At a recent sales manager executive training meeting, I asked the question, “Are your reps calling on the executive level decision maker?” The hands ceremoniously shot up in compliance. I then rhetorically asked, “Who do you think you are fooling?”

We have been down this familiar path too many times before. At the most fundamental level we all know that we need to present first to the decision maker. The decision maker must initially see the potential of our services being a fit. And now through the power of clairvoyance, I am betting that little voice in your head is whispering something like:

• “Normally I would agree but he does not know our marketplace in X state.”
• “It is IT that makes the decision on the solution we offer.”
• “The way we do it is to start at the ground level and then work up the ladder to the decision maker. That way we have developed our case ahead of time.”
• “Well, my tenured reps do, but I have a bunch of newbies who do not have that type of experience yet.”
• “You know, everyone still thinks of us as just a copier company. Our contacts will not like it if we go over their heads to the CFO.”
• “The CFO is not interested” or “The CFO delegates these types of things to the to decide and merely rubber stamps it.”

The following two analogies help to clarify my position:

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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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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 a 2-part series about how you can develop solution selling prospecting skills within your organization.

Before we get into the details, you should realize upfront that the value of solution selling does not discount the validity of other strategies.  Similarly, do not subscribe to the ideal that solution selling is the only way to be successful in the document output industry.  Rather, you should value solution selling because it is a defined process that can be duplicated by virtually any salesperson, new or experienced, to achieve results.  By definition, as a process it can be implemented across all levels of a sales organization and utilized by management as a tool to measure results, leading ultimately to a more professional, polished, and customer-driven sales organization.

Part 1 - Selective Targeting

Above all else, the process for prospecting is the most important aspect of a solution sale.  Who you prospect, and the manner in which you do it, will determine what the sales cycle, revenue total, and profit will be possible in an account.  This is an area of sales skill that is often talked about, but rarely taught.  It is a bit like golfers who go to the range every day to practice hitting with their driver, yet only practice putting occasionally.  The hardest shots aren’t the long drives where you have an open field in which to play, but the short chip shots, where you have to have pin-point accuracy in order to sink the ball.

One of the reasons for this is that most golfers approach the game like it is played, from the tee to the hole.  In many respects they should do the opposite.  View the game backwards, from the hole to the tee, in order to have better results.  Similarly, sales people should focus the majority of their efforts on prospecting, and targeting the right accounts, rather than spending time on the close.  If you prospect the wrong accounts or start the sales process with the wrong approach, you will predetermine the value the customer places on you and your service even before the sale process has begun.  Consider again Herb Tarlek from WKRP in Cincinnati, and his list of customers.  Companies like “Shady Hills Rest Home and Gone With the Wind Estates” don’t inspire visions of great businesses that are looking for a valued, trusted partnership.

Above all else, the process for prospecting is the most important aspect of a solution sale.  Who you prospect, and the manner in which you do it, will determine what the sales cycle, revenue total, and profit will be possible in an account.

Spend time to research the organizations you seek to do business with, and then develop a strategy to compete for their business.  The more you know about your prospects, the better you are able to communicate with them  on a level that they will understand and appreciate.  Use the customer’s website, scour news articles, look for industry associations, and then consider their competitors.  Depending on the company size, look at competitors or similar organizations in other cities, and then relate this research to the customer during your conversations.

In researching accounts, you have to be willing to reject customers and be very selective in the companies you decide to target.  We have all heard that adage that, “sales is a numbers game”, and that is still very true in solution selling.  This is why it is especially important that during your selection process you weed out the companies that will be price-focused or not value a consultative approach.  Because the consultative approach to selling is a time consuming process, you can’t afford to waste time on accounts that will ultimately decide on factors out of your control, such as price or product features.

In the same respect, many sales people make the mistake that after doing the work to weed through their prospect lists, they can reduce their activity (cold calls, mailers, telemarketing, etc.) because they have a refined list of potential clients.  The reality: sales is, and always will be, a ‘numbers game’ that is subject to the law of averages.  The more people you see, the greater potential for sales.  The selection process is hard work, but it does not mean that you can reduce your typical daily sales activities.

Further, as you select and target accounts, it is essential that you have a system to organize this information over time.  Given the use of long-term contracts in the industry, it is a matter of survival to track the timing of contracts, important morsels of information about the customer, and key data about your contacts.  (The system for organizing this information is outside the scope of this series, but will be the subject of future articles).  Having a system in place not only will help to develop the prospect into a customer, but also for sales management to measure the effectiveness of their sales staff.  Likewise, as you begin to develop relationships with your prospects, and then consult with them on their needs, the system you use to organize your data will be essential to your success.

Stay tuned for the second part in this series and learn how to create trust with your prospects - July 15.

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.