{"id":42024,"date":"2020-10-27T08:06:49","date_gmt":"2020-10-27T15:06:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/?p=42024"},"modified":"2020-10-29T05:27:03","modified_gmt":"2020-10-29T12:27:03","slug":"face-to-video-removed-from-their-element-salespeople-finding-ways-to-adapt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/state-of-the-industry\/2020\/10\/face-to-video-removed-from-their-element-salespeople-finding-ways-to-adapt\/","title":{"rendered":"Face-to-Video: Removed from Their Element, Salespeople Finding Ways to Adapt"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Over the course of the past six months, COVID-19 has dealt the business community an array of challenges that have been difficult, and occasionally impossible, to reconcile. The hospitality industry, which banks on its customer community to gather en masse, has been impacted like few others. Not much farther down the list of the impacted, one might argue, is the sales universe in general, and the down-the-street representative in particular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of the many tools in salespeople\u2019s arsenal, front and center are the reps themselves. Their appearance, charisma, larger-than-life personality, people-handling skills, ability to articulate value, listening skills, knowledge, empathy, relatability, fresh breath\u2014these characteristics only begin to scratch the surface of successful sellers. The game is not for everyone, certainly not the faint of heart or the halitosis-challenged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The fairest among them are adept at engaging a prospect, assessing needs, reading reactions, delivering a value proposition and closing sales. Whether they possess Type A personalities or are simply driven by caffeine and the art of the deal, there\u2019s no denying their importance in the success of the business machine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then came March. COVID-19 took the bat out of the rep\u2019s hands. The pandemic told them, \u201cTake everything you know about the sales game and find a new way to express it.\u201d A nation of salespeople was forced to earn an unofficial degree in broadcasting by taking to Microsoft Teams, Zoom or any other number of remote conferencing platforms to ply their trade. After years of honing the rhythms of in-person conversation, reps had to work on the nuances of remote conferencing. And while it was technically a face-to-face meeting, reps found the cadence of conversation to be unique and sometimes frustrating. And it only takes a moment or two of video buffering to compound that frustration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\"><strong>Obstacles Aplenty<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Add to that a myriad of other issues\u2014readjusting the sales focus amid a client base that prefers payment relief over technology investment; more difficulty reaching clients whose office phones don\u2019t redirect to personal lines; objections from a prospect pipeline that is hesitant to change vendor horses during a pandemic\u2014and the result is extreme downward pressure to produce in an environment that is anything but accommodating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The last six months have kept sales consultants fully engaged helping the dealer community, so we canvassed a pool of dealers for our State of the Industry report on elevating sales. We gauged how they\u2019ve adjusted their approach and tone to engage clients and prospects. Some reps are fortunate enough to be meeting in person, but for most of the country, it\u2019s a mixed bag of methods and success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"150\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Steve-Gau-Marco.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42025\"\/><figcaption>Steve Gau, Marco<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Geography is arguably the single-greatest indicator of activity success during the pandemic. Few other dealers can match the reach of Marco, headquartered in St. Cloud, Minnesota, with branches throughout the Midwest, Michigan and the Northeast. Steve Gau, president of Marco\u2019s copier division, notes access to in-person meetings varies tremendously; downtown business in cities such as Baltimore, St. Louis and Detroit remains extremely limited. But the heartland business in the Dakotas, Nebraska and Iowa are at 75% to 80% percent of pre-pandemic levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMost of our customers are located in smaller towns and markets, and as a result, we just haven\u2019t had the significant impact that our counterparts on the coasts have had to deal with,\u201d Gau said. \u201cDowntown business has been drastically affected in the cities, because people aren\u2019t going to work in their high-rise buildings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>We\u2019ve really kept our pulse on this because we\u2019ve been trying to service our existing clients, while also monitoring our outbound activity.<\/p><cite>  \u2013 Steve Gau, Marco <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Like many other dealers, Marco relies on video conferencing, and the tone of conversations is directed at dealing with lower volumes, deferred payments, and assisting clients as they deal with the ramifications of business interruption. A drop-off in education-vertical activity has been keenly felt, but Midwestern activity has \u201ctreated us well\u201d as the pandemic has continued, Gau noted. But the range of access is remarkable. Video conferencing continues to dominate, but in the more remote parts of the country, in-person meetings are fairly common. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Late March through May represented the peak of the pandemic for Marco, and the dealer used that time to cross-train dedicated copier and IT reps. Gau noted it was a challenge initially, and the company developed its own internal marketing philosophy, One Marco, to drive home the notion that copier reps should become proficient at selling the IT portfolio, and vice versa. Using video conferencing, each rep was required to do 100 hours of cross-training, totaling 20,000 hours for the entire sales team. Reps must now hit their quota for both in order to be considered for the coveted president\u2019s club.