February 2023

“Consistency is the belt that fastens excellence in position. If you don’t do it repeatedly, you’ll not excel in it.”

Israelmore Ayivor

What are you repeatedly doing to create sales excellence?

You can control what you can control, and you can't control what you can't control.

You may not like hearing this, you are 100% responsible for how you show up.

Therefore, on a daily basis, are you showing up prepared and committed to sales excellence?

If you were asked you to describe your work ethic, what would you say? Is it strong? Is it in need of some attention or would you even know?

Now remember, the mirror never lies only the person looking into it. So, tell the truth when it comes to your work ethic, your habits and your consistent pursuit to sales excellence.

Sales professionals are consistently consistent.

Craig Groeschel's book, The Power to Change, Mastering the Habits that Matter Most is a must read.

To quote, "Successful people are not lucky. They're consistent."

In Selling From the Heart, I write about how many in sales are inconsistently consistent, and thus the results show.

As Craig Groeschel goes on to say, "Successful people do consistently what other people do occasionally."

Successful people start and maintain the right habits and keep doing them.

Same applies to salespeople.

There is no secret hack, trick, tip or short cut to success.

It's the combination of disciplined habits, consistency and radical levels of self-accountability.

"Successful people start and maintain the right habits and keep doing them."

Craig Groeschel

Malcolm Gladwell wrote about consistency in his book, Outliers: The Story of Success. He studied successful people and uncovered one common attribute explaining their success. The answer was 10,000 hours.

Gladwell mentioned, "People who became great at something put in 10,000 hours of practice."

Let's stop for a just a moment... How many in sales, sales management or sales leadership have amassed 10,000 hours of practice?

Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time.

Proverbs 13:11 NLT

Let's breakdown the Proverbs message into sales terms, "how fast can I succeed, or at least get to quota, with doing minimal amounts of work, effort and commitment?"

What sets of values, beliefs and desires do you have around working hard?

Thomas Edison nailed it,

"There is no substitute for hard work."

What are your daily habits, routines and rituals?

Are you committed to yourself?

As silly as that sounds, a strong work ethic along with self-discipline starts with the consistent commitment you make to yourself.

SALES PROFESSIONALS ARE RADICALLY CONSISTENT

“Small disciplines repeated with consistency everyday lead to great achievements gained slowly over time.”

John C. Maxwell

When it comes to sales excellence, consistency separates the good from the great.

How often have you observed someone in sales having a banner year, or a series of phenomenal quarters, only to follow it up with spats of mediocrity and below average performance?

Consistency separates the successful from the unsuccessful and sales professionals from sales reps.

Radical consistency will change the course of your sales life forever!

Dictionary.com defines consistency,

"Steadfast adherence to the same principles, course, form, etc."

Therefore,

• Consistency allows you to measure results.
• Consistency yields accountability.
• Consistency builds upon your reputation.

Unfortunately...

Salespeople today are consistently inconsistent.

WHY CONSISTENCY IS IMPORTANT?

"The key to success is consistency. And right now, the only way for you to actually take action is to believe in yourself."

Zak Frazer

Are you lying to yourself?

To accomplish what you tell yourself requires massive amounts of discipline.

Words with no action and discipline lead you down the path to nowhere.

Discipline means consistently doing what you tell yourself you will do without procrastination and without the excuses.

• Do you tell yourself that tomorrow you will start prospecting, but the next day you postpone prospecting?
• Do you promise yourself to start sales practice, but you fail to start?
• Do you promise yourself to take better care of your clients, but then find yourself looking for excuses not to do what you promised yourself to do?

Being consistent in sales builds trust.

Consistency is mission critical, especially in challenging times when people crave certainty and reassurance.

Consistency is the foundation for long term sustainability.

Consistency builds self-confidence.

Consistency opens the sales door to new opportunities.

Consistency helps you to develop new habits.

How can you make any real changes in your sales life, improve your sales life or make any consistent progress if you're always lying to yourself?

THE MENTAL STRUGGLE

Short term thinking combined with instant gratification squashes any aspects of consistency.

It's concerning that when many in sales fail to gain immediate results from their actions, they start playing mental gymnastics as to why they should continue those actions.

Case in point, prospecting. And I will let all of you stew on that one.

And why my favorite quote from Selling from the Heart rings true,

Salespeople have hypnotized themselves into believing what they are not doing, doesn't work.

Why do many in sales find it difficult to remain consistent?

