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10 Years in the Cloud

Memoirs of a Copier Sales Person

Prospecting and the End of the Day

After sending out at least 20 emails and around 20 calls the bell rang for me to quit my day....

It was also a day that I spent in the my home office with some type of viral bug. However with the quarter ending in less than two weeks, the touches had to be made. In the past we used to state it was at least 7 touches to get the appointment. Since COVID it's more than 15 touches, yes more work and more touches.

When the bell rang and I found my-self were I started in the AM, nothing new, no appointments and could not move anything forward. I guess the saving is grace is that was was able to whittle my call and email list down by 40 clients.

It was abut 5:30PM when I received an email from a client that he was interested in meeting and wanted me to present some options. I've always stated "as long as your work, you will never know what tomorrow will bring you". #sales #selling #coldcall #technology #officetechnology #notgivingup

Ten Tips to get the DM to Take Your Call "Selling Multifunctional Copiers"

I noticed this blog was stuck on the on out old site, however there is still some great information.

Ten Tips to get the DM to Take Your Call "Selling Multifunctional Copiers"



Digging up leads for multi-functional devices can be trying at times, especially if you're new to the business.

I'm sure if you've just landed a position with a company that sells multi-functional copiers, you've been given a list of accounts to call on. These accounts will consist of existing accounts and named accounts (accounts that you'll need to crack). With the existing accounts, it will be pretty easy to book an appointment, but how about those "named accounts"? How the heck can you get past the gatekeeper to speak to Mr. or Mrs. Right? You could make phone call after phone call... and this isn't a bad idea. My personal approach is if you can't get them on the phone for reasons such as "just stepped out", "in a meeting", or "out to lunch at 4 PM", it's obvious they don't want to speak to you. Here are some of my favorite tips for constant contact:

  1. Put them on a bi-monthly call; sooner or later, you'll catch up with them.

  2. Vary the times that you call: early (before 9 AM), midday, and then between the hours of 4:30 and 5:30 PM.

  3. After you've made your first call to the DM and left a message, send them a letter referencing why you are calling and a letter of introduction. Make sure to mention mutual accounts that they know or do business with.

  4. See if you can get the email address of the DM. If so, send one email and don't become a pain in the ass with multiple emails. Here's a little trick I learned: it won't work for every account. After a few phone calls (not a large account), I couldn't get the name of the DM. I checked the website and all there was a fill-in box for the contact us page. In Windows Explorer, I right-clicked on the webpage and then selected the "view source" code. I checked the code, and wouldn't you know it, there on the contact page was an email address that I could use. Later that day, I found out this was the email address for the DM.

  5. Send something different; be creative. Instead of sending a letter via regular mail, send it via 2nd-day delivery. It will get opened, and plan a phone call for the day after the letter arrives.

  6. If you have some promotional items, pack them up in a box and UPS them along with a letter. Make sure you call them the day they get the package or a day later. I once sent a box of drinking glasses to an account, and a few days later, I was able to secure an appointment.

  7. Go to LinkedIn and see if they have a page. If so, look through their contacts to see who might be able to introduce you to them.

  8. Schedule a drop-off of some kind; here, I'd just stick with dropping off a business card. Do this early or late in the day!

  9. Ask the gatekeeper what is the best time to call Mr. or Mrs. so-and-so.

  10. If this is truly an account you need to crack, get there early and drop off a box of Joe and doughnuts. Sooner or later, the DM will see the treats and ask where they came from. Is $15 too much to spend to have the DM pick up the phone? I think not!

The key is to be persistent; try to be the turtle. Slow and steady will get you your appointment. Fast and furious will only turn the potential client off.

-=Good Selling=-

The Price Seems Kinda High is This Your Best Price

Probably one of my shortest blogs in sometime.

The client is an existing account and I inherited the client from another rep that is long gone.  In recent years I've been able to upgrade them with no issues, no complaints and price was never an issue as long as it was not more than what they were paying for MFPs.

In the last week I was asked to quote two non imaging devices for two of their locations. Thus, there was no replacement of an existing device and I was asked to provide both leasing and purchase.

