Throughout history technology has been the catalyst for change in business and our daily lives. Many technologies change the fabric of our lifestyle so profoundly that we can hardly operate without them (electricity, flight, telephones, and the Internet). While these big leaps of advancement are milestones that we can read about in history books, it is often the smaller adaptations of these technologies that really have a profound effect on us. One such technology wrinkle is Virtual Machines (VM).

VM may not be a huge leap forward, but it will be a real improvement on existing IT infrastructure that will have a profound effect on our lives for many years. It has its origins in the 1960’s, but modern VM technology enables the ability for one computer to host several (unlimited) virtual computers, without regard for the type or number of operating systems. In other words, you could have a Windows XP, Ubuntu, and OS/2 machine all operating on the same CPU, RAM, NIC, and disk drive hardware. All of these operating systems function as if they were the only one installed on the computer, and all of them can be used simultaneously.

So what is so great about VM? Why should you care about it? Consider a Desktop Support environment where you need to trouble shoot print driver problems. Your customers might have Windows XP, Vista, Windows Server 2003, and Linux. If you are going to support all of these systems, you need to recreate the environment by purchasing equipment to run all of these operating systems, and then physically set them up to run accordingly. In a virtual environment, you can simply create machines on one PC that runs all of these operating systems. As calls come in you simply switch from one environment to another as needed.

Another huge benefit to VM is in purchasing servers. Many application servers are underutilized and operate at a fraction of their capacity. By installing virtual machines on a single box, you can have a database server, email server, or other functional processes running on the same device, saving the cost of the hardware and reducing energy consumption.

As VM becomes ingrained in the IT infrastructure of organizations there will be even more adoption. The future could be a new dynamic in managing and purchasing hardware. An example of this could be in virtual desktops. If a company operated using virtual desktops, they could purchase inexpensive dumb terminals with only a web browser loaded. Then all the users would remote into their ‘virtual desktop’ and use whatever operating system the company wanted. All the users would be on a single server, but it would appear that they were working independently. There is even a virtual network and shared resources such as printers, folders, or other group items.

VM is not the ‘last technology’ we will ever need, but it represents a substantive change in how hardware and software will be handled in the future. If you sell or service technology, you and your customers will be well served utilizing VM.

Note: There are many companies that offer virtual machine technology, but two common versions are VMWare and Microsoft (Virtual PC or server-centric Hyper-V). There are plenty of resources available on the web that provide you with this information.  Also, Virtual PC and VMWare Server are available for free (you need only provide the operating systems you would like to install).

Attempting to stay ahead of the curve, I have recently started interviewing and exploring all my options just in case the unthinkable occurs at my current company. The following are a couple of tips straight from the trenches should you find your phone ringing @ 4:30 on a Friday. (See previous blog titled, Mergers, Acquisitions, Layoffs, OH MY!)

1) Job Boards are a joke

I am thoroughly convinced that all job boards are owned by either CareerBuilder or Monster. I am also convinced adult education universities co-op them. You can’t login once without having to hit the “No Thanks” button declining to submit an application to register for classes. What job boards are good at is giving you a false sense of productivity as you tirelessly scroll through job opportunities for Branch Manager (of K-Mart) and uploading your resume into cyberspace never to be heard from again.

2) The interviewing process is conducted by the potential employer AND potential candidate

For some reason the natural posture of the candidate is submission and that the company is the sole decision maker on this. However, you want to be interviewing them just as rigorously and determining if this is an organization worthy of your talents, and a place to hang your hat. If you think about it, we spend more time during the week with people we work with than our own family. I am not advocating arrogance - far from it. However, what I am recommending is maintaining an atmosphere of equality.

3) Listen to the podcast from Manager Tools pertaining to updating your resume.

They provide some excellent ideas on content and formatting that will be extremely enlightening. If you decide not to listen, be sure and put a band-aid on your clicking finger to avoid a blister, because you are going to be hitting the “No Thanks” button a lot.

4) Send a hand written thank you note to everyone you meet.

When was the last time you received a hand written anything? It takes 4 minutes to do it, fortifies a professional image and most importantly no one else does it.

5) Start interviewing before you leave/lose your job.

