruiter says printers 'trading themselves' out of economic downturn
Printers are "trading themselves out" of the downturn and fuelling an increase in demand for sales executive positions paying over £25,000 per annum, according to print, packaging and paper recruitment group Harrison Scott.
The company recorded an 18% drop in vacancies under £25,000 coupled with a 3% rise in vacancies above the £25,000 figure compared to the same three-month period last year.
George Thompson, joint managing director of Harrison Scott Associates, said: "Many companies are trying to trade themselves out of this downturn and are looking to high-calibre sales staff and high performance execs to help them do this," Thompson said.
He added: "I used to tell clients that the demand for sales staff in print in the South East is 10:1, my view is that it is more like 12:1 now."
Andrew Brown, corporate affairs director at BPIF, said that the increasing popularity of software such as web-to-print is helping to take out the indirect costs such as estimating for the smaller, short-run jobs.
"Companies could be more likely to concentrate their sales forces on the bigger accounts where the larger jobs lie," he said.
Brown added: "These figures could be showing that the more experienced staff are being taken on to handle such work, while demand for lower rank jobs is decreasing."
Thompson: companies are looking to high-calibre sales staff to boost business
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Comments
Gary Smith - 08 September 2008
What we found when we recently recruited a Sales Rep with a basic of £25K pa is that we had very few candidates. This is possibly due to the down turn where staff are looking for bigger wages with possibly less commission.
With so many closures you would have thought the number of candidates applying would be a lot higher.
Gary Smith
Redactive Print Management
Phil Glossop 07951 166652 - 08 September 2008
I have found myself there seems to be a shortage of good quality sales people out there who can deliver sales turnover relevant to the packages tghey are looking for! If there are any Web Offset sales professionals out there who want to prove me wrong give me a call!
Phil Glossop
Sales Director
Woodford Litho
07951 166652
Martin Bloomfield - 08 September 2008
Print Management is likely to feature more strongly going forward and procurement people wont be interested in a good sales pitch or even the niceties of colour reproduction, they'll want a response to the online RFP by the deadline set. There's a whole new world developing and the downturn may commoditise print.
There's a debate on 29th September at Stationers Hall in london on print management, sponsored by Printweek. For more information email me martingrbloomfield@hotmail.co.uk
Simon Biltcliffe- Webmart - 08 September 2008
Printers will increasingly sell in a two-tiered way. Key Account sales needs \( high-quality) salespeople to build on the relationship, whereas web-to-print will be used to fill in the gaps on the loading board to give maximum press utilisation & therefore maximum profit.
The world of print sales is indeed changing and so it should after 25 years of doing the same stuff!
Simon Biltcliffe
MD
WEBMART Ltd
www.FreePrintSales.com
The UK's leading web-to-print sales site
Julie Cook - 08 September 2008
I'm gobsmacked, the're plenty of reps out there, but none that I know off who will work for £25k,. our bench hand makes more than that!!
Not Colin Thompson - 09 September 2008
More pearls of wisdom and generalisations from the PM guys who think the world revolves around them. Interesting that they seem to have more time on their hands to comment here than 'real' printers. Thank God for Julie Cook!
Bring back Colin Thompson.......
Chris Lewis - 09 September 2008
I have to agree with Julie, that is at the low end for a good activity lead sales professional. If you pay significantly more you will get your rewards, but remember that even great sales guys/girls need constantly to be learning about new techniques & approaches, plus they need marketing backing from their companies.
Invest in a good active & professional sales person, who is always willing to learn, and you will not be disappointed!
Tyler Adams - 11 September 2008
Unfortunately too many companies are simply trying to buy turnover - even those reps with the best will in the world more often than not cannot migrate clients and this tends to result in dismissal within three months.
In focusing on instant results, such companies are potentially missing out on long-term gains once the rep gets established.
Matt Pink-Gyett - 16 September 2008
As a currently un-employed rep with nearly 20 years paper/printing experience I agree Tyler. I have been succesful at companies in the past but more recently have struggled due to the lack of time allowed for me develop and promote my new offerings. This is especially relevant having been succesful at selling into and building very good relationships with PM firms, you then change companies and despite your relationships it takes months just to get on (if you are lucky) there Rosters. Selling is hard enough as it is at moment but when the axe is hovering from almost day one it makes it that much harder. The first question I seem to be asked from most new people I am now talking too is How much can you bring with you immediately? Not are you the right person to be successful long term!
Julie Cook - 16 September 2008
Regarding the three previous posts, I'm so sorry, I sometimes suffer from tunnel vision - you are so all correct. I find it a little sad many firms don't wish to help develop staff.
Gary Smith - 17 September 2008
The system which that proves that you train and develope your staff is Investors in People.As a straw poll - how many here have IIP status or can prove they invest over £750 per person they employ on training and development? I hear so many hark on about there's no training being done in the industry, but I see so few practicing what they're preaching. If you employ or outsorce to a good HR person they should be co-ordinating the 'formal' & 'informal' Training needs of staff. How many actually sit down and appraise their staff and find out what skills they have,require and would like? This doesn't have to be sending staff out on courses or sitting them in rooms watching power point files flick through, it can be an hour or two a week with experienced or top staff showcasing what they do in their jobs explaining best practice, it could be mentoring, where a senior member of staff takes on the job of showing one or two others over a course of months the skills they have learnt. If your're doing this, you're well on the way to IIP status - worth finding out what the criteria is - it can also help you win work epecially with the public sector. If you would like more info on this drop me a line and I may be able to give some pointers or give a bit more info and resources.
Fundimentially, when doing appraisals they are best NOT linked to pay reviews but to training needs. Once you have appraised the staff you can then clearly see what the on going training needs of your company are. Anyway, in some cases these steps may make you realise that you don't have the skill sets on board and have to bring in staff or also hi-light who has the skills to train others, how many here regularly train the staff or have sessions with them pitching to the other sales staff in training sessions - it's all development and a damn site cheaper than paying recruiter fees! How do you know they are selling on message if you do not do this? It may be worth while bringing in a specialist sales trainer to your offices to do a twice yearly session with your sales staff or link up with other companies and split the cost? If you have the sales resources in place, I would always invest in them first, then secondly if you feel you still need to bring in additional staff try Ozzle.com who are far cheaper than the trade press and recruitment agencies, you can also select candidates yourself from the CV service. Good luck!
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