MFP Copier Blog

Managed Services is not a short lived fad nor a way for IT companies to fatten their corporate wallets. Managed Services is a way for any business to eliminate problems before they occur, manage their IT budgets better while creating a solid long-term partnership with a managed services firm that's protecting your most important assets… your business data.

BENEFITS OF MANAGED SERVICES

The benefits are many: In 2014, only 30 percent of organizations used managed services, but within a year, the figure had nearly doubled. Managed services can cut IT costs by as much as 40 percent while doubling businesses operational efficiency.

One of the biggest benefits of Managed Services is discovering and fixing problems before they can negatively affect your business.

As a Managed Services Provider, in order for your business to gain new clients and generate new sales, you have to find prospective clients as well as deepening existing client relations. Understanding everyone you may encounter is either a potential client or potential referral source is the first step in your sales team building a sales engine that produces results.

The most important thing to grasp about Managed Services sales prospecting is everyone is a potential client. It all starts with education. It is not educating them on your offering because quite frankly they don't care about your offering yet. Why? You haven’t learned about the IT challenges their company faces, so you can’t possibly know if what you offer fits their needs, correct?

I ask you to think about this... in order to be successful in adding new clients and gaining referrals from your current clients you must set aside the "selling-game" and shift your mindset to the "evangelizing-game." Broadcast and impart out to the business world education and how you can help them do their jobs better while helping them protect their data.

ESCALATE NEW CLIENTS THROUGH EFFECTIVE PROSPECTING

Ask any sales rep in any industry and they will stress the importance of integrating effective prospecting techniques as part of their new business strategy.

The good ole days are behind us though some feverishly think the past still exists. Times have changed and so has prospecting. Cold calling is not dead it is just different now. Why is this happening? Simply stated the buyer's journey has changed the way they interact with salespeople.

Here are a few stats to get you excited as you prospect for new Managed Services opportunities...

• In 2017, 15 new ransomware families are predicted to be discovered each month (source).
• Cybercrime damages will cost the world $6 trillion annually by 2021 (source).
• 81 percent of organizations claim that negligent or careless employees are the top risk to endpoint security (source).
• 60 percent of businesses will go out of business within six months of a data disaster (source).

There is a great study out by Richardson, inside the 2016 Selling Challenges Study; they surveyed more than 400 sales professionals and revealed the top three prospecting problems salespeople are grappling with today:

1. Identifying triggers/sales signals that indicate issues you can resolve
2. Identifying target accounts
3. Qualifying prospects

This is 2017 and as a Managed Services Provider, technology is driving change and so should your approach to business development.

HERE ARE 3 SIMPLE WAYS TO PROSPECT AS A MANAGED SERVICES SALES REP

Guess What? It Is Not As Hard As You Think!

LEVERAGE THE POWER OF YOUR NETWORK

Your network is your net worth and is bigger than you think but how do you tap into its power? I suggest starting with your current clients. Look for 5-6 people inside each account to connect with on LinkedIn. Your current clients hold the key to rapid introductions into the people they know. People love to help others because it feels good. You may be surprised as to whom within your network has connections that can help you. Look for relationships inside their social networks and ask for introductions.

People are more willing to spend time with someone that comes “verified” by someone they trust.

SHARE EDUCATIONAL CONTENT ONLINE

As a Managed Services Sales Rep today, you must be able to build relationships digitally. Face to face relationship building is critical, however just as important is building these relationships online. Sharing educational, relevant content online helps position yourself as a trusted adviser as the content curated may help your current clients or potential clients solve possible pain points. This also may enable your prospects to humanize the relationship as they may see you as someone who knows them and actually cares about them as individuals.

"Continually educate your clients or someone else will!"

Prospecting is tough, let's just face it. Staying top of mind with your clients and prospects is difficult. Sharing educational content through a "drip" market campaign within LinkedIn is a terrific way to keep your name in front of your clients and prospects.

Engage with content online and...

FOLLOW YOUR CURRENT CLIENTS AND PROSPECTS

You must listen to understand what is going with your current clients and prospects. Ask your current clients what social media channels they use and follow them. Throw your social detective hat on and do the same with your prospects. 

Why? The use of social media isn't going away! Corporate identities and how businesses communicate these days is accomplished by leveraging social platforms. Two simple ways to learn more about your current clients and prospects is by following what they post or comment on within LinkedIn or Twitter.

What a great way to learn more and insert yourself into their online conversations, posts or comments. In doing so you may even find opportunities to help solve issues you may not have known about if you were not following their social media channels.

As a Managed Services Sales Rep, reaching and influencing the B2B tech buyer is tough. Let's acknowledge the fact the demographics of the buyer are changing. The time is now! You must realize adjustments are needed to your prospecting game plan in order to keep the sales funnel flowing with sales possibilities.

I urge reps inside the Managed Services channel:

Adjust, Adapt, Adopt and Augment prospecting efforts!

Implementing these 3 steps you will:

• Generate an increase in sales revenue
• Create stickiness inside your current client base
• Increase profits through becoming a value added sales professional
• You will enhance the client experience thus creating raving fans

It isn't just about growing your business; it's about achieving meaningful, sustainable and achievable growth. All too often, companies simply chase progressively larger revenue patterns, without really considering whether their business will be able to remain stable. Coaching and guiding Managed Services Sales Reps to become efficient business developers helps you build a stronger foundation for the future.

Managed Services Providers allow businesses to effectively maintain a secure and efficient network to conduct their work without the need to manage and look for the current technology on their own!

I understand, I get where you all are coming from. I have walked a day in a life of your shoes and still do on a daily basis.

I am fully committed to helping your sales team integrate social aspects and modern strategies into your current sales process to grow net-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!

