At the heart of the sales and marketing approach in all walks of business is the fundamental core that dictates relationship building is the ultimate key in developing new business or expanding deeper into existing accounts. After all, a prospective client is confronted with an endless list of possible suppliers from which to obtain products and services, and those suppliers seek to differentiate themselves via any number of attributes, from lowest price to quality service and support.
From the office technology dealership’s perspective, the past 15 years in particular have produced an explosion of commerce opportunities for those firms who have successfully embraced the digital age and 21st century sales and marketing tactics. Time-tested strategies such as cold calling and pounding the street have been supplemented by internet marketing, search engine optimized websites and social media platforms designed to augment and tell the story of a dealership’s value proposition. But for all their newness, the success of modern sales and marketing initiatives still depends on the ability to cultivate relationships.
Chris Williams,
All Copy Products
Denver-based All Copy Products provides a wide variety of MFPs, printers, wide format machines and document management to go with a host of services, including MPS and Verticomm, its IT division. All Copy Products has taken an office technology approach to market, according to Chris Williams, director of marketing.
Lead generation for All Copy Products is garnered through pay-per-click (PPC) ads and SEO. The use of an ads specialist, John Grahm, has helped the dealer dominate the Denver market, in addition to a call center and content syndication to generate leads. A reboot of the company’s website and a more granular SEO approach has bolstered search results and leads considerably.
“We put a huge emphasis on having sales and marketing aligned with the same goals we’re trying to achieve,” Williams said. “We had extensive training for all the sales reps and managers. We have guidelines in place for how sales people interact with marketing, our leads we bring them, the things we look for and hold them to a standard to make sure we get the most out of everything we do. I think that internal structure is really one of the tools that makes us so successful.”
We put a huge emphasis on having sales and marketing aligned with the same goals we’re trying to achieve.
Chris Williams, All Copy Products
Leveraging Search Trends
While cold calling is still a vital element in All Copy Products’ sales approach, direct mail has taken a back seat. The dealer marries flyers and other marketing literature with its invoices, but the days of stand-alone direct mail campaigns are over, as they were not receiving adequate ROI with this technique, according to Williams. The analytics gleaned from SEO and paid ads have been particularly valuable, as All Copy Products can note search trends for the days and times that visitors are searching for specific items and clicking on certain pages.
“When people are searching for Konica Minolta products from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesdays, we pass that information to the sales reps when they’re doing cold calling,” Williams noted. “Since we started to implement that data, which we’ve gathered through our paid ads, we’ve seen a rise in actually getting appointments set up and in reps reaching people the first time on calls based on that info.”
Williams researched hundreds of dealer websites when redesigning All Copy Products’ site and found many of them looked like 1990s era pages—images with a single paragraph below, lacking content or calls to action. The previous All Copy Products site was similar, and it also contained more than 1,300 SEO errors, many related to duplicate content. The site is now rich in content, with proper meta descriptions and title tags. Just six months after the redesign, All Copy Products’ site ballooned from 300 to 900 key ranking terms for searches, with more than 80 in the top 20. Bounce rates have fallen 30 percent as well.
“With the use of having calls to action in the right spots and taking a look at heat maps and analytics to see what we can do to keep increasing those conversions, it’s what made our site a lot better,” he said. “The data never lies; we’re always looking at data to see what we can do to increase engagement and get solid analytics that we can use to increase conversions.”
Heather Davis, TGI
TGI Office Automation of Brooklyn, NY, is a family-owned dealership that specializes in helping clients with customized workflows to improve their business. The dealer recently underwent a major rebranding initiative to unify its message, with newly-crafted brochures, flyers, business cards and other materials, notes Heather Davis, marketing coordinator. At the same time, they re-educated sales representatives on a more focused approach to telling the TGI story to clients and prospects.
TGI has enjoyed much success with the Click Dimensions email marketing tool to support its drip marketing campaigns, and the dealer can specifically tailor its email messages based on customer/client parameters. Through customer data, TGI can offer a solution to either centralize a client’s printing or engage it in an MPS program.
“Based on the subject matter that the rep may cover during their initial meeting, we can enhance that information by utilizing Click Dimension and keeping track of what we’ve sent them or what we may need to send,” added Vincent Colaianni, director of sales development. “It’s been a real benefit to us.”
Supporting the Digital Message
Colaianni points out that traditional sales and marketing tools, along with advertising touch points (billboards, stadium advertising and mass transit posters) are effective in getting its digital message noticed. The dealer has evolved its website to maintain a consistent message, added a service dashboard, and provided a wealth of information through blogs and its press page to keep customers abreast of the latest business trends.
Vincent Colaianni, TGI
“The articles have been helpful because we’re speaking in terminology that people are searching for,” Davis added. “That helps to boost our organic search results. There’s always improvements that we can make, different campaigns where we can spend more on Google AdWords. But the organic search has been such a helpful improvement and we’re focusing on that right now.”
Social media engagement has helped drive traffic for TGI, which uses Facebook for more personal interaction, such as the charity work it performs with its nonprofit clients. Sales reps use LinkedIn to help grow their network of connections, which has been essential in getting referrals, appointments and introductions.
