Tagged With "phone sales"
Comment
Re: Post-Virus We Must Defeat The Zombie Companies!
Although I am 60% on board with your move to A4 strategy, most of the rest of the stuff you are posting is "knocking it out of the park"! I would like to see a poll. As a business owner, during COVID-19 would you prefer? 1). No lease payments for 90 days 2). 1/2 price lease payments for one year The auto industry is pushing no payments for 90 days but I think business owners are more concerned about cash flow for the next year. I think the correct strategy is to offer as part of your...
Comment
Re: When is Net New Business not Net New Business?
Interesting perspective. We constantly have the talks about competitive machines we took on service, especially brands we don't carry. I tend to consider is taking a Konica on service and then a year or two later upgrading it to our equipment net new business from the sales side. Obviously we had net new business on the service side but not net new for "x" with the equipment sale. I'd be interested to hear how others see this. I hear a lot of people say it doesn't matter but if I bring a...
Comment
Re: When is Net New Business not Net New Business?
I was wondering if the subject of those customers who were acquired through service was going to come up, & Jason's comment is certainly "food for thought"... In his example, he brought on the service customer (with the obvious intention of upgrading them at the first opportunity) & the dealer gets a contract & machine sale that they otherwise wouldn't have. Sounds like net new to me. In my experience, though, most of these service to machine sale conversions are from customers...
Comment
Re: Top Ten "Why Copiers Should Have Warning Labels"
Ty Jason! Had fun with this!! Ty for the email about your rep, that was very humorous sale!! Maybe post in on the forums?
Comment
Re: The A4 Challenge or Opportunity
In my experience A4 machines are as much or even more hassle than an A3 machine to install and train which I do myself for the customer but my income off of the sale of the A4 device is a fraction of what it would have been had I sold an A3. Beyond that most A4 machines lack a document feeder built to handle the page volumes of walk up copying and scanning my customers do. At the end of the day I have to make a living so I spend my time on A3 opportunities.
Comment
Re: Assume My Copier Lease....What?
@Kitz: Dealer support is also a great question. Currently we approach this on a case-by-case basis. New transfers would go to an affiliated partner in the geographical territory that is qualified to service that equipment. Ultimately, we are building a network of independent dealers not unlike what the direct channel already has access to. This way, independent dealers can leverage the network for new contracts as well, such as when a sale is made to a head office that includes installations...
Comment
Re: Can I Copy Mixed Sized Documents on a Copier?
I disagree. Most law firms and many insurance companies still have a commonly re-ocurring need for mixed size originals. I am currently working with one European shipping company based in NA that wants to do do mixed size originals with a mix of A3 and A4 documents. I say it cannot be done as the paper is all of different widths. I am hoping that my unscrupoulous competitive vendors will admit to the same..... not likely!!! They want the sale today! Please advise.
Comment
Re: 5 Questions for HP about the Acquisition of Samsung Printer Business Unit
I hope HP (Hardly Profitable)'s idea of market innovation is not to make the whole industry hardly profitable. Outside sales reps need to make a buck and will not flock to a new product that dramatically reduces their commission on every sale. Kind of like the A3 to A4 transition of a few years ago. Sales reps do not want to be forced to try and sell a lot more boxes to earn the same income regardless of how great the technology might be. Did that, been there.
Comment
Re: 5 Questions for HP about the Acquisition of Samsung Printer Business Unit
I'm not sure......will be interesting to see how the industry responds. I think it may be time for HaaS or Seat Based Billing for MFP's. Get ahead of the curve and tie up your accounts now!
Comment
Re: 5 Reasons Why I Like Print Audit Best Over PaperCut
I do like the control that the dealer has with Print Audit as well as the pre-sale MPS tools if you are one of their Premier dealers. But, turning on various rules in PaperCut is MUCH easier than in Print Audit/PCS Director or other similar products in our industry. Additionally, it works extremely well in environments in which Mac workstations are present, & their embedded (PaperCut MF) software works with most product lines which makes it easy to integrate if a client has a mixed ...
