We have all watched our share of post-apocalypse movies. However, not too many saw themselves being chased by Zombies.

The battle for the customer will be fought viciously by what I describe as "Zombie Companies." "A Zombie Company" is one in which its leaders continue attempting to deliver goods and services through DEAD concepts. In other words, organizations who fight against today's new market realities in hopes of lengthening the tenure of yesterday's relevance.  

This pandemic was an Evolutionary Event for many industries and their customers. So, how affected industries navigate through the changing landscape will determine if their per-virus customers will join them on the post-virus journey.

As we saw in the Walking Dead, there will be those who herd around a dead complacency, and those who will fight for a relevant future. 

Those industries which are presented a new normal must avoid at all cost bringing back to life what was defeated through the pandemic. The SMB customers have moved ahead in their digitalization processes by years.

This digital transformation will cause things to fade and bring birth to innovative solutions. Technology end-users will evaluate all technology spend and re-appropriate budgets to align with the new realities.

During the period of those things fading, it will take bold leaders to pivot their organizations in-order to intersect with their customers as to journey together on the new road towards the future. Keep in mind that innovation is about process improvements. Organizations that truly understand the outcome their customers are buying are better positioned in adjusting to a relevant process, or means to that outcome.

Remember, customers don't buy relationships; they purchase desired outcomes. This misunderstanding will cause many organizations to lose their great relationship to those innovators who deliver the customer's desired outcome through a better experience.

All organizations from all industries must re-evaluate their past relevance, relationships, and customer experiences. How past great relationship feed customer experiences pre-virus may very well be challenged post-virus. The best time for weeding out complacency is now. Those industries and their customers who are affected by new normals must defeat the Zombie Companies and Zombie Leaders. 

So, as you look at your industry and your customers, be open-minded to the needed modifications. Don't cause your end-users to invest unwisely with you. Those who do will not be forgiven as end-users continue gaining awareness.

"Products and services will, in fact, become obsolete or less desirable. However, people themselves have to choose to become obsolete."  

Regardless of your industry, as you emerge, the great lockdown focus on the desired outcome your industry or organizations end-users receive. Then with imagination based on new realities, re-align your processes and deliver your customers the most incredible experience ever.    

For my friends in the Imaging Channel who sell and service print equipment and its services, you must decide whether to become a zombie or a fighter for a future relevance. 

When I started the A4Revolution, it was a battle for the end-users a campaign based on data and my vision of what could be based on what should be. The industry must now admit that not only are customers becoming aware of their over-sold situation. So, are the new competitors who intend to challenge many of your great relationships with a better experience. 

Post-Pandemic, there are no more acceptable excuses for any Printer Manufacturer or the Dealers who represent them to maintain any past stubbornness to continue doing what goes against the channel's end-user's market realities. 

For myself, I intend to whip Zombies off the map. Who wants to join the Zombie hut, I call, The A4Revolution.  

"Status Quo is the Killer of all that will be invented."   

Ray Stasieczko  

MSP & MSSP Industry Notes

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RBRO Solutions helps the world's largest law firm migrate to the iManage Cloud

• RBRO provides end-to-end solutions for iManage for more than 15 years
• RBRO Solutions based in Pickering, Ontario, Canada
• Announces engagement with world’s largest law firm of Baker McKenzie
• Project to consolidate and migrate Baker McKenzie’s 70+ libraries to the iManage Cloud

NetDocuments Joins Onit's Strategic Alliance Program as Newest Partner

• Onit, Inc., based in Houston, Texas provides enterprise workflow solutions, enterprise legal management, contract lifecycle management and business process automation
• Announces NetDocuments is joining Onit’s Strategic Alliance Program
• NetDocuments servers more than 2,750 clients worldwide and provides legal cloud based content services and platform

Zeal Announces Box Integration Combining Contract Data With Unified Cloud Content Management

• Zeal announces they were selected to join Box’s Technology Partner Program
• Zeal is a collaborative cloud-based contract management platform that uses machine learning to help companies automate contract functions, analyze contract data and build workflows that enhance compliance and accelerate sales