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marco also mixed in some training sessions directed by industry sales consultant Kate Kingston, and added emphasis on Marco\u2019s repeatable management strategy, aimed at account planning, pipeline management and monthly reviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Initially, Gau lost sleep over productivity, as salespeople are mobile by nature and highly interactive with prospects and clients as well as managers, admin, leasing coordinators and the like. Confining them to their homes (where they invariably have to deal with spouses and children)\u2014coupled with business activity being at 70% of normal levels\u2014lowered the likelihood of being able to perform at a level that would compensate for the 30% reduction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve really kept our pulse on this because we\u2019ve been trying to service our existing clients, while also monitoring our outbound activity,\u201d Gau noted. \u201cThat\u2019s why we doubled down on the repeatable management strategy. Are you trying to set up appointments? Are you getting into new opportunities, and are you maintaining your pipeline? We wanted reps to evaluate the percentage of normal they were at and put in the extra effort to try to maintain it. We\u2019ve held people accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\"><strong>Little Dropoff<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The results speak for themselves. Through August, Marco is at 90% of its hardware budget and 89% of its predictive service revenue\u2014benchmarks that were established in November of 2019, when the talk of a possible pandemic was still at least a month away. However, Gau is not popping the champagne cork just yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m still concerned about the fourth quarter,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s going to be the biggest test because Q4 is normally the result of everything that\u2019s been developed during the year. This is where the rubber meets the road.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"150\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Lee-Flood-Pearson-Kelly-Technology.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42027\"\/><figcaption>Lee Flood, <br>Pearson-Kelly Technology <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the advantages Pearson-Kelly Technology of Springfield, Missouri, has is the relative youth of its salesforce, which can make it more pliable to the changes dictated by COVID-19 and the need for an adjusted approach. Among the initial instructions Executive Vice President Lee Flood provided was the importance of being sympathetic to clients regarding the pandemic. Respect their fears, he noted, and don\u2019t be afraid to engage in a conversation about COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Missouri, like many states, has its share of people on both sides of the fence. \u201cWe live in a polarizing area, with people on both sides of the spectrum. Some say it\u2019s not a big deal while others are very concerned about it,\u201d Flood said. \u201cWe\u2019re open to meeting in-person in a safe way, while other organizations are adamantly against having anyone new in their office for the time being. We\u2019re recognizing that and training on how to broach that subject in a positive way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to using Loom and other one-on-one video conferencing options, Pearson-Kelly has brushed up on training by getting back to the basics, such as etiquette for virtual meetings. Lead-generation training has been a big focus, and the company\u2019s marketing coordinator has helped reps improve their social media presence. Flood also notes the managed service provider has invited a variety of consultants, again stressing the basics of training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>We also wanted to help clients with their next steps of the remote office, what things they should look for, security risks to be aware of, and some of the liabilities.<\/p><cite>  \u2013 Lee Flood, Pearson-Kelly Technology  <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>From an expectations standpoint, Pearson-Kelly altered its focus as to what \u201cgood\u201d looks like without changing its quotas. That meant role-playing exercises and pairing the three newest reps with the company\u2019s most veteran salespeople. The activity component saw a minor facelift; Pearson-Kelly collectively produced a video series to help hone its message to clients during the pandemic. While it was not heavy on selling particular products, they helped companies across the region make quick decisions, even if they were in a contract with another provider. Fortunately for Pearson-Kelly, somewhat normal business activities were resumed around July.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Prior to semi-normal business resumption, quotas for reps were centered on getting in front of their current clients with account reviews and check-ins. \u201cWe also wanted to help clients with their next steps of the remote office, what things they should look for, security risks to be aware of, and some of the liabilities,\u201d Flood said. \u201cWe offered some things pro bono to open up the opportunity for conversations to be had for things that people did need to purchase during that timeframe.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\"><strong>Mobilizing Forces<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As it is based in Brooklyn, New York, TGI Office Automation still very much operates under tight business conditions. Once the pandemic hit, TGI dropped its current email campaigns in favor of new messaging focused on helping in any manner necessary. Sales staff were trained on conducting video meetings; product offerings focused on no-touch printing solutions, temperature-scanning kiosks, electronic signatures and other offerings to match the evolved needs of clients. TGI utilizes all the products it offers and provides biweekly webinars for a deeper dive into the technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"150\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Vincent-Colaianni-TGI.