Augmenting #2, you want to couch the interviewing dynamic so that the potential employer is in the position to recruit you away from your current one. Otherwise, you will reek of commission-breath and desperation, making #2 more difficult than necessary.

6) It’s no different than cold calling for customers.

Just like prospecting, target the potential companies you want to work with, research the decision maker, pick up the phone and call them with scripting as simple as:

I am contemplating making a move from my current company, _____________, * and you are on my short list of companies I may want to work with. Got about 30 minutes this coming ________ to conceptually discuss a potential fit?

* make sure they are familiar with the company.

Like all my blog postings, treat them like a buffet, take what you like, leave what you don’t and always try something new. Did I miss any?

As the rules of business change, thinking must change as well. For us sales professionals, I believe antiquated thinking will only lead to frustration, unhappy clients and a dwarfed income. The purpose of my blogs is to provoke a deeper level of thought about achievement in business and to challenge the comfort zone in order to provide a new level of selling and lifestyle.

Max always welcomes questions and comments. Visit Max on LinkedIn.com

I am excited to announce I have joined the esteemed list of contributing authors at LouisGray.com. Louis runs a wonderful Weblog featuring articles about a wide variety of topics.

You can read the article, here (The World, The Web: Just That Much Smaller).

Louis has built a quality website around offering a platform to generate thoughts and extend conversations. I highly recommend you subscribe to his site, as you will be exposed to wonderful ideas and a host of up and coming authors.

A little about LouisGray.com:

Since 2006, LouisGray.com has been used as a platform to express my personal observations on the world of technology, the Web, and innovation. As a massive consumer of technology, living and participating in the heart of Silicon Valley, I have tried to deliver an unfiltered approach to the day’s trends and tools, one that opens eyes and is my viewpoint alone - not echoing what others have said, but instead, making people think - not just about what technology does today, but where it’s going.

Louis, thank you for the opportunity and I look forward to a continued relationship.

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.

Its Friday @ 4:30 just about the time the giddiness of the weekends starts to sprinkle into the minds of your co-workers, when your desk phone rings.

Hmmm…usually this is not a good sign its gotta be either the wife wanting to know what time you are going to be home or a customer wanting to make sure you are not going home until you resolve their problem.

But what’s this? It’s an intra-office call from your manager. You guess he is not calling you to wish you a good weekend nor calling to congratulate you on that deal you finally inked.

One ring…two rings…suck it up pick up the phone.

“Its another great day @ DCS how can I help you,” that last word hangs in the air hoping it will be chased away with a chuckle from your manager.

“Marco can you please come down to my office we need to talk.”

Last time I heard the “we need to talk” line was issued from my Dad back in 6^th grade when I raided the neighbor’s blackberry bushes. The walk down the hall feels like a walk through the valley of death.

“May you close the door” May you close the door? May you? If he is that nervous…

“I am going to talk for a few moments and I just want you to listen,” is how it starts; for the rest of the conversation I only see his lips move but can’t focus enough to hear what they are saying. Finally my trance is broken by a white envelope with a plastic window being slid across the desk.

Think it won’t happen to you? Think it can’t happen to you?

Think about a Plan B.

As the rules of business change, thinking must change as well. For us sales professionals, I believe antiquated thinking will only lead to frustration, unhappy clients and a dwarfed income. The purpose of my blogs is to provoke a deeper level of thought about achievement in business and to challenge the comfort zone in order to provide a new level of selling and lifestyle.

Max always welcomes questions and comments. Visit Max on LinkedIn.com

And four other questions I never seem to answer correctly.

Did you get my email?

Any one in particular?

Are you concerned my computer isn’t working?

Do you want to ask another? I think you mean two.

Hey Max, got a minute? [while knocking on an already open door]

Does it really matter? Just because its you, I got 5.

Did you hear back on that deal yet? [normally asked towards the end of the month]

Finally! I have been waiting for you to ask me before telling you.

Can I be perfectly honest with you?

Does this mean up until this point you were just making stuff up?

While you’re at it do me a favor and let me know if you decide to stop anytime soon.

Why break a habit?

Honorable Mention

[upon phoning someone, they pickup] I’m in a meeting right, can you call me back?

Me too, but its so boring, how’s yours so far?

