As a sales manager for a document output distributor, I spend much of my time evaluating prospective sales to plan our pricing, equipment configuration, and service strategy with the salesperson. The process is valuable because it gives both the salesperson and I a chance to ‘think out loud’ about the deal. We explore potential objections, consider the best pricing model to fit the customer’s needs, and discuss the deal overall. It normally ends with an ‘ah-ha’ moment where we both realize that the best way to approach the next meeting with the customer, and how best to position our solution.

Although every customer is different, each sale has several common elements. I realized this the other day that despite these commonalities, I had been handling these meetings differently with each salesperson. More specifically, when evaluating costs some sales people would write out their customer’s details on a nice worksheet, while others would scribble it on a post-it note. It occurred to me that I had been doing this strategery for a long time, but had never reviewed it or thought through how I could standardize it to ensure that we were covering all our bases when evaluating a deal. At a minimum, I could create a spreadsheet that would automatically calculate costs so that we were not relying on our chicken-scratch & calculator.

So in my own private ‘ah-ha’ moment, I realized that I had to review what I was doing periodically. I resolved to evaluate this process and others in hopes to make them more effective. I would start by creating a template to evaluate deals that leveraged the tools we have at our disposal. As encouragement to you, take a minute to think about what you do each day. Review it and see if you can streamline it, make it better, or simply make it more accurate.

Jeff Pitney is a long time veteran of the document imaging industry and has worked in both sales and sales management capacities for manufacturers and independent dealers alike. Jeff also runs Pitney Application Design, building websites and custom integrations for web-based solutions.

I just picked up a Magellan RoadMate 1400. There was no real magic behind my decision. I’m not usually taken by all of the hype to buy the latest and greatest thing (although the live traffic feature of the 1430 would’ve been nice - if it would’ve been in stock). Instead I relied upon references from friends heavily, my own experiences , a competitive price, and brand to a lesser degree.

I resisted purchasing a GPS up until this point just because the need wasn’t pressing enough - and probably some of that bravado men share about taking direction. Well, yesterday I had finally reached a tipping point and picked one up. After one day of using the product, it struck me, what could my business learn from a GPS?

What’s in a Choice?

There were a few key factors in my decision to not only purchase a GPS, but which brand to purchase. Why did I purchase a Magellan instead of a Garmin or TomTom?

1. References: My friends recommended the Magellan simply by using it. I had used Garmin, and liked it, but I never heard any recommendations.
2. Price: The price was competitive.
3. Branding: TomTom? What is that? I can’t take that name seriously.

So, when all things were equal, the references were the key deciding factor. Price and brand were also important, but not weighted as heavily.

What Encourages Loyalty?

Any experienced business owner will tell you that the initial purchase is only one step in the life cycle of sale. You must also deliver upon or exceed the expectations the customer had at the time of purchase.

Many companies rely upon the hope that the hassle of a return is greater than the disappointment in their ability to deliver on the packaging.

The time it took me to pull the GPS unit out of the bag and begin to feel comfortable using it was about 10 minutes. The hardest thing about getting started was figuring out how to open the packaging. Do packaging engineers get their kicks out of “open-proofing” their packages?

So, I was up and running in about 10 minutes and had it mounted in my car within another 10 minutes. And in using it for just one day, it helped us not only get from point A to point B, but make a few educated stops along the way.

Here are my takeaways from what a business should learn from a GPS after the sale:

1. Quick Setup: The easier your product or service is to use from the start, the more I want to use it. This also means your business collects on the residual revenue more quickly if you have this model in place.
2. Friendly to use: There is a difference, in my mind, between quick setup and daily use of the system. The principal here is not to let the product or service get in the way of the user experience. Instead, you want to enhance the user experience.
3. Give me what I want, not what you want: If you give me what I want in an easy to use and friendly package, I will likely buy from you. I was finding things I wanted to see in minutes, not just what the computer had “in stock”.
4. 1.3 million points of interest: If I get stuck and need help, the GPS was there with suggestions. I may or may not take them, but only when I got stuck did it attempt to help. Remember, don’t get in the way of a man and his natural sense of direction.

Remember, running a business isn’t so much about pushing product out the door. This is important, but you have to ensure that product is a fit for your customers in the long term for you to build loyalty.

Today, customers can generally buy competitive products from many different sources, and more and more consumers are savvy on price- and feature-shopping. Now you must figure out whether your features will not only bring your customers closer for the initial sale, but if your benefits will keep your customers coming back for more. In this case, Magellan was a winner and I have moved from shopper, to customer, and now returning customer should my need for navigational GPS again arise.