Comment
Re: Selling Professional Services for SMB Accounts, Worth it or Not Worth it!
As an independent dealer we are definitely giving away too much Pro Services in the SMB space. We kind of us it as a sales pitch against the National vendors who almost always charge Pro Services. Right now we are starting to give the customers invoice for many Pro Services that we deliver but offset it with a credit, so that they can see it's value. This will set up a future invoice where there will be no credit. We leave it up to the sales rep how he sells the workflow and how much...
Comment
Re: Canon Business Systems Pulling a Ricoh
Had a deal recently that we were the incumbent and CSA came in and placed the exact same machine as we tried. Customer gave us the quote and our true cost was around 14,000 or 15,000 and they sold it to them around $9,000.00. Anytime CSA is in a deal there is a very small chance of winning. The only thing we have going for us is their service is very lousy so after the lost sale we usually pick up a service agreement at some point. Ricoh has been good about enforcing the rules of engagement...
Comment
Re: Canon Business Systems Pulling a Ricoh
We have been very pleased with Ricoh's commitment to the ROE. We even got full credit for a sale that RBS made after we brought the discretion to Ricoh's attention.
Comment
Re: State of the "Art" Sales Technology
Hey Jeff, Art's Box Approach (I believe) is using 4 different methods of communication: Phone Call LinkedIn Email In-Person Cold Call You "box" the prospect in until they finally give you the time of day. Using all 4 methods of communication ensures that you are optimizing your ability to reach the DM via his preferred method.
Comment
Re: State of the "Art" Sales Technology
Okay, thanks! I have the phone call, Email, In-person aspects covered. I use LinkedIn to find the right person—I don’t use it for communicating with them yet. I’ve tried to get referrals from people who are linked to them, but no success with that. My sales rep uses LinkedIn to continue my efforts. JeffR
Comment
Re: I Don't Walk Away from Many Opportunities, But this One was Crazy
Yes, I had an account who had TWO Xerox down for over two months and would NEVER do business with them again. I had been renting to this contractor for years and really made a great proposal and pretty much expected that sale. They stayed with Xerox!! You just wonder what their thought process is on these kind of deals. They will end up in the exact same boat in 5 years and go through the motions and get absolutely nowhere. Good Luck!!
Comment
Re: Telemarketing & The Person with the BAD Attitude!
I agree to a certain extent, Art, but at the same time, our industry has a deservedly bad reputation for being overly-persistent in efforts to reach prospects. The way in which people evaluate products, services, vendors, etc. has completely changed due to the wealth of information that is available online. Many buyers now want to know what they want (especially in up & down the street accounts) before they ever agree to talk to a salesperson. There are only so many hours in a day, &...
Comment
Re: HP should Buy Xerox
I do understand where you are coming from in terms of your data that A4 MFPs are destined to displace A3 copiers at an accelerating rate. I also agree that A3 copiers vendors need to step up their game in terms of IT support and capabilities. A3 vendors still hold a couple of cards that IT centric print resellers do not have. 1). Feet on the street, experienced outside sales reps who can make 20 cold calls a day. We are in the B2B business which to some people means belly to belly 2).
Comment
Re: A Funny Thing Happened while Phone Cold Calling Today
Have not sold I years but IT guys like glory. Use the Realestate companies name and linkedin that and look for the person that claims to be IT.
Comment
Re: A Funny Thing Happened while Phone Cold Calling Today
I love it when people say that. I have pointed it out to people and actually sold them a system after they realized how stupid they sounded saying they didn't accept calls/drop in's from Sales People. I have politely told business owners down to receptionists that I hope their sales reps are not treated the way I was when I walked into their office when they are in the field trying to earn a potential clients business.
