September 2009 Office Technology

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INDEPENDENT: • free from the influence or control of others • not dependent on anything else for function or validity • capable of acting for oneself or on one’s own • not relying on the financial support of others • keeping your client database secure

Managed Print o om

www.outsourcemanagement.com

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KEEPING THE INDEPENDENT DEALER, INDEPENDENT

MANAGE • COMMUNICATE • THRIVE Managed Print

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Today’s responsible organizations are looking toward green initiatives to reduce the costs incurred by paper-based processes. OMI’s Managed Print4u will assist with the management of corporate printing infrastructure and operations.

Executives and business owners are concerned with the amount of money and time spent on supporting corporate printing related infrastructure. The increased costs of paper communications including hardware, postage, labor and supplies are forcing organizations to re-think how they procure, manage, service and, more importantly, reduce operational costs associated with print related infrastructure.

Managed Print4u is an independent program offered to our partners that include: consulting best practices, software or a managed service to organizations looking for ways to reduce costs associated with print infrastructures. The program will allow your customers to transfer printer asset management gradually or immediately to your print services program.

Managed Print4u will assist the partner in providing Managed Services that will ultimately broaden client service offerings and create a strategic Partner/Client relationship by avoiding commodity buying cycles & behavior at contract end.

The value of Managed Print4u to both Partner and Client will ultimately translate into lower costs and better management of assets by: reducing capital expenditure on new purchases of hardware; providing better utilization of current assets, supply and parts accountability; lowering help desk support costs; and providing critical business intelligence in an under managed expense area. By contracting management duties surrounding corporate print infrastructure activities such as help desk, management, reporting and other operational processes to a Certified Managed Print4u Partner, organizations can define objectives and contractually control costs.

The Managed Print4u Partnership program provides a road map to allow your client to redirect wasteful spending to more strategic projects ultimately making you a trusted business partner for years to come.

For more information on OMIʼs Managed Print4u Independent Program please contact us: Phone: 770-814-4284 or email: partnermp4u@outsourcemanagement.com About OMI: Outsource Management, Inc. has provided consulting, software, integration and managed services to assist organizations in the reduction or elimination of paper-based processes for over a decade. OMI manages critical lifecycle components of a paper-based process beginning with the application, document composition, workflow, management and output. Areas of reduction and management include: printer asset reduction, lower postage rates and reduction in labor, reduction of consumables spend or any paper based reduction measurement.

www.outsourcemanagement.com

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CONTENTS Volume 16 No. 3 G

FEATURE ARTICLES 10

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The Eco-Friendly Office Vendors demonstrate commitment to the cause

PRINCIPAL ISSUES Collaborative Leadership Creating a workplace where teamwork flourishes

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by Brent Hoskins Office Technology Magazine

by Joanne L. Smikle Smikle Training Services

Kermit the Frog has been quoted as saying that it isn’t easy being green. Easy or not, “being green” — not in color, but in philosophy and practice — is becoming of greater importance in the office technology industry. Today, the public consciousness of the need to conserve resources and protect the environment is at an all-time high.

Collaboration is not simply the domain of the lower levels of the organization. It is also the responsibility of senior leadership. Executive direction is required to build the sustainable collaboration required to create a healthy organization.

SELLING SOLUTIONS Better Prospecting Results Get a meeting using the decision-maker’s assistant

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MPS Strategies for Success Proven steps toward an effective business model

by Kate Kingston Kingston Training Group

Many salespeople miss out on opportunities to set C-level meetings because they fail to use the assistant when prospecting. Most of the time, salespeople do not know what steps to take to enroll the assistant in the process of scheduling a meeting.

by Peter Hendrick Kyocera Mita America Inc.

As a dealership owner, you have evolved your business with changing technologies and shifting market directions. One lucrative shift in the small and medium-sized business (SMB) market is the advent of managed print services (MPS), an innovative approach that can yield new opportunities for expansion and profitability. Providing MPS as a part of your business structure is critical and time-sensitive.

Sales Training A sales manager’s guide to who you should train

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by Teresa Hiatt Ricoh Americas Corp.

Although we can conceptually agree that sending sales representatives to sales education courses is a good idea, we have all heard the two basic complaints. While these complaints are valid, research shows they are more related to who attends.

COURTS & CAPITOLS 23

Hiring New Employees Building human resources for the economic recovery

by Robert C. Goldberg BTA General Counsel

The economy is starting to show some indication of the recession’s end. It will, no doubt, be awhile before bottom lines improve, but with a sense of optimism coupled with preparation, it seems to be a good time to address one of the most important factors in our businesses: our employees. Of course, our first loyalty will be to those employees who took pay cuts, shortened workweeks, furloughs, layoffs and the like. Whenever possible, we will want to reward their allegiance.

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DEPARTMENTS Business Technology Association

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Education Calendar 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

Is ‘Green’ a Part of Your Message? any of us have shifted our focus to b eing more environmentally sensitive through recycling, energy conservation, etc. Today, our effor ts in thi s area are quite different than they were in years past.

The cover story in this issue highlights some of the eco-friendly efforts of three companies. Certainly, many companies have made impressive strides dedicated to helping the environment. Is that true of your dealership, your customers and your suppliers?

To provide some gauge of the impact that “green” is having within the dealer channel, I sent a brief e-mail survey to a portion of our dealer readers. Below are the questions and percentages of those who selected each possible answer. How do your answers compare?

Based on recent sales and dialog with customers, which of the following best describes the extent to which the green, eco-friendly nature of the products you sell (i.e., energy-saving features) are of interest to the majority of your customers?

I 17 percent — It is not very important to them.

I 64 percent — It is somewhat important to them.

I 19 percent — It is becoming ver y important to them.

The majority of the time, if there is any discussion between your dealership’s sales rep and the customer in the sales process about green, eco-friendly product features, who do you believe first brings it up in the conversation?

I 22 percent — The customer I 78 percent — The sales rep

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Do you have customers who you believe would actually be willing to pay more for technology in the workplace that is designed to use less energy, help the environment, etc. (as consumers do when purchasing hybrid automobiles)?

I 31 percent — Yes I 69 percent — No Which of the following best describes the green, eco-friendly program/initiatives/focus of the primary manufacturer whose copier/MFPs you sell?

I 3 percent — I have not really noticed any real focus within the company in this area.

I 35 percent — The company seems to only have a mild focus in this area that is occasionally referenced in its brochures, on its Web site, in dialog with my dealership, etc.

I 61 percent — The company has publicly demonstrated a very impressive level of dedication to helping the environment in the manufacture and functionality of its products.

Briefly describe what your customers see in terms of your dealership’s commitment to the environment as it relates to the products you sell, your community efforts, your building’s use of energy, etc.

