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This Week in the Copier Industry 5 Years Ago

Enjoy These Awesome Copier Threads from 5 Years Ago

Hacked!

Apple urges security update after NSO's zero-click spyware hacked US iPhone....Some of the hacking allegedly occurred after NSO was put on a U.S. blacklist in 2021. Other NSO exploits in Apple software were discovered by Citizen

Aerospace firm hacked by “multiple” adversaries .....An aerospace company called in federal support over concern that it had been hacked, only to learn that “multiple” overlapping adversaries were deeply inside its perimeter – and that government incident responders

Computer system breach ends work day early ....A computer system breach shut down operations for Hinds County employees Thursday. Hinds County Tax Collector Eddie Fair confirmed that internal servers were hacked and access to computers was.....

Apple issues security update to fix vulnerability that hackers may already be exploiting....How To Find Out If Your iPhone Has Been Hacked ( Tip 12 of 15 ) ... Apple warns users to update their devices to prevent hacking.

Rigged Software and Zero-Days: North Korean APT Caught Hacking Security Researchers......Google's Threat Analysis Group (TAG) on Thursday outed the government-backed hacking team's social media accounts and warned that at least one ...

Russian Gets 9 Years in Prison for Hacking, Insider Trading Scheme ........A wealthy Russian businessman with ties to the Kremlin was sentenced Thursday to nine years in prison for his role in a nearly $100 million stock market cheating scheme that relied ......

-=Stay Safe=-

Hacked!

Microsoft finally explains cause of Azure breach: An engineer's account was hacked.....Microsoft said the corporate account of one of its engineers was hacked by a highly skilled threat actor that acquired a signing key used to hack ...

Hacked Documents Show Russia Recruits Cuban Mercenaries for Ukraine War.....A Russian military officer's hacked email account reveals the apparent recruitment of at least 100 Cubans, some of whom posted on Facebook about ...

DPR's YouTube Channel Hacked, Livestreams Online Gambling -.......DPR's YouTube channel was allegedly hacked after a sudden livestream of an online gambling slot this morning, Wednesday, September 6, 2023.

Government Websites Hacked by MetaMask Scammers to Target Crypto Investors....MetaMask denied claims in April that its wallet software had been directly hacked after some 5000 ETH was stolen from numerous addresses spanning 11 ...

Rotten Tomatoes Has Been Hacked, Which Is Yet Another Reason You Shouldn't Rely On It.....In 2017, director Martin Scorsese wrote an essay in The Hollywood Reporter which referred to the movie review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes as being "hostile to serious filmmakers." Now, there's new evidence that Rotten Tomatoes is not only hostile to filmmakers, but also to anyone who reads a Rotten Tomatoes score.

-=Stay Safe=-

I'm writing this and I have no clue what the name of this blog will be.  I'm sure it will come to be as I can continue to tell today's short story.

Suspect/Prospect

I have a prospect for both wide format and color A3s that I've been tracking off and on for some years.  What's unique and sticks in my mind is that their fiscal year starts in October. Right, this is September and it's time to **** or get off the pot.

I should be calling this account a suspect and not a prospect because I haven't submitted a proposal.  I'll call them a prospect when they committed to me that they are in the market for my services.  The suspect in question has an ten year old A3 color and an ten year old wide format.  I inherited this account about five years ago and it was about three years ago when I was able to put a pre-owned A3 color in one of the offices.

Follow ups

Dropping back to the fiscal start of the new year. I've been on top of this with at least one call and one email for the last five months because this client told me that they need to do something with the one office. In addition they only have funds available with the new year.  However the last five months have been nothing but crickets......, no return emails, not return calls, just a big fat nothing.

Today,  I got tired of the nice emails and phone calls.  I mean this account/suspect is the one who told me to that something needs to happen.  I thought about sending a stern email (like stop jerking my chain) because this is not the first time the DM has ignored my efforts to help.

Today's Touch

Today's email was short and sweet.

"Did I do something wrong?"

I know there's a couple of emails that will raise the bar to get a response.  One of them is the one I used and the other, "is everything okay?"

Wouldn't you know it, not more than 5 minutes passed and I had an email from that suspect.  Our suspect told me about another device that was needed for another office which I was okay with, however what about the two machines that are ten years old? I did not bring up the point that two devices were needed in October and I addressed the current need for the one device.