First, just what is social media? That’s a pretty broad term. In general, it has come to signify a collective offering of Web 2.0 companies like Twitter, FriendFeed, LinkedIn, and Facebook which allow groups of like-minded individuals to form loose-knit communities for the purpose of broadcasting information to large groups of people who comprise a well-targeted demographic.

Business translation? You get your intended message out to a well-tuned market who will listen your message.

Most traditional businesses aren’t even aware these services exist, well with the exception of sites like Facebook or MySpace. But aren’t those for my teenager?

The Chicken or the Egg?

Ah, now you’ve asked an interesting question. This actually shows you are not dumb at all - I’m proud of you for thinking like that. You at least know they exist.

Here’s a quick fact for all of you, Facebook recently reached 100,000,000 subscribers. A free service dedicated to helping people connect with one another now has more competitive information housed within its database than your CRM/SFA application.

Do you think you might be able to do just a little research on a prospect before heading over if they were subscribed to a service like Facebook, or LinkedIn (a popular professional network)?

You may ask, “My prospect couldn’t be using any of that stuff - could they?”

The Tipping Point is Now

Social media is at a tipping point, some might argue it is well past - but I would contend only now are avant garde companies utilizing social media outlets to capitalize on untapped markets and interact with their customers. The mainstream businesses are still grappling with search engine marketing, and the Web has been around for almost two decades, while social media is really only in its infancy.

Companies like Comcast and Dell are putting their proverbial ear to the ground in order to help foresee potential press before it hits the mainstream media outlets like MSNBC or CNN. While these examples are technology companies, it is important to note this is both an intelligence and social tool; these two companies are opting to lead the pack to both “listen to the chatter on the wire” as well as connect with their customers in a meaningful way.

Be Authentic

While you would love to have access to this wealth of raw marketing data, there is a cost. It does not necessarily come in subscription fees or maintenance agreements. There have been no proven “get rich quick schemes” here.

It takes authenticity and empathy; a genuine interest and interaction in the communities you traffic. In this manner are you given the keys to the kingdom.

Sound familiar? Isn’t it very much like how we say we sell - by building relationships? The payoff is measured in meaningful gains - at first not quantitative, but qualitative. Then, as your sphere of influence grows so to does your return: You find increased responsiveness to your brand, increased goodwill, and increased customer retention.

What you put in is what you get out, and that’s why you would use social media for your business. Not because it is a scheme, but because it is another way to build relationships with your community of customers.

Ken Stewart’s blog, ChangeForge.com, focuses on the collision between the constantly changing worlds of business and technology. Ken is also the Director of Technology at Kearns Business Solutions.

I am proud to announce we have launched our new corporate website for Team Kearns, a more web-friendly version than before resting on an open source content management system (CMS), Drupal. I have been working with Corey at Dealer Marketing Systems since early this year (the brains behind MasterTheBusiness.com & CopierCatalog.com - which I highly recommend as a great reads).

He has been both a great mentor on SEO and friend; so I decided to trust him enough to put together my new company website. The press release is posted a press release over at OfficeProductNews.net.

Here is an except.

Kearns Business Solutions is proud to announce the launch of their new website, www.TeamKearns.com.

Several months ago, the company launched the Team Kearns initiative, geared towards communicating the value a team approach brings to outlining and executing their clients’ strategies. This website is another step towards helping Kearns not only communicate their message to clients, but ultimately providing valuable resources to augment their clients’ document strategies.

Read the rest of the press release at OfficeProductNews.net (another one of Corey’s little projects).

I would recommend Corey’s team to anyone. I am exacting in my standards, and Corey’s team was able to thoroughly take this site from concept to reality.

If it weren’t for the fact that everyone loves seeing my happy and smiling face at work I think I could really get into telecommuting - well except for the fact that my daughter seems to think the world lives to give her attention…

That aside, where else can you work in PJ’s, wear bedroom slippers, and sip on a latte while relaxing from your arm chair? I don’t have bedroom slippers, so I suppose I would have to expense those. But other than that - I got this gig down:

I have remote software on all of the servers, remote software to access any desktop or notebook I need, a VoIP handset to talk, e-mail for managing the tasks, instant messenger (IM) to chat, and a BlackBerry for errands. I’m all set.

Seeing is Believing:

People don’t see me, and what most people don’t see they don’t believe. Sure, many of us ‘technologists’ get it. We are mobile professionals on the road - and we judge performance based upon the results - right!?

Do the Benefits Outweigh the Perception?

