In this special edition of The Printerviews, Colin Sinclair McDermott hits the Road to the Rockies to catch up with Emily Yepes from Sandler Training.  Emily brings a wealth of experience from the print world, having spent years selling print advertising before moving into sales training and leadership development. Her organisation specialises in helping businesses that cannot sell by price alone, particularly within the print and packaging sectors.  

This conversation sets the stage for her upcoming appearance at DSCOOP in Denver, focusing on how to evolve sales strategies in a rapidly shifting market. 

The discussion looks into the psychology of sales, specifically tackling the universal dread of prospecting. Emily explains that while many salespeople feel like a pest, success comes from running toward the problem and taking action despite the fear.  They also explore the 'freedom within a framework' approach to sales scripts and the vital role of technology.  

Looking ahead to 2026, Emily highlights why every sales organisation needs to focus on specific AI use cases like call recording to provide clarity and relief for business leaders.

 Strong sales teams require a leadership team that believes in a growth mindset 

 Mid-to-premium printers must sell on value because they will always lose on price 

 Prospecting is the single most important responsibility for new business development 

 You must address prospecting through the three lenses of attitude, behaviour, and technique 

 You do not have to like prospecting, but you must do it to create new results 

 Rejection of a sales conversation is never a personal rejection of you 

 In 2026, B2B sales involve multiple influencers rather than a single decision maker 

 Frameworks provide the freedom to deliver a message through your own personality 

 Leaders should ignore the noise and focus on specific AI use cases for their teams 

 Call recording is a vital tool for both salesperson focus and external coaching