Sales momentum is as much psychological as it is quantifiable. If an account representative has confidence, even if it’s a tad unwarranted, the upshot is a positive and aggressive push from quarter to quarter. We live in a world where perception is essentially reality, hard numbers be damned!
We’re approaching the end-of-year period where sales VPs generally fall into two schools of thought: it’s either a) a terrible time for selling or b) an opportune time to do business. Add to that a third group that has already hit their number and are easing into cruise control for December. But what happens in the next month can go a long way toward connecting on the year-to-date goal, and providing true momentum as 2025 plans are unfurled.
As we close out the State of the Industry report on sales, we asked our dealer panel to ponder the variables that will help cap off 2024 in fine fashion.
At Levifi, a well-stocked warehouse and strong promotional pricing for account reps to leverage has been a driving force in its 10% year-over-year growth in imaging. The Charleston, South Carolina, dealership is also making a concerted Q4 effort to swap out Xerox 7800 MIF, as the manufacturer announced it would no longer support the series come Jan. 1, notes Lance Redler, Levifi’s CRO.
“There’s a giant push to get every one of those out of the field, which in itself will provide natural growth,” Redler said. “I’m thinking we should win 90% of them, and the rest will keep those machines until they die.
“Our prospect base for the fourth quarter is probably twice as much as normal. So we’re looking forward to finishing 2024 really strong.”
Consultative Posture
With such a diverse vertical profile that includes nonprofits, education, legal, professional services and health care, LDI Connect sees an abundance of growth opportunities within its customer base, notes Jay Feldman, senior vice president, client management and strategy. The Jericho, New York, dealer seeks to expand on its consultative approach and capitalize on its assets, from marketing and the CRM to using AI, to spread the message to clients and prospects.
“We’re continuing to invest in sales training, improving across functional collaboration between sales and marketing, service and support, and leveraging those technologies to optimize the sales process,” he said. “The better we can be at our process, the better we can continue to strengthen our go-to-market strategies and develop new business opportunities, and go deeper and wider with our current base.”
Josh Salkin, a partner with EDGE Business Systems in suburban Atlanta, notes the company has done much to assist their mailing clients with IMI certification. He believes some notable trends will continue to garner momentum in 2025.
“Production continues to be a big growth area and software products lead our value proposition,” Salkin said.
There’s a lot to be said for gaining a bigger portion of the client pie, notes Sam Stone, president of Stone’s Office Equipment in Richmond, Virginia. Maintaining a constant focus will enable account reps to be on the lookout for opportunities.
“In our weekly meetings (and throughout the week) we keep emphasizing going deeper with current clients,” Stone said. “If they have a copier, look for printers. If they have copiers and printers, look for display boards or scanners.”
Floor It!
A Q4 sales contest will enable Applied Business Concepts to finish 2024 with a flurry. Scott Bonck, vice president of sales, feels that momentum will carry over into the new year.
“We want to start fast and not look back—all gas, no brakes,” he said. “The net-new business is what’s going drive us forward and to get us where we want to be.”
The momentum at Repeat Business Systems continued following a highly successful Q3. President Dawn Abbuhl is confident in the business plan they’ve crafted, and its looking like Q4 may be even more fruitful.
“I think we’re going to finish strong,” she said. “I’m excited to see how the new plan is going to work for 2025.”