Call it lack of focus, vision, purpose or passion; many simply lack commitment and discipline to stick with something short-term for long-term gain.

Just stop the excuses and get to work!

There are no silver bullet moments when it comes to a commitment too consistency.

Consistency, it's all about small incremental improvements over time. The results you're after will eventually come, however; they'll come over an extended period of time when you commit to consistently doing the right things right.

CONSISTENCY IS THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS

"What comes into our mind, comes out in our life"

Craig Groeschel

Sales professionals realize the greatest power lies in the present moment. They understand consistency demands attentiveness, presence and a positive mindset.

It demands they remain disciplined to the moment without exception, no questions asked.

Consistency breeds...

Accountability - Becoming consistent makes you accountable for your actions. There's no one else to blame if you are the one doing the activities needed to meet your goals.

Relevance - Maintaining consistency in your actions can make you relevant and build upon your reputation to others. Consistent hard work leads to long-term results, and isn't this what you want?

Trust - Becoming consistent in your life helps build your trustworthiness with other people. It's so easy to preach to others, but it might be harder to do what you say. People who "walk the talk" and are congruent look credible and trustworthy in the eyes of other people.

Success, it's not a light switch you turn off and on

SALES PROFESSIONALS CREATE A CONSISTENCY PLAN

Creating consistency requires planning and practice.

Sales professionals are forward thinking. They plan, prepare and practice consistent behaviors. They understand their core activities are built around their values, purpose, a plan and goals.

If for any reason their priorities are not in alignment with these areas, they acknowledge it and realign to it.

Are you connecting with your core values, your personal mission, or the quiet voice in your head?

• What is your mission statement?
• What are your values?
• What are you grateful for?

It's how you consistently start the morning that determines how you finish the day.

What specifically can you do to maintain consistency?

What is your plan?

Craig Groeschel so eloquently says, "The path to public success is always paved with private discipline."

As we think about discipline, let's refer to Hebrews 12:11 NLT,

No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening - it's painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained this way.

CONSISTENCY REQUIRES ACTION

"The path to success is to take massive, determined action."

Tony Robbins

A professional prepares each day with consistent action. They mentally prepare themselves with daily doses of self-reflection.

They ask of themselves:

• What actions do I need to do to achieve my goals?
• What actions and activities do I need to repeat to achieve my goals?
• What am I filling up my soul with to help me hit my goals?

Sales professionals are laser focused. They have a clear idea of what needs to happen to achieve their desired outcomes.

What are your desired outcomes?

They understand what consistent repetitive activities they must do and then they take massive action.

What are you doing right now to take massive action?

CONSISTENCY, WHAT SAY YOU?

Your sales life is too precious to waste. Your future rests solely in your hands. You and you alone decide what you'll focus on.

You and you alone choose to be distracted.

You and you alone can only decide to take action.

You must hold yourself radically accountable. The hardest part of being self-disciplined is doing it every day.

You may not see immediate results but over time and with consistent action you will build the foundations of a meaningful sales life.

In a sales world where trust and credibility are anemically low, think about the following:

Consistency in your character develops integrity.

Consistency in your attitude creates trust.

Consistency in your self-leadership builds influence.

Consistency & Discipline... this defines sales success.

Welcome to the Selling From the Heart podcast as we feature Sean Litvak, the bestselling author of Proverbs For Leadership. Today, Sean talks about putting the needs of the customer before a seller's need to close and coaching people to their strengths.

Sean also discusses the thoughtful consideration of feedback and how to give and receive feedback that is based on a desire to improve rather than prescribe to others what is right. He also coaches on self-sabotage, promoting a healthy lifestyle, removing what discourages, and keeping what encourages in your life.

Learn more about Darrell and Larry:

Darrell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrellamy/

Larry: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larrylevi...

Website: https://www.sellingfromtheheart.net/

Check out the Selling from the Heart EXPERIENCE

https://www.sellingfromtheheartexperi...

Please visit WHYINSTITUTE.COM

https://whyinstitute.com/

Click for your Daily Dose of Inspiration

https://www.sellingfromtheheart.net/d...

Get your Insiders Group FREE PASS here

https://www.sellingfromtheheart.net/f...

Interview with Martin and Viktor with MyQ Company. Chat about the cloud solutions they offer for office equipment and the opportunities that are available with print sharing

The True Value of Managed Print Services

Spikes in remote and hybrid workforces have forced many business offices to go primarily digital. But, while the digital transformation came with potential savings on rent and real estate, it added on widespread software-as-a-service (SAAS) monthly expenses.