Based on the subject matter that the rep may cover during their initial meeting, we can enhance that information by utilizing Click Dimension and keeping track of what we’ve sent them or what we may need to send.
Vincent Colaianni, TGI
TGI will be focusing future efforts on building its base of videos. A corporate video where CEO Frank Grasso told the story of TGI generated quite a bit of traffic, according to Davis, and the company will be producing short-form productions that will resonate with their target customers. The message will be solutions-oriented and customized for different business verticals and departments.
“We’re keeping abreast of the trends and technology in customizing our offering to suit the needs of the customer,” she said. “We will invest more in advertising and SEO, along with putting more efforts toward social media and increased content.”
Brandy Meyer, Quality Digital Office Technology
Quality Digital Office Technology of York, PA, targets the South Central Pennsylvania market with a focus on three business segments: office furniture, computer networking and office copiers. Its strength in building new business is reliant upon its customer relationship management (CRM) program. The dealer strongly believes in the personalized approach, sending out hand-written thank you notes following all touch points (appointments, demos, orders) with clients and attending local events.
“We went to see a client’s CEO speak at an event to learn more about them,” said Brandy Meyer, vice president of business development. “We congratulate customers whenever they have a win in their industry. People appreciate that you take the time to do that sort of thing. It puts you in the forefront of their mind, which can be a benefit down the road.”
Leaving a Lasting Impression
Cold calling has become an art form of sorts in the 21st century for Quality Digital Office Technology. The dealer finds email correspondence to be ineffective as a prospecting tool, given how quickly inboxes become inundated with queries. On office visits, Quality’s reps seek to be quick and efficient, and they bring treats such as donuts or mints which include marketing messages. What can make it particularly challenging is dealing with prospects that don’t have receptionists—just a phone and employee directory—making online, pre-visit research on decision makers all the more vital.
The dealer updated its website in recent years to incorporate more photos and videos, along with content features, including a “Q-Tip” blog, all geared toward providing clients with helpful information, not just an infomercial for the dealer. A blooper video compilation has proven to be popular with visitors.
“We’re in the people business and we want to engage that customer one on one,” Meyer said. “We want to let them know about what we do, but ultimately we want them to either fill out the online form, pick up the phone or email us so that we can make it more personal. That is where you get to really connect with the client.”
Quality Digital Office Technology has a structured social media approach with a daily, themed post, such as Two-Fact Tuesday dealer info. One of its more popular features was its Day in the Life Of series, which highlighted each employee and provided insights on his or her life, complete with photos and family information. Putting a face and a story to the company has integrated the dealer to its customers.
Consolidated Copier Services of McDonough, GA, sells Konica Minolta, Xerox and KIP machines, and services nearly all makes and models. They also offer a host of solutions to the local market, taking a vertical approach that focuses on segments such as legal, medical and accounting. Telemarketing and drop-by appointments account for Consolidated Copier Services’ traditional approach, and the dealership relies on business events including Chamber of Commerce functions, leadership clubs (Kiwanis, Rotary) and sponsored events such as golf tournaments to raise its visibility.
Jordan Roberts,
Consolidated Copier Services
The dealer did a website refresh in 2016 to provide more granular information—such as leasing ethics and instructional literature on finding the right copier and service programs—along with tips for purchasing online, notes Jordan Roberts, marketing director. Consolidated Copier Services also lists a comprehensive catalog of all its products and services, which Roberts feels is a point of differentiation.
Using Google AdWords and SEO has increased website visitors 80 percent since last March, which has increased the dealer’s share of web leads and conversions. Organic local area searches put Consolidated Copier Services on the first page 100 percent of the time, often as the first or second result.
Recently, someone filled out a web form and the rep reached out to them in less than an hour. It’s very quick and efficient for the reps to prepare when they make sales calls.
Jordan Roberts, Consolidated Copier Services
“We’ve seen a huge increase in our web leads. Our online forms visitors fill out let us know where they’re located and any specifics that they’re seeking,” Roberts said. “Recently, someone filled out a web form and the rep reached out to them in less than an hour. It’s very quick and efficient for the reps to prepare when they make sales calls, whether the customer is looking to lease or rent a copier.”
Predictive Analytics
Analytics have provided information for Consolidated Copier Services that helps it formulate its sales attack. For example, Wednesdays and Thursdays in the 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. hours tend to yield the heaviest traffic. Google AdWords allows the dealer to schedule its searches for certain times and days to gain the most value from its advertising dollar, and the company is constantly poring over the AdWords reports to gain more traction, which has led to improved conversions.
While LinkedIn is the go-to social platform for sales reps, Consolidated Copier Services has enjoyed more success with Facebook, which has generated a huge increase in visitors to the corporate site. Here, too, the reps play a pivotal role in sharing the dealer’s posts. The dealership also introduced Tuesday’s Tip on YouTube, a short clip that provides customers with helpful office technology suggestions.