I “Recycling of old machine components, kilowatt usage comparisons and savings, promotion of consolidation of orders to facilitate carbon footprint reduction, delivery vehicles with reduced carbon monoxide emissions/fuel consumption reduction and less paper usage in consolidated billings.”

I “We provide containers to our clients to dispose of any cartridges used (not just ours).

We then sort and coordinate recycling.”

To see more responses to this final question, visit The Idea Exchange on the BTA Web site, www.bta.org. 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 Peter Hendrick, Kyocera Mita America Inc. http://usa.kyoceramita.com Teresa Hiatt, Ricoh Americas Corp. www.ricoh-usa.com Robert C. Goldberg, General Counsel Business Technology Association Kate Kingston, Kingston Training Group www.kingstontraining.com Joanne Smikle, Smikle Training Services www.smiklespeaks.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.

Kyocera ad Sept 09:Layout 1

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BTA PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

®

2009-2010 Board of Directors

Attend Oct. 16-17 BTA Southeast Event ach year, I look forward to attending the BTA Southeast Fall Colors Conference in Waynesville, N.C. Have you attended this event? If not, I encourage you to do so. It is held in a relaxing and enjoyable setting that provides a very welcome break from our busy lives. It also provides valuable information, guidance and insight that will help you in your business.

This year’s conference will be held Oct. 16-17 at the Waynesville Inn Golf Resort & Spa, the setting for this district conference in recent years. This historic mountain lodge will make you feel as if you have stepped back in time, yet it has modern amenities (e.g., free wireless Internet throughout the resort, etc.). It provides pristine mountain views and nearby fishing, boating and hiking opportunities, as well as scenic drives. If you like to play golf, it offers a 27-hole championship golf course.

It is the perfect venue to learn from the presenters at the conference. They include Jeff Westerberg of Westerberg & Associates Consulting, Sally Brause of GreatAmerica Leasing Corp. and Jim Kahrs of Prosperity Plus Management Consulting Inc. Our presenters will be leading consecutive education sessions on Saturday morning, Oct. 17, providing attendees with a wide range of business strategies for success. You can see more details on their presentations on the page opposite this column.

At this year’s conference we are adding a new item to the agenda. Late Friday afterno on , O ct. 16, as th e c onference gets underway, there will be three round-table discussions focused on areas of great

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interest to all dealers — accounts receivable, disaster recovery and leasing. Attendees will have an opportunity to attend each of these rotating discussions.

In addition, as a front runner to the conference, we will be offering the FIX: Cost Management for Service Workshop on Friday, Oct. 16. This class is taught by BTA Immediate Past President Ronelle Ingram. If you have not heard Ronelle present in the past, I can tell you that you will find her teaching style to be very enjoyable. This is an interactive, highenergy workshop that is packed with practical guidance that will help you take your service operation to new heights. Anyone who attends this workshop will receive free General Registration to the conference.

Of course, the conference will also provide opportunities to network with your fellow dealers — what I like to call “hallway education.” Following the round-table discussions on Friday will be a welcoming reception. On Saturday evening, BTA Southeast will host a dinner for attendees. The schedule leaves Saturday afternoon open to enjoy the city of Waynesville and the surrounding area.

That leads to the final reason to attend this year’s conference: The dates coincide with Wayn esville’s 21st annual Apple Harvest Festival, set for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17, in the city ’s historic downtown. The event features handmade arts and crafts, locally-grown apples and apple products for sale. In addition, the festival includes food vendors of all types, educational and information booths and authentic mountain music.

For more information on the Fall Colors Conference, visit www.btasoutheast.org, www.bta.org or call (800) 234-8996. 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 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/Immediate Past President Ronelle Ingram Steven Enterprises Inc. 17952 Sky Park Circle, Ste. E Irvine, CA 92614 ronellei@msn.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 Eco-Friendly Office Vendors demonstrate commitment to the cause by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine

ermit the Frog has been quoted as saying that it isn’t easy being green. Easy or not, “being green” — not in color, but in philosophy and practice — is becoming of greater importance in the office technology industry. Today, the public consciousness of the need to conserve resources and protect the environment is at an all-time high and vendors are working hard to demonstrate their commitment to the cause.

Most would agree that the efforts of vendors to help the environment, at least through the conservation of energy, are nothing new. The Energy Star logo, for example, has been seen on copier/ MFPs for a number of years, providing an indication of compliance to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency program that is designed to identify and promote energy-efficient products. However, it appears, in recent years, end users are now becoming more aware of and grateful for certain energy-saving and resource-saving product features.

“What we are seeing in the marketplace is that customers are being driven to create more environmentally friendly printer infrastructures,” says Tom Walter, director of aftermarket sales, marketing and operations for Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc. “That means they want to have machines that are running in the most optimized state, duplexing, not printing additional pages, providing autosleep and not draining a lot of energy. Those are part and parcel of the things they are seeking.”

In addition to the desire to reduce print-related energy use in the workplace — “printergy” as he refers to it — Walter says today’s end users are also taking into consideration the bigger picture. That is, they are concerned about the device’s impact on the environment resulting from the paper that is used in its operation and its manufacture — “things

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like the number of trees that are consumed and the amount of wastewater that is being generated.”

An IDC study affirms the growing relationship between technology and the interest in helping the environment. A “green IT” study in September of 2007 indicated that nearly 20 percent of the 292 U.S. companies surveyed selected “very important” when responding to the question: “How important to your senior management is the goal of reducing your organization’s environmental impact through green IT initiatives and policies?” When the survey question was addressed again by 300 U.S. companies one year later, the number selecting “very important” had doubled to 40 percent.

Today, says Walter, 60 to 70 percent of the major account RFPs Toshiba receives include requirements that relate to preserving the environment. “As you get into mid-sized and larger-sized businesses, senior management is consistently making purchase decisions based upon environmental initiatives,” he says. “Some people say, ‘Well, green is important, but nobody is willing to pay for green.’ I have a plethora of data points that indicate otherwise.”

Walter cites, as an example, the growing number of hybrid automobile purchases. “We know that people who are buying hybrid vehicles at a premium are never going to realize an ROI in purchasing that vehicle,” he says. “They are purchasing hybrids because their customer behavior leads them to do so. It is their will. That is their mindset.”

That will and mindset is particularly apparent among younger people, says Walter. “We all know they are going to be the decision-makers of tomorrow,” he says. “They will definitely make decisions favoring companies that have the same sustainability values that they do.”

Keith Kmetz, vice president of Hardcopy Peripherals

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in June of 2007,” says Walter.