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, challenge, coach and inspire B2B Office Technology Sales Professionals to grow net-new business by helping them tell their story and communicate integrating the use of social. My commitment is to help office technology dealers thrive in a drastically changing marketplace. You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Social Sales Academy and on my podcast at Selling from the Heart.

Please pardon any typo's or other stuff.  I'm at Newark International Airport getting ready for my departure to Ireland and chillaxing on the first day of my vaca.

As always I'm checking my email, because you just never know when something big may come along.  Well,  one pretty big thing just happpened with the acquisition of Muratec by the Konica Minolta.

At first many readers will probably ho-hum the purchase and think that it was inevitable that Muratec would survive on it's own.  

My first thought was dang it I just lost an advertiser,  my second was, we'll hold on there maybe we know have an opening with Konica Minolta. My third was that, holy crap,  this opens up the entire Muratec label solutions up to all Konica Minolta Dealers here in the US.  

Having done quite a bit of research with color labels, I've found the color label market is ripe for dealers to get involved with.

With the acquisition I probably have more questions than answers about the Muratec Label Solutions.  I'd also bet dollars to doughnuts that this is a huge win for the peeps at Muratec America and some great opportunities for Konica Minolta Dealers.

questions, comments, would love to hear em

-=good selling-=

I think the first time I met Mike Stramaglio (CEO/President MWA Intelligence) was at some National Ricoh event when he was President of Hitachi Koki Imaging Systems.  At the time,  I was with Jack Carroll (former principal of Century Office Products), I did not have to chance to speak with Mike at that event but listened carefully as Mike and Jack traded off a few stories about the Minolta days.  After Mike had left, I asked Jack, "who was that?".  Jack then proceeded to give me the low down on Mike's career with Minolta and then Hitachi Koki. It was apparent that the two of them had a great relationship.

Over the next 15 years Mike and I have had the chance trade some emails and chat some at industry events.  A few months ago, I reached out to Mike to see if he would like to be one of our "Selling in the Seventies" guru's. 

It was not until I heard Mike's answers that I realized what can be accomplished by sales people in our industry.  The copier sales guy that makes it to the top and keeps on going.  That's fracking awesome, and should be fodder for younger reps that they too can reach for the pinnacles of success in our industry.

Selling in the Seventies

What year did you start in the industry and what was your first position?

Mike:  Wow, Art I haven’t thought about that in a long time and I am proud to say my career in the copier business began year mid-year 1974! 

A young guy of 24 years of age who barely knew what a copier was?!   A friend of mine I used to play a lot of baseball with told me “Mike I am working for Xerox selling copiers and making really good money and you should do it too!”   So out I went and interviewed with Xerox,  A.B Dick,  3M and a few others now gone and I took the first job offered to me which was with 3M as a up and down the street sales rep! 

It was a fantastic opportunity for me and I will never forget they sent me to Minneapolis for some of the best training I ever had in my life.   Amazing experience!

What company aka manufacturer or dealer did you work for during the seventies? If you worked for a dealer please tell us what brands you sold?

Mike:  I worked downtown Chicago for a year or so and all of my training paid off and was making good money working with a great team and manager!  I was young …had some money and working downtown Chicago what could be better! 

One day my manager resigned and  that was a real disappointment because I had a great deal of respect for him and we had a lot of fun as well.    He went to work for a brand new Toshiba copier dealership and since the 3M copiers were mostly Toshiba built and branded 3M,  it a easy transition for my old boss and a few months later he recruited me to join him at the dealership.  I had a great commission program and could sell anywhere and to anyone!  I was on my way!

What was the percentage of copier sales people that made it past two years? 

Mike:  My experience with turnover was actually pretty good in that 70% of the sales people made it 2 years or longer.   We were well trained, energetic, well paid and ambitious in a growth industry.   It was a wonderful learning environment for anyone who wished to work and make money! 

What did you like the most about your job in the seventies?  

Mike:  I liked everything about building my career in the 70’s !    It was a professional and exciting environment for all of us who served the industry and the few things your question made me thing of ….. I  had freedom to be as good as we wished to be,  I had terrific people around me who really cared about my success and invested their time in me with outstanding mentoring,  I remember how proud I was in the 70’s to be cutting my own path with a product that was breakthrough and truly made a difference.   Freedom to win and freedom to lose and I didn’t like losing much!

What did you dislike the most about your job in the seventies? 

Mike:  Good question ….I did not like having to load machines (heavy very heavy)  on a Feral Washington cart,  lug the demo equipment up three flights of stairs and or elevators!  I had to have my own station wagon  and moving that equipment around ruined my suits,  probably broke my back and always spilled toner!   Of course the flip side is that I always sold the demo equipment because I did NOT want to bring the machine back down!  

What was the compensation plan like, was there a salary, what is just commissions or was there a mix of salary and commissions?  

Mike:  Haha ….a salary!?   Yes there was a small salary and the rest was draw against commission and boy did I like the commission!  At the dealership my first comp program was $15K salary,  $20K draw and a commission program I could earn up to $130-150K if I KILLED it !

How did you go about finding new business, and what was your favorite of those methods and why?   

Mike:  New business was easy …..only three methods!  Phone canvassing,  cold calling and referrals!  I loved cold calling because back in the day it was so much easier to just walk into an office without security or signs keeping you out and frankly people were ok with it.  If you could cold call you could make a lot of money and meet some great people.  

What was your favorite brand and model to sell? 

Mike:  Way back  …..my favorite was the 3M VQC 209!    It was such a cool machine to demo and I had a ball with it in front of people!  Of course when we moved to plain paper my all time favorite machine was the Minolta 450Z !

What type of car did you use for your demonstrations and how many demonstrations would you perform in a week?  

Mike:  I bought a “beater” Chevy station wagon and I would never be happy if I wasn’t doing two demonstrations per day!  It was a numbers game and it had to happen that way! 

Can you tell us one funny story about selling copiers in the seventies? 

