August 2009 Office Technology

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CONTENTS Volume 16 No. 2 G

FEATURE ARTICLES 10

‘Committed to Your Success’ Toshiba hosts July 14-17 & 27-29 regional summits

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The Ideal Service Team It can be attained by addressing weaknesses

by Brent Hoskins Office Technology Magazine

With the goal of facilitating more personal interaction, Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc. dispensed with its traditional national dealer meeting this year, instead hosting smaller regional summits.

by Brent Hoskins Office Technology Magazine

There is no doubt. The office technology dealership would not exist without its sales department. However, in terms of profitability, viability in the marketplace and as a significant contributor to ensuring customer retention, there is another dominant player in the dealership that is critical for ongoing success. How could any dealership thrive and grow without its service department?

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COURTS & CAPITOLS Is Your Business in a Twitter?

Update your electronic communication policies

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by Robert C. Goldberg BTA General Counsel

Open Communication Create a successful dealer/ manufacturer relationship

The business world is constantly changing and we need to do so as well. Failure to embrace new technologies will result in employees and businesses passing you by. Applications and networking sites are all the current rage.

by Ray Belanger Bay Copy

One of the many challenges inherent to the office technology industry is the relationship between dealers and the vendors or manufacturers who supply product. Over the years we have gone from being customers to partners and sometimes even to being competitors. While all parties have the same goal of success in mind, the approach to ultimate achievement can differ. But by maintaining open lines of communication — even with differences — a more symbiotic association can be in the offing.

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SELLING SOLUTIONS ‘The Catch’ 28 Selling behaviors determine performance levels

by Arnie Valenzuela Sharp Electronics Corp.

What makes a top performer and why do some who possess more talent fail so miserably? It is all about their behavior. What about your sales staff members? How do you know if they possess the same potential to become top performers?

Will MPS Save the Industry?

No matter the answer, you need a plan

by Jim Kahrs PPMC Inc.

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last couple of years, you have no doubt heard of managed print services (MPS).

Many are touting MPS as the future of the industry, saying, “If you do not get on board quickly, you will perish.” That may be, but we have heard this before. Not long ago we were talking about the paperless office.

Though that, too, may be coming, it is not here yet. So, will MPS save the industry? In my humble opinion, the answer is “no.”

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DEPARTMENTS Business Technology Association

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BTA Highlights

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Executive Director’s Page

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BTA President’s Message

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Advertiser Index

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S PAGE

BTA Members Praise Education Programs ave you attended any of th e Business Technolog y Asso ciation’s various classroom educational courses? Certainly, many of your fellow members have done so. They have provided many positive comments on the quality of BTA’s education line-up. Following is a sampling of some of the comments received, along with the date and location of the next course offering.

BTA MPS Sales Workshop ( formerly the BTA Print Management Workshop) — Sept. 14-15, Las Vegas: “This workshop was right on with details and specifics. This is a sensible approach that takes away the guesswork and leverages the real world.” — Bruce Stearns, Bradshaw Group, Richardson, Texas BTA Sales Management Workshop — Sept.16-17, Las Vegas: “There are very few industry-specific workshops available today that focus on sales management. Perhaps this is because there are very few trainers and consultants around that have weathered the storm of change that our industry continually goes through. The Strategy Development team ‘gets it.’ They know what the 21st-century model dealership, sales manager and strategic industry directions look like. More importantly, they are able to deliver this knowledge along with specific, measurable performance standards that I believe every independent dealership can implement, leading to improved business results.” — Ron Rasberry, Advanced Office Systems, Baton Rouge, La. ProFinance — Sept. 23-24, Whit e Plains, N.Y.: “There is nothing better than working with experienced industry leaders

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except to work with experienced industry leaders who want to work with you.” — Mark C. Mansour, MT Business Technologies Inc., Mansfield, Ohio FIX: Cost Management for Service — Oct. 3-4, Seattle: “I was amazed at what I found out about the actual cost of a rental and the actual cost of the tech hour. I found the information to be priceless. Also, it was beneficial to hear other ideas regarding ways to increase profit and ‘sell service’ to the sales department.” — Debbie Howes, Digital Business Machines, Nashville, Tenn.

BTA Professional Services Workshop — Nov. 4-5, Philadelphia: “A big thank you to Mitch Morgan of CEO Focus. I recently participated in the BTA Professional Services Workshop led by Mitch. He demonstrat ed hi s wealth of know l ed ge and expertise by the clear and concise format of this workshop.” — Matt Halsrud , Koch Brothers, Des Moines, Iowa BTA ProSolutions — Next date and location to be announced: “ Through Darrell’s provoking concept of creating a sales team of ‘business people who sell,’ our team is now focused on solving business problems. I now have a whole new outlook on approaching tasks and issues regarding solutions that once seemed insurmountable. My only regret is that I did not learn these concepts earlier.” — Jeff Boate, Perry Corp., Lima, Ohio Full details on each of these courses can be found on the BTA Web site at www.bta.org.

While on the site, be sure to read the details on BTA’s two newest workshops that will be launched this fall — the BTA Business Planning Workshop and BTA MPS Service & Operations Workshop. I — Brent Hoskins

Executive Director/BTA Editor/Office Technology Brent Hoskins brent@bta.org (816) 303-4040 Associate Editor Elizabeth Marvel elizabeth@bta.org (816) 303-4060 Contributing Writers Ray Belanger, Bay Copy www.baycopy.com Robert C. Goldberg, General Counsel Business Technology Association Jim Kahrs, Prosperity Plus Management Consulting Inc. www.prosperityplus.com Arnie Valenzuela, Sharp Electronics Corp. www.sharpusa.com

®

Business Technology Association 12411 Wornall Road Kansas City, MO 64145 (816) 941-3100 www.bta.org Member Services: (800) 505-2821 BTA Legal Hotline: (800) 869-6688 Valerie Briseno Membership & Marketing Manager valerie@bta.org Mary Hopkins Database Administrator mary@bta.org Teresa Leerar Bookkeeper teresa@bta.org Brian Smith Membership Sales Representative brian@bta.org ©2009 by the Business Technology Association. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means without the written permission of the publisher. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of published material.

However, the publisher assumes no liability for errors in articles nor are opinions expressed necessarily those of the publisher.

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BTA PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE ®

2009-2010 Board of Directors

Save With Voucher, Training Discounts s you know, the Busin e ss Te chnology Association strives to provide education, information and resources that can help its member dealers further advance their businesses. To that end, I’m pleased to announc e an exp and ed al li anc e w ith CompTIA (Computing Technology Industry Association). While BTA has been offering discounted exam vouchers for the CompTIA Printing and Document Imaging (PDI+) cer tif ication for som e tim e, it i s now offering discounted exam vouchers for the CompTIA Certified Document Imaging Architect (CDIA+) certification as well.