Synoptek Named to ChannelE2E Top 100 Vertical Market MSPs: 2020 Edition

• Synoptek is a global systems integrator, also provides managed IT services
• Named to After Nines Inc.’s ChannelE2E Top 100 Vertical Market MSPs list and research (http://www.channelE2E.com/top100) for 2020
• This year’s research revealed several key MSP market trends

PrivX® chosen as the Privileged Access Management solution by Fujitsu for their Customer Management Environment (CME) platform

• COM today announced that Fujitsu has selected to implement PrivX as a critical tool in their CME environment
• COM helps organizations access, secure, and control their digital core – their critical data, applications, and services
• PrivX is lean, quick-to-implement, and easy-to-use access management software for privileged access to on-premise and cloud environments.

ADDING MULTIMEDIA NTT and Tanium Announce Intent for Strategic Partnership to Deploy Security Solutions for the Smart World

• NTT Corporation (“NTT”) and Tanium Inc. (“Tanium”) today announced their intention to enter into a strategic partnership to provide secure, highly reliable solutions for IT, IoT and OT environments to support Smart World deployments
• NTT is a Global Technology and Business Solutions Provider
• Tanium offers a unified endpoint management and security platform that is built for the world's most demanding IT environments

Server Central Turning Group Provides Managed IT Services to Essential Chicago Businesses

• Sever Central Turing Group based in Chicago, IL., provides managed IT infrastructure service
• Announced its Essential Chicago initiative to provide managed IT services to Chicago essential businesses for the remainder of 2020

ASC receives highest Security Certification for Information Technology from the US Department of ...

• ACS is a worldwide software provider in the field of omni-channel recording, quality management, and analytics
• Announces approval and certification by the Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC) of the United States
• The Joint Interoperability Test Command is a wing of the DoD of Defense of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA)

Jitterbit Announces Next-Generation MSP Partner Program to Help More Businesses Achieve ROI From Integration

• Jitterbit based in Alameda, California
• Announced a next-generation managed service provider (MSP) partner program

• • Partner readiness assessment and training program
  • Partner solution template dev/ops methodology 
  • Best practices around designing, demos and delivery of new solutions
  • Go-to-market plans with seller toolkits
• Cloud for Good, which specializes in creating transformation value in the nonprofit and higher education sectors using Salesforce technologies, was among the first partners announced as part of the MSP program

Xantrion Named to the ChannelE2E's 2019 Top Vertical Market MSPs List Managed Service Provider Ranks #33

• Xantrion located in Oakland,Califorinia and provides cybersecurity, technical support and outsourced IT services
• After Nines Inc. provides timeless IT guidance for strategic partners and IT security professionals across ChannelE2E (ChannelE2E.com) and MSSP Alert (www.MSSPAlert.com)
• named to After Nines Inc.'s ChannelE2E Top 100 Vertical Market MSPs list and research (http://www.channelE2E.com/top100) for 2019

Cybersecurity Updates

• Aurora Medical Center Bay Area of Marinette, WI notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after an email phishing attack
• Beaumont Health of Detroit, MI notified 112,000 patients that their PHI was exposed after an email phishing attack
• Brandywine Counseling of Wilmington, DE, notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after ransomware attack
• The Horst Gortz Institute reports it found security vulnerability in Xilinx FPGA (field programmable gate array) chips commonly used in control systems, could data centers, cellular base stations, medical devices and aviation systems

• Microsoft is warning customers of an uptick in malware attacks using Trickbot to deliver ransomware
• PrimoHoagies Inc., headquartered in Westville, NJ, with locations in 8 states on East Coast, notified customers that their card payment info was exposed after hacking incident
• Cognizant Inc., a national managed IT services headquartered in Teaneck, NJ, notified an unknown number of customers that their info may have been exposed after a Maze ransomware attack
• Banner Health agreed to pay $8.9 million to settle claims made after breach exposed PHI of 2.9 million patients
• Mercy Health of Muskegon, Michigan announced that it had fired a nurse named Justin Howe after illegally accessing the PHI of multiple patients
• CTI League announced it has struck down more than 2800 cybercriminal assets on the Internet and identified 2000 security vulnerabilities in healthcare organizations
• Bloomberg News reports a 4300% increase in spam email related to COVID-19.
  - Google reports that more than 4300 domains related to federal stimulus packages, many of them are malicious as hackers try to cash in on COVID-19 pandemic
• Trustwave reports on 2019 cybersecurity:
  • 18% of network compromises in U.S. were ransomware, up 4%
  • 17% of attacks focused on financial data
  • Attackers were able to work inside the network for average of 86 days
  • 28% of email was spam
• The Small Business Administration notified 7,913 businesses that their info was compromised after a breach
• Bitdefender is reported that a spearfishing campaign named “Agent Tesla” is targeting oil and gas companies
• Confiant Security published report stating that 60 Revive ad servers have been compromised by the Tag Barnackle hacker group to insert malicious ads into online ad inventory to direct unsuspecting viewers to malware download sites read the rest here