And, with inflation keeping a steady grip on the economy, costs for the electronics and services businesses need to continue to rise and remain high. It’s hardly a surprise to see companies scrambling for new ways to cut their costs.

With so much digital dependency, many businesses eyeball their printers as one of the first services to get the axe. But that’s not as good an idea as it may seem.

Most employees still consider printers an essential part of how they conduct their jobs. Well over half of office workers use printed documents as their primary way to make notes. Employees who do not leverage time away from the screen to view printed documentation often suffer from long-term eye strain and computer vision syndrome.

Companies can save money on printing without completely cutting off access. Here are a few ways businesses can leverage the true value of managed printer services to reduce expenses while realizing real benefits.

Ditch the Ghost Fees and Hidden Expenses

Beyond the equipment and supply costs, most businesses have little idea how much their printers are really costing them. But office printer costs are far more than the price to replace toner or paper. Beyond the expenses of the materials, there is also the time and energy employees put into print management – all of which could be avoided with a managed print services partner.

The real, trackable costs of paper, for instance, don’t take into account the number of sheets wasted due to reprinting. They also don’t note how often what might have been a perfectly good print was caught in a paper jam.

How much paper, toner, and ink could have been saved if employees printed internal documents in draft mode or greyscale? More importantly, how much money could have been retained if the printer was calibrated correctly?

For office printers, the right settings can mean the difference between employee benefits and budget black holes. Fortunately, managed print services providers can help any business evaluate their printing volumes and standard use to recommend the right equipment and calibrate accordingly.

But these recommendations and procedures don’t just save money when it comes to wasted supplies. They also help reduce the time employees spend fighting with printers, waiting in printer queues, or attempting to get their printed documents to look a specific way.

The right machines will help reduce delays in print production, maximize efficiency, and provide the best printing capacity for the organization. So, staff can spend less time messing with printer settings, paper jams, or waiting around, and more time focused on getting their work done.

Stop Spending too Much on IT Time and Energy

Employees print a lot because it is a necessary function in every office. But, when printers are managed in-house, that also means every time there is a printing issue, staff members contact the IT department to get it fixed.

Paper jams, scanning problems, printer driver installation, communications issues – they all end up in the Help Desk queue. In fact, fifty percent or more of help desk calls and tickets are printer related. And that number can skyrocket as printers become old, outdated, and have more trouble interacting with more updated software and equipment.

With so many printing inquiries hitting the help desk, the efficiency of workplace printers directly affects the time IT employees have available to spend on more pressing issues. Their capacity to assist in implementing broader IT strategies, improvements, and business development tasks is significantly constrained if they are busy resolving minor printing issues for other employees.

Even worse, IT employees that feel overburdened addressing help desk tickets and their other tasks may not stick around. And while big tech businesses are making headlines with mass IT layoffs, the truth is that most businesses are having a hard time finding and keeping staff members – even in IT.

Recent job numbers show there are currently 1.7 positions open for every person looking for work. Over four million people quit their jobs in June of 2022, often for other opportunities. And, when surveyed, Gen Z and Millennial respondents said the intensity of their positions and the growing demands placed on them in the workplace is pushing them to start looking elsewhere.

Managed print services partners can help reduce the time and effort the IT department is spending addressing minor and even major printing issues. These office printing experts typically take over the management of print-related problems including providing support, addressing errors, fielding maintenance and service work, and even helping schedule supply orders. So, IT departments can be more productive and focus on things that bring the company greater benefit.

Gain the Ability to Plan Ahead

Every business needs to plan and estimate expenses. Budget planning gives the company a sense of direction, concrete goals, and a plan for profits. But office printing is often one aspect of any business that never seems to fit correctly into a specific financial plan.

Fortunately, managed print services can help their business partners meet their budget goals. These services eliminate the surprise of equipment, maintenance, parts, and service costs by packaging everything up into one neat monthly expense.

And when it comes to supplies, printer services have solutions that help their partners analyze paper, ink, and toner use. From there it is possible to develop predictive ordering standards that fit into a standard monthly cost.

But it’s not just about looking ahead, managed print services partners can also help c help your business plan and avoid mistakes. That’s possible through analysis of usual trends in your printers and predictive ordering for these supplies.