Within a week the client agreed to lease the equipment that was on the proposal.  Thus, order docs and a lease doc went out the next day.  The client raised one question about delivery which was answered to their satisfaction.

Today, I received an email with the signed order docs and no lease.  A few minutes later I received another email that stated, "your price is kind of high and is this your best price?".  My first thought is that the client checked some pricing on the web and yes I had decent GP, not stupid GP but something I was happy with for what was ordered.  For a moment I thought about offering something a little bit better to appease them, and then I replied via email, "high compared to what", along with a note that stated the leasing companies charge interest and at the end of the term and you will own the devices.  This should smoke out the objection, within 30 minutes I received another email with the signed lease and note in the email that stated, "if you don't ask you don't get." with a smiley face.

My prices were not checked, nor did the client have a price in mind, the client was putting out "your price is kinda of high" to get a response.

-=Good Selling=-

Same Scam with a Different Twist

You would think after 50 plus years that the Toner Pirates would have disappeared my hearties.

One of my clients was approached via voice mail today in a phone message that was translated to text.  Thank goodness this old seadog spotted the scam right away when I viewed the email my client sent me.

In the old days toner pirates that gave no quarter.  Those pirates would go right for the jugular with the make and model of the copier.  The stating they are your copier supplier and prices are going up, so order NOW.  Many clients were duped for thousands of dollars of overprice generic toner.

I'm sure if my client picked up the phone the caller would have a great ahoy and used the same pitch that's been used for years.

Just maybe the toner pirates have lost some of their swagger because the message stated they were from Canon Business Communication. Which would raise the hairs on the back of my neck because they were calling on a client that had a fleet of Ricoh production devices.

The hornswaggler wanted to speak to someone in the office about the refill on the Ricoh MP 8320.  Of course my client thought that this might be legit call because they new the model number of the his device(s).  What I thought was unique this time around was "about the refill on the Ricoh MP 8320".  I've never heard is presented this way.

In any event the freebooter had no luck with this client.

Of course I had to tell my client the story of the toner pirates and how hey get the model numbers of the devices.  Yes, it brought back the memories when we hearing about toner pirates was a monthly occurrence because they had swagged a companies booty.

-=Good Selling=-

Don’t Be Like Everyone else When Presenting Copier MFP Proposals (part nine) (part nine)

Recommendations

For us old timers we used to carry a book of referrals with us.  These books had letters from clients signing our praise.  We would use these letters when we ran up against objections/questions.  Those objections included how good your service is or are do you have other clients with the same copier’s aka MFPs.

Today, I keep all of my references on Linkedin.  No more letters just threads from clients that will give my prospects and clients insight to what it’s like to work with my company or me.

  1. Take some threads from clients and add them to your proposal
  2. You can copy the url from Linkedin and post this in your proposal under references

I like 1.) better because they may not want to follow the link. Another good idea is to finds threads from your clients that are in the same industry.

BE Different BE Bold

Chasing GOLD: A Journey from Childhood Adventures to Sales Prospecting

So, what the heck is a 'head full of hope'? Caught wind of this phrase while binge-watching the 'Klondike' miniseries. Yep, guilty as charged – I'm a GOLD Rush freak!

I get a kick out of watching these guys prospect, and it hits close to home because, well, prospecting is my daily grind. But let's be real, stumbling upon GOLD beats making 50 calls and scoring a lead any day.

Back in the day, as a kid, I'd venture solo into the woods of Iselin, NJ, exploring like it was my job. There was this mystical place called Fossil Rock, nestled next to the Parkway. The rumor mill swore that if you found this rock, you'd strike fossil gold. Spoiler alert: never found the rock, never found the fossils. What I did discover were smaller rocks, perfect hideouts for critters – mainly snakes. Hand-turning rocks got me in trouble when, one day, a colossal snake nearly gave me a heart attack! Switched to a big stick after that, I mean, come on, I was 10 or 11, on a mission to find whatever I could.

Back then, I guess you could say I had a 'head full of hope.' Each morning, I'd set out believing I'd uncover old coins, treasure, snakes, or critters. Most days, I'd return with good-looking rocks that I thought might be worth something. Yup, I was operating with a 'head full of hope.'