Under the BTA/CompTIA alliance, BTA members pay only $195 for the PDI+ exam vouchers and $210 for the CDIA+ exam vouchers. The normal non-CompTIA member costs are $239 and $258, respectively.

With the vouchers in hand, the student can take the certification exams at either Pearson VUE or Prometric testing centers.

What is the significance of a PDI+ or CDIA+ certification? Looking to PDI+ first, successful completion of the exam certifies that an individual has the required knowledge of the core operations of printing and document imaging devices. PDI+ can help to ensure a solid foundation for those who service and support printers, MFPs, scanners and fax machines.

CDIA+ certifies that an individual has the expertise in the technologies and best practices used to plan, design and specify a document imaging management system. It is viewed as the “gold standard” for those venturing into document imaging. In fact,

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many in the industry recognize CDIA+ certification as a consistent, objective way to ensure they employ skilled imaging industry professionals.

If you are wondering how you or one of your employees can best prepare for one of these certification exams, BTA can assist you with that as well. Currently, we have alliances with three companies that provide members with various options for training that can help an individual prepare to take one of the exams. In all cases, the training is offered at a discount to BTA members.

One of those alliance partners is Datavault, a training provider that offers both an online self-study program and instructorled training for PDI+ and a CD-based selfstudy program and instructor-led training for CDIA+. Another alliance partner is Specialized Solutions Inc., a provider of multimedia, interactive, self-paced study programs that include CDIA+ and PDI+ programs. Specialized Solutions’ training programs for other certifications are also offered at a discount to BTA members.

And finally, BTA also has an alliance with Axzo Press, which partnered with CompTIA to form CompTIA Press. Axzo offers training textbooks for every CompTIA certification program. BTA members receive a 25 percent discount on the textbooks. The authors have taught in the classroom and relied on their teaching experience when creating the content of each textbook.

If you would like more information on the discounted exam vouchers, training or textbooks, visit BTA online at www.bta.org. On the home page, click on “Education & Certification.” You may also call BTA at (800) 8435059 for more information. I — Bill James

President Bill James WJS Enterprises Inc. 3315 Ridgelake Drive Metairie, LA 70002 bjames@wjsenterprises.com President-Elect Rock Janecek Burtronics Business Systems Inc. 216 S. Arrowhead Ave. San Bernardino, CA 92408 rjanecek@burtronics.com Vice President Tom Ouellette Budget Document Technology 251 Goddard Road Lewiston, ME 04240 touellette@bdtme.com Immediate Past President Ronelle Ingram Steven Enterprises Inc. 17952 Sky Park Circle, Ste. E Irvine, CA 92614 ronellei@msn.com BTA East Todd J. Fitzsimons Network Imaging LLC 122 Spring St. Southington, CT 06489 tjfitzsimons@networkimaging.biz BTA Mid-America Ron Hulett U.S. Business Systems Inc. 3221 Southview Drive Elkhart, IN 46514 ron.hulett@usbus.com BTA Southeast Terry Chapman Business Electronics Corp.

219 Oxmoor Circle Birmingham, AL 35209 tchapman@businesselectronics.com BTA West Lokke Patrick Docutxt Corp.

11110 E. Artesia Blvd., Ste. B Cerritos, CA 90703 lokke@docutxt.com Ex-Officio/General Counsel Robert C. Goldberg Schoenberg Finkel Newman & Rosenberg LLC 222 S. Riverside Plaza, Ste. 2100 Chicago, IL 60606 robert.goldberg@sfnr.com

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The Ideal Service Team It can be attained by addressing weaknesses by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine

here is no doubt. The office technology dealership would not exist without its sales department.

However, in terms of profitability, viability in the marketplace and as a significant contributor to ensuring customer retention, there is another dominant player in the dealership that is critical for ongoing success. How could any dealership thrive and grow without its service department?

Actually, perhaps it is more critical th an e v er. S al e s marg ins are b ein g squeezed. The competition is particularly fierce in many markets, driven by the pressures of the poor economy. And near product parity has compelled the dealership to find n ew ways to di stingui sh itself from oth ers w ho are knocking at the customer’s door. Skilled, responsive and motivated employees in a correctly staffed service department cannot only make an important difference, but can help take the dealership to new heights.

Is your dealership’s service department everything that it should be? Is your service manager effective in his (or her) role? Are your technicians meeting expectations? Would you say that you employ an ideal service team? These may be tough questions to contemplate, but perhaps it is time to take a close look at all aspects of your service department.

With the goal at hand of determining whether you have the ideal service team, consider the abilities and performance of your service employees by assessing such areas as your service department’s statistical reporting, use of technology and adherence to a business plan. One means of pursuing this assessment is to ask yourself: “Does my service department reflect any of the traits that are commonly seen as weaknesses?” If so, by addressing weaknesses, you will be on the path to ensuring yours is the ideal service team.

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W hat are those weaknesses? Several veteran service managers and executives, each now industry consultants and trainers, cite what they see as some of the characteristics of a less-than-ideal dealership service department.

“The biggest thing that I see over and over again is a lack of accountability,” says Jack Duncan, founder of Jack Duncan Consulting (www.jackduncanconsult ing.com). “ Too many service departments don’t run any kind of statistical reporting to know what is going on.”

Accountability is particularly important since technicians are in the field and not observable by management, says Duncan. “We really do not know for sure where they are,” he says. “We do not know how much of the day they are on the clock and doing what we pay them to do. When you don’t have statistical reporting, you don’t hold techs accountable for their productivity. As a result, a good hour to an hour and a half a day of tech time can just fall through the cracks.”

So, says Duncan, it is the service manager’s duty to track each technician’s average number of calls and average productive hours per day — customer time and travel time combined. “You also need to track the technician’s ability to fix the machine right the first time,” he says. “That means you are to track not only the gross calls per day, which would be all calls that the tech makes, but net calls per day.

The net is the gross minus recalls — a return call where the machine was not serviced correctly the first time — or calls where the tech must return with parts.”

