Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1080843
8 PCB007 MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2019 As I write this column, the industry is pre- paring for IPC APEX EXPO 2019. By the time this issue of PCB007 Magazine goes into dis- tribution, the show will be over, and the PCB fabrication industry will be well-and-truly launched into this year. What better time to devote an issue to sales strategies? It seems that whenever we discuss selling in this industry, eventually someone says some- thing like, "Selling a product is one thing, but selling a service is an entirely different set of challenges." Is it? I did some research as we gathered opinions from sales strategy experts in this issue, and I have to admit that I learned a few things. For example, in an article by Kevin Johnston [1] , a Manhattan-based business and finance writ- er, he states, "Products offer a uniform solution to customers' problems. If you sell products, you sell identical versions to numerous cus- tomers…Your prospects can evaluate features before they buy. When you sell a product, you can focus more on selling than on customizing the product." But, Johnston points out, "When you sell a service, you sell an intangible. You do not have to limit your pitch to pre-existing features be- cause you can adjust the features of a service to meet the needs of each customer." Johnston notes that selling a product means, "You must constantly estimate how much you need on hand to meet demand. That means you spend money on products before you make any income from them." To sell a service, Johnston Nolan's Notes by Nolan Johnson, I-CONNECT007 Selling Has Changed: Have You Changed How You Sell?