Solutions and Services for “When we announced this “At that summit, there was IDC, offers a similar obserlast October, we had the an agreement to try to half vation. “I did some focus expectation that we would greenhouse gas emissions by groups with the under-30 the year 2050. So, in conprofessional crowd,” he says. place 500 collection boxes junction with that agree“It was pretty amazing to for the Close the Loop ment, Toshiba has devellisten to the comments of program within the first six oped Environmental Vision these individuals who grew months. In fact, during 2050 which, in essence, is a up in the ‘recycling era.’ It those six months, we placed 1,490 ...” mandate to reduce our carhas been ingrained in their — Tom Walter bon dioxide emissions by a behavior since they were Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc. factor of five by 2025 [the young children and now as equivalent of 57.6 million young adults to be sensitive tons per year] and a factor of 10 by 2050.” to the environment.”

While Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. Inc. has Certainly, the industry’s vendors have embraced society’s growing interest in and commitment to protecting the envi- corporate initiatives related to protecting the environment as ronment. And while each copier/MFP manufacturer has well (including a cartridge recycling program), a look at a few made strides in this area, a brief look at two vendors, Toshiba advancements at the company demonstrate the type of and Konica Minolta, illustrate the increased eco-friendly strides vendors are also making to ensure eco-friendly efforts that have captured the attention of many end users. product design. Kevin Kern, vice president of marketing, cites Both have pursued corporate initiatives and made advances the company’s magnetic induction heating (MIH) feature, in product design that are intended to reduce energy con- introduced in 2005, used increasingly in Konica Minolta products. “This allows the machine to be in a very low power state sumption and conserve resources.

Looking solely at a couple of its corporate initiatives, one and, within 20 seconds, start printing again,” he explains, refof Toshiba’s most recent announcements was its partner- erencing a past and current model to illustrate the benefit. ship with Close the Loop, a zero-waste-to-landfill recycling “The C450, which is a predecessor to the C550, was 10 pages program that facilitates the recycling of collected consum- per minute slower than the C550, but the C550 uses 41 able supplies, such as cartridges, drum units and toner percent less energy because of MIH. Also, one of the unique bottles. The collected materials are used to manufacture features of this technology is its ability to sense the paper eLumber, a lumber alternative used to make such products width and only preheat a certain part of the fuser roller.”

In 2003, prior to MIH’s introduction, Konica Minolta as park benches, fences, furniture and planters. “ When we announced this last October, we had the launched its Simitri polymerized toner with a goal, in part, expectation that we would place 500 collection boxes for the to lessen the impact of toner production on the environClose the Loop program within the first six months,” says ment. “Simitri toner requires between 32 and 40 percent less Walter. “In fact, during those six months we placed 1,490 electricity to manufacture,” he says, noting that there is an collection boxes. Today, we now have 1,962 customers that “approximately 40 percent reduction in CO2 emissions during production.” have registered and we have placed 1,779 collection boxes.”

Among the other recent strides cited by Kern: the labeling Walter notes that participation in the program is free of charge to both end users and dealers. “Certainly, this is of plastic parts with labels that can be removed and leave no something that has cost us a lot of money,” he says. “But, adhesive residue, better facilitating the recycling of the we’re not passing that cost on to anyone and we’re not parts; toner bottles made of polyurethane allowing them to building it into our product. We are taking on the cost as be recycled alongside soda bottles; and a new color MFP part of doing business because we believe we have a respon- series (set to launch this month) that is 10 percent smaller, offers higher consumable yields and requires 35 percent less sibility to do so.”

A second key corporate initiative of Toshiba is its Environ- electricity than the prior generation. “Everything we do is mental Vision 2050. “This is a program that is tied to the designed to reduce energy for print and reduce total electimeline and agreements from the G8 Summit that was held tricity consumption,” says Kern. “This is at the core of the 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 | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 9

HP ad Sept 09:Layout 1

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©2009 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

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DNA of our R&D. It is in our about 5.2 million pounds of “We are collecting in corporate culture.” plastic and metal from being total 5 million units Of course, while harddumped in landfills.” per month. That means ware manufacturers have Clover shares the credit for made noteworthy strides to this eco-friendly practice that each month, Clover help the environment, they with its customers. “On a prevents about 5.2 million are not alone among players monthly basis, we quantify pounds of plastic and in the office technology infor them the amount of raw metal from being dumped dustry. Some may argue that materials diverted from landin landfills.” by their nature, cartridge refills due to their cartridge col— Brian Regan manufacturers are among lection activity and purClover Technologies th e l ead ers in th e gre en chases,” says Regan. “Through movement. A quick look at our environmental impact Clover Technologies, a private-label remanufacturer of laser reporting we are able to say, ‘Here’s how much and inkjet cartridges, illustrates the significant difference you diverted from the landfill this month.’”

Brent Hoskins, executive director of the one company can make in keeping cartridges out of landBusiness Technology Association, is editor fills. “We are collecting in total 5 million units per month,” of Office Technology magazine. says Brian Regan, executive vice president of Clover TechHe can be reached at brent@bta.org. nologies. “That means that each month, Clover prevents

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MPS Strategies for Success Proven steps toward an effective business model by: Peter Hendrick, Kyocera Mita America Inc.

s a dealership owner, you have evolved your business with changing technologies and shifting market directions. One lucrative shift in the small and medium-sized business (SMB) market is the advent of managed print services (MPS), an innovative approach that can yield new opportunities for expansion and profitability.

Providing MPS as a part of your business structure is critical and time-sensitive. If you do not start offering it soon, someone else will.

Take the necessary steps now if you expect to gain from the full potential that MPS can bring to your business â&#x20AC;&#x201D; potential that can be translated into additional placements, greater revenue and a new way of protecting your market share and position.

As MPS adoption spreads, it is proving to be a win-win model, whereby customers save time, money and perhaps, best of all, the administrative burden of managing not just printers, but all their document output devices. MPS also allows dealerships to develop new revenue streams on highly profitable consultative partnerships.

However, achieving a winning MPS business model takes disciplined planning, much like the preparation required for a marathon race. MPS implementation can be laden with pitfalls â&#x20AC;&#x201D; as can be expected with any worthwhile new business endeavor. More importantly, it should not be perceived as a short-term gain or sprint. MPS demands strategic planning on your part in order to create a clear value-add for your business.

Through our experience with MPS best practices, Kyocera has identified what can be considered as the top five strategies to follow with the shift toward managed print services.

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Act quickly, but do not rush to implement an MPS program. This may seem counterintuitive, but to apply th e sp or ts analog y from above: MPS is not a sprint to see how fast you can get to the finish line. It is a marathon that requires training, preparation and, most of all, dedication. MPS must be built into your existing business model, with the necessary back-end infrastructure in place and fully tested. It cannot be an ad-hoc offering to close a new customer or get a quick sale. A successful MPS program begins with establishing the mindset that you are ready to take the next step toward a comprehensive and well-developed MPS business model. It is equally important that you consider all the MPS elements and know which of your business partners you can turn to for advice or support.

MPS is so much more than a remote management system. It is a new way of doing business and building incremental revenue, while at the same time becoming a trusted advisor to the end user.