Tomorrow I'll send an email asking for a chat to talk about my two options (always good to give options).  Once I've given the specs on the options I'll lead into the two devices that should be replaced in October.

Tomorrows Thoughts

If after many emails and phone calls and you've got nothing.  You need to pull out the phone call or the email that asks these two simple questions and one email change.

1. Did I do something wrong?

2. Is everything okay?

3. Start a new email chain and use the subject line of "Sorry I Missed You".  Of course make sure you call them one more time because odds are you'll get voice mail again and if you don't then you've done your job well.

-=Good Selling=-

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Hacked!

World's Largest Cryptocurrency Casino Stake Hacked for $41 Million......World's Largest Cryptocurrency Casino Stake Hacked for $41 Million. Ethereum Network Stake Loses $41 Million Worth of Crypto After Private Key ...

LinkedIn accounts being hacked, tips experts recommend....In what appears to be a global hacking campaign, LinkedIn accounts are being taken over, leaving their owners with no way to access them.

Hacked Electoral Commission failed Cyber Essentials audit ......The Electoral Commission failed an NCSC Cyber Essentials audit on multiple counts at about the same time as cyber criminals breached its systems ...

Hacked or not? Defence department's security measures under the spotlight.....In an attempt to quell anxieties surrounding the alleged hacking of the Department of Defence’s (DoD) systems, the SANDF released an official statement.

Records of 320,000 patients on AYUSH Jharkhand hacked....Records of 320,000 patients on AYUSH Jharkhand hacked. By Sourabh Lele. September 05, 2023 15:10 IST. CloudSEK in its report also warned that the ...

-=Stay Safe=-

Mark Twain was never at a loss for words, as he once said,

"A man's character may be learned from the adjectives which he habitually uses in conversation."

How would people describe your conversations?

What words would they use?

Furthermore, what adjectives would they use?

Conversations become the catalyst to deeper connections, fresh ideas, and a better understanding of your clients' business world.

When you have the courage to move beyond small talk and explore issues at deeper levels, you will grow from the experience.

According to research published by the American Psychological Association,

"People benefit from deep and meaningful conversations that help us forge connections with one another, but we often stick to small talk with strangers because we underestimate how much others are interested in our lives and wrongly believe that deeper conversations will be more awkward and less enjoyable than they actually are."

From the boosting of one's confidence to elevating one's self-expression, meaningful conversations enhance relationships and will grow your sales.

In addition, conversations help to get you on the same page, as you explore different points of view and air your thoughts so you can each be heard.

Tough conversations are a journey.

On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the conversation and communication with your clients?

Without meaningful and rich conversations, where do you believe the relationship sits with your clients?

You never know when one conversation will lead to exponential sales growth.

The way you open conversations, carry on conversations, and strengthen conversations has a direct impact on what happens next.

The direction of those conversations along with the intentionality behind them; all will have a direct bearing on your sales opportunities, referrals, cross-selling, relationship building, and your prospecting success.

Have meaningful, deep and genuine conversations become a lost sales art?

Now, let's look at this through a different lens... Conversations are the strongest sales tool salespeople have to effectively build C-level and executive level credibility.

Conversations build relationships and relationships build sustainable business with executives.

Here's something for all of you to think about... How comfortable are you making people feel about you, so in turn they become comfortable enough sharing their uncomfortable business concerns?

A meaningful conversation is a business adventure into the unknown. This is where you allow the conversation to flow, unscripted, not guarded and you welcome in what you uncover.

This is where new possibilities and opportunities to help await you.

Conversations are organic, sometime a bit chaotic and not scripted.

I would like for you to think about the conversations you're having and now ask yourself... Is there any substance behind my communication that's helping me to uncover more than I anticipated?

Are you paying close attention to what excites your clients?

Are you paying even closer attention to what excites senior level executives?

Do you ever notice how their eyes light up as well as the emotion in their voice when they say certain things?

If you answered no, then I encourage you to start paying attention. What you will start to uncover is pure gold and relational betterment.

EARN THE RIGHT TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS

Are you worthy of having a conversation with an executive?

Do you believe in yourself to engage in conversation with senior level executives?

To consistently engage with executives, I believe it's the combination of confidence, communication, high doses of business acumen and value articulation, all while showcasing Selling From the Heart.

It’s about engaging in and driving conversation like an executive. The best way to speak to and with executives is to speak their language.

