In all copier sales departments across the country and yes, even in Australia, there is not a week that goes by when you don’t you hear this: “Nothing happens until a sale is made.” Yes, sales is the life-blood of any organization, but I submit to you the following…
“Absolutely nothing happens in these modern business times until a prospect says: ‘Show me how you can help’”
How are copier sales reps looking to help prospects these days? As a recovering copier rep, I know how tough it is to prospect for net-new business. So, this got me thinking and I reached out to a good ol’ buddy of mine, Johnny Lee. Over a nice, cold, frosty beer, Johnny simply stated, “Copier reps are looking for prospects in all the wrong places.”
Ask any copier sales rep their strategic plan for prospecting in order to develop new business and listen for stone cold silence. Strategic and well-planned-out business development has become a lost art within the copier channel.
I get it. I know how hard it is these days to prospect as a copier rep. Most of these challenges in prospecting are due to the fact our prospects conduct a tremendous amount of education online prior to wanting to talk to sales reps.
By no means is prospecting dead! It is a critical aspect of the copier reps sales process. Ask most successful copier reps who consistently nail their quota and they will tell you hitting quota starts by consistently and deliberately putting new viable prospects into their sales funnel.
“Prospecting is a job that is never ending as a copier sales rep!”
The question to be answered: “Why do so many copier reps struggle to uncover net-new business opportunities?”
One huge reason… copier sales reps have grown accustomed to flipping their customer base. So, as the lease cycle goes we all must face reality, a true sales professional creates a balancing act of nurturing their current clients while adding new clients to their sales family.
It boils down to this: let’s modernize and integrate new school methodology into prospecting for new business. Prospecting is the key vehicle to all healthy sales funnels. It is 2016 not 1996. The following coaching approaches to business development see diminishing returns to one’s mental investment and stability:
- Prospecting is a pure numbers game. Don’t worry, be happy!
- It’s all about cold calling complete strangers to set an appointment to talk about how you and your company can help them
Learn to appreciate rejection as it only hurts for a bit - Get out there, pound the pavement, turn over some rocks and make it happen
- Dial for dollars, don’t worry you don’t need a script just wing it while using your charm to secure appointments
- Making it all about you
- You won’t make any money sitting on your butt in the office. Go out and make some more cold calls
Prospecting in 2016 is about adding new school methodology and mixing it up with the foundations of old school methodologies. Package prospecting into the business blender as the recipe is quite simple… phone, email, networking events, chamber events, social business development (new aged prospecting), no sugar coating needed.
With the help of my buddy, Johnny Lee, let’s start looking for prospects in all the right places! Integrate new school business development methodology into your sales process.
9 New School Approaches To Help Copier Sales Reps Prospect In All The Right Places
1. Create target lists of companies within your territory. Integrate modern sales tools such as Twitter, Google News and LinkedIn to conduct research determining appropriate contacts.
2. Follow these targeted companies and contacts. Leverage Twitter, Google News and LinkedIn to learn as much as you can about your prospects.
3. Connect with them on LinkedIn via sending a personalized invitation.
4. Nurture and build the relationship through educational content. Become an engagement magnet earning the right to have a conversation with them.
5. Listen for potential prospects starting their buying journey. Be on the look-out for information they post within their social outlets.
6. Engage potential prospects with their interests.
7. Turn these online conversations into face to face meetings by building your credibility, value and trust worthiness.
8. Help potential prospects through buying process. Make the journey about helping them solve their business problems or challenges.
9. Get socially connected to and ask your current clients for help. Have them introduce you to their network of friends.
It is hard to keep a consistent sales pipeline without a proactive, modern method of prospecting. Furthermore, without a healthy relationship funnel how can you as a copier rep keep a consistent sales funnel? Stop trying to sell first and then build the relationship.
What does this mean? It means as sales reps we must adapt, adopt and be open to change. You are the face of the dealership as well as in the eyes of your prospects and clients. The experience you provide as copier rep is mission critical. Therefore, without building your “relationship capital” with your prospects and clients then how can you keep a consistent, well flowing sales funnel?
Remember what you do as copier rep today plays an important part in your success months down the road. Embrace change and quit chasing the 30/60/90 sales funnel.
Copier sales reps, remember Johnny Lee when looking for prospects in all the right places.
