{"id":59605,"date":"2024-03-28T11:56:33","date_gmt":"2024-03-28T18:56:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/?p=59605"},"modified":"2024-03-28T11:56:39","modified_gmt":"2024-03-28T18:56:39","slug":"contract-blues-dealers-share-how-to-get-best-results-in-competitive-situation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/the-week-in-imaging-twii\/editors-blog\/2024\/03\/contract-blues-dealers-share-how-to-get-best-results-in-competitive-situation\/","title":{"rendered":"Contract Blues: Dealers Share How to Get Best Results in Competitive Situation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

All dealers wish they could bat 1.000 when it comes to competitive business opportunities. That would enable them to be ultra-selective in the types of opportunities they pursue. A chosen few do find themselves in a beneficial position to not chase any jobs except for those prospects who value exceptional service over the lowest cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Obviously, every company wants to save money, and solutions that enhance workflows and allow clients to be more effective in their own business pursuits is big-picture cost savings. But those prospects that want to wring out an extra $25 in the cost for a monthly contract really aren\u2019t worth the effort. Let the bottom-feeding budget providers disappoint this client persona.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We digress. If your dealership is consistently getting outmatched in high-value business deals, it may be time to pop the hood on your approach. Thus, we wrap up this month\u2019s State of the Industry report on contractual success with a bit of advice from some of the industry\u2019s best and brightest when it comes to competitive scenarios.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Lauren Hanna, Blue Technologies<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a lot to be said for knowing vertical markets inside and out, being mindful that you\u2019re not likely to be proficient in every space. That helps in tailoring the conversation, according to Lauren Hanna, vice president of sales for Blue Technologies in Cleveland. It\u2019s all about demonstrating that you\u2019ve \u201cbeen there, done that\u201d for similar players in a vertical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have so many real-world examples of things we\u2019ve noticed that clients in a certain vertical have gone through,\u201d she said. \u201cThat presents you as an ideal, knowledgeable provider.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The right approach is crucial, as is timing, she added. \u201cIf you\u2019re approaching them only when there\u2019s an RFP. You have to get in ahead of the RFP, and take a solutions approach. You can educate them on different things and get ahead of the price war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Slump-Buster<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
John Konynenbelt, Applied
Innovation<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

If a dealer rep finds himself\/herself in a prolonged slump, one of the first areas that should be evaluated is the line of questioning used with prospects, according to John Konynenbelt, vice president of sales for Applied Innovation in Grand Rapids, Michigan. One of the most important things a rep can (or should) learn is if that account is a good fit for the dealership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe do a lot of business with school systems, but we don\u2019t approach some because we\u2019re not cheap enough,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t view that as a competitive loss. It\u2019s not that we\u2019re 50% more cost-wise than other dealers; it\u2019s probably closer to 10-15%. If you\u2019re going up against four other bidders, and three are within 10% of your price and the other is 40% lower, the prospect will go with the low bidder if they feel it is a commodity. That\u2019s just a bad match for your company.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those are the types of accounts, he noted, that will hold out for a certain price and then see if a competitor will underbid you. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to be willing to walk away,\u201d Konynenbelt added. \u201cA great sales rep or organization understands the prospect and what they\u2019re really looking for. Then you try to fill their need better than other people\u2014be that company that answers the phone, can be there on a Friday afternoon with the toner they need. If you do that, you\u2019ll win often enough.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Stu Wise, UBT<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

United Business Technologies of Gaithersburg, Maryland, has made its bones at the enterprise level, which is a tough arena to carve out a name in, but it also plays in the commercial world, according to President Stu Wise. Struggling dealers may want to invest in ZoomInfo as a first step to ensure they\u2019re targeting the right people in a given account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot everyone can do enterprise, and it\u2019s important for dealers to really know their strengths,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s the basics, too, filling the funnel through prospecting efforts. Some of our best sales people still make 90-100 calls a week. They have scripts they developed. We use email sales flows and several contact levels, because it boils down to timing, knowing when contracts are up and pushing for appointments. There\u2019s no magic to it\u2026you\u2019ve got to execute.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding Identity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Jim Morrissey, UBEO<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Part of it is establishing a company\u2019s identity. Jim Morrissey, president of UBEO Business Services in Austin, Texas, thinks dealers would be better served by having a firm grasp at what they\u2019re good at, and not trying to be all things to all clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would never suggest that a $5-$10 million dealer get into wide-format machines; it\u2019s too expensive and requires specialists,\u201d he said. \u201cInstead of chasing high-ticket items, dealers should focus on their core, what they\u2019re good at. Diversification is big right now, but trying to expand into so many different things just doesn\u2019t make sense to me. Are they going to make you more profitable, or are they just going to make you bigger? Bigger is good, but it\u2019s the profit that matters.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