Comment
Re: A Funny Thing Happened while Phone Cold Calling Today
If I could make sixty calls in one day I would feel like Superman. What's your secret? My current process is: a) Research the prospect and company b) Write out a potential value proposition c) Contact the customer to schedule an appointment d) Depending on the outcome, follow up with an email or LinkedIn message 4 calls per hour * 6 hours = ~ 24 calls / day
Comment
Re: A Funny Thing Happened while Phone Cold Calling Today
Art, When I have run into this, I call the sales people. They know how hard it is to find out information and get connected to the right people. They are usually sympathetic and helpful! Haven’t found one yet not to be! JeffR
Comment
Re: How One Simple (Smart Phone/Tablet) Print App Can Help You Close More Orders!
sounds like a great tool in the right hands. Thanks looking forward to the meeting,,,
Comment
Re: How One Simple (Smart Phone/Tablet) Print App Can Help You Close More Orders!
Art, once the app is downloaded, how do you get login information. Is this a software as a service? Is there a monthly fee? Thanks!
Comment
Re: How One Simple (Smart Phone/Tablet) Print App Can Help You Close More Orders!
There is a monthly fee, sign up for the webinar for the 9th or the 15th of February please, here is the link https://www.p4photel.com/calendar
Comment
Re: Losing is the Key to Winning!
Art, Love it! Great perspective, a true professional. We can't bat 1.000 though it is a nice mindset. Being able to debrief, self-evaluate and learn how to improve is the key. The office environment we sell into as copier reps is rapidly changing and evolving. You may have lost the hardware sale but may look what you gained. Play your "sales cards" right and this can be parlayed into more revenue and more profit. Great job!
Comment
Re: Are Your Salespeople Good Losers? Ask Cam Newton...
A good book on this subject is: From a Good Sales Call to a Great Sales Call ...Close more by doing what you do best... by Richard Schroder. It's about how companies should conduct post sale interviews on all deals to determine why you won or lost. They quite effectively illustrate the value of this process and why someone other than the salesrep should conduct the interview. It pretty much proves that a very high percentage of the time, the salesrep really has no clue why they lost or won...
Comment
Re: Are Your Salespeople Good Losers? Ask Cam Newton...
That's what this book is all about. Think of all the things that may influence a sale that the prospect will never say to your face. Are they going to tell you that they didn't believe what you said? Are they going to tell you that they just didn't like you as a person? Are they going to tell you that you were too pushy? No...they are going to say that you were more expensive whether it was true or not. The job of a sales person is the strategic management of perception. How can I possibly...
Comment
Re: Why I'm So Past Reading Sales Blogs on Linkedin
While that blog has some valid points, much like Art, I'm more inclined to think "when's the last time that writer took off their headset and actually pushed some pavement or had a face to face meeting?". While there is something to be said about not hard closing all the time, it's got to be done but with some skill. In my nine years doing this, each sale is different in that there are some customer that want to be hard closed and others that have their own way of making a decision. One...
Comment
Re: Letter to Mr. Jones about Sales Reps
I don't know Art, makes you come across as a bit of a d**k, if you ask me. EVERYONE and their dog says they can do this or that and promises the moon...they have been told to refine their value message and lead with that. Sounds too gimmicky and practiced. I think the best approach is to be real and authentic and lead with confidence and authority. You will never sell everybody, but those who ARE ready to purchase your widget will remember you. IMHO.
Comment
Re: Letter to Mr. Jones about Sales Reps
It's a little aggressive, but shouldn't you be if you're in outside sales. If you've got no way of accessing a DM, in particular through a phone call, what options do you have? This person should understand your tenacity, I would hope, because his livelihood is based off of others selling. Good luck!
Comment
Re: Letter to Mr. Jones about Sales Reps
I’ve run into this a few times. I figure they’ve found their vendor for whatever service and are “happy” with them. Whether it’s a business friend, friend of the family, or relative. What they don’t know is—how good of a deal are they getting?—or are they getting hosed and don’t know it. I hear this a lot—“They gave me a deal I couldn’t refuse.” This tells me the customer just doesn’t know this market—many of us could have supplied the same deal—and we would have shown you why it wasn’t a...
