{"id":50714,"date":"2022-07-14T11:56:05","date_gmt":"2022-07-14T18:56:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/?p=50714"},"modified":"2022-07-14T12:19:40","modified_gmt":"2022-07-14T19:19:40","slug":"client-objections-au-contraire-when-it-comes-to-ancillary-offerings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/feature-articles\/2022\/07\/client-objections-au-contraire-when-it-comes-to-ancillary-offerings\/","title":{"rendered":"Client Objections? Au Contraire When it Comes to Ancillary Offerings"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

One of the best aspects of offering ancillary products and services is the lack of client objections. We\u2019d insert the word \u201cutter\u201d in there, but let\u2019s not get cocky. Every expenditure demands a raison d\u2019etre, and in the current economic conditions, precious few end-users will free up some bucks unless they can be reasonably assured of attaining an ROI, gaining efficiency or other enhancement that will improve the quality of work life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And now that we\u2019ve exhausted our supply of gratuitous French phrases, we continue this month\u2019s State of the Industry report on ancillary products\u2014a.k.a. hidden gems\u2014with a look at how dealer sales reps are able to coax noncommittal clients across the finish line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Christopher Malatesta, IMR Digital<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Christopher Malatesta, senior sales executive with IMR Digital, a branch of Aston, Pennsylvania-based KDI Office Technology, believes it\u2019s less about overcoming objections. The key for his group is to meet expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCustomers expect certain things to just happen, and the truth is there are many steps that need to be executed to reach the desired output,\u201d Malatesta offered. \u201cWe need to meet the customer\u2019s timeframe, maintain the security of the customer\u2019s data, and provide a finished product that streamlines the customer\u2019s process.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When IMR Digital communicates its process well, he added, the client sees how much easier its business life will become. That also makes the vendor\u2019s service a must-have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Chip Miceli, Pulse Technology<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In the case of LED walls, which is a gem offered through Pulse Technology of Schaumburg, Illinois, quite often the customer comes knocking at the dealer\u2019s door, notes President\/CEO Chip Miceli. Significant objections are the exception, rather than the rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe educate our customers on the many benefits that LED can provide,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd we have a strong display at our Schaumburg headquarters which helps show all the capabilities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Erik Crane, CPI Technologies<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

As is the case with any offering, those customers who may be on the fence can be convinced through a number of options, notes Erik Crane, president and CEO of CPI Technologies in Springfield, Missouri. An online demo is usually a jumping-off point, and in the case of interactive white boards, CPI can furnish a demo unit for the client to interact with it for several days to get a hands-on experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn bigger installations, (manufacturer) ViewSonic will bring in a demo unit and help us with the presentation. Having their rep there raises the comfort level as well,\u201d Crane said. \u201cHaving a good partner really helps. Once the customer sees the unit and all the things it can do, it becomes an easier close.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Keven Ellison, AIS<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to a managed offering such as marketing-as-a-service, Las Vegas-based Advanced Imaging Solutions (AIS) initially had its sales team discover such opportunities. Once candidates were identified, they were handed over to the marketing team for a follow-up consultation, according to Keven Ellison, the dealer\u2019s vice president of marketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThen, by integrating sales in the marketing-as-a-service strategy and planning meetings, they can become educated on everything we offer,\u201d Ellison said of prospects. \u201cIt allows us to have the freedom and flexibility to build a custom marketing plan for each customer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Fred Barrioneuvo, Impact Networking<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to making a commitment to be data-driven, it requires a top-down dedication from the client\u2019s executive team, notes Fred Barrionuevo, emerging technology and AI team lead for Impact Networking of Lake Forest, Illinois. For organizations that have poor data maturity, it can lead to a clash with the existing culture and the conventional wisdom that exists. Thus, he notes, the biggest tripping point in a sale is getting clients to understand that the top executives need to be a part of the conversation from the onset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn order to do it correctly, you can\u2019t treat it as \u2018let’s build a simple report\u2019 or \u2018let’s build a simple dashboard\u2019 into a small proof-of-concept or a small project,\u201d he said. \u201cIt needs to go hand in hand with bigger, broader planning and truly enterprise-wide initiatives in order for that to get rolled out successfully.