Dependent upon the local geography (affecting drive time), the average number of gross calls per day for the general line technician (exclusive, for example, of a technician dedicated to production equipment, who would be

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Instead, they are constantly making fewer calls per day) “Many ... are overstaffed. in a firefighting mode.” is somewhere between 4.2 They have no idea how Fueling the fires, adds and five calls, with net calls many people they should Kelly, is the reality that many at 80 percent of that numservice managers are prober, says Duncan. “So, 10 have so staffing decisions moted to the role from a techpercent would be incomare more of a knee-jerk nician position and have not plete or hold-for-parts calls,” reaction. ‘ ... Our response been provided the necessary he says. “The remaining 10 times are through the roof, training to understand where percent would be recalls.” we better add more people.’” they need to focus, such as on Mike Woodard , a con— Mike Woodard driving back-end margins. sultant with Strategy DevelStrategy Development Likewise, “technicians who opment (www.strategydev have been moved into the elopment.org), cites three common weaknesses that he has observed in dealerships. management role sometimes have not had the opportunity to The first, he says, is a reluctance to invest in service tech- develop their leadership and coaching skills,” he says. “That is nologies, such as real-time access by technicians in the field just not something they were trained for as technicians.”

Among other common weaknesses: (via the Internet) to inventory and call history data. “The A misallocation of revenues and expenses providing an economy is tight right now and is causing part of the reluctance,” says Woodard. “However, there is also just a tradi- incorrect gross profit calculation. Says BEI Pros President Jerry Newberry: “We find that in 75 percent of the cases, tional reluctance to invest in the service side of the house.”

A second common weakness is a lack of a plan when it allocations are not correct and companies that thought they comes to technician staffing levels, says Woodard. “Many were at 50 percent GP are really only at 40 percent GP.” No monitoring of incomplete call percentages weighed dealerships are overstaffed,” he says. “They have no idea how many people they should have so staffing decisions are more against technician car stock inventory turns. Says Duncan: of a knee-jerk reaction. The thinking is, ‘Oh my gosh, our “This is a big area where I see way too many dealerships just response times are through the roof, we better add more hemorrhaging money. For example, if the inventory turns are people.’ The best way to address this is to have a formal too low that means the tech is carrying lots of parts but not staffing model. That model has to comprehend the active using them. Ultimately, two or three years down the road, base the dealership is servicing, plus staff and machine per- you’re going to have to throw them away and write them off.”

Ineffective sales lead programs for technicians. Says formance levels. Without a model, it’s a shot in the dark. With a model, you can fine-tune how many people you really need.” Woodard: “The reason why they generally don’t work is And finally, says Woodard, a third common weakness is a nobody wants to manage the program. You need someone lack of the appropriate use of industry benchmarks within who can manage the program and you need support from the dealerships. “It is strange, because most dealerships that I sales side of the house. By the way, the smart sales reps will deal with subscribe to BEI Services, but many are not using support it 100 percent [making sure the technicians are paid], the benchmarking data effectively,” he says. “Dealers need to because they know the value of service technician leads.”

Of course, as a result of addressing such service departdetermine what ‘good’ looks like. They should compare their own statistics against the industry benchmarks and then ment weaknesses as those cited, the dealership can attain the ideal service team. Similarly, where such weaknesses do take the appropriate action.”

Jef frey Kelly, vice president of BEI Pros (www.bei not exist, the ideal team is likely already in place. What are pros.com), cites the lack of focus on driving operational and the characteristics of the members of the ideal service team?

Starting at the top — with the ser vice manager — financial performance among the common opportunities that he observes within dealership service departments. “Many Woodard shares what he believes are the two primary traits service managers operate in a ‘reactionary mode,’” he says. the manager must possess. “Number one, he or she has to be “They are reacting to what is happening today in the business a credible leader; otherwise, you can forget everything else,” and they do not really have a plan in terms of what they need he says. “There are two pieces to this — character (‘Does he to monitor and what they need to do to drive performance. do what he says he is going to do?’) and competence 12 | w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | A u g u s t 2 0 0 9

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(‘Can he instill confidence in other people; a positive, “...

There are really his people that he can do his can-do attitude; and good three key traits — a job?’). Character and competime management skills. technical aptitude, strong tence are the foundation of a Newberry offers a similar credible leader.” list of traits for the ideal customer service skills and Number two, says Woodservice manager, emphaprofessionalism. The tech ard, the manager must have sizing in particular the ability has more of an opportunity the ability to inspire and to effectively delegate to to influence ... the customer motivat e oth ers. “ Is th e others and follow up on tasks ... than anyone else.” manager capable of sharing assigned to technicians, etc.

— Jeffrey Kelly a picture of where the team “The two top reasons manBEI Pros is going and how it is going agers fail is their inability to to get there?” he explains. delegate and their inability to “The manager must inspire his people to deliver.” follow up,” he says. “These are two weaknesses that we find There are a number of other key traits the service man- consistently in underperforming dealerships.” ager must possess beyond the primary two, says Woodard.

Looking to ideal service technicians, Kelly shares what he They include: good customer service skills; strong commu- views as important traits. “My thought is that there are really nication skills; a willingness to delegate and empower three key traits — a technical aptitude, strong customer others; a level of satisfaction from developing the skills of service skills and professionalism,” he says. “The tech has

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more of an opportunity to should al so b e used in“They need to be able to influence whether or not the house, particularly with the communicate well and be customer continues with the sales department staff. “So dealership than anyone else. many times it is an ‘us’ and good listeners. The That’s why customer service ‘them’ thing,” says Woodard. reason? In some cases, skills and professionalism “And , when the manager rather than finding a are so important.” plays the ‘us/them’ thing, the person, the tech fixes Duncan cites similar key techs do, too. Remember, what he thinks is the traits for the ideal techniservice wouldn’t be there problem and leaves.” cian. “They need to be able without sales.”

— Jack Duncan to communicate well and be Duncan concurs. “WorkJack Duncan Consulting good listeners,” he says. “The ing against each other is a reason? In some cases, rathrecipe for disaster,” he says. er than finding a person, the tech fixes what he thinks is the “If you don’t have service and sales working problem and leaves. Then the customer calls to ask when the together, profits are going to suffer.”

Brent Hoskins, executive director of the tech will arrive, not knowing the tech has already been there, Business Technology Association, is editor because the real issue with the machine was not fixed. So, the of Office Technology magazine. ideal tech is outgoing, well spoken and a good listener.”

He can be reached at brent@bta.org.

Communications skills within the service department

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Open Communication Create a successful dealer/manufacturer relationship by: Ray Belanger, Bay Copy

ne of the many challenges inherent to the office technology industry is the relationship between dealers and the vendors or manufacturers who supply product. Over the years we have gone from being customers to partners and sometimes even to being competitors.

