Kansas City, MO — In response to a recent survey regarding the association’s educational offerings, the Business Technology Association (BTA; www.bta.org) and Growth Achievement Partners (GAP; www.growthachievementpartners.com) have joined forces to offer the BTA Strategic Sales Semester (www.bta.org/StrategicSales). Beginning Jan. 23, 2017, this new web-based educational offering, taught by Mitch Morgan and Chris Ryne of GAP, will walk attendees though the Strategic Methodology Framework (SMF) — a step-by-step sales process designed for the office technology industry that contemplates transactional and strategic sales.
This new program addresses the reality that selling in the office technology industry is shifting from transactional to strategic. Transactional sales are characterized by an equipment focus, selling a payment, replacement of the base and mid-level buyers. Strategic sales require probing for pain, aligning solutions to a prospect’s business goals, determining and getting to the right level in the organization, and justifying incremental spend. Determining which accounts and opportunities require a transactional approach and which require a strategic approach is a skill that is now required to be successful today and into the future. Do all of your sales reps have the skills necessary to excel in today’s market? If not, this program will teach them the skills they need.
The training program consists of 13 online sessions over a six-month period. The sessions, which will be 45 to 60 minutes in length and geared to specific parts of the sales process, include opportunities for polls and interactive Q&A. Each module includes skill-building exercises and field-based activities reps will be asked to complete. The first session will be a pre-workshop session with the dealership’s sales leaders that will educate them on the content, concepts and flow of the class.
The program will also include collaboration through Yammer, an enterprise social network; sales manager materials; monthly open-forum sessions; an initial assessment; ongoing evaluations; and an app that will allow participants to listen to training anytime, anywhere, and repeat sessions or establish a library for future use. GAP will also be available to do on-site classes when needed, whether to kick off the program or to get a deeper dive into strategic concepts and skill building.
Morgan, a partner at GAP, founded the Connectivity Dealer Program at NIA in 1991. After his business was acquired by IKON Office Solutions in 1996, he led its Technology Services division. In 2001, he formed the Professional Services division for IKON. Morgan has been consulting with CEOs on strategy, operations, organizational development and sales since 2005.
Ryne, also a partner at GAP, brings significant experience in driving growth and profitability, possessing a comprehensive understanding of the industry that includes traditional and emerging markets from both a sales and operations perspective. His tenure includes 10 years with IKON, where he built and led a successful professional services business unit from startup to a well-integrated team.
BTA member tuition for the BTA Strategic Sales Semester is $250 per session for up to 10 participants from each attending dealership. BTA members may apply their $150 educational discount received with their membership toward this workshop. If selected upon checkout, BTA will apply the discount to the cost of the 13th session or the full amount paid upfront. Non-member tuition is $680 for the first session and $250 for each of the remaining 12 sessions, and includes up to 10 participants and a one-year BTA dealer membership.
For more information or to register for the BTA Strategic Sales Semester, visit http://www.bta.org/StrategicSales or call (800) 843-5059.
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About the Business Technology Association:
Founded in 1926, the Business Technology Association serves office technology dealerships, resellers, manufacturers, distributors and service companies. Its core members — office technology dealerships — consult, sell and service hardware, software and supplies with the goal of helping businesses maximize their investment in devices and technology. Through the association’s various educational programs, information, research, legal services, publications and guidance, BTA member dealerships are positioned to be the premier source of the office technology used by businesses throughout the United States every day. For more information on BTA, visit its Web site at www.bta.org or call (800) 505-2821.