This my friends is the wholly sales grail.

Projecting and portraying an executive presence, combined with the way you deliver your message, will cause executives to take notice.

MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS GAIN YOU ACCESS

Are you brave enough to start conversations that matter?

Are you having breakthrough moments with your conversations?

And why this quote from Margery Wilson drives home the conversational point,

"Conversation is much like a tennis game except that in tennis you try to put the ball in the most difficult position for the one who must hit it while in conversation you must try to put it where it will be easy to hit."

If you expect to get a seat at the business table, then you must be prepared to bring meaningful, rich and deep conversations to the forefront or face the door being closed in front of you.

• Eight out of 10 executive buyers say the sales meetings they take are a waste of time, according to Forrester Research. And while salespeople claim their meeting preparedness merits a “B” grade on average, C-level buyers rate them an “F”!
• It’s no wonder – salespeople don’t demonstrate knowledge of their buyer’s business (according to 75% of executives), nor do they present solutions that address specific issues buyers face (per 77% of executives), also according to Forrester.

For the most part, people enjoy having conversations with people they perceive as having similar characteristics, challenges, and experiences to them.

This is why I believe to engage in C-level, executive type conversations on a more consistent basis, you must walk, talk, live, breathe and look like an executive worthy of a conversation.

If you wish to sit with executive leaders, you need to learn, consume and mirror their characteristics.

If you want to achieve equal business stature with executives, then you should strive to be someone they think has their best interest at heart for their company.

Now granted, not all sales require C-level or executive access. However, engaging at this level is critical if your goals are to build strategic relationships, be perceived as a trusted professional and to differentiate yourself from the competition.

Do you have what it takes to gain a seat at the table?

Reflect upon the following quote from Marc Miller, the author of "A Seat at The Table",

"In today's commoditized business world, customers only care about one thing: value. To offer real value you must stop being a salesperson and become a businessperson who sells."

ARE YOU HAVING MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS?

The quality of conversations you have will ultimately make the difference between poor collaboration, average collaboration or excellent collaboration.

Through meaningful conversations, you could co-create, collaborate and confirm your understandings as you seek solutions to help executives do better business.

A meaningful conversation creates bonds of trust that build agreeable and collective consensus.

Meaningful conversations yield meaningful action.

A conversation becomes more meaningful when:

• You are willing and able to detach yourself of our own ideas as you offer them to the other person with an open mind as to what will happen next.
• You are expanding on things the other person has said.
• Speaking time is fairly distributed among all parties.
• You ask questions to understand each other better.
• You're able to "read the room" to find out what the mood might be and raise awareness to it if necessary.

Weak conversational skills yield you inconsistent sales results.

Having a meaningful conversation carries within it the intention to leave behind something of value.

So here sits the question... What types of valuable conversations are you having?

REAL MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS DRIVE REVENUE

Conversations are the most powerful tool you have at your disposal.

Are your conversations filled with business substance or just plain old sales jargon?

Meaningful conversations drive meaningful revenue.

Consistently engaging in meaningful conversations builds trust with executive decision makers.

Consistently engaging in meaningful conversations and demonstrating trustworthiness can lead to a positive reputation amongst executives.

When others hear about your trustworthiness from multiple executives, it can reinforce their trust in you.

Let's all rise-up and unite in how you connect with senior level executives to encourage healthy and meaningful conversations.

If you have followed me for any length of time, you know I'm a huge Craig Groeschel fan.

In a recent social post of his, he shared 3 questions to ask yourself before you communicate, and they are:

1. What do I want them to know?
2. What do I want them to feel?
3. What do I want them to do?

Here's what I ask all of you to think about.... Would you agree that if you mentally ran these three questions through your mind prior to conversations with executives, do you feel your conversations would take on more meaning?

I will leave you with this... imagine for a moment connecting with real meaningful conversations with senior level executives, thinking together for business betterment, as you envision where all this exponential sales growth will take you?

In this episode of Selling From the Heart , we are are joined by John D. Hanson , a customer service expert and author of the book "Winning Secrets: How a Dictionary and a Ruler Can Change Your Life."

He is known for his commitment to excellence in communication, responsiveness, and adding value to clients. John joins us to discuss the concept of Selling From The Heart and the key principles outlined in his upcoming book, "Winning Secrets."