While all parties have the same goal of success in mind, the approach to ultimate achievement can differ. But by maintaining open lines of communication — even with differences — a more symbiotic association can be in the offing.

One of the most direct mechanisms to keep manufacturers “in the know” about what end-user customers want and what moves product is to simply talk to dealers. There is no denying that marketing research and internal discussions are of solid value, but when it comes right down to it, dealers who work directly with their customers have a much firmer grasp on what works best in their marketplaces.

Certainly, manufacturers can develop vital product ideas through industry research and internal processes, but in the end, dealers must take it to the market.

Occasional on-site visits can go a long way toward cementing a firmer relationship between manufacturer and dealer. This element should entail more than simply contacting the dealer at the end of the month or quarter for an order. Manufacturer representatives can make the most of these meetings by really listening to what dealers have to say, keeping in mind that they are the ones out in the trenches and who have firsthand knowledge of what works best for them and for their customers. These meetings should not be mere “information dumps,” but rather open and honest conversations that address the unique issues of the dealership.

And manufacturers need to really listen to dealers. Today, a number of aspects specific to our industry are much more complicated then they used to be. Most of our major suppliers have a number of products and programs that address a large variety of different market segments.

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Responsible independent dealers need to pick and choose.

They know the strengths and weaknesses of their own staffs and local competition. It is to everyone’s benefit for dealerships to focus on their strengths rather than trying to be all things to all people.

When communicating with their manufacturers, it is important for dealers to clearly relay what is needed to be successful in their local markets. Bottom line questions, such as “Which of the manufacturer’s promotions or programs are helpful and which ones are not?” must be asked.

As a dealer, if you are not getting competitive pricing, try to show examples of what deals you lost or won. Make suggestions as to what you think would work best and be as specific

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ership stronger and better positioned to as possible. If there are certain programs Ultimately, dealers aid customers. you do not want to participate in, exUltimately, dealers should have a plain why and offer an alternative. should have a voice voice in their relationships with manuMany manufacturers are now emphain their relationships facturers and an open line to communisizing programs that unfortunately can with manufacturers cate information that is vital to the come between the relationship of the and an open line success of all parties. Dealers have a dealership and its customer. These types to communicate direct pipeline to what customers use, of programs require submitting detailed information that is vital ... what they value most and what might information about customers in order to be absent from product lines, in addireceive special pricing, points to salespeople or end-user rebates. These programs are perceived as tion to information about what moves products out of the a threat by most independent dealers. And while inde- warehouse. This is critical data that manufacturers can use pendent dealers may still participate because of the money to ultimately increase all sales initiatives.

While the nuts and bolts of operation — and that involved, they often resent these programs, thereby building includes delivery of product lines in damage-free condition; a thicker wall of antipathy toward manufacturers.

The desire on the part of many customer companies to completeness and accuracy of product deliveries; timeliness simplify has likely never been more true than it is today in of product deliveries; product quality; and customer service light of the recent economic landscape — a landscape that support — are all critical to the success of the relationship has created both personnel and equipment downsizing in between dealers and manufacturers, the most successful many companies, regardless of size. Dealers are often on the associations are built on respect.

Therefore, cooperation is yet another key stronghold to a front line of knowledge regarding the financial trials of their customers. In fact, many dealers are viewing the current winning relationship between manufacturers and dealers. fiscal downslide as a means to get closer to their customers. With some customers cutting back these days, many dealers It provides an opportunity to better understand their clients’ may find it difficult to maintain their own financial status quo. businesses and add value as a consultant. Relationships that Insult to this economic injury comes when manufacturers are built over the long term are rewarding for everyone, but base incentives solely on growth. The conundrum lies in when manufacturers demand customer information from a where this growth is supposed to come from. Manufacturers dealer, the threat of tainting that often hard-earned relation- and dealers alike might benefit from a heart-to-heart that addresses current economic challenges and their increasing ship can be very real.

Dealer inclusion is important in a variety of background impact on commerce. The harsh reality of today’s financial areas. Running a well-oiled operation depends largely on landscape has (and likely will) affect many industries for some everyday details, such as the status of back orders. In addi- time to come. But there is a silver lining; often challenging tion, dealers should have the ability to access current times result in productive conversations that can lead to posipricing information and marketing programs from manu- tive outcomes and a clearer understanding between parties.

Both dealers and manufacturers have the same bottom facturers and should be able to download software updates and technical publications. To compete in larger deals, price line goals — to be competitive and grow their businesses.

In the end, there is no magic wand to create and maintain support is a must. Decisions on pricing must be based on sound give-and-take relationships between dealers and the reality of the market and also must be made swiftly.

Training is another area where the personal touch counts manufacturers. Like everything else that is worthwhile, it for a great deal in the dealer/manufacturer relationship. A takes desire and work.

Ray Belanger is CEO of Bay Copy, Rockland, Mass. He is also wide range of training programs that focus both on techpresident of the national Select Dealer Group, nology and sales can help foster a positive relationship an association that brings dealers together between a manufacturer and its dealers. However, more from across the country to benchmark and important than the quantity of programs is the quality. share best practices. Belanger can be reached What is most relevant to your particular operation? What at rbelanger@baycopy.com. helps you to achieve your specific objectives? The right Visit www.baycopy.com. training programs will engender results, making your deal20 | w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | A u g u s t 2 0 0 9

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Will MPS Save the Industry?

No matter the answer, you need a plan by: Jim Kahrs, Prosperity Plus Management Consulting Inc.

nless you have been living under a rock for the last couple of years, you have no doubt heard of managed print services (MPS). Many are touting MPS as the future of the industry, saying: “If you do not get on board quickly, you will perish.” That may be, but we have heard this before. Not long ago we were talking about the paperless office. Though that, too, may be coming, it is not here yet. So, will MPS save the industry?

In my humble opinion the answer is “no.” Not because MPS is not going to have a huge impact on the industry, because I think it will, but because it is simply a program. Those of you who have been around for a w hile may recall similar fanfare surrounding the introduction of a few other industry changing or defining concepts.

There was cost per copy, better known as CPC. When this concept was first introduced, it was described much the same way as MPS is today: “If you are out there selling boxes you will not survive.” Dealerships had to learn a new way of packaging, promoting, presenting and selling CPC. Leasing companies had to learn how to administer these new programs and customers had to be educated on the benefits.

The transition of the industry took a few years. Some dealerships caught on quickly, while others were dragged along kicking and screaming. Those that made the transition smoothly cashed in with increased sales and profits.