Identify your ideal target customer before you start selling. You must decide to whom you are selling and the problems that you can solve for that customer through the implementation of an MPS engagement. When thinking about your MPS strategy, it is a mistake to take the approach of a one-size-fits-all solutions provider. Figure out as early in the strategic planning process as possible how your MPS capabilities will align with the needs of your target customers.

Perhaps you have a customer willing to explore an MPS beta test or pilot program with your dealership. No matter what, help customers understand the value proposition of

Project3:Supplies Network ad Sept 09

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• The best service: assigned, knowledgable reps; personalized marketing campaigns; product/sales training.

• Voted Best Value-Add Source by Recharger Magazine’s Readers.

• Managed Print Services (MPS) for copier and laser printer environments. Available as a turn-key solution, or use only the elements you need. No up-front software expenses.

• An aggressive pricing plan!

Ask about our special program for BTA and equipment dealers.

Call 866.574.8155 or go to www.suppliesnetwork.com/bta Supplies Network’s CARBON SiX® is the winner of the MPS Leadership Award for best infrastructure program provider, sponsored by Photizo.

Print Management

®

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service. You will need sufficient service an MPS solution and how you, their No matter what, help and supplies education and third-party trusted dealership partner, will lead supplier support on competitive prothem through this ultimate cost-saving customers understand duct models to help prevent costly surtransition. From our experience, we the value proposition of prises. Developing alternate resources have observed that both mid-size busian MPS solution and for parts and consumables will need to nesses and certain vertical markets, how you ... will lead be established, as well as service of unfaincluding education and healthcare, them through this ... miliar brands where required. It is imhold strong potential for MPS adoption. cost-saving transition. portant to point out to your service Most importantly, lead in a market team the value of managing an existing segment that is well within your sales customer fleet. Eventually, the dealership will have opportuand service “comfort zone.”

Take the time to establish clear sales and service com- nities to generate replacement device sales as lease agreepensation models. Dealers must determine how their organ- ments for existing devices end or as wholly owned products ization will financially accommodate this shift in business- begin to reach the end of their life cycles. When those oppormodel strategy and approach or they risk jeopardizing their tunities arise, installing highly reliable, low-TCS devices own time and effort. For salespeople, compensation must becomes a logical and more familiar choice for both sales shift from box selling to include some percentage of the after- and service managers.

Resist the urge to rip and replace at the onset of an market revenue, which traditionally resides in the service department. That means salespeople will become consult- MPS engagement. Ultimately, for an MPS program to ants. This is a major departure from how the industry has tra- succeed at a customer’s location, it must do so without disditionally sold. Your compensation structure needs to evolve rupting the customer’s document workf low, business with the new responsibilities your sales team is being asked processes and/or capital expense budgets. At Kyocera, we to execute. Failure to adapt to this new reality can demotivate have identified two broad types of MPS engagements that we call “evolutionary” and “revolutionary.” your sales team and possibly unravel your MPS plans.

With a revolutionary engagement, a customer’s existing Take the time to weigh your various options, like hiring a new team to focus solely on MPS. Another approach might be devices are completely removed and replaced with new taking a cross-section of your best sales representatives who devices. This is one possible approach, but it could be diswill dedicate a predetermined percentage of their time to ruptive to a customer’s business and it may not be the most building your MPS model. Above all, identify an MPS champion cost-effective for them. The bottom line, in any economy, is from your existing staff or hire someone to become the team that full displacement/replacement is an expensive proposileader. Do not be surprised that the MPS champion may be you tion and a difficult sell.

In an evolutionary engagement, centralized service, supfor awhile until your team is in place. At some point, you may pass the baton to one of your team members, but be mindful — plies and billing for a customer’s existing devices are provided under one CPP contract through your dealership. you should still be the MPS champion for your dealership.

MPS also calls for dealerships to specialize in the supply Although from a document imaging manufacturer’s perand service of existing customer devices, which leads to a spective this may not be the optimal scenario, we understand that this is a likely business possibility when engaging fourth potential strategy.

Know the equipment fleet that you will inherit. A a customer’s MPS opportunities. In an evolutionary business common oversight is failure to conduct a candid assessment approach, your role is to evaluate a customer’s existing of “knowing what you do not know.” Education is critical devices and make initial recommendations to optimize and should be an ongoing element to any successful new those assets. Over time, those existing devices will require business endeavor. When it comes to MPS, this is especially replacement, giving you the opportunity to replace them true. If unprepared, dealerships can set themselves up for with lower-TCS devices.

A third engagement, and perhaps most common, is a mix possible failure in attempting to take over the management of both an evolutionary and revolutionary opportunity. In of unfamiliar devices.

It is very likely that a potential MPS customer is using this scenario, a BTA dealership outshines any other MPS equipment other than what you sell or have been trained to provider. As a dealer, you know how to assess a customer’s 18 | 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 | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 9

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In order to launch a successful Managed Print Services program, you must first begin with high quality imaging supplies, proper training, and a strong supporting partner.

This is where West Point Products comes in. In addition to our high quality toner cartridges, we have developed and launched SM AXESS MPS, a comprehensive Managed Print Services program designed to provide our dealers with the complete support package necessary to achieve a competitive edge within the market.

• Quality Toner Cartridges • Sales Support • Technical Support • Monitoring Support • Comprehensive Training

Your Comprehensive MPS Source For more information regarding Axess Managed Print Services, please contact your West Point Products representative or our Managed Print Services Technical support at 1-800-338-2274 x284.

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environment, provide them the proper document imaging equipment and professionally service that equipment. Add specific MP S el em ents, such as remot e device management and just-in-time supplies replenishment, as well as document imaging consultation, and you are well on your way to establishing your MPS business model. However, as mentioned, be sure your operational infrastructure is in place to handle the ever-growing flow of MPS customers coming to your dealership.

There are other MPS strategies that you will need to embrace, but from our experience, these five are the most common. A manufacturer’s role should be to assist you in achieving these strategies by becoming as much of a trusted advisor to you as you are to your customer.

Some may try to position MPS as being radically different from the way in which the BTA dealer has traditionally operated. In reality, I firmly believe with the right education and the right business partners, most dealers will find it is no different from any other technological or business transition they have made throughout the years.

If nothing else, the key point to remember is that developing an MPS business model is truly like a well-planned marathon — patience and discipline will reward you in the long run. You will open new opportunities for customers to save money while increasing your installed base and, ultimately, growing your sales revenue and profit.

Peter Hendrick is vice president of marketing for Kyocera Mita America Inc. He leads Kyocera’s marketing initiatives, including product planning, marketing, branding, advertising and sales education, as well as Kyocera’s network and software solutions groups. Hendrick joined Kyocera in 2002 and has more than 27 years experience in corporate and product marketing, marketing communications, channel development and retail operations. Kyocera’s FASTtrack for Managed Print Services program provides dealers with tools and resources to assist with the integration of an MPS business model. Visit www.kyoceramita.com or e-mail FASTtrack@kyoceramita.com.