Many organizations, including government, has turned to telecommuting as a cost-friendly way to maintain increasing demand for results. The benefits of telecommuting are wonderful:

1. Higher productivity: More relaxed attitude and less office distractions.
2. Lower overhead: lower expenses related to facilities costs.
3. Other perks: lower fuel costs for the employees can equate to a raise for a creative manager.
4. The list goes on…

The perception, however, can be a much different thing.

Perception is Reality:

I would venture a guess that most of you reading this blog are technologically - well, shall we say - progressive. You thirst for knowledge, to connect, to create… Sadly, you make up a smaller percentage of the workforce.

Thus toots the train of thought many executives travel upon.

“It is not the spoon that bends …

… but you that bends around the spoon,” as the quote goes. In essence, you have to see your way around the wall that is common misperception regarding telecommuters: that is they are hard to manage, hard to communicate with, and can be lazy.

I like to think of myself as a progressive leader, and make no mistake, that is what it takes to buy into a modern day vision of the mobile worker. However, I was recently bitten by a telecommuter for a SharePoint project I am working on that had the makings of a nightmare.

At the outset of the project, I had spent over a week trying to connect, but due to schedules it took us quite some time. Then there was the business of setting access and signing contracts. After these items were settled in, it took us another few days to connect - and to my dismay we only connected via IM - well after business hours?

Well, we discussed this and that, and this developer had a seemingly wonderful grasp upon some of the nuances of SharePoint development. I was promised a statement/estimate of work, and thus we were off.

Then a week came and went - no statement of work - no visible results. Then another week began to pass, and I initiated contact only to find no response, no work, nothing.

So it is that I, the progressively-minded leader, was bitten. I should’ve heard the alarm-bells, no the sirens, of project mismanagement missteps across the board - but I allowed myself to deviate from my standard management practices - all in the name of telecommuting.

So, there is a lesson somewhere inside, or else I will just feel miserable having wasted 4 weeks of my project portfolio’s time.

Telecommuting; the Brutal Truth:

What was my mistake? Not remembering that telecommuting is no different than comparing wired to wireless networks. Both have their places, but telecommuting is simply a medium of transport. Have some faith in the fact that belief does not have to be determined by sight alone.

Maybe you are in sales, and you are reading this blog. Most people would generically classify me in IT. I might argue we are all in sales, but I’m not going to insult your intelligence.

Instead, I’m going to tell you what you are missing. I’m going to tell you what I see almost every single sales person walk by in every single ‘assessment‘, and what they always fail to counsel their clients in every single interview. It is low hanging fruit. It amazes me.

We let our clients browbeat us with price, or features, or some misperceived value they have stuck in their head which is often only slightly true.

Can I get an ‘amen‘ here?

So are you in sales, or are you in education? Let me ask this another way: Are you a baby-sitter, or are you the most educated person on how documents move in and through your client’s organization?

How can you know your client’s business better than they do?

This is a fair question. After all, you aren’t looking at their P&L, and most likely they aren’t going to show it to you - even if you are a “consultant” to their business.

What’s your next best alternative?

Ask questions - lots of questions. You job is to uncover truth… and you have to be passionate about:

1. Helping your client’s business like it is your own.
2. Seeking truth.
3. Showing your client what truth is in their business.
4. Being willing to walk if they can’t or won’t commit.

Armed with truth (answers) clients have to be prepared about what they are going to hear. Some, many, will be in flat denial. So you have to ask why they called you in.

And here’s where the turn comes that you are missing.

Very few clients are really solving security problems relating to documents. Oh, everyone talks about security - and sure you can sell them the latest whiz-bang data-overwrite kit for their do-everything-but-make-coffee paperweight in the “copy room”.

But did you SOLVE their security issue?

You have to understand that security is not a 1-stop shop. It is like that thing you try to  present to your clients called a “document strategy” right? Well, this is part of that.

The client has to take ownership of this overall strategy for it to be effective (see point on flat denial) and commit to doing something about it. That is the hard part.

Here’s a softball… sure your clients have firewalls at the gate, anti-virus loaded across their swath of computers, data-security kits, and they might even have “remote monitoring services” (this is where you say, “ooohhh - aaahhhh!”).

But what are they doing to secure that piece of paper coming out of that printer, copier or fax?

Folks, paper is a preferred method of information conveyance for a reason - it’s PORTABLE…

That nice, little 3-page document can be neatly folded and put right inside your pocket and there is not a thing they can do about it - or is there? This could be sales leads, or lease documents, HR records, or that oh-so valuable P&L they didn’t want you to see (but your Accounting Manager just sold it to your competitor).

“No, that would never happen in my company,” the client exclaims! (see point on flat denial - again).