So many funny stories ….literally every day was funny!  One that I can remember it was a hot summer day in Chicago and I was lugging a Toshiba machine over to Northwestern University.   Back then you had to park far away from the procurement area and if you can imagine rolling a copier across campus figure how where I was going and so I finally figured it all out and I pulled the copier into the lobby and I was hot and sweaty and had to use the bathroom ! 

So, a guy in a suit was walking by me and he stopped to ask me what I was doing and what I was pushing.  He was a nice guy and I told him why I was there etc.  I asked him if he would watch my machine for a few minutes while I used the men’s room and he was kind enough to help me out.   I came out and he said come on I will take you where you need to go.   

He helped me with the machine up to the office and when we got there he introduced himself as the man I was there to see!  I was so embarrassed that I asked the guy to watch my machine while I was in the bathroom …OMG!

Funny enough he bought the machine and throughout the next few years I ended up selling more than 110 machines!  I never will forget that experience  and I hope relationships are as important today as they were back in the day!  Actually I KNOW they are!

What is the biggest problem you seeing facing the industry today? 

Art….I see many problems but the opportunities far outweigh the problems!

Obviously “print” is slowly eroding and our industry is adjusting to this singular issue.   But to me the biggest challenge is “change management” in that the channel needs to welcome a new infrastructure (ERP) capable of IoT,  Artificial Intelligence,  true accounting capability for real tie data and analytics.   We need to be bold in making the right investments for Managed IT services or what I refer to as Managed Business Services (MBS).  

MBS is the umbrella for the new and exciting multi billion dollar growth industries coming our way with robotics,  services and a level of software for Intelligence we have never imagined before.   Our industry leaders must promote the new tools,  new strategies and frankly new distribution.   Dealers who fail to be aggressive will indeed fail and or be sold! 

Thanx,  Mike this was awesome, I find it fascinating to learn more about what the business was like in the seventies. I appreciate the time and the look back in the past.

I enjoyed my time with Mike and I hope that others enjoy these blasts from the past from those excellent sales people that sold in the Seventies.

-=Good Selling=-

I thought I would share a thought or two on the In-Home Tech Business. As many of you know my background is the Imaging Channel, Print/Copy equipment, and services. Obviously, this channel is desperately seeking a broader deliverable. Some in the channel have successfully transitioned. I had the opportunity to help lead the successful reinvention of a legacy print sales and services business, into that of a Managed IT/Security/ Services Firm that experience taught me many things. I look forward to helping others who are ready.

Most in the Imaging Channel still recognize the majority of their revenue from Print. Over the last couple months, I have focused my articles on thoughts of the future about different aspects of the Imaging Channels deliverable. Over the last year, I have talked and consulted with organizations both in and outside the Imaging Channel. I am committed to the realization that the Imaging Channel must transition and quickly define their avenue to replace the every declining annuity of print services. I would add those who believe there is no decline in print I cannot help and should stop reading this article. The rest explore this one opportunity with me and open the door to your imagination. There are many ways to transform it just takes collaborating with those who challenge the relevancy of status Quo.         

A few weeks back Amazon doing what Amazon does best decided to disrupt the In Home Tech Service Business. Today the largest market share goes to the Geek Squad which is owned by Best Buy. Most in the SMB to SMB Tech Services Business dismissed this; they think there’s nothing to worry about don't see a threat. Here’s why all technology service providers from all channels are wrong to dismiss Amazon.

Amazon did not start an In-Home Technology Services Company strictly to sell more T.V.s and Home Theaters. Amazon got into this business because of the increase in the number of home based workers that are not self-employed. It’s not going to go down. Regardless of recent announcements by global organizations. Any new movement which creates bold changes will move both forwards and backwards before gaining momentum. As management practices and advances in technology continue evolving. The work from home model will not only gain in traction it will redefine our work culture.

“Innovation is what you find on the other side of the horizon you find it when you can look past what’s in front of you.”

Amazon wants to be the go to for In-Home Office Workers. Amazon has and continues destroying the Office Products Resellers business model. Now they have their sites on Technology Service Providers. Amazon will provide the service to the Home worker however, Amazon will contract with the corporation that these employees work for. The question is; can the current Imaging Channel, or the Current IT Services Channel beat Amazon to the punch?

Here’s what I would do. Starting tomorrow I would call on all enterprise accounts. Here’s the question for the CEO, not the purchasing Manager. Ask them how many workers do they plan on shifting to a work from home model over the next five years? They most definitely are thinking about this and more than likely have no plan to execute a strategy. Here’s the benefit for either the printer dealer trying to move into IT Services, or the IT Services Provider in an attempt to expand their deliverable. Let’s say the organization has 500 employees and this particular organization wants to shift 10% of their work force to work from home.

OK, we all immediately see why Amazon got excited don’t we? For those who don’t yet see the opportunity. I will explain, fifty at home workers need 50 Computers, 50 Printers, 50 backup solutions, 50 users needing help desk service, 50 users' needing security patches, and 50 users requiring the occasional on-site service. My friends It’s 50 times a lot of stuff use your imagination.

Well, that’s probably too much technology for some to comprehend. Whatever this looks like it doesn’t exist today so quit getting hung up needed absolutes. Stop and imagine what Amazon is imagining and then execute, and continuously improve your In-Home Tech Service for the SMB Home worker. Ask this question of the CEO before you give away your In-Home Service. How much does each employee cost to be in house?  

So know for those of you who can’t get printers out of your mind think of this. Fifty employees in a downtown office Bldg. probably share one MFP maybe two. However, those Fifty at home workers get fifty machines. Yes, you get to ring the bell 50 times instead of once or twice.

So next time you read where the richest man in the world is buying a company or building his own don’t dismiss it learn from it. One more thought. Maybe Jeff Bezos would be interested in contracting with you to provide the In- Home Service in your market. Who knows perhaps a manufacturer already made the call?