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42029\"\/><figcaption>Vincent Colaianni, TGI<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Vincent Colaianni, the company\u2019s director of sales development, TGI finalized the acquisition of an IT architecture and network management specialist, iPower Technologies, and invested quite a bit of time familiarizing its sales team with the IT services that clients need. \u201cNow they are proficient in our offering and the standard operating procedures of TGI\u2019s new subsidiary,\u201d he notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>COVID-19 provided a muddied picture for setting realistic expectations, according to Colaianni, but as with any dealer, keeping reps motivated is essential. TGI measures and tracks its representatives\u2019 connections within their base, keeping them apprised of the company\u2019s new full line of network design, architecture, security and management services through iPower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Back in the heartland, Advanced Imaging Solutions (AIS) of Minnetonka, Minnesota, employed a laid-back approach to making net-new prospecting calls. Stephanie Keating Phillips, director of solutions, notes that reps took a \u201csoft introduction\u201d approach to outline AIS\u2019 technology stack in seeking to leverage prospects that might be looking to change providers. For the existing client base, AIS wanted to stress its availability to assist any of the unique challenges\/setbacks those customers face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"150\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Stephanie-Keating-Phillips-AIS.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42030\"\/><figcaption>Stephanie Keating Phillips, <br> AIS <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe know that in times like this, it\u2019s not what you say, it\u2019s how you react, and we wanted to make sure that if a client was having a tough time paying their bill or needed a device moved, they knew that AIS was there to support them,\u201d Phillips said. \u201cIn making these calls, we found that a lot of clients were in that transition state of moving from everyone in the office to remote office, so we had great conversations about services that perhaps they didn\u2019t have with us currently that are options for them now to make this transition as smooth and cost effective as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like many of its counterparts, AIS quickly pivoted to temperature-scanning kiosks, which they also employ in-house. Cognizant of the varied levels of concern weighed against client desires for face-to-face engagements, the dealer also used the temp scanners to assure those who wish to have an in-person demo or meeting that it has safeguarded its office environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>We understand that this is a difficult time for all of us to navigate through, but this, too, shall pass and we continue to send the message that now is the time to continue to build their funnels.<\/p><cite> \u2013 Stephanie Keating Phillips, AIS  <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>As the months passed but the pandemic didn\u2019t, AIS totally immersed itself in manufacturer and in-house training. Konica Minolta\u2019s All Covered IT division provided a comprehensive curriculum, including telephones and servers, that enabled AIS\u2019 sales team to become well-rounded in the IT realm and better armed to sell the solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\"><strong>Calming Reassurance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As sales-measuring metrics (calls, in-person meetings, demos, proposals, etc.) are difficult to grade under the current conditions, AIS has tempered its expectations. The dealer still conducts daily sales meetings, forecasts and reviews, and the expectations for call volumes and proposals haven\u2019t changed, but the COVID curve is applied. Phillips notes the dealer has set different rep goals based on tenure and devised individualized plans for each rep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe adapted quickly to keep the morale of our sales staff up,\u201d she said. \u201cWe understand that this is a difficult time for all of us to navigate through, but this, too, shall pass and we continue to send the message that now is the time to continue to build their funnels. Making the calls and putting in the time is so very important so that once we get to whatever the new normal looks like\u2014hopefully, similar to pre-pandemic times\u2014these reps will have all the tools necessary to continue to grow their business portfolio and continue to be successful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"150\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Chris-Falzett-Topp.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42034\"\/><figcaption>Chris Falzett, <br> Topp Business Solutions <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the keys to maintaining business continuity for Topp Business Solutions of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was to proceed as normal, given the circumstances, notes Chris Falzett, company president. Customer engagement and making concessions has been part of the formula. Additionally, the dealer immersed itself in training programs for sales, service and support functions from the onset. That the entire team bought into the \u201cstay the course\u201d messaging, he believes, is a product of Topp resisting the impulse to furlough team members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe level of mutual respect between our executive team and employees has never been higher due to our actions of simply staying calm and staying the course,\u201d Falzett said. \u201cIt was not easy, but it was well worth the financial impact of not letting people go to create an atmosphere of calm, respect and loyalty. To say I am beyond proud of how we adjusted while staying focused and engaged would be an understatement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>COVID-19 is not going to turn on and off like a light switch, so we have chosen to simply stay the course with our team. Every day, things begin to improve slightly.