“How starved you must have been that my heart became a meal for your ego.”

Amanda Torroni

We are still amid a crisis, however; one pandemic I've become witness to recently is known as SAD.

It's unfortunate but many are suffering from Social Attention Disorder or commonly known as SAD.

It's a rampant epidemic brought about by empty suits, facades and narcissistic digital behavior.

Many are fighting to been seen but how many are truly breaking free to be heard?

Self-absorbed with themselves you love using the word "I" and "Me" Folks, it's not about you!

Sales professionals are not consumed with winning the academy award for best social actor.

They are consumed with capturing the hearts and minds of their clients. They are consumed with helping their clients do better business. They are consumed with placing all their attention on their loved ones, their clients.

SOCIAL ATTENTION DISORDER, IT'S A DISEASE

"Stop trying to impress me. I can make up my own mind about whether I like you; trust you; or even believe you. You don’t have to make up my mind for me."

Social platforms have become the hot spot for distortions, where the real versions of who we are remain backstage. We take selfies, photoshop, curate and upload the best we got.

Then we hold our breath and pray for some attention.

There’s a name for this mindless, self-serving appetite for attention and validation. It's called Social Attention Disorder. Others may call it digital narcissism.

Zoe Williams wrote a piece in The Guardian titled “Me! Me! Me! Are We Living Through A Narcissism Epidemic?”, "the narcissist’s failure to achieve intimacy with anyone — as the result of them seeing other people like items in a vending machine, using them to service their own needs, never being able to acknowledge that others might have needs of their own, still less guess what they might be.”

Let's all stop and think for a moment... are we serving our clients own needs or fulfilling our own social egos?

The social emperor has no clothes

Attention to all the social emperors and "grow my list" ego maniacs who promise to help grow your audience and your sales by buying their killer course for $299, what are you really doing this for? Are you really doing this because you care? Are you doing this because you love, appreciate and have compassion? Or, are you fulfilling your ego, pride and wallet?

“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.”

Carl Jung

AUTHENTICALLY CONNECT

The antidote to digital narcissism or social attention disorder is authenticity. Rediscover who you are, commit to yourself in improving your career instead of endlessly tweaking your online persona in hopes of winning the social academy award.

Conversations, whether that be online, face to face or on the phone are the strongest sales tool you have in order to effectively build credible relationships between your clients, your prospects, your brand and your company.

Are you having meaningful conversations?

When's the last time you had a conversation and heard this...

“Wow, this was one of the best conversations I’ve ever had!”

Conversations build relationships, and relationships build businesses.

What do your clients care about? What does your marketplace care about? They don't care about your canned pitches, outlandish pattern interrupt videos, and braggadocious all about me messaging. Nobody cares that your sole intent is to win the social academy award.

Stop pitching and puking social crapola and start opening a human connection and conversation.

Put in the time to create truly, authentically connect. Remember the humanity in others.

Connect at the heart level. Connect on a real, relatable and relevant level.

A true sales professional knows their identity is not attached to winning the social academy award.

Imagine for a moment, if more ditched the empty rhetoric of the Internet and invested in their own personal and heartfelt growth, there wouldn't be as many empty suits and digital narcissists.

FINAL WORD

My question to all of you... What has happened to authenticity?

When you prance around as social painters, painting the social canvas with crap as many of you are jockeying for position to win the Oscar for best social picture, remember the person you're in front of may be saying this to themselves:

• Do you see me?
• Do you hear me?
• Does what I say matter to you?