Next came the introduction of color copying to the industry. Dealerships now had to figure out how to sell a new product that came with tremendous benefits but also a high price tag and a number of new challenges. Many quickly found out that the existing sales team was not able to meet these challenges successfully. Manufacturers

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encouraged dealerships to hire or name specialists for color products. These specialists attended training programs to teach them the ins and outs of color systems, user applications and how to sell color. Once again, there were dealerships that embraced the concept and drove th e market and oth ers that watched from the sidelines. Those that embraced color and adapted cashed in once again as color system sales usually came with higher gross profit margins and higher service revenues.

As dealerships were getting themselves up to speed with color, another trend was building. Office networks and the Internet were growing at a rapid rate and manufacturers were diligently working on the conversion of their systems from analog to digital technology.

Though digital copiers could do all the same things as their analog predecessors and much more; they also had the ability to connect to the network. Once again, dealerships needed to adjust. The complexity and challenges of digital equipment tested many a service department. Besides having to learn how to service machines that were laserbased instead of lens-and-mirror-based, they had to learn about office networks and connecting these systems. Once again, it was time for some specialists. There were sales specialists who were trained to uncover opportunities and sell these systems to end users, and service specialists to handle the install and upkeep of them. And, once again, those dealerships that embraced the change and organized their companies accordingly cashed in. They not only made additional revenue and profit on the sale of these systems, but they also captured additional revenue for service and, in some cases, sold network services as a totally new offering. w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | A u g u s t 2 0 0 9 | 21

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dealership, not the people. People When you look at the landscape of The most successful change; they get promoted, change the industry today, it is easy to lose sight departments or leave the company. The of this pattern. Our industry, like many dealerships have functions, on the other hand, do not others, has been evolving over time. The strong organization change until you encounter industry mo st suc c e ssful d eal erships have structures. Everyone changes like MPS. learned to embrace this evolution and understands what their In my opinion, the single biggest move with it. But what separates the roles are and what factor preventing dealerships from realdealerships that lead the charge during everyone else does. izing success with MPS is an inability to these times of change from those that organize the company for success with wait and follow along eventually when the trend has become the norm? Are they psychic? Are they this new “product offering.” Looking back, the introduction smarter than everyone else? Do they have some secret play- of color success, in most cases, came from specialization. book? No, but they are, in almost every case, more organized There were sales reps and service techs who were specialists for color. As color became better understood by dealership and proactive in their approach to the business.

So, how do you become more organized and proactive? staffs and customers, the product migrated to more of a For the balance of this article I will outline five steps you can general-line offering handled by all. This is a very effective model to apply to MPS. Assigning specialists allows a dealertake and how they relate to MPS. Be in the Know — Be on a constant quest for industry ship to accomplish two major objectives: First, it gives you and business knowledge. In order to be proactive, you need someone who can be trained intensively on MPS. Second, to know what is happening in the industry. There are plenty and possibly more importantly, it allows you to maintain of opportunities to gain additional knowledge and insight. your current business model as you build your MPS strategy.

Industry association events like BTA’s district events, the No one can afford to lose the “traditional” business while ITEX show and manufacturer meetings almost always chasing a new opportunity. If you try to change your entire include sessions on new trends. There are also consultants business model to MPS overnight, you will undoubtedly and other resources who can provide insight. The dealers create tremendous hardships for yourself.

Monitor & Drive Results — Now that you have set up a who are succeeding with MPS today are the dealers who were attending MPS training and education sessions two successful structure for MPS, the next step is to monitor the years ago. But it is never too late. If you are not fully up to production of this new offering. It is quite common for dealerships to track production of their sales and service teams. speed on MPS, get moving.

Train Everyone — This means training your entire staff, Unfortunately, it is also common for new business units to not just sales or service. Your entire team needs to be edu- fall outside the scope of this tracking. For example, I have cated about MPS. This means investing the time and money seen many dealerships that track, report and drive the proneeded to really get your team’s knowledge up to speed. The duction of their techs on everything from the number of sales team needs to know what MPS really is (and many still calls done to incomplete calls to repeat calls to time spent do not), how to identify prospects, how to present these solu- and parts usage. All of this is very valuable and helps ensure tions and how to navigate the sales cycle. The service team success. However, too many of these same dealerships do must know how to truly manage a fleet of printers/MFPs. not track their IT techs with these same measures. For some Similarly, the administrative team must know how to prop- reason, these techs have a different role and are not tracked erly and profitably administer these programs. Take away or driven and quite often their calls are not even logged in the system. The result is lost productivity. any piece of the puzzle and you will have trouble.

If you are one of the many dealers who fall into this cateGet Organized — The most successful dealerships have strong organization structures. Everyone understands what gory, I would challenge you to get the IT techs on the same their roles are and what everyone else does. Furthermore, program as the rest of the team. Applying this to MPS means they can easily tell when everyone is doing their jobs. At identifying the actions that lead to success and then tracking Prosperity Plus we have had a lot of success getting dealer- and driving them. This could be as simple as tracking things ships to implement a tool called an Organizing Board. This like MPS appointments and audits to tracking the number of tool organizes the company around the functions of the print devices under contract and/or the revenue generated.

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With these tracking measures in place, and no.� For dealers who effectively Will MPS save the you will be able to see where you are manage this industry change, the future being successful and thus know what can look very bright. For those who industry? ... The best areas to build on. choose to lag behind and ignore the answer is “yes and no.�

Create Strong Incentives — The final trends, the future will be an unknown. If For dealers who effectively recommendation in this overview is to you follow the basics outlined above, manage this industry build proper incentive and reward proyou will successfully navigate through change, the future can grams. For example, attempting to fit the MPS challenge and, more imporlook very bright.

MPS into your current sales compensatantly, you will have a plan for meeting tion plan will not lead to success. MPS the next challenge that we will all inrequires a different approach and different compensation. evitably face down the road.

Technicians who support MPS customers will also require difJim Kahrs is the founder and president of Prosperity Plus ferent incentives and rewards. There are a number of different Management Consulting Inc. Prosperity Plus models to follow when building these plans, so I will refer you works with companies in the office systems back to step one; get the education you need to build comindustry building revenue and profitability pensation and tracking systems that will reward success. and improving organization structure. Kahrs can be reached at (631) 382-7762 or Now to bring this full circle to the opening question: Will jkahrs@prosperityplus.com.