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One of the best aspects of offering ancillary products and services is the lack of client objections. We\u2019d insert the word \u201cutter\u201d in there, but let\u2019s not get cocky. Every expenditure demands a raison d\u2019etre, and in the current economic conditions, precious few end-users will free up some bucks unless they can be reasonably assured of attaining an ROI, gaining efficiency or other enhancement that will improve the quality of work life. And now that we\u2019ve exhausted our supply of gratuitous French phrases, we continue this month\u2019s State of the Industry report on ancillary products\u2014a.k.a. hidden gems\u2014with a look at how dealer sales reps are able to coax noncommittal clients across the finish line. Christopher Malatesta, senior sales executive with IMR Digital, a branch of Aston, Pennsylvania-based KDI Office Technology, believes it\u2019s less about overcoming objections. The key for his group is to meet expectations. \u201cCustomers expect certain things to just happen, and the truth is there are many steps that need to be executed to reach the desired output,\u201d Malatesta offered. \u201cWe need to meet the customer\u2019s timeframe, maintain the security of the customer\u2019s data, and provide a finished product that streamlines the customer\u2019s process.\u201d When IMR Digital communicates its process well, he added, the client sees how much easier its business life will become. That also makes the vendor\u2019s service a must-have. In the case of LED walls, which is a gem offered through Pulse Technology of Schaumburg, Illinois, quite often the customer comes knocking at the dealer\u2019s door, notes President\/CEO Chip Miceli. Significant objections are the exception, rather than the rule. \u201cWe educate our customers on the many benefits that LED can provide,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd we have a strong display at our Schaumburg headquarters which helps show all the capabilities.\u201d As is the case with any offering, those customers who may be on the fence can be convinced through a number of options, notes Erik Crane, president and CEO of CPI Technologies in Springfield, Missouri. An online demo is usually a jumping-off point, and in the case of interactive white boards, CPI can furnish a demo unit for the client to interact with it for several days to get a hands-on experience. \u201cOn bigger installations, (manufacturer) ViewSonic will bring in a demo unit and help us with the presentation. Having their rep there raises the comfort level as well,\u201d Crane said. \u201cHaving a good partner really helps. Once the customer sees the unit and all the things it can do, it becomes an easier close.\u201d When it comes to a managed offering such as marketing-as-a-service, Las Vegas-based Advanced Imaging Solutions (AIS) initially had its sales team discover such opportunities. Once candidates were identified, they were handed over to the marketing team for a follow-up consultation, according to Keven Ellison, the dealer\u2019s vice president of marketing. \u201cThen, by integrating sales in the marketing-as-a-service strategy and planning meetings, they can become educated on everything we offer,\u201d Ellison said of prospects. \u201cIt allows us to have the freedom and flexibility to build a custom marketing plan for each customer.\u201d When it comes to making a commitment to be data-driven, it requires a top-down dedication from the client\u2019s executive team, notes Fred Barrionuevo, emerging technology and AI team lead for Impact Networking of Lake Forest, Illinois. For organizations that have poor data maturity, it can lead to a clash with the existing culture and the conventional wisdom that exists. Thus, he notes, the biggest tripping point in a sale is getting clients to understand that the top executives need to be a part of the conversation from the onset. \u201cIn order to do it correctly, you can\u2019t treat it as \u2018let’s build a simple report\u2019 or \u2018let’s build a simple dashboard\u2019 into a small proof-of-concept or a small project,\u201d he said. \u201cIt needs to go hand in hand with bigger, broader planning and truly enterprise-wide initiatives in order for that to get rolled out successfully.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":166,"featured_media":50715,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1650,82,87,1638],"tags":[764,4050,3521],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50714"}],"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=50714"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50714\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":50716,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50714\/revisions\/50716"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50715"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50714"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50714"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50714"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}