Allow me to leave you all with this... would you live in the social house you're creating?

I understand, I get where you all are coming from. Every day, I walk in your shoes. I am fully committed to helping your sales team integrate social aspects and heartfelt strategies into your current sales process to grow new business. I want you to get results. This is why I am passionate about doing this the right way, the genuine way, the authentic way! It's about understanding value before visibility.

Selling From the Heart is making a difference! I poured my heart into every page of this book and I think you're going to love it. You can find it on Amazon in paperback, kindle and in audio. You can click on the book image below and this will take you to Amazon.

You can find more material inside Selling From The Heart.

In a world full of empty suits, I'm passionate about helping sales reps succeed by getting valuable before they get visible. I help sales teams understand the true value they bring to the market. 

I appreciate getting the opportunity to share my stories. Integrating the use of social and sharing my story on LinkedIn was my “game-changer” in the highly competitive office technology world. With great pride I transform, challenge, coach and inspire sales teams to grow new business by helping them share their story and how they communicate it out by integrating the use of social inside the sales process. You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and on my podcast by clicking on Selling from the Heart.

Back in 2005 I was just 2 years into having a real web site for the copier industry.  I started back in 2000 with an message forum with MSN communities.  It was really cool because there was no on-line forum where sales people and principals could chat, share ideas, share war stories, share information, share competitive info and the list goes on and on.  Twenty years later there is still no site like the Print4Pay Hotel.  Did I do something right? 

We're still the only site that allows members to communicate in a secure forums format along with blogs, press releases, quotes, leads and webinars.

Enjoy these really cool threads from 15 year ago this week!

-=Good Selling=-

Years ago I use to burn the late night candle pretty often. In some cases I would still find myself emailing a prospect at 2AM in the morning.  In most cases the email was to schedule a meeting for later that week. 

Those late night emails was just something I was use to.  It wasn't until one of my clients made mention of the email that arrived at 2AM.  Of course he didn't see it until he arrived at work.  But this client went on to tell me that he wished he had more sales people like me, meaning those that did not consider their job as just 9-5.  This client has been with me for more than 20 years now. 

Thinking back it was probably not the pricing, nor the brand of copier, but more about his appreciate for sales people with a great work ethic that landed me the order.

Twenty years later I'm past the point where I send emails that late anymore.  I'm not saying that you should be sending emails that late but what if that  prospecting email at 2AM did hit home with the prospect? What if he or she thought the same as my client did years ago? They could be thinking that this sales person is really working hard to get my business, maybe I should have a meeting to know more about this person.

For those of you that can't burn the candle late. I found this on google for sending delayed emails.  I've never used it but I just might give it a shot to see if it makes a difference. Maybe the same can be true for sending emails on the weekend also.

Enjoy these awesome threads from ten years ago this week!

I've been in the copier industry for 40 years. Our industry has always been somewhat recession proof since we provide technology services.  With another round of lay-offs in recent weeks it seems our industry is not immune to COVID19.  We must be prepared for doing business in a post COVID19 business world.  Which means protection of our workplace along with putting safeguards in place to protect our clients while we are in their place of business.  These plans need to be developed and finalized now and we'll need to tell our clients and employees that we have these plans and procedures in place.  Having these plans and procedures in place could be the difference of capturing new business and not losing existing accounts. 

Enjoy these awesome threads from 5 years ago this week!

Tomorrow is going to be awesome!  Finally some sun and some warmth with temps in the seventies, we might be a little cooler at the beach but I'll take it over the cold and damp days of late.

Tonight's going to be a really short blog, it's late and I'm beat plus I'm looking to get a head start on tomorrow.

Two meetings were on tap for today. One of the meetings was to move a BDR opportunity closer to the finish line which we did. My other meeting was with a Municipal IT DM to ask some questions about what they are using for document management.  No opportunity with her but it was a good meeting because we spoke in length about some of the existing issues they are having with document management.