As the rules of business change, thinking must change as well. For us sales professionals, I believe antiquated thinking will only lead to frustration, unhappy clients and a dwarfed income. The purpose of my blogs is to provoke a deeper level of thought about achievement in business and to challenge the comfort zone in order to provide a new level of selling and lifestyle.

Max Rosenthal is a manager with Diversified Business Solutions, headquarter in San Diego, California. He encourages your opinions and ideas and can be reached via e-mail or phone at 866-298-2737.

As the calendar moves over the half way mark and we start drafting the broad strokes of next year’s sales plan, rest assured that just as a copier clicks twice for ledger size paper, sales quotas will be higher. One way to increase sales is to generate scheduling more first appointments.

"But my sales people are already busy enough as it is, [This is complete head trash and a blog for another day, but let’s appease this disillusioned sales manager for now] how could they possibly squeeze more activities into their day?" the sales manager ponders.

Next the mining of the deleted items folder searching for the email from Appts-R-Us!! claiming:

• We set highly qualified business-to-business appointments !!

• Shorten the sales cycle in acquiring and retaining new customers !!

• Quick and easy set-up gets your sales people in front of legitimate decision makers fast !!

• See more sales-ready leads, higher close ratios, a stronger sales pipeline !!

“But didn’t we try this a couple of years ago and very few of the appointments turned into actual closed deals?” asks the VP of Sales hearing the pitch from the sales manager, “Yeah, but these guys offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee, if they don’t produce we’ll just fire’em.”

Well the quick and easy set up is a matter of opinion and the fast part is true if you are racing a guy in a wheelchair on the beach. After all the script writing drafts and other pre-set up preparations the last thing left on the list is convincing the sales staff that they are not losing 5% of their commission for every deal closed set by the telemarketing company but actually gaining 95%,

You give the first few appointments to the top rep to get things rolling and win over mind share. You ask her to present a status report and after you request it a second time you finally receive the following:

Appointment # 1

The prospect didn’t even know why I was there.

Appointment # 2

The guy I met with said that Facilities is in charge of the copier decisions.

Appointment # 3

The address was wrong; by the time I got to right place, the prospect had to go into another meeting.

Appointment # 4

They are happy with their current vendor.

She volunteers the following commentary - These appointments were a complete joke. What we are paying these guys its too much.

Read between the lines. Why is it when the telemarketing company schedules an appointment that does not move into the sales funnel the rep blames it on the incompetent telemarketing company? Now try this one on for size, what if the sale rep herself scheduled these exact same appointments and the outcome was the exact same?  Who does she blame now? Well, of course, its the incompetent prospect right?

Because who else could it possibly be?

As the rules of business change, thinking must change as well. For us sales professionals, I believe antiquated thinking will only lead to frustration, unhappy clients and a dwarfed income. The purpose of my blogs is to provoke a deeper level of thought about achievement in business and to challenge the comfort zone in order to provide a new level of selling and lifestyle.

Max Rosenthal is a manager with Diversified Business Solutions, headquarter in San Diego, California. He encourages your opinions and ideas and can be reached via e-mail or phone at 866-298-2737.

I am pleased to announce we have a new contributing author at ChangeForge, Max Rosenthal. Max is an analyst with Diversified Business Solutions, a BTA member company in San Diego, California. Diversified Business Solutions works with CFO’s of small- to medium-size businesses that are interested in accelerating the time to cash. He encourages your opinions and ideas and can be reached via e-mail or phone at 858.565.2737.

Max is a veteran of the industry, and has published articles in BTA’s Office Technology Magazine. Please read his first post, Are Your Solutions Sales Stalled? We’ve Been Expecting You.

For anyone that is interested in becoming a contributing author at ChangeForge, please feel free to contact me.

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.

Before we start, let’s agree to use the official version of The Copier Sales Dictionary definition of ‘solution’: 

so· lu· tion   /

[suh-loo-shuh n]

–noun

Anything you sell other than just copiers. My copier proposal was half the price and I still got crushed! They said that even though we have been their copier vendor for the last 10 years, going forward it was in their best interest to give their business to a more knowledgeable company that can provide more than just copy machines but actual solutions to their business objectives. 

—Related forms

so·lu·tion·al,

—Synonyms key, resolution.