... Developing an MPS business model is truly like a well-planned marathon — patience and discipline will reward you in the long run.

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EDUCATION CALENDAR October 6-8

BTA Business Planning Workshop Chicago, IL Taught by Jim Boulden, Tom Callinan and Ed Carroll of Strategy Development, this two-anda-half-day educational workshop's sole purpose is to set the framework for your team to develop an operational business plan. Using the case study approach, you will learn how to use the Strategy Development Scorecard, industry statistics and a company’s SWOT analysis as the foundation of your planning process. Once the foundation is in place, the Strategy Development team will teach you how to layer in detailed and quantifiable actions to accomplish your goals of revenue and profit growth.

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FIX: Cost Management for Service Workshop Waynesville, NC Successful BTA dealers use their service departments to maintain profit margins as new sales margins decline. FIX, BTA's most popular service workshop, shows you how to compute your service cost basis and overhead rates. Workshop instructor Ronelle Ingram, BTA’s immediate past president and vice president of technical service for Steven Enterprises Inc., Irvine, Calif., covers proven management and customer service programs to use in your company. This is a highly interactive, energetic classroom experience. Come prepared to learn in a fun, relaxed atmosphere. Attend FIX and receive free “Fall Colors Conference” General Registration.

16-17 “Fall Colors Conference”

Waynesville, NC Held in scenic Waynesville, N.C., the annual BTA Southeast “Fall Colors Conference” is designed for office technology dealership principals, managers and sales reps who are looking to further strengthen their dealerships. Three round-table discussions will be held on Friday afternoon, followed by a welcoming reception. Saturday morning, three education sessions will be held and attendees will also have the opportunity to visit with exhibiting sponsors.

Saturday afternoon, attendees are welcome to enjoy the sights of the beautiful Waynesville area before having cocktails and dinner. To register, visit www.btasoutheast.org, www.bta.org or call (800) 234-8996.

November 4-5

BTA Professional Services Workshop Philadelphia, PA With the focus on software solutions to drive growth and differentiate their dealerships from the competition, the formation of a professional services team is an ideal strategy for dealers.

Taught by Mitch Morgan of CEO Focus, the BTA Professional Services Workshop focuses on the critical success factors necessary to build a successful professional services team.

For additional information or to register for courses or events, visit www.bta.org or call (800) 843-5059.

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

Dealer Members Eagle Systems Inc., Buffalo, NY South Shore Office Products Inc., Farmingdale, NY Coast to Coast Equipment & Supplies Inc., St. Louis, MO Goodremont’s Inc., Toledo, OH Matrix Laser Care, Ramsey, MN Applied Business Concepts LLC, Baton Rouge, LA Commercial Data Systems & Supplies, Shelby, NC Williams Office Equipment, Americus, GA Lewan & Associates Inc., Denver, CO Woodburn Co., Everett, WA Vendor Associate Members CEMS Co. Ltd., South Korea Global Printer Services Inc., McFarland, WI Digitek Computer Products, Dulles, VA Service Associate Members MESCA Transport Services, Augusta, ME CEO Juice, San Diego, CA For full contact information of these new members, visit www.bta.org.

BTA ProFinance John Hey and John Hanson of Strategic Business Associates will teach you the financial terms and relationships that helped them make the decisions that built their company from a $5 million to a $150 million enterprise. For more information, visit www.bta.org/ProFinance.

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 Service Associate member Print Tracker provides the simplest solution for collecting meters, toner and service information from multifunction printers and copiers. Presenting reliable, full-range functionality, Print Tracker products are designed to specifically address the dealership’s needs. Print Tracker is easy to use, efficient and will save you time and money. Serving dealers in North and South America, and recently surpassing the 10 million mark in meter data returns, you can be assured that all your service needs will be met. www.printtracker.net BTA Service Associate member CEO Juice seeks to solve problems for the small copier/MFP dealer.

Running a small copier/MFP dealership has its own particular set of problems and those problems run the gamut — from determining why contracts continue to be barely profitable to the inevitable headaches involved in putting together a system to enter new markets. One problem CEO Juice guarantees you will not have: lack of support. Not only do they provide the software systems, if needed, they will get hands-on and do it for you. www.ceojuice.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

Hiring New Employees Building human resources for the economic recovery by: Robert C. Goldberg, General Counsel for the Business Technology Association

background check, pre-employment he economy is starting to show testing and/or drug screening. Be sure to some indication of the recession’s Finally, use the resources use th e form on th e BTA Web site to end. It will, no doubt, be awhile you have. Either conduct obtain consent prior to any background before bottom lines improve, but with a the interview with others check or testing. Most third-party compasense of optimism coupled with preparaor interview separately nies will have their own forms for you to tion, it seems to be a good time to address and compare notes. use. However, there is a great deal you can one of the most important factors in our In either case, you do on your own to prove the integrity of businesses: our employees. have more input ... the application. The most important Of course, our first loyalty will be to those tactic is the job interview itself. employees who took pay cuts, shortened Before conducting the interview, do a little homework. If the workweeks, furloughs, layoffs and the like. Whenever economically possible, we will want to reward their allegiance by making candidate said he went to a particular school, find out something them “whole” once again. However, this time of business disrup- to ask that only a student would be likely to know. If you ask tion likely has created some changes within our workforce, and around, someone will know how to get this information. Simiinevitably, we will need to hire some new workers. If we plan larly, if there is technical ability necessary, ask questions that only now, we should be able to avoid some past employment prob- a skilled person could answer. Set up a hypothetical problem and have the candidate propose solutions that you can evaluate. lems and generate the best possible work force.

After identifying the need for an employee, our first task is Finally, use the resources you have. Either conduct the interview to write an effective job description. From the job description with others or interview separately and compare notes. In either comes the ad, which needs to be specific enough to entice the case, you have more input with which to make a decision.

Before making the final decision to hire, take a few more appropriate employment pool, yet flexible enough to allow for changes and growth within the job. No employer wants to important steps. First, ask for an employment history and refhear, “It is not in my job description,” as an excuse for not erences. Even if past employers are reluctant to say anything trying new methods or attempting to make greater contribu- negative, you will at least know the truthfulness of the history tions to the company. Always include within the job descrip- and can inquire about possible omissions. Do not be afraid to tion: “ ... and other duties and responsibilities as may be go back to all references. Some candidates may think you will never go back that far and be more likely to improvise their assigned from time to time.”

