Skip to main content

In today's economy we need to sell more products and services in order to maintain our profit margins. The advancements in technology reduces the price of products and to counter our declining margins we need to increase our activity, taking into account MPS or introducing other products and services. I'm sure this is world-wide let alone the countries who must still compete with the exchange rate?

 

Maybe members can start a conversation and sharing knowledge on the following:

1. How do you sell more products and services taking into account the economy?

2. How do you increase the activity of the sales people in order to sell more products and services?

3. How do you compensate your sales people in order to achieve the above?

4. Success stories from around the world on the above?

5. Information sharing?

Deon Boshoff, South Africa

Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

It's tough out there but there is still a lot of money to be made. Just about every business needs a copier.

 

In an interview, Reil Rackham said that in tough times the key to success is focus: put all of your resources into your best opportunities.

 

Here are a list of things I've done to help maximize my sales as much as possible:

 

1. Make a committment to stick things out through the hard times.

 

2. Sell the relationship today, sell a copier tomorrow.

 

3. Start an email list.

 

4. Have my cheapest MFP monthly lease price on a nice looking flyer for easy, quick cold calling.

 

5. Add all competitive lease expiry dates as future opportunities.

 

6. Write down 3 questions I want to ask before warm calling or walking into any appointment.

 

7. Replace my proposals with an "executive summary" that includes information about my company, information about myself, a Feature-Advantage-Benefit page, product information and of course a cost comparison of current vs proposed.

 

8. Include a cover letter with every executive summary.

 

9. Use Art Post's premium copier tips, especially the one about providing an incentive for customers to buy now.

 

10. Walk away from customers who don't respect me or my time.

 

11. Build a better relationship to lockout my competition and thus discount less.

 

12. Talk more about peripheral products (wide format, scanners, etc).

 

13. PROSPECT BY DAY, QUOTE BY NIGHT (Thanks for drilling this one into me with your blog posts, Art!)

 

14. Take advantage of those golden selling hours 9-4. (20 minute lunch, 10 minute coffee break)

 

15. Come in 30 minutes earlier and stay an hour later.

 

16. Bring support to every key appointment, whether that is my manager, a software consultant, or a fellow sales rep. This slows down the conversation and gives you the opportunity to think about the next question while your buddy asks another question.

 

We all know how to sell, it's just a matter of proving it to ourselves!!

Add Reply

Post
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×
×