<\/p><cite>  \u2013 Chris Falzett, Topp Business Solutions  <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to general sales training, Topp reps brushed up on their production equipment proficiency, backed by support from the dealer\u2019s manufacturer partners. The company also onboarded a new salesman and included him in the training regimen, as Topp \u201cmade it a point to use every hour of every day to stay engaged.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Falzett added that every day signifies a step toward the resumption of normal sales volume activity, and the traditional sales metrics bear this out. \u201cCOVID-19 is not going to turn on and off like a light switch, so we have chosen to simply stay the course with our team,\u201d he added. \u201cEvery day, things begin to improve slightly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\"><strong>Prudent Messaging<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The state of North Carolina has been mired in Phase Two of its reopening plan, which means remote working is still in effect and in-person meetings are strongly discouraged (it went to Phase Three at press time). That continues to be a challenge for Hendrix Business Systems \u2013 a leading dealer covering North and South Carolina and based in Charlotte \u2013 which has been forced to continue re-tooling its sales approach, notes Scott Whitt, vice president of sales. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"150\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Scott-Whitt-Hendrix-Business-Systems.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42035\"\/><figcaption>Scott Whitt, <br> Hendrix Business Systems <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Hendrix, which has long stressed customer satisfaction as a calling card, engages a \u201clet us help\u201d tone that has resonated with clients during the pandemic. The sales pipeline remains brisk and reps continue to \u201cwrite solid numbers,\u201d according to Whitt. Zoom meetings have been a staple of interactions with clients and prospects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSome reps struggled initially, but most have come to appreciate the amount of ground that we can cover via Zoom appointments, telemarketing and email campaigns,\u201d Whitt said. \u201cThe most successful approach for us has been client analysis of their current footprint and utilization of assets. We have dabbled in some of the newer pandemic-related products, but our success has truly been centered on collaborating with our clients to build more efficient technology infrastructures for the future of their organizations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the first two months of the pandemic, Hendrix sales representatives incorporated three weeks of manufacturer-provided training into their schedules. The timing was ideal, as several OEMs were updating their product lines, providing ample new ground to cover. Much emphasis was placed on bolstering rep knowledge bases on the software solutions the dealer offers\u2014output management and document management titles, in particular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s only so much training salespeople can take before they go off the rails, so we\u2019ve truly tried to find a good balance,\u201d Whitt noted. \u201cMore recently, we\u2019ve introduced a seven-week internal prospecting training platform for our existing salesforce. It\u2019s centered on creating more pointed and penetrating initial conversations as we make our sales calls. It\u2019s being developed and delivered by our sales management team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hendrix has always followed the mantra that prospecting is the key to building a strong pipeline, and that philosophy remained unchanged during the pandemic. The key to becoming a stronger consultant for clients, Whitt observes, is understanding their needs. Prospecting shortcuts must give way to research, and that enhanced understanding of their client\u2019s strategic requirements raises their ratio of success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>We have dabbled in some of the newer pandemic-related products, but our success has truly been centered on collaborating with our clients to build more efficient technology infrastructures for the future of their organizations.<\/p><cite>  \u2013 Scott Whitt, Hendrix Business Systems  <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Expectations are set on an individual rep basis, with experience and abilities factored into the equation. Initially, sales management set a minimum of 60 to 80 touches per day, but soon refocused on net-new Zoom meetings set and creating a certain amount of net-new business opportunities in Hendrix\u2019s CRM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe goal is to uncover enough information from the call to ascertain what this client represents in terms of a future sales opportunity,\u201d Whitt said. \u201cFinding a client in the buying cycle is great, but creating an opportunity that we can track and follow to the point a sales cycle begins puts our focus on the right accounts at the right time in the future. That\u2019s our best demonstration of success, as it builds a solid foundation for the future of Hendrix Business Systems.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Over the course of the past six months, COVID-19 has dealt the business community an array of challenges that have been difficult, and occasionally impossible, to reconcile. The hospitality industry, which banks on its customer community to gather en masse, has been impacted like few others. Not much farther down the list of the impacted, one might argue, is the sales universe in general, and the down-the-street representative in particular. Of the many tools in salespeople\u2019s arsenal, front and center are the reps themselves. Their appearance, charisma, larger-than-life personality, people-handling skills, ability to articulate value, listening skills, knowledge, empathy, relatability, fresh breath\u2014these characteristics only begin to scratch the surface of successful sellers. The game is not for everyone, certainly not the faint of heart or the halitosis-challenged. The fairest among them are adept at engaging a prospect, assessing needs, reading reactions, delivering a value proposition and closing sales. Whether they possess Type A personalities or are simply driven by caffeine and the art of the deal, there\u2019s no denying their importance in the success of the business machine. And then came March. COVID-19 took the bat out of the rep\u2019s hands. The pandemic told them, \u201cTake everything you know about the sales game and find a new way to express it.