Selling is an art form – a skill set where you are able to simultaneously establish trust, offer a recommendation, and close the sale. In the early stages, as the technology solution provider, your objective is to identify the pain points and areas of opportunity when it comes to the prospect who’s either come to you or you’ve identified yourself. By the time you reach the stage of closing, the last thing you want is reluctance to proceed.
We all know workplace culture is important to today’s workforce. As Generation Z enters the workplace it will continue to grow in importance, and dealers within the office imaging space have become more tuned in to this need.
UPDATE as of June 2020: The FASB made the decision to defer the effective date of the new lease accounting rules for private companies by another year due to companies having to put resources towards impacts of COVID-19 and not being able to focus on their adoption. Therefore, a private company using calendar year financial statements will need to follow the new lease accounting standard for calendar year 2022, rather than by the previously stated calendar year 2021. The Financial Accounting Standard Board (“FASB”) issued a new lease accounting standard in February 2016 in an effort to improve transparency of “off-balance sheet” obligations. The new lease accounting standard is also commonly known as “Topic 842.” Just recently, FASB has issued updated guidance delaying the effective date of the new lease accounting standard for private companies.
What started out as a dream to fly led to one of today’s most common forms of travel: the airplane. While overcoming business obstacles can often feel like defying gravity, Wilbur and Orville Wright actually did – quite literally - as they made the first successful airplane flight in history in 1903. But this was not without adversity. Their persistence and faith in the “impossible” can teach us a lot about meeting our goals, even in the face of stiff competition, naysayers, and doubters.
Why Upgrade? Do It for the Joe, Office Equipment Dealers! Oh, the upgrade. A special kind of sell. It can be a tricky one considering you’re not technically selling a new solution. You’re selling the same product in a new model, and in your case, the product is a printer or copier. A new model may have new bells and whistles and improved features, but at a high level, it meets the same need. This presents a challenge, because why would your customers buy the same thing twice, especially when the second sell involves change? Change is hard!
I kickoff my day by filling up my 30oz Yeti, a GreatAmerica holiday present, with water – hydration is key! I’ve already had my coffee on my commute in from Iowa City with my various podcasts queued up for the ride. (Tip: if you’re looking for podcasts related to recruiting, hiring, and the like, checkout Recruiting Future or HBR Ideacast).
When we asked tech buyers how they pay for their equipment they told us they prefer to lease or rent their technology. As more of your clients ask for a monthly payment option, you have decisions to make on which method to provide. A GreatAmerica financial solution is one option.
Unfortunately the summer is coming to an end. If you are like me, with teenagers at home over the summer, this may be good news. My kids are excited to get the school year underway, but they also have some apprehension. They will have new teachers, new classes and different kids from last year in their classes. They're even worried about who they will sit with in the lunch room.