MPS save the industry? In reality, the best answer is “yes

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‘Committed to Your Success’ Toshiba hosts July 14-17 & 27-29 regional summits by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine

ith the goal of facilitating more personal interaction, Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc. (TABS) dispensed with its traditional national dealer meeting this year, instead hosting smaller regional summits July 14-17 and July 27-29 in Las Vegas and Jersey City, N.J., respectively. Together, Mark Mathews the summits drew more than 400 representatives of the company’s authorized dealerships, with the Las Vegas summit also including a program dedicated solely to representatives of Toshiba Business Solutions (TBS), TABS’ direct sales operation.

Mark Mathews, president and COO of TABS, set the tone of both events in his presentation during Bill Melo the opening General Session, prior to several other speaker presentations and an afternoon of education breakout sessions. His comments, intended to reflect the theme of the summits, “Committed to Your Success,” included highlights of some of TABS’ primary initiatives for the year ahead.

One of the key initiatives he announced was the release of the company’s Managed Print Services Version 3.0, a fully integrated solution that provides dealers the opportunity to purchase services from TABS to offer as part of a CPC program, including TABS service to locations of dealership customers that are outside of the dealership’s territory. “So, you can now manage the customer’s printer fleet in their home location as well as outside,” said Mathews during the Las Vegas summit. “And it’s going to be as

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simple as buying off the price sheet.”

Mathews emphasized the importance of dealers entering the MPS arena, citing the success of TABS’ direct sales offices. “I will tell you, the one thing that gets you in the door no matter what is managed print services,” he said. “If you go in and talk to the customer about how to save them money and remove headaches from their workflow, they will talk to you about what’s going on. They need to save money.”

MPS is much more than just selling cartridges, said Mathews. “Managed print services is going in and controlling the entire output of the company,” he said, noting that the dealership essentially takes over a part of the customer’s business. “If you are a part of their business — an extension of the way they run their business — they need you. You have to go in and own the entire customer relationship.”

Mathews also announced a new strategic agreement between TABS and Hewlett-Packard whereby all Toshiba direct sales operations will be selling, servicing and supporting the full line of HP printers. (The HP products will also be available to TABS dealers through distributors, rather than through Toshiba). In TABS’ interaction with personnel within large accounts “it has become clear that you cannot replace HP,” said Mathews. “These people have the infrastructure, tools and training in place and they do not want to move away from their HP printers. So, we are going to be able to go into the customer and be printer agnostic …

Now you can go up against your competitor with the HP product line-up and supplement that with Toshiba MFPs. You’ve got a wonderful solution for your customer.”

Among the other areas highlighted by Mathews in his presentation: Eco-Innovation, a collection of environmentally friendly efforts in the manufacture of Toshiba MFPs and features in the products themselves; SecureMFP, used to identify the company’s growing collection of document security solutions; and Exchange, a new Toshiba dealer networking site designed for the exchange of information, the

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building of relationships and the sharing ‘managed print experts,’ this is another “The timing of this of sales success stories. example of Toshiba’s commitment to At th e Jersey City summit, TAB S partnering with customers to reduce promotion is ideal for added to the list of its efforts related to output costs and ensure success in today’s budget-conscious managed print services and saving custoday’s tough economic environment.” companies that are tomers money on document output Melo also expressed how the promolooking to make the costs. The company announced a leasing tion will help the summit attendees: right investments in promotion titled “Back in the Black,” “This also allows Toshiba dealers to their businesses.” whereby customers who lease a new eliexplore new product marketing opporgible MFP through Toshiba Financial tunities by offering direct, tangible Services between Aug. 1 and Oct. 31 will be eligible to receive financial incentives that immediately and positively affect free monochrome prints and copies up to the maximum their customers’ bottom lines.” number designated or for one year, whichever comes first.

At both summits, Toshiba displayed models from its new “The timing of this promotion is ideal for today’s budget- e-STUDIO455 Series, announced on June 11. The features of conscious companies that are looking to make the right the monochrome, 20-45 page-per-minute MFPs, reflect the investments in their businesses,” said Bill Melo, vice presi- company’s Eco-Innovation and SecureMFP initiatives.

Brent Hoskins, executive director of the Business Technology dent of marketing and enterprise solutions for TABS, who Association, is editor of Office Technology magazine. also announced at both summits the adoption of a new corHe can be reached at brent@bta.org. porate tag line — The Managed Print Experts. “As the

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BTA HIGHLIGHTS The following new members joined BTA during the month of June:

Dealer Members A.B. Dick Products Co./Tucson, Tucson, AZ Axion Business Technologies, Cranston, RI Braden Business Systems, Indianapolis, IN Business Technology Partners, Orlando, FL Copier Mart, New Albany, IN ImageQuest, Nashville, TN KK Office Solutions Inc., Wichita, KS KM Data Inc., Cary, NC Lineage, Williamsville, NY New Paradigm Imaging Inc., Lenexa, KS Thermocopy of Tennessee Inc., Knoxville, TN Ultimate Solutions Inc., Port St. Lucie, FL Vendor Associate Members ESP Inc., Folsom, CA Square 9 Softworks, New Haven, CT Service Associate Members Imaging Strategies LLC, Glastonbury, CT For full contact information of these new members, visit www.bta.org.

CDIA+ & PDI+ Exam Voucher Discount The CompTIA CDIA+ certification exam tests expertise in the technologies used to plan, design and specify a document imaging management system, while the PDI+ exam certifies that an individual has the required knowledge of the core operations of printing and document operations and imaging services. BTA members may purchase CDIA+ and PDI+ exam vouchers for discounted prices of $210 and $195, respectively.

For more information on BTA member benefits, visit www.bta.org.

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For the benefit of its dealer members, each month, BTA features two of its Vendor or Service Associate members in this space.

BTA Vendor Associate member Densigraphix Kopi Inc. is a privatelyheld distributor of toner and copier/MFP parts.

The company serves two distinct markets: the dealer, who sells and services copier/MFPs, and the remanufacturer, who recycles laser toner cartridges. As time has passed, the crossover between the two markets has increased substantially, to the point where many customers from both markets are selling and servicing laser printers in addition to their main business. Densigraphix is therefore well-positioned for future growth in the imaging industry. www.densi.com BTA Service Associate member GE Capital Office Imaging is a source for commercial distribution and vendor financing. The office products industry is a dynamic and progressive industry, where the product constantly advances in technological leaps and bounds and customer demands and demographics are ever-changing. GE Capital is a financial solutions constant. The Vendor Finance Office Imaging team is a provider of innovative financing solutions including leases, loans and tax-exempt financings to manufacturers, dealerships and end-user businesses. www.gecapsol.com A full list of BTA Vendor and Service Associate members can be found online at www.bta.org.