My friends from all Channels it’s time to create the Innovation Channel and stop doing the same things, stop looking in the same places, and stop having reunions talking about the past then convincing each other the future is safe. The SMB to SMB Resellers are in the war of their life, and many don’t believe it or, are delusional. Don’t be delusional be creative. The only way to deliver the Future to the Present is first to imagine what the Future is. I have never met Jeff Bezos, but I guarantee you all this. He understands “Those who deliver the Future to the Present, are always delivering relevance, those who don’t are instead temporarily delivering their past relevance.” It is 2017 your past has expired. Those who are ready to collaborate for ways to begin delivering the Future to the Present first like this article then send me an email raystasieczko@gmail.com. Let’s create our Future not become victims of someone else’s future.

R.J.Stasieczko 

I never meant to cause you any sorrow

I never meant to cause you any pain

I only wanted one time to see you laughing

I only want to see you laughing in the purple rain

Prince

This is not meant to cause you any sorrow. This is meant not to cause you any pain. I only want to see you laughing as you grow your business and adapt to what is happening around you.

Remember carrying around a Thomas Guide in your car just in case you needed to look for an address in a part of town you weren't familiar with.

Remember carrying around both a beeper and a cell phone.

How about taking photos and having no idea how they'd turn out.

All of this has me thinking...

IT IS STILL 1999 IN SOME COPIER DEALERSHIPS

Old traditional sales methodologies is what a vast majority of copier dealerships built there success around. Salespeople pestering prospects in the forms of cold calling, tearing down doors, battling gatekeepers or other fiendish methods; all to do one thing - sell office technology. This kind of reminds of what is happening today.

The major problem with this grunt work type tactics of selling is it still exists in this channel today. Don't get me wrong, I am not here to say traditional is dead. I am here to say, "What can we do to enhance it?" Some traditional means of prospecting wastes a lot of time and sales reps effort positioning themselves as copier schleppers everyone tries to avoid like the plague.

In 1999 selling, salespeople were taught skills dealing more with tasks than with purposes. We trained sales reps based upon their levels of expertise around prospecting, influencing, demonstration techniques and a plethora of outlandish closing techniques. Telephone scripts, demonstrations scripts, objection handling scripts or "this is what you say when this happens" scripts; I cringe as I guarantee 1999 still exists in some copier dealerships.

THE ANALOG MINDSET EXISTS INSIDE COPIER DEALERSHIPS

Analog sales leaders grew up in the analog age. You all learned how to close deals before the advent of the digital age. Some of you still believe your sales reps not your customers are in control of the buying process. Some of you still believe your clients and prospects will flock to your sales reps if only they knew how great their products and features are. I bet your sales playbook includes the art of pitching, more pitching and pitching even harder via email, banging the phone all while spraying and praying all over the marketplace.

I get it, some of you analog sales leaders recognize you need to use other digital channels like social media and you might even tell your sales teams to use LinkedIn, as an example, to do nothing but connect with people then pounce and pitch with product. The sad state is some of you won't invest in providing the necessary training around best practices or enhancing your sales teams sales skills. More importantly and when push comes to shove, bottom line; it's all about more cold calls, more cold emails and more information about the product.

There’s always one segment in every channel. The traditionalists that can’t quite let go of traditional ways. 

All this reminds me of Fiddler on the Roof and one word TRADITION!

IT'S 2017 - DOES YOUR SALES TEAM OPERATE WITH A DIGITAL SELLING MINDSET?

I am a firm believer standing in between the sales team and a digital mindset is analog centric management. Everywhere you go these days, forward-thinking leaders are talking about innovation, the next big ideas and what they can do to future proof their businesses.

As business owners, what are you doing to future proof your sales team?

What does it take to move your entire sales team from reluctance to relevance? It starts with you and your management team!

Social media, social this and social that... We are living through the biggest communications revolution as social has impacted our personal and business lives.

This means as a leader inside your organization, inside a digital business environment and economy; you must actually have to understand it, walk it, talk it and your sales team must integrate into the sales process.

You must open the door of courage, set aside the fear, toss aside the ego and open the digital door to allow your sales team to grow and flourish.

UNLOCK YOUR MINDSET

Thinking digital is more than social media inside the sales world. Is it about the latest apps, sure. Is it about visual storytelling, yes indeed. Is it about the online reputation of your organization and your salespeople, absolutely! Your online interactions and the interactions of your sales department or lack thereof in some instances shape client expectations and sometimes their outcomes.

Everything digital has dramatically shifted the landscape in the way you do business as well as your sales reps.

What are you doing as a business owner to bring the future to the present?

You have the capability. You run successful organizations. Smart digital savvy business leaders recognize Twitter, for example, teaches sales reps a whole lot more than how to write in 140 characters. It shows you how information flows in dramatically new ways to help you and your sales team socially listen.

LinkedIn has created a branding and networking platform to positively impact the entire sales world. Instagram has come along to help demonstrate the impact of visual storytelling.

SOCIAL MATTERS IN SALES

Digital awareness matters and it matters to your sales team. It is 2017, adopting a digital mindset is critical to you and the entire growth of your business. You can’t just sit on the sidelines any longer and watch the competition outsmart, outwit, outplay and outsell you. You can’t tell your sales team or others throughout your company digital matters and this is a top priority if you haven’t made it a top priority for you.

Face reality peeps, if you want your sales team to adopt a digital mindset then you have to adopt one first. You can't expect to have your sales team adopt if you aren't willing to get in the trenches with them. Roll up the sleeves and become a digital sales leader. Your sales team and more importantly your clients will appreciate it. This means get up off the comfy couch of complacency.

You and your sales reps sell digital technology to a digital buyer inside a digital business world then why continue to go to market with an analog mindset?