At countless sales meetings you have stood in front of the sales force and extolled the virtues of selling solutions. You regurgitated words like “applying industry leading expertise to…”, “develop and deliver comprehensive, customer-focused…”, and other similar facades when explaining the importance of selling solutions.

You have read all the industry analyst reports complete with the pie charts and bar graphs of industry trends moving towards the solution sale. You tweaked the compensation plan with additional incentives when a solution sale is closed. When all of this did not provide the expected results, you designated some of the more tenured reps to focus solely on the solution sale and you bestowed the sacred title of “Specialist” on their new business card. But still, no sales.

Figuring it can’t be you, it’s got to be them, you looked outside the organization for the answer. Enter the sales trainers and the one-week boot camps.  This was successful.  Successful in taking your reps out of the field for a week and further losing momentum. You were then convinced that you just needed to find the right person and the right person did not exist in your company. Seeming like a good idea at the time, you hired that ex-IKON / ex-Xerox / or my personal favorite, ex-Kodak burnout retread, to carry the company flag. This surely will guarantee your solution sales.  But the only guarantee that occurred was the outrageous financial guarantee you contracted to pay this impaired fossil.  After all this effort your solutions sales have not increased. In fact, your overall sales are down from the year before because all the changes distracted the focus of the sales team.

The Stalled Solutions Sale

The actual reason for the stalled solution sales is very simple. Copier sales people have historically never had to create a compelling reason or unearth a compelling business reason for the customer to buy.

Prove it? Of the sales that were closed last year, the overwhelming majority were triggered by either a lease expiring, a lease close enough to buyout and keep the customers price about the same, a competitor’s proposal to your current customer, or the customer complaining about the copier and demanding a new one. We have relied on the lease expiration date and customer dissatisfaction to create the reason to buy.

Still disagree? You sure you’re not just in denial?  Answer this: What percentage of the sales last year involved upgrading a copier that was initially a cash purchase and was not leased?  I bet it is a very similar percentage of printer management sales closed last year. The idea is the same. The customer owns all the desktop printers. They are not on lease. There is no stated existence of a magical time when the customer is required to make a decision on the future of the printer fleet. They do not receive a monthly invoice summarizing all the associated costs and a reminder that the lease expires in three months.  The only reason a customer would choose to procure a printer management program is a compelling reason that bridges the gap to either move towards a more desirable state or move away from an undesirable one. Copier sales people do not have experience, skills, and many times the desire to build that bridge.

What about software document management programs? If your reps can not develop a compelling case for a customer to modify an existing process (how they currently buy desktop printers, service the printers and procure the associated consumables) why would it be difficult to understand why they cannot sell software document management programs? This type of program is an entirely new process for the customer. I cannot recall a single sales appointment when a prospect has said,

I am so glad you are here. You see Max, 5 out of the 10 people in the accounting department will be expiring in 6 months and I was hoping you had a combination of hardware, software, and professional services that could not only supplement their existing responsibilities but I was really hoping to accelerate the entire document workflow process in that department. Did you bring a brochure with you?

How can we fault the reps? Just because their skills on the miniature golf course have been up to par, we expect them to play golf.  Sure, both activities use putters, require keeping your head down, and use those stubby little pencils without erasers to record the score. Heck, even the 18^thhole is the same as it determines how soon you will play again: If you hit the ball through the blue fairy’s trap door you earn a free game compared to draining one from the cheap seats for an eagle. In either case you can’t wait to play again. We are placing unrealistic expectations, on the reps to embody the sophistication of orchestrating a solutions sales type transaction just because you said to do it. Dead man walking.

If you do not develop an alternative to honing the skill necessary,  the only chance you have of consistent solutions sales will be waiting for the phone to ring and listening to the exasperated caller complain that every time they walk up to their accounting department to submit an order, the department starts making funny squeaking sounds, begins streaking, and then turns red right before deciding to stop working completely.

Max Rosenthal is an analyst with Diversified Business Solutions, a BTA member company in San Diego, California. Diversified Business Solutions works with CFO’s of small- to medium-size businesses that are interested in accelerating the time to cash. He encourages your opinions and ideas and can be reached via e-mail or phone at 858.565.2737.

