Prosource

The topic of this week’s continued look at serving the various needs of vertical markets may seem obvious—the acknowledgment that dealers must be certified, able and willing to adhere to government-mandated regulatory compliance protocol that comes with the territory of doing Read More

Our collective vocabulary saw something of a boost in 2020, as did the office dealer’s product portfolio. Outside of the health care world, few people were familiar with the term personal protective equipment. Face masks were for professionals and the ill. And hand sanitizer’s Read More

The oft-repeated adage about life, that it gives you the test first and teaches the lesson after the fact, certainly holds true. During 2020, we learned on the fly from the comforts of home but certainly weren’t always thrilled with how adversity was reconciled on a broader Read More

Having a business plan is one thing. Having a BDR program in place is another. But prior to last March, not one office technology dealer boasted a pandemic playbook. It seems life has that way of giving you the test first and teaching the lesson after the fact. And one thing we Read More

At some point in the not-too-distant future (which we can only hope is more near-term than the opposite), businesses will resume operating at some level of normal. While the definition of “normal” may undergo a metamorphosis during the ensuing months, purveyors of managed IT Read More

It’s tough to discuss COVID-19 in the past tense when it continues to linger well beyond its “welcome,” like a drunk uncle at a holiday cookout an hour after everyone else has left. However, roughly four months into our shared experience, industry dealers of IT-based goods and Read More

Anyone who has visited the beach with a young family in tow knows the experience can be taxing. It’s not a gas-and-go proposition; the level of preparation involved in delivering more than one child to the shore for a day of fun can be time-consuming.  Sunscreen is only the Read More

When business-as-usual takes a sharp veer for the unusual, tact and diplomacy become two of the most critical assets in a salesperson’s toolkit. Talking less and listening more, an approach espoused by sales consultants since the dawn of selling takes on greater significance in Read More

One consistent message that was echoed by dealers virtually across the entire spectrum of the industry was that they were a bit busy, even overly-occupied. As problems go, it’s a nice one to have as opposed to the alternative. But a pipeline-taxed operation offers its own set of Read More

Marketing in the 21st century has become a high-stakes game for the office technology dealership community. Traffic on the information superhighway (now there’s a 20th century term) is cluttered at best, and bumper-to-bumper action can make it difficult for a business’ message to Read More

We’re going to bid November adieu by wrapping up our look at 21st-century sales strategies with a mixed-bag look at the wildcard variables that have enabled dealers to gain a leg up on the competition in their respective markets. In some cases, adding a unique product can prove Read More

There are two things most dealers can agree upon. One, social media engagement is an effective tool for communicating with customers and prospects, whether it’s to promote a product or service, or to keep people abreast of what your company is doing. Two, crafting a message that Read More

The role and life of the account representative, one might argue, has been simplified in the past 20 years. No longer is in incumbent upon a sales rep to do all of the heavy lifting in enticing existing clients and prospects to avail themselves of your dealership’s product and Read More

Entering a new product offering is often fraught with potential pitfalls. The allure of net-new business comes with a caveat for competency. Building from the ground up takes a commitment of not only time and money, but consideration. How will this offering fare among my customer Read More

Spring is in the air…well, not really. Much of the country is still consumed by sub-seasonal temperatures, and even spates of snow as Mother Nature gives us a little attitude. But as the flowers blossom and allergies kick into high gear, this time of year is always one marked by Read More