A proper job description should include a descriptive job histories. You can check the validity of a Social Security title, a list of expected duties and an explanation of expected number with a simple computer search of the Social Security prerequisites to be considered for an interview. The responsi- Administration’s Web site. Finally, have even the most perfect bilities portion should include those tasks for which the candidate fill out a job application that specifically states that employee will be held accountable. Similarly, the standard the penalty for lying will be termination.

The more work you put into hiring a new employee, the requirements may encompass issues beyond experience and schooling to include abilities unique to the job. You should more likely that employee will work well. High unemployment also take into consideration that one man’s (or woman’s) year rates make the pool of candidates large, but the competition of experience might trump someone else’s three years. Care- may encourage a stretching of the truth. Let us fully figuring out your needs should allow you to hire the hope for more good economic news and the need for new employees. perfect employee.

Robert C. Goldberg is general counsel However, sometimes candidates lie. So how can you find for the Business Technology Association. out if this glowing résumé really represents the person who He can be reached at robert.goldberg@sfnr.com. wishes to work for you? Some ways include performing a

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Collaborative Leadership Creating a workplace where teamwork flourishes by: Joanne L. Smikle, Smikle Training Services

ollaboration is not simply the domain of the lower levels of the organization. It is also the responsibility of senior leadership.

Executive direction is required to build the sustainable collaboration required to create a healthy organization. Companies that master the art of collaboration are characterized by clear communication, mutually supportive relationships and healthy retention of talented people.

A manager’s ability to model the tenets of teamwork is more important than his (or her) ability to talk about them.

Pay attention to how well you manage relationships with your peers. Do you foster good interdepartmental cooperation or have you taken internal competition to an unhealthy level? Whatever your position, remember that staff members are looking to you for an example of how to appropriately collaborate.

Collaborative leadership requires that managers demonstrate a willingness to learn and grow. It positions them as partners willing to constantly develop new skills and competencies. But learning cannot be arbitrary. Wise leaders create individual development plans for managers so they are working to build a set of competencies that enable them to keep the enterprise progressing and well-aligned. Individual development plans enable managers to plot learning that directly parallels the course that the organization is taking. Managerial education will follow the strategic direction that the enterprise is taking. This enables the organization to have a management team that not only understands the philosophical underpinnings of strategic intent, but also has the concrete skill set required to make strategic operations reality.

My book, “Rules of Engagement: Timeless Tips for Team

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Leaders,” provides practical strategies for managers throughout the enterprise. Many of these pointers will be especially helpful for senior managers interested in creating organizational transformations, directing energy to customer retention and customer satisfaction. Four of those rules are presented in this article.

Rules of Engagement Strategy is critical to sustainable success in a collaborative environment. Let us begin with the rule that focuses on the importance of this element. The first rule is: Have a strategic focus. Many team leaders make the mistake of getting wrapped up in projects and tasks without understanding how they are connected to the larger organization’s strategy. Once you, the leader, understand both long- and short-term strategy, you are then responsible for helping your team grasp its importance.

When managers understand strategy, they also understand why it is important to do things exceedingly well.

Excellence cannot be overrated. Comprehending strategy helps you remain aware of the fact that your department’s work does not happen in a vacuum. You understand that not only are your deliverables important, but so are those of other departments. While this may sound basic, it can escape many myopic leaders. They become consumed with their piece of the puzzle and forget how interconnected the entire company must remain if it is to succeed.

If you wonder whether this is a potential problem for you and your staff, ask the people who rely on your work about when and how they get what they need from your team. Are they pleased? What else do they need from you and your team? Once you get the feedback, share it with your team and use it to improve outcomes. Not only does this reinforce

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demonstrate skepticism. They will conan understanding of strategy, it models a Your work happens in sider the change, weigh the pros and cons high level of communication, cooperaand then decide to give it a try. There are tion and responsiveness. And this leads the context of a much still others who will present outright cynus to our next rule of engagement. larger organization that icism. These are the people who are As stated earlier, your work does not may have what appear fearful, reluctant to try new approaches happen in a vacuum. Hence, the next to be ... conflicting goals. and stuck in a mode that is typically not rule: Provide an organizational conTake the time to connect beneficial to the team or the enterprise. text for the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work. Your work the dots for your team ...

Your job is to understand their fears and happens in the context of a much larger constantly communicate with the team organization that may have what appear to be competing or conflicting goals. Take the time to connect to clarify the change, their roles and responsibilities.

Accountability is critical to individual, team and corpothe dots for your team members. Help them understand how each project and each individual contribution supports the rate success. Not only are team members accountable to larger organization. This instills people with a sense of one another, they also are accountable to the company. This purpose. It also provides answers to many of the questions, is expressed in the quality of the work delivered, the care delivered to customers and the overall commitment disspoken and unspoken, about the rationale for decisions.

Once team members understand the connectedness of played. The rule that addresses this is stated as: Promote their efforts to others in the company, they should be better accountability. Holding people to high standards is one of able to build rapport throughout the enterprise. Team your primary leadership responsibilities. Not only must you members will have the knowledge to communicate with col- track deadlines, quality and customer satisfaction, you must leagues and customers. Their outcomes will also evolve also monitor how well the team works together.

Coaching is one of the tools team leaders use to assist team because of their understanding of how much the work matters.

The aforementioned improvements based on feedback members when they are not measuring up. It is equally imporrequire a capacity for change. Not only change for you as the tant for you to coach when things are going well. This positive leader, but also for every team member. This rule is stated recognition keeps team members encouraged. Whether the as: Build the capacity for change. Building your capacity coaching is corrective or congratulatory, it is a tool for for change occurs when you know that change is a process, keeping levels of accountability high. It lets employees know not an event. It happens when you understand your reac- that their performance is always on your radar screen. tions to change and can channel those reactions into posi- Accountability applies to you as well. Be certain that you are tive action. You are then responsible for helping team holding yourself to the same high standards. Otherwise, members understand the dynamics of change, how change your hypocrisy will eventually be discovered. impacts them and how best to channel their energy.

Team members look to you for guidance in tumultuous Conclusion Collaboration is as much the responsibility of the senior times. Whether the upset is because of competition in the marketplace, a merger or increased internal demands, your leadership team as it is for middle managers. All leaders have team is relying on you for a model of acceptable approaches a role in creating a workplace where teamwork can flourish. to the new stressors. They look to you for direction. When This happens most effectively when the most senior manpossible, introduce change in small, manageable bites. Over- agers are willing to rethink their interpretations of team whelming people with too much information, too many new development and their unique roles in making collaboration processes and advanced practices will only frustrate them. If happen. The rules presented provide four methods for team members become too frustrated, they will eventually making teamwork more tangible. Use them and you will be disengage. That is the last thing you want when you are able to build stronger connections.