He emphasizes the importance of building trust with customers by genuinely caring about their needs and providing value. John introduces the idea of using a dictionary and a ruler to redefine success and measure progress. He encourages celebrating both successes and failures as learning opportunities and highlights the significance of preparation and continuous improvement in sales.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Building trust with customers requires genuine curiosity and a commitment to understanding their needs. Success is not a one-time event but a continuous journey of progress and improvement.

Celebrating failures as learning experiences can lead to growth and innovation. Preparation is key to handling success and maintaining high-quality service.

Continuous improvement and a mindset of gratitude are essential for long-term success in sales.

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

"The ability to earn trust and keep it is by learning their world, getting in their shoes, and genuinely caring about them." - John Hanson

"Success is not a one-time event. It's a continuous journey of progress and improvement." - John Hanson

"The opposite of winning in life is not failure. It's giving up, not trying at all." - John Hanson

"Celebrate progress and failures as learning opportunities to fuel growth and innovation." - John Hanson

"Preparation is the biggest part of winning. How are you preparing for the success that's ahead?" - John Hanson

Learn more about John Hanson: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-d-ha...

Learn more about Darrell and Larry:

Darrell's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrellamy/

Larry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larrylevi...

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

Got a video about how you sell from the heart? Share it by texting VIDEO to 21000.

Please visit BarnesandNobles.com to order your copy of the rerelease of the Selling from the Heart book. https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sell...

SUBSCRIBE to our YOUTUBE CHANNEL!    / sellingfromtheheart 

Please visit WHY INSTITUTE: https://whyinstitute.com/

Please go to WORK BETTER NOW: https://www.workbetternow.com/

Click for your Daily Dose of Inspiration: https://www.sellingfromtheheart.net/d...

Check out the 2023 Authentic Selling Challenge: https://authenticsellingchallenge.com/

Get your Insiders Group FREE PASS here: https://www.sellingfromtheheart.net/f...

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I posted this blog ten year ago, thus I thought it would be a good re-post going into the long weekend!  For those of us in the USA, have  a great Labor Day Weekend!

Selling Office Technology "First Contact"

A Star Trek flick from 1996 had the crew of the Enterprise travel back in time to undermine the Borg attempt to stop Earthlings from making "First Contact" with the Vulcans.

The last few days I've been busy on the phone prospecting for net new accounts, new opportunities, new upgrades and what else but initiating "first contact".

It seems every year it gets somewhat tougher to get a hold of our decision makers.  For those of us that consider ourselves Professional Prospectors we get used to these types of responses when we know who the decision maker is.

"Sorry so and so just left for lunch", "He or She just stepped out", "So and so is on the phone right now", "He or she is busy", "We're not interested", "So and so just stepped into a meeting", "she just went to lunch (it's 4PM!!!)" and the list goes on and on.

So what are we to do, well as one Print4Pay Hotel member stated many years ago, that we need to be "smarter than the average bear". We've all heard these before but here's a few bullets for a refresher:

• Vary the time that you call on that account
• Call from your cell phone
• Call early in the AM before 8AM
• Call late in the afternoon 4-6PM
• Call on a Saturday
• Call on another employee in the company and ask to be transferred to the person that takes care of the office equipment
• Send an in-mail via Linkedin
• Tag the decision maker in an article that you posted on a social media (Linkedin is best)
• Spend a few bucks and ship them a small gift (coffee, tea, gift certificate, Masters Gold Pin Flags (special thanks to @Larry Kirsch for this one)
  • With this one, make sure you research the DM and find that special something that will grab their attention

It used to be that on-site cold calling to work well, however at least here in the NY metro area it's hard to gain access to buildings since 9/11.  Doors are locked, security cameras are in place and sales people are left other means to find out who the DM is.  By the way, why is it that when you make the call and ask who the DM is, it's seems like you're sentencing that person to ten or twenty lashes??

One such person got so nasty with me when I asked for the name of the DM.  I really was on my best behavior, however I ended up telling her that I wished a camel would walk through her bed at night. It just came out....I should have been more professional, yup... however sometimes you get so fed up.  We're just trying to do our job and feed our families. I also understand that the gatekeepers are also doing their job.  But, can't we be nice about it?

The web is a wonderful place and I've found creative ways to seek out those first contacts when the gatekeeper does not want to give any information.