Quit pretending to do digital. Quit pretending to do social. Quit pretending period. You all are either in the digital water or you are not, relevant or not relevant!

My challenge to the copier channel and dealer owners, what new tools and technologies are you adopting to help sales reps eliminate bottlenecks and roadblocks in building better relationships with your clients and prospects? Meeting and communicating with your clients and prospects in their preferred choice of medium goes a long way in client retention and new business growth.

Fantasy Island just doesn't exist. The business climate, the sales climate and your surroundings have all changed. The time is now! It is 2017!

STOP PARTYING LIKE IT IS 1999

"I was dreamin' when I wrote this, forgive me if it goes astray but when I woke up this mornin' could have sworn it was judgment day"

Don't let not adopting a digital mindset be your dealerships judgement day!

I understand, I get where you all are coming from. I have walked a day in a life of your shoes and still do on a daily basis.

I am fully committed to helping your sales team integrate social aspects and modern strategies into your current sales process to grow net-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!

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, challenge, coach and inspire B2B Office Technology Sales Professionals to grow net-new business by helping them tell their story and communicate integrating the use of social. My commitment is to help office technology dealers thrive in a drastically changing marketplace. You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Social Sales Academy and on my podcast at Selling from the Heart.

Over the last two months I thought I would perform a test using LinkedIn.  My goal was to connect with 1,000 people in the copier industry. Right now, I'm sitting at about 800 new connections.  I'm hoping to hit that 1,000 mark by the end of this week.

Everyday,  I spend at the minimum 30 to 45 minutes review my wall of threads. Since I have more than three thousand connections,  that wall seems like it can go on forever (thank goodness for weekends YaY!)

If I had to estimate, I would say that I'm connected to more than 2,500 copier sales people. 

Today, I scrolled through 368 threads on my LinkedIn wall.  I wanted to see how many other copier/office technology reps had posted something on LinkedIn. 

Any thread would be worthy of getting a notch for a post.  I did omit posts from dealer principals since I know of few of them use a  marketing department or firm to post for them (that's not a bad thing) and those who help high level positions with the manufacturers or dealers.  Let me tell you, going through all of the threads and you see some crazy threads on LinkedIn now.

Here's what I found. 

Out of the 368 threads that were posted there were, are you ready for this?  NINE threads from copier sales people.  Two of those threads were from one copier sales person (that's a good job Dayna).  We're talking a little over 2% took the time to post anything on LinkedIn. 

There were zero pulse articles and three of those nine threads had a picture of a copier, the headline and a "contact me".  That's being creative!

Sorry to say, but that's a piss poor effort from our industry sales people.  How do you expect people to know that "you" exist in todays social world of business. I was just listening to a webinar from Darrell Amy and he threw out a stat that 93% of people use a search engine for buying anything. Darrell went on to say that in the sales world, that's just about everyone.

Posting on Social Media Does Not Get Me Orders

Absolutely correct!  There is no Selling in Social Media

Throw out the "Selling" part of Social, there is no selling.  It's more about creating awareness that "you" exist within your geo space of B2B business.  Maybe you need to call it Social Business Awareness or just Social Awareness. 

Let's put it this way, not posting on Social Media pretty much means you're out of site, and when you're out of sight you're out of mind.

Does knocking on doors get you orders on the first knock, or when was the last time you cold called a DM on the phone and the first response was, "hey, thanx for calling, I want to order five copiers from you"?  Right, it really doesn't happen that often.  But your efforts of knocking on doors and cold calls will produce orders at some point in time.  The same is true of social media, at some point in time you are going to get "that" call or that inmail"  from someone wants to engage with you.

There is No Secret Sauce with Social Selling

I think I started with LinkedIn in 2004.  Over the years, I've written more than 2,500 blogs related to the copier industry and have garnered almost 3,000 world wide members (remember I do this part time).  In addition I've made a tidy sum of extra dough, because I had a plan and stuck to my plan over all of these years.

You need to have a plan, and you need to stick to that plan, day in day out, month in and month out, and yes years in and years out.  That is the only way you'll create your Social Awareness.

Maybe start with:

Create three alerts with Google. One for Technology, one for Business and one for Dogs and Cats (most everyone loves dogs and cats).  Read those alerts everyday and when you find something that either piques your interest or you think it would be a good read for others.  Then you post that link with your social media accounts (LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter).  Also always keep that attitude that you're not concerned with getting likes, or views.  Your only concern is to share information with others. 

Over time you will start to see people gravitate to you for a connection.  Once the connection is made you may then thank them and send a note, please let me know if I can every help with anything.  Maybe, even a call sometime down the road.

Why Social Selling Stinks for Most Copier Sales Reps

I hate to say this, but I think most are lazy, and for those that are not lazy, I don't think they are aware of what you can accomplish if have a plan for Social Media.  I can attest that for those who want to work and those who have a plan, you can be assured that you'll have a very lucrative sales career.

Thoughts, comments, would love to hear them.

-=Good Selling=-

"Without hard work and discipline it is difficult to be a top professional"

Jahangir Kahn

Can this same message reign true inside the copier channel? Can this message be applied to a copier sales rep, YES!

There is no free ride to success as some copier sales reps may think otherwise! There is no easy button to press! There is absolutely no easy way to become successful. Without hard work, dedication, an extreme tolerance for frustration and setbacks you can never become a sales champion. If you say you really want it, then you have to be able to back it up by taking action. Far too many copier sales reps seem to lack a basic understanding of what’s really necessary for sales success. 

THE ATHLETIC LOCKER ROOM

Ask any professional athlete and they will tell you they had an athletic dream; a dream of making it big. What professional basketball player didn't want to be like Mike?

While every professional basketball player may want the success that a Michael Jordan had, most in upwards of 90%, aren't willing to do pay the dues and do what is necessary to get there. The success strategy in my opinion is quite simple, it's not very glamorous and all in our mind. It’s a four-letter word called WORK!