Joanne L. Smikle is a consultant and speaker trying to build a collaborative workplace. specializing in leadership development and Building the capacity for change also necessitates an collaboration. She serves clients in business, understanding of how people adapt. There will be team memindustry and government. Contact Smikle at bers who are eager to jump in and get started. They see inno(301) 596-3140 or www.smiklespeaks.com. vations as positive opportunities. There will be others who 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 | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 9 | 25

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SELLING SOLUTIONS

Better Prospecting Results Get a meeting using the decision-maker’s assistant by: Kate Kingston, Kingston Training Group

any salespeople miss out on opportunities to set C-level meetings because they fail to use the assistant when prospecting. Most of the time, salespeople just do not know what steps to take to enroll the assistant in the process of scheduling a meeting.

The following is how the Kingston Training Group sets meetings through the assistant: Situation: You or your salesperson calls a company and have identified that the CFO is the decision maker you need to speak with. Let us assume his name is John Adams and he works for a law firm. Suppose you have asked for John and have been connected to the assistant answering the phone for him and he (or she) will not let you leave a voicemail (or he tells you that he will take the message). You have now identified John’s assistant and are going to use him to set the appointment.

Strategy: When the assistant says that he will have to take a message, give him the entire message, including when you want the meeting. (You certainly cannot get the meeting if you do not ask for it.)

After you have finished the whole message and have asked for a specific date and time for the meeting, ask the assistant what his name is and schedule a specific time to re-connect with him to get the decision maker’s response to your message.

Here is how the script of the interaction would look.

“John Adams’ office. How may I help you?”

“Hello. It’s Kate Kingston for John. Thanks.”

“John’s not in right now.”

“Voicemail will be fine.”

“I’ll have to take a message.”

(This person has just identified himself as his assistant and the only way to John is through them.)

“Great. Again my name is Kate Kingston and I was calling to schedule a meeting with John. I represent several law firms here in New York City such as (insert three of your law firm clients), just to name a few, and have partnered with them to increase billable hours and identify cost reductions through better use of their internal business technology. I thought that John would be interested in how his colleagues are accomplishing these goals and I’m that resource. I am a legal business

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technology specialist here at (insert company name) and that’s why I wanted to sit down with him. Do you know if Tuesday, the fifteenth at 9:45 a.m. would work into his calendar?”

Be prepared for the response that almost all assistants give.

“He takes care of his own calendar.”

“Okay. And your name is?”

“Bill.”

“Bill, thanks in advance for giving John the message. Should I repeat some of the client references I mentioned? (If he says ‘yes’ go over key points in your pitch again) And by the way, thanks for checking with John about next Tuesday, the fifteenth at 9:45 a.m. If I haven’t connected live with John by noon tomorrow, why don’t I call you tomorrow at 2:30 after you have checked with John to see if next Tuesday works?”

If you noticed, the wording “If I haven’t connected live with John … ” combats the objection of “He will call you if he is interested.” You have accomplished taking control of the call and qualifying that John does make decisions on business technology because Bill would have told you if he was not the right contact after you described how you help law firms and why you think that the CFO would get involved. You have also identified when you want the meeting, the agenda for the meeting and when you will call him back to check if that time works for John. That is pretty good for one minute of work.

Calling the assistant back at exactly the time you mentioned accomplishes quite a bit. Using our script as an example, reaching Bill at exactly 2:30 on the dot tells him you are punctual, you are not going away, you follow through on your commitments, you are establishing the type of account manager you will be, you are interested in their company and you are driving the process through to a meeting.

“John Adams’ office.”

“Hi Bill. This is Kate Kingston. I’m that legal business technology specialist and we spoke yesterday about a meeting with John for next Tuesday. I was to call you at 2:30 and here I am.”

Bill only has three choices of a response: He either spoke to John and he said “yes” to the meeting, he spoke to him and he said “no” to the meeting or he did not get to speak to him yet.

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These are the only options. Let us go “Bill, I will have this e-mailed to you this through how to handle each one. afternoon and I will mention a possible Prospecting is good, If Bill replies that John said “yes,” we time for our meeting. I will connect with selling is better and write the meeting in our calendars. This you tomorrow afternoon around 4:30 to using the assistant does not happen often. More typically, John see if that works for John.” to get a meeting with says “no,” or Bill did not get to talk to him At this point, send a prospecting e-mail your decision maker about our message yet. In either case, our driving home the same message you stated is a great way to response should be “great,” and then to conearlier on how you plug into law firms and accomplish both. vince Bill to let you send a written message schedule yourself to call him back as stated. to John describing the meeting agenda.

Having action connected to each step “I’m sorry I didn’t have the chance to speak with John yet” in the process with the assistant drives you toward your Cor “John said we are all set right now” or “He is not interested.” level meeting. Have your team use this exact script when “Great. Many CFOs want to see an agenda for the meeting dealing with the assistant so you will not miss any opportuniin writing before they schedule. I prepared that just in case. ties with new prospects. You will have more high-level meetShould I e-mail it or fax it to you?” ings, you will sell more solutions and make more money.

Now, Bill’s choice is receiving an e-mail or fax from you. You Prospecting is good, selling is better and using the assistant are getting something in front of your prospect and have effec- to get a meeting with your decision maker is a great way to tively shifted the assistant from gatekeeper to ally. The reason accomplish both. you do not send an e-mail on the first call is that you have not Kate Kingston is the founder of Kingston Training Group (KTG). established any relationship with the assistant yet. You are just KTG provides motivational sales training specializing in making some stranger calling for the first time. The assistant will typi- more meetings. They train office technology sales forces to make more qualified meetings and average a 70 cally let you e-mail or fax him and even if he does not give you percent increase in meetings across the entire John’s direct e-mail, you can usually tell from the format of sales force in every company they work with.

Bill’s e-mail address what John’s e-mail address format is.

She can be reached at “You can e-mail it to me.” kkingston@kingstontraining.com.

“Great. What’s your e-mail address?”

Visit www.kingstontraining.com.

“It’s ….”

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SELLING SOLUTIONS

Sales Training A sales manager’s guide to who you should train by: Teresa Hiatt, Ricoh Americas Corp.

lthough we can all conceptually agree that sending sales representatives to sales education courses is a good idea, we have all heard the two basic complaints: “I sent some people to training, but they are still struggling” and “My people tell me it was good information, but they have always done the things covered in the training.” Both of these complaints are valid, but research shows they are more related to who attends the training, instead of the value of the training itself. In this article, we will discuss the seven different performance profiles of sales representatives and which profiles are the ideal candidates for attending sales education courses.

A

Performance Profiles Denis Pombriant writes about performance profiles in TechWorld News, a magazine devoted to workf low management and sales force automation. “The top 20 percent of your sales force is going to succeed despite their managers and the bottom 20 percent will probably never reach full productivity,” he writes. “A sales manager should focus on helping deliver the tools and resources that the 60 percent in the middle need to succeed, and part of that is the very best of training that can be offered.”

