The Great Divide in Copier Sales

The other day I was speaking with a few dealers and salespeople about the current state of sales and selling. We talked about regional differences, slow change, and what it takes to be successful today in copier sales. 

It was déjà vu all over again. 

I’ve been preaching about change for over a decade, telling dealers and OEMs alike how the future is not about marks on a page or even software. 

The future of selling is in the statements of the past: 

“I want to be your trusted advisor.” 

“We must sell solutions.” 

“We need to listen to the prospect.” 

 We’ve all been there.  As soon as we walk through...read the rest here.

#WFH. The Death of the "Work Spouse".

“…men and women can’t be friends because the sex part always gets in the way…because no man can be friends with a woman that he finds attractive. He always wants to have sex with her.” 

 - When Harry Met Sally

The "Work Wife", and "Work Spouse" has been around since the '30s.  The Pre-Covid office environment was a petri dish for interpersonal relationships - the label recognizes, if not legitimizes, a third-party 9-5 relationship.

The phrase, the idea, is an acceptable, even encouraged, practice of the work-in-a-cube(plantation) status quo.  When one stops to think about it, is having a work spouse and a home spouse a good thing?  I can't answer that one.

"Work From Home gives new meaning to the phrase, "Work Wife", and that's a good thing for 'committed' personal relationships, not so good for the solo runners."

Consider this, #WFH diminishes:

• 12 hours with somebody other than your wife, husband, or significant other.
• Latenight PowerPoint brainstorming meetings
• Working lunches
• Post-meeting cocktails

WFH also impacts:

• Business trips, out-of-town conferences.
• After-hour team-building events 
• Christmas parties
• Client dinners

The fear of Covid is changing everything from business to commerce, religion, politics, and personal relationships.

Could one benefit of #WFH be a decrease in the number of divorces?

Of course, this issue goes deeper than sharing space with the opposite sex.  Says one male worker regarding his work spouse, 

'I don't like showing vulnerabilities to my real wife in case it makes her respect me less.'

This base insecurity strikes at the core of most affairs; fear of being judged by the person one loves is a powerful motivator to keep "bad news" off the significant other's plate.  So the issue is shared with a non-romantic, third party, not the significant other leading to mistrust, and emotional connections outside the relationship.  

We all know this...

Regardless, we'll see how this all pans out over the next few years.

Interesting.

 

 Sources:

https://www.inverse.com/article/35392-work-spouse-wife-husband-office-psychology

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-4665480/Why-work-wife-threat-marriage.html

https://www.glamour.com/story/career-advice-why-everyone-needs-a-work-wife

https://www.savvymom.ca/articleiframe/?url=http://www.jodyrobbins.com/work-wife/&id=105993

New to Sales: How to Use Your Sales Training

Everyone’s gone through sales training. As a new copier rep, you’re going to be trained in the ways of selling, according to your new employer.

To be certain, there are thousands of sales training classes, courses, programs, and coaches in the ecosystem.  Selling has been happening since the dawn of time and people have been teaching others how to sell for just as long.  There is no lack of generic and professional selling curriculum – some may argue there is too much.

Your employer’s sales training program has been either developed in-house, outsourced to a training company, or a combination of both.  It is your duty to understand their “proven” process, learn how they expect you to sell, and do so in the field.

It is your personal responsibility to improve yourself with this training.  My recommendation is to think of the corporate program as a base, or platform for growth – not the end-all of your experiential sales journey.

The point of sales training is to help you sell.  This is partially correct.  Closer to the truth, sales training, in the dealer channel, is designed to help you sell your dealer’s stuff – it is what you signed up to do.

Regardless, all training is good training and... read the rest here.