The top 1% of professional athletes in any sport have a million- dollar success strategy. This is purely nothing more than a willingness to consistently pay their physical dues, bust their ass by pushing themselves outside their comfort zone each and every freaking day! Your sales success strategy as copier sales reps is nothing more than tons of sweat, fatigue, frustration and YES hard work!

SUCCESS IS HARD WORK

Top athlete's, the one percenters consistently push themselves on a daily basis to go the extra mile, run a little harder, sweat a little more, train a little longer, and work in a few more repetitions on their weak points. Can the same be said for the average copier sales rep? What are you willing to work on?

The cream of the crop, the one percent of professional athletes eat being great for breakfast! They are willing to bust their ass and to do whatever it takes. As copier sales reps you have to be willing to do whatever it takes. Forget about what everyone else is doing or not doing and focus on yourself. If you really want to stand out as a copier sales rep then you must stand out with your work ethic. This is what top professional athletes do best.

ARE COPIER SALES REPS PUTTING IN THE HARD WORK?

This may be a bit controversial but so be it. As a copier sales rep, you have to be willing to get off of your comfy couch, get outside of your physical, mental and emotional comfort zones on a daily basis. You have to be willing to push the envelope, to get comfortable being uncomfortable.

Success is simple and difficult at the same time. This is because it’s too hard for most copier sales reps to do what I’m suggesting. I get it every once in a while you'll work your butts off. Now and again you all will get motivated to step the pace up and sweat just a little bit more especially when your sales funnel is weak or you can't flip a current customer lease. However, to do this all day and every day most of you will turn your head and mentally say, "No thank you!"

What do you think separates the best copier sales reps from the rest of the pack? Do they have more sales talent? Not necessarily! Are they more gifted than others? On some occasions, yes. Do they want and smell sales success more than you? Ah Hah! Here lies the key my copier sales rep friends. You see, the very successful sales reps work harder than you on a more consistent basis because they want it more than you do! If you truly want to be a very successful copier sales rep, then your biggest obstacle is the very person you see when you look in the mirror! If you want it badly enough and are willing to go after it on a daily basis, week in and week out, month in and month out then you must commit to and buckle-down by elevating your training and performance to go to the next level.

I know most of you are thinking managing a lease end portfolio and upgrading my clients earlier than they need to is hard work but come on man isn't this just babysitting?

HARD WORK AND PRACTICE AS A COPIER SALES REP

Professional athletes do plenty of hard work, practicing their sport. We need to do the same thing as copier sales reps. The first area of hard work is to self-reflect.

Check out more on self-reflection as you listen to my podcast "Selling from the Heart"

MY CHALLENGE TO COPIER SALES REPS - DO THE HARD WORK!

Create some alone time with a blank piece of paper and reflect on why you do what you do, who you are, and what value you bring to your clients and to your community.

Think of how you are making an impact inside your company, with your clients, with your network and most importantly within the business community.

You must move your mindset from that of a copier sales rep to that of a copier sales professional.

Hard work requires:

• A commitment to yourself
• A commitment to a stronger work ethic
• A commitment to writing a business plan

DO THE HARD WORK - CONSUME CONTENT

To be successful as a copier sales rep and get noticed, I am going to ask you to throw something new into the game called sales - learn and share content!

You must become a broker of ideas and knowledge. You must consume content for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You must make a commitment to yourself to learn.

Copier sales reps must equip themselves with content knowledge

Yes, you must understand your products and solutions but more importantly you must learn about your clients and prospects business problems. Make the commitment to learn your industries content. You must learn where to find it and then how to share it with your clients and prospects to help them do better business.

Educate your clients and prospects around how you can help. You need to understand who you are selling to and how you can add value.

If you want to get a seat at the red hot executive table then you must add value by learning what executives are talking about.

COPIER SALES REPS AND THEIR MENTAL HANG-UP

You all must learn how to overcome the hard work and perseverance handicap that you have developed by being a member of "I have earned my stripes therefore I don't have to do it" society. Get back into the real world and stop the "my **** doesn't stink attitude". In other words pull your head out and start to develop goals, your personal mission and why are you doing what you are doing?

The right time is now! Self-motivate yourself by staying focused on a daily basis on the WHY. Why are you doing all of this in the first place? You as a copier sales rep need to have an emotionally compelling reason to go against the status quo as you watch the other aloof copier sales reps seek instant gratification by trying to cut corners and flip leases early as they have nothing new in their sales funnel.

The secret to success is mental. The secret to success as a copier sales rep is in your hands, not in your mouth. The secret to success will separate you from the wolf pack and your competitors. The secret to success is quite simple to understand yet so difficult to consistently use. Do you have what it takes to take your career to the next level? Can you honestly put your actions where your mouth is? Are you willing to walk the walk?

Are you living a sales lie?

COPIER SALES REPS MUST PUT IN THE HARD WORK-PERIOD!

Why do copier sales reps give up? No hope? No perceived chance for victory or real reward inside their company? Not enough patience to keep on going? No sense of personal fulfillment? Just a plain poor fit? Lack of the right talent or skill set? Poor relationships leading to discouragement? The questions and list can go on...

Copier sales reps you must embrace hard work and develop a strong work ethic. This means you must set aside your ego, fear and your "know it all attitude" thus embracing two things you have going against you - time and patience.

"Success isn't always about greatness. It's about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come."

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson

I understand, I get where you all are coming from. I have walked a day in a life of your shoes and still do on a daily basis.

I am fully committed to helping your sales team integrate social aspects and modern strategies into your current sales process to grow net-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!

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, challenge, coach and inspire B2B Office Technology Sales Professionals to grow net-new business by helping them tell their story and communicate integrating the use of social. My commitment is to help office technology dealers thrive in a drastically changing marketplace. You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Social Sales Academy and on my podcast at Selling from the Heart.