Okay, we did it!  I received the documents back for the net new $60K deal!  Please let me toot my own horn a bit, thus for the month of May I'm sitting at or around $123k with three weeks to go (my VP states that my numbers are always moving if you get my drift).  I was thinking about setting a personal goal of $250K, but that may be a bit of a stretch since I almost emptied my hot pipeline.  Whatever the numbers are at the end of the month I'm happy that I I'm seeing so light in tunnel from having a horrid first four months of the year.  I also finished at nine appointments for week up from the six I had last week.

Next week is all about prospecting and working a couple of accounts with some ideas I have for upgrades. I still have a net new prospect out there for about $30K, however we haven't spoken in a couple of weeks. I'm also pulling the trigger for a lead service next week. It's going to cost me about $400 a month but you've got to spend it to make. 

While other dealers have pulled in the reins Stratix has continued to move the ball forward.  I thinks it's impressive that we've booked almost a quarter of million in orders this week.  What's more impressive is the team in my eyes, no one is giving up, no one is saying woe is me and there is no one digging their head in the sand.  Hoping we can equal this weeks number or go higher for next week.

Like I stated this is a short blog tonight, let's enjoy the weekend and on Monday it's back to the grind. BTW, print is not dead yet!

-=Good Selling=-

Yippee!  Tomorrow is Friday woohoo! 

Seems like Sunday will be the best day of the week and finally a day in the seventies.  Can you guess what I'll be doing?  Nope, not the beach since Sandy Hook National Recreation Area is still closed.  Give up yet?  My day will be spent pulling weeds and not the weed you smoke.

From about 5PM till about 9PM tonight I was thinking about what the frak am I going to write about tonight?  It's not an easy task to write every day let alone find that one thing you did today that could help others.

I found that in my first on-line meeting today.  It was not a demo, nor was it a meeting to talk about new services or copiers.  It was a meeting to help a client with their existing service invoice. About this time last year I upgradied an existing client from an A3 color mfp to an A4 color mfp.  Can we call than an upgrade?  The client had an older A3 mfp, services costs had been escalating over time and the system was not capable of communicating for scanning with their server.  The client was also very thrifty and that's a nice way of telling you about the client. After discovery last year we found out 11x17 was never used (just another case of an over sold A3 device).  The opportunity was there to lower ma/supply cost and save money on the lease.  Done deal

Yesterday an email comes in from the client asking questions about the renewal on the maintenance agreement. I answered and stated I would forward to are contracts person so I could use my time to finding prospects and closing orders.  I emailed the client back that and told them I had forwarded the email to that person in our office.  Late yesterday the client emails me again and wants to have a meeting over the invoice. In fact has to be first thing this morning.  I took the meeting for two reasons, one I had the time and two that little birdie in the back of my head reminded me that there could be an opportunity that might come out of this.  I was taught long ago that you don't run away from issues but rather confront them.  Seems I forgot about this when he first emailed me.

The call went better than expected about the maintenance agreement issue because I had prepped with having a copy of the maintenance agreement from the old A3 mfp and a copy of the one we sold with the A4 mfp. After a few minutes the client understood that they actually saved money with the new agreement.  But I wasn't stopping there and asked "why are you printing so much paper when you could be paperless?".  Which lead to a conversation about why they print, how the file, why they lose or misplace files.  After another 5 minutes I was able to finagle another meeting to show them a short demonstration for DocuWare.   Taking someone from nothing and turning it into an opportunity was the highlight of the day!

Three or four meetings in total today.  Two or three with clients and one was our internal meeting for IT training.  One new opportunity developed and one opportunity moved closer to closing.

I was able to get my order docs out for the $60K deal today and finally sent them at or around 3:30PM.  Hoping I can get the docs back for tomorrow, I did ask to have them back tomorrow also. Like I stated yesterday if you don't ask you don't get.

Not much prospecting again today because of the order docs, the meetings and there was quite the flurry of email activity today. By the end of the day I was planning my CRM for tomorrow and updating my list of things to do.

On a personal note today I was finally got my exercise bike to 25 minutes. That might not be a big deal to some but with changing my eating habits and exercising I've gone from a 40 inch waster (was probably 42 but I would never admit it) to a 36 inch waist!  It's been a slow process over the last year.  I got twenty pounds to go and I know those are going to be the hardest to lose.  The step after that is maintaining.  Just another goal on my list for 2020!