Although everyone at every skill level needs training to move to the next level (after all, Tiger Woods still works with a trainer on his golf swing), there are some “typical” performance profiles that can be used to help isolate who will benefit the most from training dollars invested. Let us look at some of the more common performance profiles: the New Guy, the Rogue Superstar, the One-Hit Wonder, the Roller Coaster, the Almost There and the Drowning Victim.

The New Guy Anyone new to a sales organization can be called the “New Guy (Gal),” even if he (or she) has sold before in a different organization. This is where sales managers often focus their 28 | 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 | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 9

training efforts, despite data that shows a poor return on investment. Obviously, the New Guy needs the basic selling skills unique to the organization and an understanding of the products/services/solutions for sale, but what he really needs is a massive initial training to give him the resources and then time to develop his sales techniques. The best way to support this profile type is with coaching — intense, constant, one-onone coaching. Many top sales organizations actually have a quasi-sales manager who is devoted to coaching this group to success. But once the initial training on internal sales processes and products/service is accomplished, training is not this group’s primary need. If new sales representatives attend training other than the required training during the first threeto-six-month period, they probably will not show any significant changes in behavior.

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on a Roller Coaster sales rep’s forecast or The Rogue Superstar sales contribution on a regular basis. A The second most common profile type to A One-Hit Wonder is Roller Coaster rep has trouble managing attend training is the Rogue Superstar. The a sale representative his pipeline, delivering consistent proSuperstar typically goes to training because who seems to have posals and keeping activity levels stable. he really wants to go and he asks to go. miraculously gained an About the time he garners notice because Since he is successful, the sales manager account or two and has his numbers are up and a manager wants uses the Superstar to fulfill any training managed to close a to send him to training, he somehow never goals management may have set for him. couple of ... sales. quite makes it to the training and never The problem is that a Superstar will not becomes fully successful. By the time he benefit the most from your training dollar.

He goes to get positive reinforcement that he is doing all the has several months in a row when he misses quota and truly right things. He will probably pick up a few tips and maybe becomes a problem, he has already come to the conclusion that refine a technique, but he really gets more from sharing all of his he will not be successful and he starts looking for another job. experiences and successes with the group. A Superstar may The Roller Coaster sales rep can easily benefit from training even offer to “teach” the class, since he feels he has a lot of because once he is presented with the repeatable, consistent success. This would be great, except that research shows these sales processes that are proven to produce stable sales, he can top performers are exceptional, unique and use in-born talents recognize the principles and easily begin integrating these and methods that do not often work for the 60 percent who processes into his sales strategies. need repeatable, proven, process-driven methods they can use with their own talents. The Superstar goes willingly to training The Almost There Next we have the group of people who hang out right at the and says it is good stuff, but there is no noticeable change in behavior in the workplace (which is a good thing, because he is “meeting quota” line. These sales representatives are “almost there” when it comes to sales success. Every month, the Almost already hitting his numbers).

There rep works frantically, stressing out the administration The One-Hit Wonder staff, harassing his sales managers for “special exceptions” and A sales group of any size will often have a few One-Hit generally taking the most time to manage and maintain.

Wonders. A One-Hit Wonder is a sales representative who Because he is on the verge of being successful, a sales manager seems to have miraculously gained an account or two and has is actually convinced a little more coaching is all he needs to managed to close a couple of substantial sales. Since he has succeed. A true analysis of his accounts shows a different story. some numbers on the board, he does not generate immediate The research indicates he is making marginal deals with quesnegative attention, but he is not really considered to be suc- tionable sales tactics and very little repeat business or relationcessful. A One-Hit Wonder often spends a lot of time trying to ship building. He is almost succeeding by the sheer force of his duplicate what he did for his existing success, but is unable to sales skills and an extreme amount of work. He is often the first realize it was an anomaly and that it cannot be used to stake a one in the office and the last one to leave. future career. Since he has enjoyed a great sale at least once, The Almost There performance profile is rarely seen in he is very motivated to repeat the success and has one of the training, for two reasons. First, the sales manager is convinced best attitudes to accept educational instruction. that the Almost There is just a few deals away from becoming a One-Hit Wonders are often overlooked for training selec- Sup erstar and h e does not want to imp ede th e rep’s tion because it seems they have demonstrated they know how momentum by taking him out of the field. Second, the sales to sell, since they have a success in their pocket. If they do get professional certainly does not want the distraction of training. training, a sales manager may see dramatic results since they He is firmly focused on manhandling the details of every sale can now frame their experience into solid foundational selling and ramrodding his deals through the system by any means processes that can allow them to repeat their successes. necessary to close the deal. Getting this person into the appropriate level of training will not only benefit the sales profesThe Roller Coaster sional, but also the entire sales team for that office. Once the Many sales representatives can display their sales by month Almost There performance profile starts to make solid sales and see a really good roller-coaster ride pattern. They may even process deals, he releases a significant number of resources hit plan for the year. But a sales manager can never truly count that had to be devoted to getting the previous marginal deals 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 | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 9 | 29

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Summary The top 20 percent — the Superstars — The Drowning Victims, need to be given the recognition they the bottom 20 percent ... , deserve and they should be looked to as need coaching and The Drowning Victim role models for success. The Drowning help in a way that Finally, the performance profile most Victims, the bottom 20 percent of perdoes not draw the often seen at training is the Drowning formers, need coaching and help in a way team down into the Victim. This is the sales representative who that does not draw the team down into dumps with them. has almost no sales and who is being sent the dumps with them. Those new to the to training as a last-ditch effort to save him organization, the New Guys, need a fire from leaving the company, either voluntarily or involuntarily. hose treatment of initial training, then a few months of truly This sales rep may be in the wrong career, have conflicts in the targeted coaching, mentoring and encouragement to develop sales office, trouble balancing work and home life or many their sales styles. The rest of the organization, the middle 60 other issues that are preventing him from being successful. He percent, needs specific training around solutions selling skills, seems to work hard, but has no tangible results. Usually he is relationship building and true competency in the solumore than willing to try going to training because it gets him tions/products/services that make up the real value proposiout of the office and away from the issues that are causing his tion of the company. poor performance results. He may pick up some sales process Teresa Hiatt is director of sales education techniques while at training, but even if his results change for a at Ricoh Americas Corp. In her eight years at Ricoh, brief time, there is no lasting impact from training. The sales she has worked with Ricoh teams for the purposes manager tries to help, maybe even riding with the rep and of conducting research into sales training, helping him through some calls or closing a deal for him, but his setting global sales strategies and lack of results is disheartening and everyone around feels like delivering sales training programs. they get dragged down with him if they try to help. A root cause She can be reached at analysis of the performance problem indicates the person teresa.hiatt@ricoh-usa.com. knows how to do his job, so training is not really the answer.

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