\u201d A nation of salespeople was forced to earn an unofficial degree in broadcasting by taking to Microsoft Teams, Zoom or any other number of remote conferencing platforms to ply their trade. After years of honing the rhythms of in-person conversation, reps had to work on the nuances of remote conferencing. And while it was technically a face-to-face meeting, reps found the cadence of conversation to be unique and sometimes frustrating. And it only takes a moment or two of video buffering to compound that frustration. Obstacles Aplenty Add to that a myriad of other issues\u2014readjusting the sales focus amid a client base that prefers payment relief over technology investment; more difficulty reaching clients whose office phones don\u2019t redirect to personal lines; objections from a prospect pipeline that is hesitant to change vendor horses during a pandemic\u2014and the result is extreme downward pressure to produce in an environment that is anything but accommodating. The last six months have kept sales consultants fully engaged helping the dealer community, so we canvassed a pool of dealers for our State of the Industry report on elevating sales. We gauged how they\u2019ve adjusted their approach and tone to engage clients and prospects. Some reps are fortunate enough to be meeting in person, but for most of the country, it\u2019s a mixed bag of methods and success. Geography is arguably the single-greatest indicator of activity success during the pandemic. Few other dealers can match the reach of Marco, headquartered in St. Cloud, Minnesota, with branches throughout the Midwest, Michigan and the Northeast. Steve Gau, president of Marco\u2019s copier division, notes access to in-person meetings varies tremendously; downtown business in cities such as Baltimore, St. Louis and Detroit remains extremely limited. But the heartland business in the Dakotas, Nebraska and Iowa are at 75% to 80% percent of pre-pandemic levels. \u201cMost of our customers are located in smaller towns and markets, and as a result, we just haven\u2019t had the significant impact that our counterparts on the coasts have had to deal with,\u201d Gau said. \u201cDowntown business has been drastically affected in the cities, because people aren\u2019t going to work in their high-rise buildings.\u201d We\u2019ve really kept our pulse on this because we\u2019ve been trying to service our existing clients, while also monitoring our outbound activity. \u2013 Steve Gau, Marco Like many other dealers, Marco relies on video conferencing, and the tone of conversations is directed at dealing with lower volumes, deferred payments, and assisting clients as they deal with the ramifications of business interruption. A drop-off in education-vertical activity has been keenly felt, but Midwestern activity has \u201ctreated us well\u201d as the pandemic has continued, Gau noted. But the range of access is remarkable. Video conferencing continues to dominate, but in the more remote parts of the country, in-person meetings are fairly common. Late March through May represented the peak of the pandemic for Marco, and the dealer used that time to cross-train dedicated copier and IT reps. Gau noted it was a challenge initially, and the company developed its own internal marketing philosophy, One Marco, to drive home the notion that copier reps should become proficient at selling the IT portfolio, and vice versa. Using video conferencing, each rep was required to do 100 hours of cross-training, totaling 20,000 hours for the entire sales team. Reps must now hit their quota for both in order to be considered for the coveted president\u2019s club. Marco also mixed in some training sessions directed by industry sales consultant Kate Kingston, and added emphasis on Marco\u2019s repeatable management strategy, aimed at account planning, pipeline management and monthly reviews. Initially, Gau lost sleep over productivity, as salespeople are mobile by nature and highly interactive with prospects and clients as well as managers, admin, leasing coordinators and the like. Confining them to their homes (where they invariably have to deal with spouses and children)\u2014coupled with business activity being at 70% of normal levels\u2014lowered the likelihood of being able to perform at a level that would compensate for the 30% reduction. \u201cWe\u2019ve really kept our pulse on this because we\u2019ve been trying to service our existing clients, while also monitoring our outbound activity,\u201d Gau noted. \u201cThat\u2019s why we doubled down on the repeatable management strategy. Are you trying to set up appointments? Are you getting into new opportunities, and are you maintaining your pipeline? We wanted reps to evaluate the percentage of normal they were at and put in the extra effort to try to maintain it. We\u2019ve held people accountable.\u201d Little Dropoff The results speak for themselves. Through August, Marco is at 90% of its hardware budget and 89% of its predictive service revenue\u2014benchmarks that were established in November of 2019, when the talk of a possible pandemic was still [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":166,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1641],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42024"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/166"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42024"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42024\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42185,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42024\/revisions\/42185"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42024"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42024"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42024"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}