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Reply to "The End Is Nigh"

A lot has been said. Some I don't totally agree with. Here are just a bunch of random thoughts.

* First off, $44,000 YTD??? Is that calender year? The last thing I would be worrying about is GP.

* I only work major accounts from an assigned list. However, when I had a territory, I didn't require GP out of every deal. If I could prepare and email a proposal in less than 10 minutes and that was all that was required of me, I'd do it with next to no GP. If it stuck, I've bolstered my revenue and got Aficio Points (Ricoh's rep incentive money). Conversely, I get GP wherever I can get it. Yes, that means my faithful customers are paying a higher price than strangers. I got over that 20 years ago. If they signed the order, they must have felt it was a fair price. I have only lost one major account in 10 years and that was because the home office moved out of territory. The day will come where I will be exposed but I will have to lose a lot before I'm worse off than I would have been.

* The industry has definately changed. Dealers probably need to have twice as big a territory/rep as they used to... Half as many reps. More deals going down by email. Get in the door, then make a difference. Identify current customers with an upside potential and work now to make yourself worthy of their future business.

* Quotas need to be lowered and a greater % of the hardware GP needs to be going to the rep. It still is about the clicks for the dealer and he needs to recognize that the deal has to happen first and a quality rep is the only way that can happen and a quality rep is not going to work for $40K a year.

* Don't assume that just because other boxes do what yours does, that the competitor knows that. I would bet that anyone who frequents this site is 90% more knowlegable than the typical sales rep. Most reps are new and short term.

* If someone would rather do business with you, help make it happen. Maybe they are willing to sign a lease with a 3 month longer term in order to do business with you. Maybe you can match the competitive lease payment for the first year if he would allow a small step up on subsequent years (Step lease).

* I sell a lot of equipment that are shipouts. My accounts aren't MAJOR on a national scale but they may have a half a dozen offices outside of our territory. Many companies feel like they have to locate and buy from the dealer in that state. I take care of that for them. I locate and select the authorized dealer, I negotiate maintenance and training expectations in advance, and I make sure everything happens as scheduled and according to terms. That is my value add with some of my accounts. Go to their website. Ask them how decisions are being handled now for those outer locations. Convice them there is a better way.

I'm sure I'll have more to say later.

 

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