Hoping to have a great day tomorrow!

Right one other note I posted the recording of the MPSA webinar on our site today.  Here's the link below..

How are MPS Dealers Surviving the Impact of COVID19

-=Good Selling=-

Yay!  Our Governor is opening State and County Parks on May 2nd....with conditions with social distancing.  Getting to hate that "social" crap.  Many people are furious in New Jersey about the handling of the shut down along with not having the ability to get outside.  After pressure the Gov caved to the pressure. However, here's what I think, we'll have such an influx to the parks and beaches from knuckle heads (govs favorite word) and out of state peeps that he will close the parks on Monday. 

On one hand he is stating it's okay to go back to the parks, however if you don't behave we'll close them down again.  Actually a pretty savvy move on his part. He gave us what we wanted and will then blame the people when he issues the close on Monday. Now,  I may be wrong and I hope I'm not,  but I just got this funky feeling about this.

Before I start with what happened today. I want to share some notes I took from the MPSA COVID19 taskforce webinar today.  It was a one hour session and featured some prominent peeps from the MSP channel.

• One major MPS company reported 29% decline in pages or revenue
• Another major MPS company reported a 71% decline
• Healthcare for one of those clients saw a 40% increase
• More inquires from clients in respect to file sharing and content 
• Expecting continuing decline for another 30 days in revenue and prints
• First week of April they hit bottom and has stayed that way with no increases
• Only 6% of those who applied for unemployment has received funds in Florida has received them

Opportunities

• Good uptick in cloud based solutions for documents
• One attendee wanted a robust cloud data collecting, stated there are no good ones out there
• New sectors of business will flourish with post-covid19, other businesses will not return, we need to identify those that will flourish
• Disposable menu's could be the next big thing for restaurants post COVID19
• Major opportunity to grab market share from players who have shrunk their business or may not make it

Stuff I heard from the last two weeks

• Much of the unpublished "cocaine" funds are exhausted from the manufacturers ( I use the term cocaine because the back end money is habit forming)
• Pull back from published "take down" or "knock out" programs from some manufacturers
• Marco laid off or furloughed 200
• Visual Edge laid off or furloughed 500
• Local dealers by me laid off an average of 80% of staff

Day Thirty-Two

Another good day in the books! Opened up my email about 8:15AM and I had a set of order docs waiting for me for three devices.  One 60ppm A3 color, one 30ppm A3 mono and a wide format.  Good day in deed! 

Since there were three devices and I'm working from my notebook PC with no extra monitors it took a lot of time to develop the docs, make the notes, do the config pages and get the order in.  I had an email back later in the day that I messed up some the accessories and did not sent the network connectivity doc.  It was my fault,  it's tough going when you don't have three monitors for the work, and a little tougher since I can't print anything. I have two monitors on my home PC, but connecting and disconnecting is a real pain since they are neatly corded together.

Another day of not much prospecting, I don't mind because of the order writing. I was able to pull off two meetings, one with an existing client (nothing happening there) and one for my Noon Virtual Demo I had planned on the 29th. In the next few days I'll be emailing that content to invitees that could not attend.

Everyday my VP asks me what I had for lunch.  Yesterday was a little jab when I told him about the sandwich. Thus today's menu was pea soup, a couple of crackers and some shredded chicken. There you go Tim!

I received the credit app for the net new $60k deal today. I held it until I had a chance to speak with my VP. Just wanted to review a couple of items.  We sent it off about 4PM, by 6PM we had our approval.  I wasn't suppose to have this back until Friday of this week. Tomorrow is now all about building the order docs, crossing the t's & c's and getting the documents to our prospect.  I'm hoping we can get them back by Friday of this week. In fact I will ask to get them back by Friday.  If you don't ask you don't get!

I didn't get the docs back for the smaller $7K deal today, thinking I'll have those by the end of the week also.  Just keeping my fingers crossed that all of this pans out for this week.

I need to get back to prospecting again, even though I have four appointments in for the the week I need to be at six or more.  Nothing else to report it's late and this old man needs his sleep.

One more item the Greg & Art show is on again for May 7th at noon EST. I posted the link in our calendar.

-=Good Selling=-