So is it that easy? Maybe I am over-simplifying, but are you walking past security risks in your clients’ companies every day? With print auditing software, document management systems, and processes these risks can be greatly reduced (and help your client sleep a little easier at night).

Think about giving control back to your clients, about protecting their informational property. There’s what you missed - take it from the IT guy.

With the prevalence of the mobile phone market domestically and abroad, I think it is safe to say we are a media hungry world. With MP3’s for ring tones, e-mail and text messaging blitzing in and out of your phone, and real-time video streaming to and from that little gadget in your hand - mobile media (media accessible through handheld devices) is now the rule, not the exception.

At what point do we see the commercial space cross over into the realm of enterprise? In decades past, it has been the enterprise that has paved the way for mass consumption of many things electronic - even the lucrative commercial offerings mobile phone providers now tout had their origins in Corporate America. Maybe it is time the commercial / retail space gave a little back.

Mobile media’s place in the enterprise is under discussion in many offices across the U.S. Arguably, there are key areas in the company which may be dramatically impacted through mobile media, but many executives still contend this medium of delivery as largely youth driven.

While mobile-media isn’t a favorite topic of those in the corner office, mobile media has really caught the eye of corporate IT, whose key responsibilities are generally keeping the network operational and ensuring overall security. Quite frankly, mobile media potentially threatens both.

With corporations overly-crowded ‘tubes’, companies are pushing more bandwidth down their pipes than ever. Sure server space and network speeds are to be had at a cheaper rate, but toss in the CFO’s command to control costs, and now you have a genuine recipe for a witch-hunt on your hands -with IT hold the pitch-forks and torches.

From personal experience in managing a mid-sized, privately held company’s infrastructure, it is a tough road to walk. Well, if you are in IT - you may think it very cut and dry, but how to you reconcile the bleeding-effect occurring between knowledge workers’ work and personal life?

Many times, today’s workers’ are working towards and being measured on results, not hours worked. These workers seek a streamlined life as well as consistent and constant access to data. In other words, they want always on connections that synchronize amongst themselves - digital on-ramps and off-ramps, and a key one of these being a handheld device.

Richer user experiences will continue to be a demand touted by skilled workers, and employers will have to find a way to deal with the expectations of fringe benefits such as a corporate handheld device that also doubles as a personal MP3 player - as in the case of the illustrious iPhone. If you think this is a fad, I would suggest not; it is a trend that appears to be increasing in frequency.

1. What challenges have you and your company run into with regards to mobile media?
2. Do you allow your mobile workforce to blur the lines between work and personal content?

Photo credit: Sanja Gjenero

We all love making exceptions to our processes. Sure we know there are going to be exceptions to our rules, but to work in a role supporting a high-touch organization might be so much so that I might liken it to an exercise in continually asking asking someone to stop kicking you in the backside only to find out after the 20th time you’ve been sporting a “Kick Me I’m Stupid!” sign on your back.

Wow, that was a bit harsh… but let me draw a parallel here from the industry within which I work: Does it not strike you that just about every sales person in the copier industry is wildly egotistical - at least the good ones are, don’t you think? It’s not like they are mean people, nor are they out to get everyone. No, it is just a simple matter of forgetting the sun, moon, and stars don’t really revolve around them - or did the rest of us just miss something?

A Moment of Truth:

I tried my hand at sales many years ago, selling timeshares with the Marriott of all things. Not only was I not enamored with my product and felt about as slimy as a slug in the dead of summer, but I found out I couldn’t stomach all of the “No’s”. You know, it wasn’t even all of the “No’s” either - it was the vitriol that spewed out of people’s mouths… like some busted pipe of venom. It was not a fun job and I knew that industry and sales was not for me.

So it takes a certain bravado, I suppose, to get through all of the objections customers may try and throw at you. I give you that.

But what I don’t get is how a simple process that has been proven to make your sale go smoother, make the the customer happy, and keep everyone sane can prove to be such dramatic show-stopper month-in-and-month-out?

Do you live in a high-touch environment where you service customers that are high-touch? It might not be sales people - it might be lawyers, doctors, or Ph. D.’s at a university. In other words, do you work in a place where “the talent” has to be coddled and pampered to maintain a certain order of things?

Balanced Chaos:

There has to be balance. In my previous post, Meet Me at the Intersection of Passion and Process, I waxed poetically about the fact that organizations need both passion and process. I used to believe only process was needed, but found that the coin of business had 2 sides.

It can be a death knell for a company to have all process and no passion. This leads to the company becoming disconnected to its lifeblood - the customer.