Over the last couple of days, I've been approached about help with device recommendations and or configurations from a few of our newbies. I love it when they come to me for help, because most of the time I'm on my own sales island and really have no one to turn to if I have questions about devices or configurations.  Thus, the reason why I post most of my questions on the these forums.  I need to hear from others that have more knowledge than me.

I've always stated over the years that we (copier salespeople) can't be experts with every device, solution and vertical market.  The Print4Pay Hotel forums allows copier salespeople and dealers to pose questions to our members. In most cases you'll get your question answered by some our elite members.

How can you become as knowledgeable as our Elite members?  Just ask questions, asking questions is your key to becoming the guru in your market place.

K, enough of that.  When trying to answer those questions from those newbies, in most cases I'll have questions of my own so I can make a recommendation.

What I'm finding out is that most newbies are not asking enough discovery questions about the client, the competition or those basic questions that allows you to make a determination of which device is right for the client.

Monthly Volume

I cringe when I ask questions like, "what is the monthly volume", and I get an answer of, "we estimated it at 20-40K annually". I'm like, WHAT?   You mean to tell me you didn't take the time to pull a meter read and ask when the device was installed?  The reply can be, "well they got the system pre-owned and they are not sure".  Ok, there's a bunch of other questions you can ask.

• What date was the device installed?
• Have you had the device serviced since then, if so when? In most cases there may be a service tech ticket inside the device. If it's there, in most cases there could be a meter read and date. Walla!
• Do you have a copy of the last service ticket that you signed when the tech serviced your device?
• Do you have a copy of the service invoice?
• How much paper do you buy per month or year?
• Do you fill the paper trays, if so how often do you fill them?
• Do you fill the paper trays to the top every time?
• Are you the only person who fills the paper tray?
• Do you keep track of the dates that you put a new toner in the device?

As you can see there are many questions that can be asked to find out what the volume of the device in question.  Geesh, asking about the volume is one  of those always ask questions.   Never, every walk away without feeling comfortable that you know their monthly or annual volume.

Competition

At times, I've also asked our newbies, "who is the vendor that they are doing business with". This is another one of those questions that need to be asked. If the customer does not know (yeah, right), then ask to see the device in question and in most cases there's a sticker from the servicing company. 

Knowing your competition is HUGE, no company is perfect and in most cases other reps in the office may know a deficiency about that vendor aka service provider.

Another key question to ask once you find out who their current service provider is to ask these questions:

• I see that you have Canon device, however what brand did you have before the Canon's?
• If the client states that they had the same brand, then you need to ask, "who was the service provider for that brand?"

In most case's if you're speaking with the "right" person, they will be able to tell you.

Why are these two questions so valuable?

They will tell you if the client is brand or dealer loyal or both (brand and dealer).

• If they have moved from brand to brand over the years, most likely they will be open to your brand.
• If they have had a different service provider each time, they will seriously entertain your service.
• If they have had the same brand for two lease cycles, they are brand loyal. Which means that you're going to have a tough road to hoe in order to get the sale.
• If they come back with the same brand and same service provider for two lease cycles, then they are brand an dealer loyal.  This will be the toughest road to hoe in order to get the order. You might want to think about not spending a lot of time with them, or get down and dirty the first and give them your best price and move on.

Ask & Ye Shall Recieve

Here's another question to ask:  What do you like about your current provider (got this from a book I read and I've been using this)? In most cases they can't think of much and it will put the thought in their head that maybe there's really not much that they like about them.

The Client

In most cases you should know this first question before you meet with them and it's also not bad idea to know what they do before you cold call them in person or on the phone.  Just last week before I did a couple of in person cold calls. Before I went in,  I sat in the car (it was raining that day) and googled the company.  Thus, before I walked in I knew what services they offered or what they sold.  It's impressive data just in case you run into the right person, but can also  help with some story telling about other accounts that you or your dealership does business with.

• How is business?
• What's the biggest pain that you have with your day to day business?
• What type of initiatives does your company have for next year?
• Why are you including us for new devices?  Especially helpful, if you received this lead from your manufacturer or someone else.  Most likely there is pain with something and you need to find that out

Now, I could go on and on with additional questions, but it's getting late and I need to close some additional opportunities before the end of the month. Ours ends this Monday. So, it's time to turn it.

What are your thoughts, do you have additional questions?  Would love to hear them.

BTW, we're having our first Wide Format Webinar on September 18th, 2017. We want to give you a sales makeover so that you're a wide format guru. If interested, you can check that out here.

-=Good Selling=

Recently I had an opportunity to speak to industry peers at the RT Imaging Summit-Americas in Cancun This article shares my thoughts of the event.

As the Summit in Cancun, Mexico got under way, my mind went to the pier across the road, right off the beach. I began thinking how far down the “pier” the imaging channel has gone over its decades-old life. Just how much longer can we walk the planks of the pier? Using this analogy, the planks are the customers of print. How many new planks, if any, will be added in the future? How many will replace those planks which the winds of change have removed and continue to remove. We find ourselves in the constant storm of technology innovation.

Those attending this second expo and summit in beautiful Cancun are all having to weather change in the print consumables industry. Some are faring better than others, judging by the comments during the vigorous panel discussions.

I was one of the speakers. As I listened to those before me, it became apparent most agree the industry we call home is in transition. However, there are conflicting timeframes for starting the changes needed for survival.

The speakers’ messages were candid as each shared how their particular area of expertise is impacting or being impacted. The most realistic members within the imaging channel do, in fact, believe print is declining, particularly in the lucrative markets of North America and Western Europe. Yet others are convinced the pier continues to expand for them. It’s this thinking in any declining industry which is most dangerous to ending the life of any organization. This thinking will kill their drive to innovate.

