Be Polite, Be Professional, Be Likable.

When I first went to work for the Rutland Group years ago, I spent the better part of five years getting a lot of “windshield time”—riding along with distributor reps across the country.

Before we walked into a shop, the rep would usually give me a quick download:

“Jill started printing in her basement, moved twice to keep up with growth, and loves any support we can give. She’s interested in better Pantone matching.”

“Ed bought this shop from his brother-in-law. He’s a jerk to me—maybe he’ll be nicer to you. He’s considering an auto-coater.”

“Let’s not spend much time here. This guy beats me up for samples but never buys anything. I’m thinking of dropping the account.”

It didn’t take long to see the pattern: likable customers got attention, unlikable ones got pushed to the bottom of the list.

Seeing Myself on the Other Side of the Table

I’ll admit it—before I joined Rutland, I was raised with a “my way or the highway” mindset. Everyone in my family owned businesses, and I was taught that the person signing the checks called the shots.

So, yes—I was kind of a jerk. I bullied reps for samples and let them know exactly what I thought of them if they weren’t sharp on their product knowledge.

But sitting across from an aggressive shop owner, watching him tear into a local rep knowing the rep was likely going to hand off this customer to an internal CSR when we left, it embarrassed me. I still identified with the shop owner more than the rep and I just wanted to take the customer to the side and explain how everything gets better when you become your rep’s favorite customer.

Why Likability Matters

One day I was in the car with a rep as we pulled into the lot of their least favorite customer. Through the shop window, we could see the owner spot us. I knew, even from a distance, he was gearing up to unload on her.

Just then, another shop texted with an urgent problem I could help with. The rep put the car in reverse, and said:

“Who wants to end their day as a punching bag?”

We drove away.

A Hard Truth Delivered

Later at a trade show, that same rude customer approached me and asked why we pulled in and then left. I told him the truth, using a phrase I’d picked up from a distributor in Arizona:

“She’ll bend over backwards for her customers—I’ve seen her do it. But she won’t bend over forwards. You’re not a likable or profitable customer. There’s no incentive for her to get chewed out.”

Of course, he was defensive. But years later, I think he’s learned that in this business—just like in life—you get treated the way you treat others.

The Takeaway

This isn’t a technical tip about inks or presses. It’s something bigger that our industry needs to hear:

• Be polite.
• Be professional.
• Be likable.

That’s how you become the customer a rep will go out of their way for—sometimes even after hours or on a weekend or a holiday.