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COURTS & CAPITOLS

Is Your Business in a Twitter?

Update your electronic communication policies by: Robert C. Goldberg, General Counsel for the Business Technology Association

he business world is constantly changing and we need to do so as well. Failure to embrace new technologies will result in employees and businesses passing you by. My technological advances come from watching my adult sons. The conversion from a BlackBerry to an iPhone was a painful two weeks, but resulted in significant advantages. The benefits were so significant that the decision to migrate from a PC to a Mac was easy. Hardware improvements now come easily, however the acceptance of some of the corresponding applications has not.

Applications and networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Second Life, LinkedIn and Twitter are all the current rage. Although I have a Facebook page, the others have been avoided. Your employees have not avoided these communication tools and it is time to update your electronic communication policies to address these new technologies. Policies should apply to usage of telephones, e-mail and the Internet. At the same time, remind your employees who is authorized to speak on behalf of your company.

The computer system in your office is company property and under your total control. There is no right to privacy for your employees. Passwords cannot be kept secret and the use of the system may be fully regulated. All of these new communication applications can cause a company public embarrassment, expose it to liability and put proprietary information at risk. Employees need to know what is expected of them and the limits that exist.

In the one-year period from February 2008 to February 2009, the number of unique visitors to Twitter increased from 475 to more than 7 million, with the largest number of users between the ages of 35 and 49. The majority of these users are using Twitter from work. Twitter is a useful tool to quickly update individuals about events. You can use Twitter to notify customers of a seminar or product demonstration. During the recent swine

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f lu scare, the C enters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) used Twitter to inform communities about the disease and its spread. A disgruntled employee can use this same vehicle to communicate derogatory things about your business or management.

It is not recommended that company phones, e-mail and Internet connections be limited to business use only.

“Business use only” sounds good, but it is not realistic or practical. Remember that company polices apply to everyone, including the owners. Rather, lines should be drawn to indicate acceptable and unacceptable conduct.

Social media policies should advise employees not to share confidential or proprietary information about their employer or talk negatively online about co-workers, the company, competitors or suppliers. Any communication mentioning the employer should require company approval in writing. Non-business messages should not include company logos, trademarks or other images representing the company. Employees should include a disclaimer with their online postings that the opinions stated are personal.

Regulating use of company assets is easier than regulating the conduct of your employees when they are not at work.

Regulation of off-hours conduct may only be limited to statements using the company name, logo or trademark. Employers will find it difficult to regulate speech such as: “I hate my boss.

He is a real jerk.” The individual’s right to free speech is most often going to be protected.

The BTA Web site has a current Electronic Communication Policy for your consideration. Present it as a suggestion to your employees at a staff meeting and solicit their input as well. A policy jointly created has the best chance of success and compliance.

Robert C. Goldberg is general counsel for the Business Technology Association.

He can be reached at robert.goldberg@sfnr.com. w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | A u g u s t 2 0 0 9 | 27

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SELLING SOLUTIONS

‘The Catch’ Selling behaviors determine performance levels by: Arnie Valenzuela, Sharp Electronics Corp.

f you are a football fan, you may still be throwing a party or reeling over your favorite NFL team’s recent draft choices. As you ponder the fate of these draft choices, you hope and pray that your team did not draft a namesake like Ryan Leaf (1st overall pick), Art Schlichter (4th overall) or Lawrence Phillips (5th overall), all listed in the top five NFL Draft busts.

You are hoping that your team’s picks have landed a Tom Brady (199th overall pick), a Joe Montana (82nd pick), a Roger Staubach (129th pick) or a Johnny Unitas (102nd pick). These four late-pick hopefuls represent 23 percent of Super Bowl victories, six Super Bowl MVPs, 913 touchdowns, seven MVPs and 28 Pro Bowl appearances — all by only four men, who possessed one thing in common over their counterpart NFL busts — disciplined behavior.

So what makes a top performer and why do some who possess more talent, skill and physical attributes fail so miserably? It is all about their behavior. What about your sales staff members? How do you know if they possess the same potential to become top performers? Can you judge who will be the next Brady from your sales team?

Our world is full of advice on what a top-performing sales staff looks like and what to look for. An Internet search on the subject will yield advice such as: Hire those who never make excuses; do not take “no” personally; take 100 percent responsibility for results; possess empathy; have above-average ambition, empathy, willpower and determination; are intensely goal-oriented; can easily approach strangers; have a good attitude; possess advanced communication skills; welcome objections; are consultative; and are willing to mentor others.

All of these things are important — just like the multiplicity of advice an NFL coach or owner will get when drafting a new player. Is there as long a list for a top-performing NFL quarterback, such as converting third downs, avoiding sacks, etc.?

There is, and each NFL team has game film that reports on every minute of the player’s career. You, too, can create an approach that will provide “game film-type” intelligence by

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discovering what behavior creates success within the context of the selling process.

Top performance in any profession is an outgrowth of at least five components. They include a person’s intellect, skills, aptitude for the task, personality and character. Nothing reveals all five of these at one time better than a pressure situation like the last play of a game with the result determining if the team goes home for the year or to the Super Bowl.

Football historians will never forget the 1981 NFC Championship gamewinning drive that culminated with “The Catch” from Montana to Dwight Clark. Although that touchdown won the game for the 49ers, they would not have had a chance to win without an incredi bl e t eam ef for t on a gam ewinning drive. It was an impossible situation with only 4:54 left in the game at their own 11-yard line. The drive took 14 plays with half of them going to an unknown player — Lenvil Elliott (249th pick) — who was playing the last game of his career. The gamewinning drive is like winning a sale.

This drive required the basics of great blocking (prospecting), no penalties (abiding company policies), clock management (time management), conditioning (desire to improve), a mix of 50/50 pass and run (competitive strategy), athleticism (skills, tenacity, effort and commitment), timing (when to close) and leadership (management).

Executing a game-winning drive (a sale) is a building-blocktype process; you can use a similar process to build a winning sales team. The answers are right at your fingertips within your top salespeople. Consider observing the performance of your top 10 percent. What behaviors do these sales reps execute during their game-winning drives? Here is a sample list of some behaviors I look for in a potential recruit and use as a benchmark to evaluate sales staff.

