Life as a copier sales rep, especially in major accounts is challenging and I get it. I thrive and embrace personal and business challenges. No risk no reward!
"Choices, Chances, Changes... You must make a choice to take a chance or your life will never change"
If you want to win consistently you need a plan. You need to develop a strategy which gives you an edge, the business "IT" factor over the competition; driving sales opportunities through the pipeline all the way to the finish line.
Where do you start?
When thinking about what it takes as a major account copier sales rep to formulate a winning sales strategy, a good starting point to remember is you are dealing with a complex buying environment. Multiple decision-makers and influencers are involved, the needs and issues are multi-layered, multi-faceted and often times conflicting. The solution configuration and implementation management is likely to be complex and sophisticated.
SHARPEN IT, DEEPEN IT AND BROADEN IT
As a major account copier rep, a great way to stand out inside a large group of diverse individuals with diverse goals and interests is to teach them something new and unique about their business.
Major accounts have no generic customers thus there are no winning generic account strategies. Every opportunity is unequal and each major account strategy must take this uniqueness into consideration.
MY $1.3 MILLION MAJOR ACCOUNT SALES STORY
After spending almost 20 years of my sales career with the same copier dealership I decided it was time for a change. I set the ego and fear aside to embrace the next chapter of my copier sales career. This opportunity was a "net new" sales position within the Corporate Major Account team for a global office technology manufacturer. I was handed zero current clients, an $840,000 quota and I had to build out a target account list to call on.
I ask you all, how many tenured sales reps would leave 20 years of business behind them to venture off into new horizons without a single account to feed off of. The answer my friends is blowing in the wind, it is zero!
The first 90 days I ate slices of humble pie as I threw up goose eggs; big fat zeros! I had to change my mindset as I was beginning to build my relationship funnel. I strongly believe in order to have a healthy sales funnel you have to engage and commit to building up your relationship funnel.
3 THINGS I LEARNED AS A MAJOR ACCOUNT COPIER REP ON THE STREETS OF LOS ANGELES
Major account copier reps, the 3 things I learned very fast in a brutally competitive business climate and marketplace, you must...
Walk it, Talk it and Look it. You must have the IT factor!
I am a firm believer in "What is old is forever new" No relationship funnel no sales funnel, plain and simple. I changed my mindset by integrating the use of social selling concepts inside the traditional copier sales process.
Building, leveraging and promoting my brand socially on LinkedIn (walk it, talk it and look it) was the defining major account moment. This allowed me to foster and build up my relationship funnel as I soon started to convert these relationships into net new meetings. These net new meetings took on an entirely different meaning as I already had developed the personal connection as I socially committed to building relationships based on three simple words - Teach, Tailor and Educate.
Leveraging LinkedIn or for that matter any social platform is just a vehicle to enhance your business development. This does not replace old fashion hard work, dedication and commitment to be your very best.
In the span of one year, with daily discipline I leveraged these LinkedIn relationships to bring in well over $650,000 of net new business in conjunction with $1,300,000 in sales revenue in calendar year 2014! Over 50% of my sales revenue was directly attributed to how I leveraged LinkedIn. LinkedIn became the cog in the wheel of my prospecting strategy and success.
My question to major account copier reps... How are you walking, talking and speaking about how you help major corporations solve their issues, challenges and initiatives?
As a major account copier rep, building your credibility and leveraging your network are two great places to start. Another great place to start is a mouse-click away...
PROMOTE YOUR MAJOR ACCOUNT IMAGE
Your LinkedIn profile is your professional image to the major account business community. Are you seen as a subject matter expert? How are you positioning yourself as a thought leader? You are creating your personal brand via what you promote within LinkedIn.
It all starts with your professional headline. This is not the ideal position for your job title. Do you honestly think any high level decision maker cares about your major account business title? You have seconds to capture their attention and draw them into your LinkedIn profile. Promote value, create your call to action and propel them into continuing to read your profile.
"Think of the challenges your prospects have and how you can help solve them"
CREATE ALIGNMENT WITH YOUR STORY
After drawing executives in with your headline, pay close attention to the summary section. A great read is Simon Sinek's Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action. I used the summary section as my why. Why would someone do business with you? What do they get when they engage with you? What makes you who you are? This is your personal story-telling time. I drew in business executives by sharing with them what they can expect by engaging with me. It was my promise of value which catapulted the start of many real conversations.
“People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe”,
Simon Sinek
GENERATE AWARENESS AND ATTRACT EXECUTIVES TO WHO YOU ARE
Completely optimizing your LinkedIn profile is a must as a major account copier rep. No excuses! The time is now! Resuscitating your sales funnel through social business development is a must for major account copier reps. Commit to nurture, grow and build those business relationships.
To all major account copier reps, their managers and dealer principals I ask you this...
What would happen to your income, your bonus and your dealership's service revenue if you lost one of your major accounts? How would you replace it? How soon could you replace it?
START INTELLIGENTLY PROSPECTING AND CREATING A PLAN
It all starts with developing a new mindset, learning new skill sets and adding them to your major account tool chest. Nothing happens until you make the commitment to drive change in your life. Lose one major account customer and you will soon realize where I am coming from.
It is imperative, major account copier reps must position themselves to be viewed as go-to resources for thought leadership and industry news. Incorporating LinkedIn as part of your growth strategy, I firmly believe you will have less competition for the executive buyer’s attention, you will create a positive personal brand image, you will position yourself as a subject matter expert but most importantly you will consistently keep the sales funnel full of major account prospects.
It is all about the top of the sales funnel. Nothing going in means nothing is coming out!
Please don't allow your major account sales funnel to look like this...
If an old school, baby boomer copier guy can adapt so can you! I get where you all are coming from as I have walked a day in the life of your shoes.
Please share your comments or share this post. I am here to help and open up a great conversation with you.
In 2016, Larry was recognized by ENX Magazine, “The Difference Maker” as someone who is making a difference inside the copier channel. Larry is passionate about helping sales reps succeed in creating their online brand image
You can find more blog posts inside the Social Sales Academy website.
I appreciate getting the opportunity to share my LinkedIn stories. Integrating the use of LinkedIn was my “game-changer” in the highly competitive copier world. With great pride I transform, coach and inspire B2B Office Technology Sales Professionals to grow net new business by helping them tell their story and communicate on LinkedIn. My commitment is to help office technology dealers thrive in a changing marketplace. You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, as well as at the Social Sales Academy
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