Any business concerned with building realistic printing budgets will find managed print services the perfect partnership for accountability and predictable returns.

Bottom Line

Printing remains a crucial part of business operations. But it also brings a hefty amount of hidden expenses. Thankfully, managed printer services can help any office craft a printing solution that meets employee needs while reducing the time, energy, and expense of in-house operations.

Office printer services go well beyond the standard equipment and supply costs. Rather, they bring a wealth of hidden advantages that help organizations, no matter how digital, reach success.

Hacked!

More than $140,000 stolen after email account hacked.....A Commerce Drive industrial business was defrauded out of more than $140000 after someone hacked into the business' email account.

Spanish Court Approves Twitter Hacking Suspect's Extradition - BankInfoSecurity......Spain's high court approved the U.S. Department of Justice's request that a British man be extradited to face charges that he hacked Twitter in ...

LVHN reports cyberattack from suspected Russian ransomware group - .....belonging to some Lehigh Valley Health Network patients was stolen when a widely used third-party file transfer service was hacked.

DeFi protocol Hope Finance hacked for $2M at launch - ......Hope Finance's hacked contract is different from the one it audited. The smart contract exploited by the malicious player was different from the one ...

How to Protect Yourself from Twitter's 2FA Crackdown -.....The FBI got (at least a little bit) hacked, an election-disruption firm gets exposed, Russia mulls allowing “patriotic hacking,” and more. Andy ...

Cyber Mercenaries Are Hacking Elections Globally. Here's an Example of How They Do It......Their tactics include hacking, forging blackmail material, spreading disinformation, planting false intelligence, physically disrupting elections, and ...

-=Stay Safe=-

Hacked!

Activision allegedly hacked, future Call of Duty content supposedly leaked online.....Earlier today, the Twitter account below drew notice to an alleged hack at Activision dating back to December 2022. In the supposed hack, which ...

Activision got hacked in December, with internal documents exposed through phishing.....Anonymous hackers got access to some internal documents, including content roadmaps. Activision got hacked in December exposing internal content ...

GoDaddy hacked: Domain hoster's proving an insecure parent - The Stack......GoDaddy hacked for the third time in recent memory with "sophisticated" (aren't they all) hackers installing malware on its cPanel servers.

Virgin Media suffers suspected hack as broadcasting on certain channels affected....Virgin Media has been the victim of a suspected hacking attack that will affect scheduled programming on some of its channels.

The Indigo hack is bad. Will AI make cyber threats worse? - .....Plurilock CEO Ian Paterson discusses the economics of AI cyber threats and Canada's response with Bill C-26 following the recent Indigo hack.

Spain to extradite British suspect to US over Twitter hack - BBC News.....Joseph O'Connor faces several charges in connection with the hack of more than 130 Twitter accounts.

-=Stay Safe=-

IT, MSP & MSSP Industry Notes

Sponsored by

February 19th, 2023

Arcoa Group

Why partnering with ARCOA makes sense
Electronics Recycling is an important and profitable part of the IT asset lifecycle, but it can be overwhelming with all you already do, varying state regulations, and the limited resources at hand. That’s where ARCOA comes in. When you partner with ARCOA, you get all the benefits of a big company without any of the capital investment. We’ve been doing this since 1989 and have the expertise, certifications, and nationwide resources to get the most for all your clients’ retired IT assets. Plus, positioning your clients as environmental stewards not only elevates their appeal to consumers, it meets government requirements and avoids fines.

What partnering with ARCOA looks like
Our role is to make it easy for you to bring more value to your clients. We work with you to help stretch your clients’ IT budget by reducing the total cost of ownership of their electronics. We’re experts at identifying and implementing the solutions your clients need for the end-of-use remarketing, recovery, and recycling of their technology assets. The sooner you involve ARCOA, the sooner you and your clients.

Lead for IT Services (College)

ATSG Recognized on CRN's 2023 MSP 500 List

• announced that CRN^®, a brand of The Channel Company, has named ATSG to its Managed Service Provider (MSP) 500 list in the Elite 150 category for 2023
• CRN's annual MSP 500 list identifies the industry-leading service providers in North America
• The MSP Elite 150 recognizes large, data center-focused MSPs with a strong mix of on- and off-premises services
• 2023 marks the seventh consecutive year that ATSG has placed on the MSP 500 list

Verito Technologies Expand in Managed IT Service Segment, Target 100% Y-o-Y Growth in ...