Game-Winning Drive Behavior : Blocking — On the second play of the drive, with second and 10, the 49ers center, Randy Cross, clobbered Dallas’ linebacker and freed up Elliott

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each day? Do they confirm each appointfor a first down. Blocking is a basic, just ment a day in advance to ensure the like cold calling is. What cold-calling Getting the order and meeting will happen or are they afraid to behaviors do your top staff do? Do they keeping the order can call for fear it will be canceled? Do they hit split up different ZIP codes in small secsometimes hinge on an deadlines? Are prospecting efforts around tions so they can be guaranteed to be ethical or legal detail. daily appointments? Are appointments covered? Can they easily locate an address Avoid the penalties by scattered around, creating excessive drive or do they have a difficult time reading a ensuring your team time? Do they conduct their entire dismap? Will they walk door to door 40, 50 or plays by the rules. covery in one session with one person, or 60 times in a day? Will they cold call in is the process spread out over the sales bad weather? Do they avoid skyscrapers to avoid building security guards? Make your list of key behav- cycle? Do they demonstrate their solutions? Do they present their proposal first or last? Time is non-recoverable and if your iors your top 10 percent execute when cold calling.

Converting on Third Down: Lead Generation — Third- sales staff does not manage it just right, the clock will run out down plays are practiced hundreds of times so when the time on you just like a game clock will.

Taking a Hit: Conditioning — Dallas made several hits on comes they will succeed. Twice, San Francisco was faced with a third down and they sustained the drive using a quick hook- 49ers players but they did not fumble. Toughness is a result of out pattern to Freddie Solomon and a draw to Elliott. The first conditioning. How well conditioned are your team members? play was quick hitting and the second play required a delay in How quickly do they recover from an unexpected sales loss? order to execute. How quickly or slowly do your best staffers Are they disciplined enough to keep up prospecting when they execute cold calls? When cold calling, do your sales reps have are on quota? What do they practice — ROI process, demonone or multiple approaches memorized that are designed to stration, discovery, negotiation or role playing C-level discusget past a gatekeeper? What constitutes a “good” cold call? Is sions? What do they do after a big sales win to ensure it a decision-maker’s name, a list of current equipment or consistency? A professional sales career includes winning big, finding out if they are in the market? Are they just looking at a losing big and facing unexpected changes in the sales process. copier/MFP sale or are they attempting to create a sale? If Find out how your team members best condition themselves there is no known “good” cold call, then the result will be and use those methods as guidelines.

The Playbook: Setting Up Competitors — The famous random. Lead generation takes planning and execution.

Avoid a Penalty: Abiding Polices — Two actions can kill a drive involved a trick play that gained many yards. Even drive: a turnover or a penalty. Dallas committed a silly offside though the 49ers ran at least one reverse per game in 1981, penalty on third and three that allowed the 49ers to go on and this long run took them from their own 49 to Dallas’ 36. How win the game. If they had not, the 49ers would have had fourth well does your staff know their competitors? What traps do and one with little time. Following the rules is a reflection of they set? What competitive traps do they avoid? Do they know character and the ability to submit to structure and authority. the client’s buying process? Do they know for sure who the Do your best follow the rules? Do they execute the required final economic buyer is? Do they know who can really say “yes” sales activities? How timely and accurate are sales forecasts? and who can only say “no”? Do they know what the personal Are they truthful to the client when writing an order or are win-win result is for each buyer? Setting up a competitor to orders littered with errors and little white lies? Do they surprise them with a play like a reverse requires you to know sandbag an order into the next month when instructed to how they will react. Look for these strategic gems in your topclose all deals when closable? Have they violated a non- performers’ behavior.

Athleticism: Commitment to Winning — The littlecompete agreement? Getting the order and keeping the order can sometimes hinge on an ethical or legal detail. Avoid the known fact about Elliott is that he only touched the ball 14 times during the regular season before facing the Cowboys, yet penalties by ensuring your team plays by the rules.

Manage the Clock: Time Management is Key — Those he was the ball carrier on 50 percent of the plays on the top four quarterbacks had a common behavior — they knew winning drive. You can bet he was prepared even though he how to manage the clock to perfection. In this last drive, had not played in the previous 12 games. How do your best Montana preserved and consumed the clock based on his sales reps prepare to win? How do they improve their sales plan. During the sales process, what strategies and tactics do skills? What success standard do they measure themselves your best sales representatives employ? Do they always plan against — others, quota or life goals? When do they start and w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | A u g u s t 2 0 0 9 | 29

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end work? What are the first and last Winners seek out counsel to learn if the things they do each day? How do they mistake was unique or if their error is part Whether you are measure success for a day? What makes of a pattern. Find out what your best do. recruiting or reviewing them committed — quota, peer pressure, They probably get right back up and go at and managing your oversight or certain goals? This is one of it again with more determination to win. I sales team, use your the most important sets of behaviors you would not be surprised if you discover that top-performing can discover because they come from the they take personal responsibility, learn players’ behaviors as heart, mind and soul that drives them. from their mistakes and keep on winning. a benchmark ...

The Catch: Close the Deal — Without Whether you are recruiting or reviewing two successive clutch plays by Montana, and managing your sales team, use your “The Catch” would not have happened. He threaded passes to top-performing players’ behaviors as a benchmark measurement.

Clark and Solomon, which required precision akin to threading Your first step will be to interview your team and locate topa needle. Closing a sale starts on the first call. How do top per- performing behaviors. Next, assign each behavior to a step in the formers create a road map that leads to a close? Who do they sales process. To use the benchmark during the recruiting and call on? What do they present to C-levels who allow them to go hiring process, create interviewing questions that will confirm back to them late in the sales process? How do they respond to or deny the presence of experience executing the behavior. For an objective — answer it or question it? What budget are they the management and review process, simply grade your staff (A, trying to beat — the lease payment or the total cost of how it is B, C) on each behavior and you will be well on your way to currently done? How do they handle a member of the client’s improving your sales. You never know, if you get really good at team being deceptive? Closing a deal is not an event, but a this process you may end up recruiting a Montana, Brady, process. Understanding what your top performers do will Staubach, Unitas or an Elliott who will win the big one for you. increase sales.

(By the way, you can watch “The Drive” at www.youtube.com.

Team Leadership: Managing the Game — The thirteenth Search for: The Drive Joe Montana.)

Arnie Valenzuela is branch sales manager play was blown by Montana. Solomon was wide open in the for the South Puget Sound branch of Sharp end zone and Montana overthrew him by five yards. How did Business Systems, Sharp Electronics Corp.

Montana handle personal failure? He came back on the next He can be reached at play and took part in one of the most amazing plays ever and arnie.valenzuela@sharpusa.com. led the 49ers to win the 1982 Super Bowl. How do your players Visit www.sharpusa.com. react when they blow it? Do they panic or assign blame?

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