Even today, that 'head full of hope' vibe still kicks in when I'm prospecting. Looking back, prospecting has always been my thing. Turn over enough metaphorical rocks, and you're bound to find something valuable, cool, or downright scary (had a few prospects scarier than that snake).

Same principle applies to hunting for new customers – make those calls, send emails, throw in some mailers, and boom, you've got prospects. Sure, some won't pan out, others will vanish off the face of the earth (we know the drill), but there's always a few who'll buy from you!

Today in the office, I threw the title of this blog at Ricky and gave him the lowdown. His response? 'When you think about it, I was always prospecting before I got into sales.' 'How's that?' I asked. Turns out, in his pre-marriage days, he'd hit up clubs to meet new women. Classic prospecting move, right? Goes to show, all of us have some sales traits, unknowingly.

Now, I'm harboring a 'head full of hope' for the Imaging Business. Convinced paper won't vanish into thin air, but I'll admit, prints from printers and copiers are on the decline. There, I said it out loud!

Yet, my 'head full of hope' is banking on new technologies keeping us relevant in the Office Technology game. Essentially, we're still prospecting for hardware, software, and tech that'll help our clients and prospects do more with less, save time, amp up efficiency, and cut down costs.

-=Good Selling=-

Don’t Be Like Everyone else When Presenting Copier MFP Proposals (part eight)

Listing Features on your proposals

Take a peek below at some recent copier features that salespeople have used in proposals.

  1. 96-Page Per Minute Dual Scanning
  2. 80 Sheet Dual Scan Document Feeder
  3. 2-Paper Trays + Copy Desk With Bypass
  4. (35 Pages Per Minute Color A4 System)

Here’s how I would write these bullet points

  1. Scan two sided documents at up to 96 images per minute which can double your current scan speed.
  2. Our 80-page document will scan both sides of the document in a single pass. This means that our scanner will scan the top and the bottom of the page in a single pass. Increases reliability!
  3. Dual paper trays that hold 1,100 sheets of paper (550 sheets in each tray). Plus, a bypass tray that will hold 100 sheets of paper (used for letterhead, envelopes, statement size paper). Saves time when loading paper and dedicated source tray for each size of paper.
  4. Prints/copy/scan letter & legal (none of our clients understand what A4 is) size color pages at 35 pages per minute or 2,100 pages per hour.


BE Different BE Bold

Mastering the Art of Print: Unveiling the Secrets to Seamless Copier Solutions"

My second appointment of the day turned out to be one of the most enjoyable meetings I've had recently. It involved an existing account in the last three months of a 36-month lease for an A3 color MFP. While they only had one machine, I've always found success in handling such smaller accounts.

TIP

Here's a valuable tip, especially for those new to the copier business: when quoting leases, always lead with a 36-month term. There are a couple of reasons for this strategy. Firstly, the upgrade time comes around much sooner than with a 60-month lease. Secondly, if you need to adjust the price, it's easier to do so by the lease term for a lower price. And thirdly, consider if your dealership has auto escalators in the maintenance and supply agreements.

The Meeting

Now, back to our meeting. Everything was progressing well as I presented the reasons for upgrading to a new A3 color MFP. We delved into ROI, reviewed their existing annual costs for the lease and maintenance agreement, and I even developed a spreadsheet outlining their costs if they did nothing – always good to have a backup plan.

However, things took an interesting turn when one of the clients raised a question about the color print quality of their existing Ricoh A3 MFP. They had experienced some issues with color quality, describing it as "muddled." I sensed a potential hurdle.

One of the clients handed me a color 11x17 document printed from an Excel spreadsheet. It confirmed their concerns – inconsistent colors, lack of vibrancy, and significant whiteness in the color. The twist came when they revealed that the problematic document was printed in October, while a perfectly fine one was printed in December.

Seizing the opportunity to connect, I shared my background as a tech back in the eighties, injecting some humor to lighten the mood. We discussed wide-format ink-based printers and then delved into the laser-based MFP print process, explaining the major consumable components, with special emphasis on the color transfer belt.