Comment
Re: Letter to Mr. Jones about Sales Reps
I love it. I've used something like that several times and some times when they realize they wouldn't want their sales people treated like that they open up. My favorite are the church's. They seem to be the worst about being rude to sales people. I had one that slammed the door in face and almost broke my nose. I called the pastor the next day and told him that I'm sure if I was coming by to discuss joining the church his staff wouldn't have been so rude and they should practice Monday to...
Comment
Re: Letter to Mr. Jones about Sales Reps
Originally Posted by Jason H: I love it. I've used something like that several times and some times when they realize they wouldn't want their sales people treated like that they open up. My favorite are the church's. They seem to be the worst about being rude to sales people. I had one that slammed the door in face and almost broke my nose. I called the pastor the next day and told him that I'm sure if I was coming by to discuss joining the church his staff wouldn't have been so rude and...
Comment
Re: Letter to Mr. Jones about Sales Reps
Czech, I was furious mainly because I literally felt the door stop as it touch my nose. You probably couldn't fit a piece of paper between my nose and the door. And she slammed the hell out of it. My nose would have just shattered.
Comment
Re: Letter to Mr. Jones about Sales Reps
Czech, I was furious mainly because I literally felt the door stop as it touch my nose. You probably couldn't fit a piece of paper between my nose and the door. And she slammed the hell out of it. My nose would have just shattered had it been an inch closer.
Comment
Re: Letter to Mr. Jones about Sales Reps
Czech and others who commented: Ty for the comments!!! I've got nothing to lose, and companies that continue to shut themselves off from sales people have everything to loose. I'm afraid that more and more companies are putting up walls to deter sales people, even when they have their own sales people.
Comment
Re: Letter to Mr. Jones about Sales Reps
But we all do the same thing when the ball is in our court. I get calls all the time from people wanting to sell me software packages with my machines, I blow them off because I know my customers aren't interested....I've asked, believe me. Besides, the fact of the matter is we are interrupting them with something WE think is important. I still cold call all the time, but in person. I get a card, leave a card and a flyer then follow up periodically. I don't take offense, I am the one asking...
Comment
Re: Letter to Mr. Jones about Sales Reps
I don't think I would have done this unless it were a bridge I was absolutely willing to burn in case they received the message in a negative manner & were offended. Many of my largest, most profitable clients are ones that I called on for years & even lost out to other vendors multiple times before finally winning their business. If a decision maker thinks I'm a sore loser or unprofessional in how I communicate to people I hope to do business with, it could definitely eliminate any...
Comment
Re: Letter to Mr. Jones about Sales Reps
Just an FYI on the above account. That was my first call to them, and never did a stop in cold call. I was more surprised that someone would answer that, "We don't accept solicitor phones calls" and then more upset that I was going to ask, "what do you accept", and was hung up on. The way I figure, is the boss probably does not know what's going with their receptionist. In reference to burning bridges, I'm figuring that there's a lot more accounts in my territory, than what Kathie might have...
Blog Post
This Week in the Copier Industry 10 Years Ago, The First Week in January 2009
Ten years ago this week and what was on our minds? It was the Great Recession. I remember it all too well. Many of my accounts were in the AEC market, remember losing almost 30% of that business because of bankruptcies, companies closing and companies just buying their device once they came to the end of the lease. Hope I never have to go through that again! Enjoy the threads from ten year ago this week! Weekend Copier Notes from 1/4/09 Neal · 1/5/097:19 AM According to survey of printshops...
Blog Post
This Week in the Copier Industry 10 Years Ago, The Third Week in January 2009
There's a pretty decent thread below about relationship selling. It's ten years old and yes I found it some place on the web. Speaks about common ground with the client along with trust. Take the three minutes to read this thread. Relationship Selling – The Buy and Buy Enjoy the threads from ten years ago this week! Weekend Copier Notes from 1/18/09 Neal · 1/19/098:46 AM bundled with Kodak MarketMover, which is a package to assist printshop owners in marketing and selling digital output. The...