Reps gain more exposure through the use of video as well. Roberts related how one new rep filmed a short clip in advance of his appearance at a Chamber of Commerce function. Between his LinkedIn profile and joining the COC and other civic organizations, the rep has grown his network to an impressive degree.
Sam Burtnick,
Nauticon Office Solutions
Nauticon Office Solutions of Gaithersburg, MD, has served the greater Washington, DC, area for 20 years as an authorized Toshiba and Xerox dealer of copiers, MFPs and fax machines. According to Sam Burtnick, vice president of major accounts, the dealership’s comprehensive sales training program is adept at developing “hunters” on how to win new business. Nauticon employs a mock sales cycle that tracks progress from initial call to close. Vertical market training has been especially beneficial. As a result, the company has reaped more than 36 percent new business this year.
Phone prospecting, door knocking and direct mail remain the bread-and-butter methods for Nauticon’s marketing endeavors. Other initiatives act in a supporting role, according to Burtnick, including social media and multimedia.
Analytics provide us with the necessary tools to deliver the right message to our targeted demographic.
Sam Burtnick, Nauticon Office Solutions
“In addition to information pertaining to the products we offer, our website features several video categories such as client testimonials, how-to and product overviews,” he said. “Businesses that are changing vendors need to know that they can trust us. Our social sites share testimonials and experiences from current customers along with accolades we have received from industry experts.”
Blogging has been a significant value-add to Nauticon’s SEO endeavors. The dealer analyzes the most frequently searched topics, then provides blogs that speak to that interest, which has provided a high influx of new visitors each month.
Sandy Faber, Eakes
“Analytics provide us with the necessary tools to deliver the right message to our targeted demographic,” Burtnick remarked. “Tracking codes embedded in our site provide us with the user’s interests, location and age range.”
Eakes Office Solutions of Grand Island, NE, specializes in office supplies, copiers and printers, and office furniture and design. It offers manufacturer products including Sharp and HP. According to Sandy Faber, corporate marketing manager, Eakes’ sales team uses customizable proposal templates for all the segments it serves. Reps can provide information packets to prospects in hard copy or in an electronic form that contains links to customer testimonials, case studies and videos.
Cold Call Support
As Faber feels most reps struggle with cold calling, Eakes partners with an outside firm that is well-versed in the dealer’s markets to provide leads and set up appointments with potential clients in developing markets. “This is the best way to keep a group of potential clients in the sales funnel; this type of support gets us where we need to be sooner,” she said.
One of the best changes Eakes made to its website was to make it more device responsive for PC, laptop, tablet or cell phone use, according to Faber. Naturally, providing useful content in the form of blogs, videos, testimonials and case studies has supplemented their efforts.
Eakes’ website is optimized to attract local and regional customers. It uses Google AdWords to aid its SEO in developing markets, and the dealer reviews its analytics on a weekly basis, tweaking word searches where necessary.
In terms of social media engagement, Eakes primarily uses the platforms to aid in its employment and recruitment initiatives. It allows the dealership to reach out to people on a more personal level.
“We can show some of the fun things we do together at Eakes and that provides a better picture of who we are than you might see through the interview process,” Faber noted. “This could be as simple as a food day—we are a bunch of foodies—or as compassionate as providing dinner for the local homeless shelter while their kitchen is being remodeled.”
The Social Network
Adam Gregory,
Advanced Business Solutions
Networking is a key sales and marketing approach for Advanced Business Solutions of Jacksonville, FL, which provides printing systems from manufacturers including OKI, Xerox and Canon to go with a managed services platform to address the needs of customers in Florida and Georgia. According to owner Adam Gregory, the dealership previously focused on traditional networking opportunities but has found more success in leveraging social media.
“Traditional marketing definitely has its place; however, the old ways no longer work without the addition of modern marketing,” Gregory said. “For example, cold calls can be turned into a warm call simply by looking at your prospect’s LinkedIn profile first. Better yet, spend a week or so engaging with that prospect on LinkedIn before you ever make the call.
“Print advertising has to be laser focused. An ad in a trade publication is good. We are finding that sharing that same ad in a news blog, then linking it to Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram is way more effective.”
Advanced Business Solutions recently hired a marketing consultant to takes over its online marketing and branding. The dealer is in the early stages of rebuilding its website to incorporate how-to tips and more customer-centric information to foster more clicks. They are also in the process of integrating social media directly onto its page. A direct chat function is also in the works.
Traditional marketing definitely has its place; however, the old ways no longer work without the addition of modern marketing.
Adam Gregory, Advanced Business Solutions
Gregory admits that social media was a secondary marketing platform for Advanced Business Solutions until recently. It is now a vital cog for increasing brand recognition and building customer engagement.
“As a B2B dealer, our priority is LinkedIn,” Gregory said. “We focused more on the personal branding of the company’s owner over the actual company branding, building engagement and positioning ourselves as a leader in the industry. We are also using Facebook, Instagram and Twitter in order to wrap our customers and prospects in our entire social media marketing presence. This allows us to primarily build social proof. When today’s customers are looking into a business for the first time, they are now looking to see if that business is active on social media. They may not engage with us or even follow us, but they are recognizing us and that is what we are after.”
