NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release For More Information Contact:
May 16, 2017 Brent Hoskins Executive Director
Business Technology Association
(816) 303-4040
BTA Strategic Sales Semester to Begin June 12
Web-based training from BTA & Growth Achievement Partners
teaches attendees how to shift from transactional to strategic sales
Kansas City, MO — At 1 p.m. on Monday, June 12, the Business Technology Association (BTA; www.bta.org) and Growth Achievement Partners (GAP, www.growthachievementpartners.com) will host the first session in the next BTA Strategic Sales Semester (www.bta.org/StrategicSales), a web-based educational offering taught by Mitch Morgan and Chris Ryne of GAP. The workshop will guide attendees though the Strategic Methodology Framework (SMF) — a step-by-step sales process designed for the office technology industry that contemplates transactional and strategic sales.
Morgan and Ryne are currently completing the inaugural offering of the BTA Strategic Sales Semester. More than 120 sales professional are participating. A recent survey of participants revealed that 100 percent of the respondents expect that the Strategic Sales Process taught in the training will be successfully implemented within their dealerships. “This is one of the best training programs to date,” said Jason Rheinlaender, vice president of sales at Knight Office Solutions, San Antonio, Texas. “This has helped my new hires and my senior reps develop or sharpen their sales skills and really develop account management skills.
The program addresses the reality that selling in the office technology industry is shifting from transactional to strategic. Transactional sales are characterized by an equipment focus, selling a payment, replacement of the base and mid-level buyers. Strategic sales require probing for pain, aligning solutions to a prospect’s business goals, determining and getting to the right level in the organization, and justifying incremental spend. Determining which accounts and opportunities require a transactional approach and which require a strategic approach is a skill that is now required to be successful today and into the future. Do all of your sales reps have the skills necessary to excel in today’s market? If not, this program will teach them the skills they need.
The training program consists of 13 online sessions over a six-month period. The sessions, which will be 45 to 60 minutes in length and geared to specific parts of the sales process, include opportunities for polls and interactive Q&A. Each module includes skill-building exercises and field-based activities reps will be asked to complete. The first session will be a pre-workshop session with the dealership’s sales leaders that will educate them on the content, concepts and flow of the class.
The program will also include collaboration through Yammer, an enterprise social network; sales manager materials; monthly open-forum sessions; an initial assessment; ongoing evaluations; and an app that will allow participants to listen to training anytime, anywhere, and repeat sessions or establish a library for future use. GAP will also be available to do on-site classes when needed, whether to kick off the program or to get a deeper dive into strategic concepts and skill building.
Morgan, a partner at GAP, founded the Connectivity Dealer Program at NIA in 1991. After his business was acquired by IKON Office Solutions in 1996, he led its Technology Services division. In 2001, he formed the Professional Services division for IKON. Morgan has been consulting with CEOs on strategy, operations, organizational development and sales since 2005.
Ryne, also a partner at GAP, brings significant experience in driving growth and profitability, possessing a comprehensive understanding of the industry that includes traditional and emerging markets from both a sales and operations perspective. His tenure includes 10 years with IKON, where he built and led a successful professional services business unit from startup to a well-integrated team.
BTA member tuition for the BTA Strategic Sales Semester is $250 per session for up to five participants from each attending dealership, and $500 per session for six to 10 participants. Those with more than 10 participants should contact Morgan at (913) 269-7255 for pricing. BTA members may apply their $150 educational discount received with their membership toward this workshop. If selected on checkout, BTA will apply the discount to the final payment or the full amount if paid upfront. Non-member tuition requires an extra $430 and includes a one-year BTA dealer membership. Completion of all sessions is required for the one-year membership to remain in effect.
For more information or to register for the BTA Strategic Sales Semester, visit www.bta.org/StrategicSales or call (800) 843-5059.
Founded in 1926, the Business Technology Association serves office technology dealerships, resellers, manufacturers, distributors and service companies. Its core members — office technology dealerships —consult, sell and service hardware, software and supplies with the goal of helping businesses maximize their investment in devices and technology. Through the association's various educational programs, information, research, legal services, publications and guidance, BTA member dealerships are positioned to be the premier source of the office technologyused by businesses throughout the United States every day. For more information on BTA, visit its Web site at www.bta.org or call (800) 505-2821. The fax number is (816) 941-4838. You may also write to: BTA, 12411 Wornall Road, Kansas City, MO 64145.