I am pleased to announce we have a new contributing author at ChangeForge, Strong One. I have had the pleasure of following Strong’s blog over the last several months, and he always makes me think and laugh.

Strong One is a Certified Athletic Trainer and a Registered Nurse who enjoys what life has to offer. His blogging is an attempt to make life more play than work… and not know the difference between the two. You can learn more about Strong and his blogging at To Be A Strong One.

Please take some time to read his first post, Do You Pay It Forward?.

For anyone that is interested in becoming a contributing author at ChangeForge, please feel free to contact me.

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.

Ask any owner or manager in the typical document imaging company and they will tell you that they spend enormous amount of time and money developing the concept of ‘solution selling’ within their sales teams.  From hired consultants to expensive courseware, they look for ways to change the make up of their sales staff from the stereotypical used-car salesperson (like Herb Tarlek on WKRP in Cincinnati), to a consultative sales professional.  This is the second in a 2-part series about how you can develop solution selling prospecting skills within your organization.

In the first part of this series, we developed a list of targeted accounts by reducing the total population of businesses in our area down to a select few.  We did this by looking for companies that have the need for a solution sale and receptive to the concept.  It is also essential that during this process you are willing to say no to companies that do not see value in you as a sales person, and are only interested in competing on price.  Finally, the process of reducing the total number of prospects we targeted did change the type of prospects we were working to win.

Part 2 - Create Trust Relationships

In part 2, we are going to go beyond the selection of the prospect to the actual prospecting of the account.  As you distill your list of targeted accounts you should be working to develop relationships within these organizations.  The operative word in this area of prospecting is relationship, because the level of relationship within your accounts is a determining factor in how successful you are in completing a solution sale.  Approach prospects as if, without warning, you were selected by NASA to fly the space shuttle after a 1-hour training course.  If this happened, you would listen intently and then ask a lot of questions, and take detailed notes.  You would also spend every moment of your time with that person thinking up new questions to ask so as to cover all possible outcomes.  When you do this in a customer meeting, you will create what is known as a Trust Relationship with your contacts.

Trust Relationships are nothing more than a connection with your contact that is based on mutual trust.  While personal relationships with contacts can come in all forms, Trust Relationships are much more clearly defined.  For instance, maybe you have a personal connection with your customer in that you both play golf or both like the same sports team.  These types of connections are good if they happen naturally.  However, a Trust Relationship is completely independent of this personal connection.  Some argue that you can’t have a Trust Relationship without the personal connection.  In other words, if the customer doesn’t like you they won’t buy from you.  While it is true that people will sometimes buy from people they like, more often they will buy from someone they trust, and you don’t have to be friends in order for them to trust that you are the best person to advise them about their document output strategy.

A Trust Relationship requires four ingredients: time, honesty, attention to detail, and follow through.  All of these ingredients are controlled by the sales person, and all are the foundation for the consultative process moving forward.  If any one of these items is missing you are almost assured that the sales process will break down.  Alternatively, if you develop these aspects within your customer relationships, they will come to see you as the subject-matter expert, and rely on your expertise to make decisions about how they should handle their document imaging systems.  In effect, you become their go-to person for all questions relating to document management - they trust you.

Another aspect of the Trust Relationship is that you will discover problems the customer has in managing their document output devices, as well as their entire document workflow.  From simple billing or service issues to larger systemic dysfunction you will see or hear much of the internal workings of the organization from your primary contact.  This is your opportunity to learn about the pains the customer has, and over time, how to heal them.  Your efforts will eventually lead you to act as a consultant within the customer’s organization, rewarding you with sales and profit and providing the customer with a resource upon which they can depend.

Summary

Prospecting is the most important aspect to the solution sale.  Why?  As detailed in this series, who you are prospecting will determine what the sales cycle, revenue, and gross profit you will achieve.  So begin the process by eliminating the ‘Shady Hills Rest Home’ from your list of targeted accounts.  Instead, focus your efforts on accounts that will value you for your knowledge and expertise.  Then begin to create Trust Relationships with these accounts.  Over time, you can display to them your honesty, attention to detail, and follow through in managing the customer-vendor relationship.  Finally, when the opportunity comes to compete for their business, they will call on you to act as a consultant to their business.  They will view you as a solution to their problems.

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.