• Verito to grow further into the Managed IT services
• Globally, the managed services market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.9% to reach the mark of US$354.8 billion by 2026
• Major factors driving this growth are the lack of skilled IT professionals on regional scales, higher demand for secure IT infrastructure since the occurrence of the pandemic, and cost reduction

Logically Recognized on CRN's 2023 MSP 500 List

• The Channel Company, has named Logically to its Managed Service Provider (MSP) 500 list in the MSP Elite 150 category for 2023
• CRN's annual MSP 500 list identifies the industry-leading service providers in North America
• The MSP Elite 150 recognizes large, data center-focused MSPs with a strong mix of on- and off-premises services
• Logically is a national Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP) and Managed Service Provider (MSP)

Here Are The Emerging Technology Areas That MSP 500 Execs See Offering The Biggest ...

• Reported on CRN.com
• CRN MSP 500 asked top managed service provider executives to tell us which emerging technology areas they saw as providing the biggest opportunity in 2023
• What 20 had to say MSP 500 Execs See

Intellinetics Completes Digital Conversion of Vital Records for Garden City, Michigan

• announces that Garden City, Michigan has successfully digitized its historical vital records with Intellinetics Document Scanning Services
• new process facilitates quicker and easier fulfillment of vital records requests
• Intellinetics, Inc. is a digital transformation solutions provide

SmartVault Accelerates Strategic Growth Initiatives with Expansion of Its Executive Team

• announce that Bryan Brorsen, Vice President of Sales and Jonathan Young, Vice President of Marketing have joined its executive team
• Bryan Brorsen, Vice President of Sales, will lead SmartVault’s sales team
• Jonathan Young, Vice President of Marketing, joins SmartVault from Cart.com
• SmartVault, is a provider of cloud-based document management and secure client portals for accountants

Accenture Named a Leader in Cloud Migration and Managed Services in Asia Pacific by ...

• named as a Leader in 'The Forrester Wave: Cloud Migration And Managed Service Partners In Asia Pacific, Q4 2022
• Forrester Wave report includes a comprehensive 27-criteria assessment of the 14 top cloud migration and managed service providers in Asia Pacific across three high-level categories: 'Current Offering'; 'Strategy'; and 'Market Presence.' Accenture received the highest scores in all three categories

Pharos Achieves ISO 27001 Certification

• announced it is an ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certified provider whose Information Security Management System (ISMS) has received third-party certification from the International Standards Organization
• Pharos Systems International, is a cloud services and technology company specializing in print management software

Lock in on Cyber Security with ARCOA

• customer has a staggered refresh cycle, the value of the equipment can be issued in the form of a credit growing over time
• identifying assets that are usually passed over and often have significant value

CDI Recognized on CRN's 2023 MSP 500 List

• named CDI to its Managed Service Provider (MSP) 500 list in the Elite 150 category for 2023
• CRN's annual MSP 500 list identifies the industry-leading service providers in North America
• The MSP Elite 150 recognizes large, data center-focused MSPs with a strong mix of on- and off-premises services

Windstream Enterprise Delivers North America’s First and Only Comprehensive Managed Security Service Edge (SSE) Solution with Cato Networks

• announced North America’s first comprehensive managed Security Service Edge (SSE) solution powered by Cato Networks
• SSE is cloud-native, it can be deployed within days
  • Secure Web Gateway (SWG)
  • Firewall as a Service (FWaaS)
  • Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)
  • Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB)
  • Next-Gen Anti-Malware (NGAM)
  • Managed Detection & Response (MDR)
  • Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
  • Intrusion Prevention System (IPS)

DOYB Technical Solutions Specializes in Managed IT in Fayetteville and McDonough, Georgia

• DOYB Technical Solutions provides various computer, network, and cloud-based services for businesses in multiple industries, including legal, healthcare, finance companies, and government contractors

Melbourne Airport engages KPMG for managed IT services

• selected KPMG to manage application services across its newly implemented Microsoft Dynamics core technology platform
• will support Melbourne Airport's Microsoft Dynamics implementation across financials, supply chain, sales, customer service and marketing

Global Managed Services Provider AireSpring Announces Partnership with Jenne

• announced a partnership with Jenne Inc., one of the nation’s premier value-added technology solutions distributors and cloud services brokerages
• AireSpring to expand its managed IT services and cloud solutions offerings to a wider range of customers
• also provide Jenne's partners with access to AireSpring's advanced technology and expertise

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