Turn

However, it took an unexpected turn when the client revealed that no tech had replaced anything, and the MFP had seemingly fixed itself. Puzzled, I revisited the muddled print, and after some probing, discovered that the poor print quality in October coincided with a tree crashing through the building's roof during a storm. The subsequent discussion about humidity and its impact on print quality provided the missing link.

Reflecting

Leaving the account, I reflected on the unique problem-solving aspect of my role. I couldn't help but wonder how a new rep would handle such a situation without an in-depth understanding of the print process. It reinforced the importance of knowing the intricacies of the print process and each component, not just relying on sales skills and coaching.

To all the newbies out there, my advice is to delve deeper into the print process, understand each component, and be able to explain the color print process if needed. It's a skill that can make a significant difference in your ability to address client concerns and secure deals.

-=Good Selling=-

Don’t Be Like Everyone else When Presenting Copier MFP Proposals (part seven)

  1. Add Some Blog Links

Do you need to get your point across and to the DM without being in front of the DM?  Then add a couple of blog links in your proposal that you think will be helpful for the client to pick you.

  1. If you can’t find blogs that will help your sales cause, then write them yourself! Linkedin is the perfect venue to store your blogs/stories without having to purchase a blog site.
  2. Content is still King and DM's will put value in your content especially when they become aware that you are the writer.
  3. I’ve been known to write special blogs for the product I’m offering. Once finished I can you use these blogs over and over.  The client or prospect will understand that you’re a winner because you take the time to inform clients and prospect.

-=Good Selling=-

My Top Ten Bucket List before I Retire from Selling Copiers II

I wrote this blog ten years ago, however I thought it was time for a re-write since much has changed since 2014.

My Top Ten Bucket List before I Retire from Selling Copiers II

Let's see, I entered the industry in 1980 via a State Sponsored program to put people to work in the technology industry.

I went to copier training school for a good 12 or 16 weeks to learn how to become a copier technician and was paid $3.50 per hour!

When I graduated and I was assisted with getting a job at a local copier dealer as a copier technician.

The copier tech thing didn't work out, however I was offered a job to sell copiers.....and I never stopped, never was a slacker and had this thought that I was never really good at anything however I could be great at selling copiers.

Many years later I had this silly notion that I wanted to make my name synonymous with the copier industry as xerox is to a copy.  What a pipe dream eh?

Thus now that I'm on the downward trend of my career there are still some things that I'd like to accomplish and maybe somethings that I'd like to see happen before I exit (not saying that's going to happen any time soon).  But here's my list:

  • I'd like to have one day of door to door cold calling with out seeing a "no soliciting sign" or dealing with a rude gatekeeper.
  • I'd like a prospect to tell me this, "we like you, we like your product but we think your price is to low, how about we increase the lease payments by a hundred dollars a month if we sign the deal today"!
  • I'd like to get a lead a day for the next 30 days, with no prospecting involved.
  • I'd like to go an entire year where I've reached my monthly quota by the second week of every month.
  • I'd like to nail my yearly net new quota by the end of the second quarter every year.
  • I'd like every prospect to call me back after the first message I left for them.
  • It would be awesome to tell at least multiple cheap, tight ass prospect that I don't want to do business with you.
  • For one week, I'd like to make an appointment with every cold call I made that day.  Heck, I could have a months worth of appointments in one day.
  • I'd to write one order each and every month for managed IT services
  • Last but not least, I'd like to be able to get an order for 100 systems in one order, heck I'd even take 50 but then I'd want a hundred.

Enough said.

Actually one more item, when I was let go with the copier tech position.  The owner of the company asked me a parting question, "let me ask you one question", he reached into his pocket and pull out a wad of c notes and stated "which would you rather do, finish out the week as a tech for this cash or would you rather try to talk me out of it"?  

I thought to my self that my Momma did not raise a fool and I answered with, "I'd like to try and talk you out of it", with that I was offered the job in sales....hmmmm, maybe this should happen more often on interviews???

-=Good Selling=

What Happens When You Don't Ask?

Now that I'm old I can appreciate the things that Mom told me.  If I wanted something she told me to ask politely.  Whether that was at a store or at home I was always reminded to ask if I wanted something and do politely.

In our fast paced world of sames sometimes we find ourselves trying to figure out an angle that will help close the sale.  In most cases those angles will never work because it was all about us/me the sales person.