Below is a few of resources I use on the web, if you'd like to know how I use each one to my advantage then send me an email, become a member of the p4photel.

Manta

Linkedin

Contact Us

Box Approach

Google

Avention

-=Good Selling=-

For decades, office printer services have had one primary focus, selling products. Toner, ink, and paper were the main commodities. But the introduction of the world-wide-web has forever changed that business model.

The World Goes Digital

Today, printer services deal with a decreasing demand for print as more companies work toward a lofty (and arguably unattainable) “paperless workplace” goal. Organizations are eschewing faxes and scanning for software like DocuSign, Evernote, and Google Drive. These businesses encourage saving essential emails to PDF rather than printing them out and storing them in physical files.

But, it’s more than just a move toward paperless offices. It is human behavior. We are being trained more and more to “buy online.” The impetus being that we can get it more conveniently. And, perhaps more importantly, we can compare multiple prices. The goal, of course, is to source things cheaper. These businesses want to save money. That drive to reduce costs means printing services providers must contend with big-name online stores like Amazon, Newegg, and eBay for everything from paper to ink and even cartridge recycling.

Changing The Narrative

It might be time to rethink your business model. Printer services are so much more than an ink and toner dealer. They offer a wide range of additional benefits, including high-volume, networkable printers, maintenance, service, and, yes, the consumables required to keep things running.

So, what is stopping Managed Print Services (MPS) from emphasizing the “service” over the consumable? Over half (61%) of printer services companies say they are having difficulty making this move, possibly because it feels almost like a bate and switch.

In a product sales model, your view and the client’s view of the sale are the same. They are purchasing a product (ink, toner, paper, printers, and maintenance contract) for which you will charge them.

When you sell MPS as a service, the conversation with the client and internally is from two completely different angles. What you are selling and charging for is the convenience of printer placement, operation, maintenance, and provision of consumables.

Essentially, the move to “service” versus “product” is all about mindset. It’s no longer about what you can physically sell the customer. Instead, it’s how the things you traditionally sold can be put together to resolve problems your customers are facing.

Taking The First Steps

The first move to make when you begin to transition from product sales to a service organization is to outline your approach. Some key questions that can help you get started include:

• What are your clients’ goals when it comes to printing? Are they seeking to limit their print volumes, expand to multiple offices, cut costs, or lower their office footprint?
• Would your customer spend to handle print services on their own?
• Are there any “hidden costs” associated with print management, such as cybersecurity, etc.?
• What are issues your MPS regularly encounters that customers might not know how to handle?
• What other problems can your specific products and services help address? Energy use? Recycling? Division of labor? Use of physical space? Paper usage?

The goal is to figure out exactly what problems your current clients and target audience have that your business can solve. Things like cutting back-office costs, better cybersecurity, and preparing for hybrid and remote-work organizations are areas in which MPS providers can provide unique solutions and help businesses thrive. Managed print services also have better knowledge and access to printing solutions that help reduce office footprint, focus on internal networking, and more longevity.

Bundling Service Packages

Once you have a strategy in mind, it’s time to build out “service packages” and “service add-ons.” These bundles should cover the costs they would incur to your business. However, website wording and promotional materials should focus on highlighting the benefits and estimated savings of partnering with an MPS.

Businesses using systems like PowerMPS, for instance, could talk about printer performance reporting, predictive or subscription consumables reordering, and online service and maintenance requests. All of these options services help partners target specific pains within their business, such as:

• Reducing wasteful printing.
• Decreasing spend on ink, toner, and paper.
• Reducing inventory space needed for printing consumables.
• Improving service and maintenance response times.

Other standard perks could include friendly online or phone-call trouble-shooting, ink and toner recycling, or additional data-driven cost savings recommendations. But, don’t forget how the world is becoming ever more enamored of self-service portals, mobile applications, and 24/7 access. In addition, the majority (81% ) of print service companies expect to see demand for cloud-based print management grow in the next few years. Therefore, investing in a customized website and customer portal for faster and always available access to ordering, service, and bonus features is highly recommended.

As the world becomes more and more digital, MPS businesses cannot begin their journey from product to service too soon. So, whether your organization is struggling with the transition or just getting started, remember to start where your sales team has always begun – talking to current and potential customers. Their needs, problems, and stories are the perfect foundation for building your future in printing services.

Learn more about Power MPS