All dealers wish they could bat 1.000 when it comes to competitive business opportunities. That would enable them to be ultra-selective in the types of opportunities they pursue. A chosen few do find themselves in a beneficial position to not chase any jobs except for those prospects who value exceptional service over the lowest cost. Obviously, every company wants to save money, and solutions that enhance workflows and allow clients to be more effective in their own business pursuits is big-picture cost savings. But those prospects that want to wring out an extra $25 in the cost for a monthly contract really aren\u2019t worth the effort. Let the bottom-feeding budget providers disappoint this client persona. We digress. If your dealership is consistently getting outmatched in high-value business deals, it may be time to pop the hood on your approach. Thus, we wrap up this month\u2019s State of the Industry report on contractual success with a bit of advice from some of the industry\u2019s best and brightest when it comes to competitive scenarios. There\u2019s a lot to be said for knowing vertical markets inside and out, being mindful that you\u2019re not likely to be proficient in every space. That helps in tailoring the conversation, according to Lauren Hanna, vice president of sales for Blue Technologies in Cleveland. It\u2019s all about demonstrating that you\u2019ve \u201cbeen there, done that\u201d for similar players in a vertical. \u201cWe have so many real-world examples of things we\u2019ve noticed that clients in a certain vertical have gone through,\u201d she said. \u201cThat presents you as an ideal, knowledgeable provider.\u201d The right approach is crucial, as is timing, she added. \u201cIf you\u2019re approaching them only when there\u2019s an RFP. You have to get in ahead of the RFP, and take a solutions approach. You can educate them on different things and get ahead of the price war. Slump-Buster If a dealer rep finds himself\/herself in a prolonged slump, one of the first areas that should be evaluated is the line of questioning used with prospects, according to John Konynenbelt, vice president of sales for Applied Innovation in Grand Rapids, Michigan. One of the most important things a rep can (or should) learn is if that account is a good fit for the dealership. \u201cWe do a lot of business with school systems, but we don\u2019t approach some because we\u2019re not cheap enough,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t view that as a competitive loss. It\u2019s not that we\u2019re 50% more cost-wise than other dealers; it\u2019s probably closer to 10-15%. If you\u2019re going up against four other bidders, and three are within 10% of your price and the other is 40% lower, the prospect will go with the low bidder if they feel it is a commodity. That\u2019s just a bad match for your company.\u201d Those are the types of accounts, he noted, that will hold out for a certain price and then see if a competitor will underbid you. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to be willing to walk away,\u201d Konynenbelt added. \u201cA great sales rep or organization understands the prospect and what they\u2019re really looking for. Then you try to fill their need better than other people\u2014be that company that answers the phone, can be there on a Friday afternoon with the toner they need. If you do that, you\u2019ll win often enough.\u201d United Business Technologies of Gaithersburg, Maryland, has made its bones at the enterprise level, which is a tough arena to carve out a name in, but it also plays in the commercial world, according to President Stu Wise. Struggling dealers may want to invest in ZoomInfo as a first step to ensure they\u2019re targeting the right people in a given account. \u201cNot everyone can do enterprise, and it\u2019s important for dealers to really know their strengths,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s the basics, too, filling the funnel through prospecting efforts. Some of our best sales people still make 90-100 calls a week. They have scripts they developed. We use email sales flows and several contact levels, because it boils down to timing, knowing when contracts are up and pushing for appointments. There\u2019s no magic to it\u2026you\u2019ve got to execute.\u201d Finding Identity Part of it is establishing a company\u2019s identity. Jim Morrissey, president of UBEO Business Services in Austin, Texas, thinks dealers would be better served by having a firm grasp at what they\u2019re good at, and not trying to be all things to all clients. \u201cI would never suggest that a $5-$10 million dealer get into wide-format machines; it\u2019s too expensive and requires specialists,\u201d he said. \u201cInstead of chasing high-ticket items, dealers should focus on their core, what they\u2019re good at. Diversification is big right now, but trying to expand into so many different things just doesn\u2019t make sense to me. Are they going to make you more profitable, or are they just going to make you bigger? Bigger is good, but it\u2019s the profit that matters.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":166,"featured_media":59606,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[80,1650,82,1638],"tags":[798,3510,3476],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59605"}],"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=59605"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59605\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":59608,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59605\/revisions\/59608"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/59606"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59605"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59605"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59605"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}