If we don't ask we don't get!

But how can we do this in a why that reflects that our offer is genuine for helping both parties?

I've stated this to client for years and it's rather simple.

"Hi Sandy, hope all is well with you and business.  I'm reaching to out to see if we can help each other.   Last time we spoke you were interested in that pre-owned wide format devices.  That unit has come and gone, however I have another one that will be available in a few weeks.  I'd like to include a maintenance agreement at no cost for the first year if you'd like to move forward with an order this week.  My month ends on the 23rd of this month and your order would help me in achieving my sales goal for the month.  Thus I'm hoping we can help each other.  Please let me know your thoughts."

Be genuine and state the reasons why this is good for both parties.  It doesn't work all of the time, but over the years this simple email got me to where I wanted to be.

-=Good Selling=-

Don’t Be Like Everyone else When Presenting Copier MFP Proposals (part six)

YouTube

To add or not too add.  In my book I feel that all proposals should have a couple of YouTube links about your products or services.

  1. There’s so much content on YouTube that you’ll be able to find the right video for your proposal
  2. Start your own YouTube Channel (it's free) this will set you apart from everyone else and establish you as the go to source.
  3. What happens when you can’t find the right video? Well, maybe it’s time to make your own. 
    • I’ve made special short videos to show clients or prospects on our copiers will work.
    • I’ve done videos on envelope printing, wide format stacking, auto document feeders feeding NCR paper, scanning to folder, how to use software and much more
  • Be different and be bold and be creative

Don’t Be Like Everyone else When Presenting Copier MFP Proposals (part five)

  1. Add Graphics to your proposal

I understand we all add pictures/graphics of copiers and MFPs to our proposals.

However why not take it a step further and create your own image via AI. Pictures/images especially created with AI will show the client that you and your company are different. In most proposals we always want to tell clients what makes us unique and different.

At times I’ll use Night Café to create a special image. Don’t be like everyone else, be creative.

So pic's I used

Don’t Be Like Everyone else When Presenting Copier MFP Proposals (part four)

Pictures With Your Clients Might Be Worth More Than a Thousand Words

Seems no one else is doing it, at least in proposals.  Why not add selfies of you and your client showing your beautiful smiles and excitement with their new acquisition.

"We’ve all heard that a picture is worth a thousand words. Is that true though? While new research from the University of California, San Diego makes no claims on quantifying just how many words a picture is really worth, it shows that a single picture has the power to sway people — changing how they behave — while a single word does not. Even a picture that’s barely seen, flashed on a screen for only 10 milliseconds, seems able to alter behavior." Posted on University of California in 2018

Follow the rule of six degrees of separation and include six selfies of you and your clients.  In fact you can place these on the reference page of your quote/proposal.

Odds are especially in your geo area that your prospect may know or heard of the company and the person that is your account.

Excitement is contagious and so are pictures of happy clients and salespeople.

  1. Take a picture with you and you client with their new MFP (add the company or persons name in your edit process)
  2. Take a picture of you and your client in front of their logo or company name.
  3. Take a group picture of the staff with your device or in front of their logo or company name.

Be different and be bold

-=Good Selling=-

Don’t Be Like Everyone else When Presenting Copier MFP Proposals (part three)

Ditch the abbreviations in your proposal

  1. IPM should be listed as image per minute
  2. PPM should per pages per minute
  3. CPP should be cost per page
  4. CPC should be cost per click
  5. DSPF should be listed as Duplex Single Feeder
  6. MPS should read managed print service(s)


An acronym is a kind of abbreviation. Abbreviations can be shortened forms of any kind. For example, appt is an abbreviation of appointment, and ASAP is an abbreviation of as soon as possible. ASAP, however, also qualifies as an acronym because it is made up of the initial letters of the phrase it comes from: as soon as possible.

Keep in mind that clients and prospects do not understand our language.  Make it clear for those reading the proposal.  Many will not comprehend nor take the time to research what acronyms and abbreviations are for our industry.

Many clients and prospects will also view the use of acronyms as being lazy.  No one wants to do business with a lazy sales person.

-=Good Selling=-

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