“The worst thing about a temporary rise in a dying business model, usually caused by those who evacuate, is the false sense of hope it gives those who hang on.”

Attendees at the summit were mostly from North and South America. The 86 exhibitors, however, came from 24 countries across the globe including Europe, the Americas, India and China. I kept hearing the visitors comment “All the important vendors are here.” To be honest, I was amazed at how many organizations are still being born for the purpose of manufacturing ink and toner cartridges. As I wandered the expo floor, the familiar theme was loud and clear: “a world without toner is not possible.” There was no despair on their faces.

All industries should be confident about their future but also take pride in assessing their relevance. Everyone knows that continued relevance is the enemy of status quo. Continuous relevance is a quest about deconstructing the past as you build the future. Most can’t do this. Which gives a head start to those who can.

The print channel has, and continues to decline: this trend will not change. No one has the power to stop the speeding train of technology advances. Customers buy outcomes, the means to achieving them will always change.

Some in the industry are replacing legacy technologies with innovative technologies. To this end many manufacturers on display at this show are not just supplying parts and components any more, but finished cartridges ready-to-go. Some of these finished products are fully remanufactured and others are new-built. Many remanufacturers have also adjusted their business model and are focusing more on selling imaging products. In this sense, this is an industry in transition.

Both suppliers and buyers have also been obsessed with lower pricing of supplies in order to gain market share. This year I noticed many on the floor shopping for quality too. But is it enough?

A hot topic in the summit and on the floor of the expo was acquisitions. On the surface this strategy seems to be a powerful way for some to disrupt the industry in order to gain market share. There are those who believe that growth through acquisition is a remarkable strategy. However, an instant increase in customers may only be temporary. During an industry decline, growth through acquisitions, without a plan to redefine your deliverable is "delusional growth."

Look at the Sears and Kmart merger in the USA for example. Here were two struggling organizations with the same dysfunctional deliverable. Neither could think, let alone operate, out of their box filled with the way it was. Both will soon find themselves on the list made up of all those companies who spent all their time thinking about how great yesterday was, and never believing tomorrow would come. What if Sears had bought a software company, or merged with a player who was bringing the future to the present. Sears thought if they had a bigger presence from the past they could miraculously make it through to the future.

Organizations who become obsessed with adding revenue by buying customers from their competitors are just positioning themselves for significant loss. Ricoh could have warned all those in the print industry about this. Growth at all cost, with no regard to cost, will cost you dearly. Ricoh had revenues of close to US$19 billion when they determined their business model was a failure and needed drastic change for their continued survival. Time will tell if they responded quickly enough.

“A company becomes obsolete when the focus on bringing the past to the future instead of bringing the future to the present.”

Many in the imaging channel think the same way as Sears and continue walking toward the end of the pier. Some will fall off, some will jump off, and some will temporarily find safety from falling off by gathering with others. We must all remember the pier is built from customers, not from what we manufacture or deliver. The pier was constructed as the means to the customers’ desired outcomes.

“No one has a crystal ball,” as one of the speakers said. However, all of us must evoke our common sense, proceed with caution as our pier shortens, and continuously look for ways to reinvent our deliverable, and no one from any industry either in decline or growth should ever forget this.

This event brought the industry together. It’s a good thing. However, if we all leave and go back to our businesses in any of the scores of countries that attended, with the intention to do business the same way as we did last year, then we have missed the point.

R.J. Stasieczko

Originally I had planned to do the webinar for August 18th at noon, and lasting for one hour.  Due to vacations, summer schedules and other conflicts we're moving the event to October 2nd, 2017 at 1PM.  Let's figure that this will take about an hour or so.

I just finished talking with John Anderson from Sissine's Office Systems, and John's on board to co-host our event.  John and I go way back and pretty much we're always kicking wide format questions and issues back and forth with each other.

If you're a Premium/VIP member, this event will be a freebie for you.  If you're not a Premium/VIP member you can register here and the cost is $39.95 for the event. You could also purchase the annual Premium/VIP membership here and you could then attend the event at no cost.

What we'll cover:

• Best practices for wide format prospecting (AEC verticals)
• Market over view for CAD style wide format devices (ink and toner based)
• Color Wide Format Scanners and Why They Are Still Important
• Speaking their language
• Sales Techniques
• How to Beat Ricoh devices
• How to Beat OCE devices
• How to Beat KIP devices
• Third Party Accessories & Solutions That Can Help You Close More Opportunities

I bet you thought all of the above were the reasons right?  Naw, just wanted to layout what we'll be covering for everyone.

1) Concentrating on selling wide format devices can be a quota buster for you.  With the average wide format selling for $15K, how many do you have to sell to hit your $45K quota?  That would be 3! 

2) Most if not all wide format accounts needs multiple devices.  Not only do they have a wide format, but they also need or have a multifunctional device for the office.  Multiple units are better than one at a time!

3) Only three key players in the market place.  Would you rather compete with nine different brands or three?

4) Wide format guru's are few and far between. Knowledge is the key to help clients with their decision making process. We can help you become the wide format guru in your market place.

5) Larger revenue orders can help you meet or exceed your quota.  When you're exceeding your quota monthly, quarterly or annually, that generally means your in bonus country!  We do love bonuses right?

Together,  John and I have more than fifty years of wide format sales behind us.  We know what works and what doesn't work, and we're willing to share our knowledge on September 18th.  Come join us.

If interested please send me an email and I'll send you an invitation.

-=Good Selling=-

I pulled up one of the old threads below "Sales Tips" and it brought me to a thread I was posting each week for about 30 weeks or so.  It's ripe with some good selling tips.  I believe these were being emailed to me at the time, thus  once it's emailed to me, I figure it's good to go to post up on the site.  Enjoy!!

Sharp MX-2700N and Toshiba 2500c now in the Virtual Monster Mayhem.