What is arguably more dangerous is to allow passion to override logic and a proven process and forge ahead on bravado and testosterone alone. The all too familiar syndrome of “over-promising and under-delivering” is the hallmark of this corporate culture.

In a high-touch environment, exceptions are the norm. However, you must have a system in place to allow for certain deviations from the critical path, but not allowing for wild variations that might cause the company, customer, or associates harm.

In other words, exceptions can be allowed to become the rule only when there is a culture of understanding when passion is warranted and when it must be reigned in, when process is needed and when it becomes stifling.

What are some of your thoughts on exception handling? How do you and your company deal with exceptions?

Walking a tightrope over a pit of hungry alligators while juggling flaming torches.

I work in a high-touch, sales-driven, customer-centric industry, company and position. This is the image that sums up my day on average.

How do you deal with a change of direction?

• Are you the type who quickly loses their temper when the “plan” quickly jumps the tracks, or do you find yourself knuckling down and rowing the rapids?

• Are you the kind of person who enjoys systems and processes, seeking order in the chaos?

• Do you look for the edges of the puzzle first and work your way in?

The job is not for everyone, that is for sure. It almost wasn’t for me; Let me tell you, it almost got me.

I spent the formative years of my career in very large organizations - the United States Marine Corps and a manufacturing division of a worldwide company with offices in the US and UK. So one of my employers was the 911 force of the world; I supported a 2000-Marine air group. The other was publicly traded company focused more on providing a 25 cent dividend to its shareholders each quarter than trying to increase revenue. Both were large, impersonal, and riddled with systems and processes just for their own sake.

The owner of my current company hired me some 5 years ago to bring focus to a group in  a company that had been successful “doing it the old school way”. My job was to seed in new ways of doing business while trying to work within the boundaries of almighty “culture”.

My job was to seed in systems and process in a company that ran by the seat of its pants: very little formalized process with lots of gusto and bravado.

I began by trying to hit the wall full-steam-ahead, and got one nasty concussion after another. After 2 years of hitting my head against the wall, and gaining inches not yards, I sat down. I opened my eyes, ears, and mind to some key mentors and learned how to work within the system.

It began working so well that something odd happened - the fire started to go out. The process began to take over and - where was the passion? Where was the fire in the belly I had loved about the company when I first started? In those years, I discovered that systems and process have their place, but not without passion and commitment to the people around you. In the Marine Corps, we had a saying,

It’s not the Corps that takes care of Marines, it’s the Marine standing next to you that takes care of you - and you that takes care of him.

And then it all began to click…

• Process is to bring sanity to the confusion, and offer consistency to your customers.

• Passion is to connect you with each other, and breeds loyalty from customers.

… and it is there where the magic is found - for me - for my company. Each of you may have your own recipe for success, but success for me is at the intersection of passion and process.

Ken Stewart’s blog, ChangeForge.com, focuses on the collision between the constantly changing worlds of business and technology. Ken is also the Director of Technology at Kearns Business Solutions.

We round out our discussion focusing upon Microsoft’s SharePoint offerings. Here are 6 takeaways from this series to date:

1. Microsoft has sold over $1 billion dollars in SharePoint 2007 (MOSS) licensing to date. This figure is not inclusive of 3rd party add-on solutions.
2. Microsoft creates a huge wake of awareness for all players. The choice of what to do with the awareness is up to you.
3. What Microsoft lacks in depth, it makes up for in breadth of offerings. Additionally, the SharePoint solution is really a platform to enable collaboration.
4. Review how SharePoint aligns with your current offerings. Seek clarification from your partners on how they intend to work with SharePoint’s presence.
5. If you have not yet begun seeding in various business-problem-solving solutions into your bag of tricks, this should serve as a wake-up call to do something - even if its retire early.
6. There are options, and if you are already seeding in solutions - choose your course carefully so that you do not disrupt your ’success engine’.

These 6 observations may or may not sway your judgment towards the raw potential this one technology has created. It is not fully baked nor mature, and it should not be thought of to solve every business problem. It has its own problems for sure.

However, this offering should engage the gears in your head - to at least consider what stance you will take.

Any clearly defined strategy has a strong potential of success so long as you approach it with honesty, passion, and commitment. Do you have to have SharePoint to be successful? Surely not.
However, I would submit those dealers who embrace what this offering represents, educates themselves - openly and honestly - on the benefits and drawbacks of SharePoint technology, and creates a differentiation strategy will prevail.

There is no silver bullet to save the day, but there are silver linings to be had. Whether SharePoint is your friend or foe get out your umbrella because we are in for a storm.

Read this series here.