![\"Jeff](\"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Jeff-Frankel-114x150.jpg\")
<\/a>Jeff Frankel, Vice President and Principal, docStar<\/p><\/div>\n
\u201cUnderstand your current prospects,\u201d states Square 9\u2019s Worroll. \u201cFigure out what their current process is, learn the products they already use, how many employees they have that are doing this task, what paperwork is involved, how much time is spent working in this area, what\u2019s the frequency of doing this, then focus on the critical questions. What\u2019s your rate of growth? What\u2019s the hourly rate of this employee doing this job? How long do you expect you\u2019re going to be able to work with these levels [of staffing] before you need to hire? Then provide them with an opportunity for change.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kavanaugh suggests asking, \u2018What do you use for document management today?\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cMany of our customers convert to OnBase from other applications,\u201d he says. \u201cHow are you storing documents electronically today? Storing is one part of the problem though. How are you routing and making business decisions today? We call that workflow. A great starter is what is your line of business application? Now you\u2019re immediately into that conversation around integration. Many of our solutions, and almost all of our more sophisticated solutions, are integrated to something. Starting a conversation about something they already own is a great way for them to wrap their head around what we do.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also recommends talking about mobile and compliance. \u201cWe have a sophisticated mobile application,\u201d states Kavanaugh. \u201cIntegration, mobility, and compliance are two great ways to kick start [a conversation]. A lot of what we do relative to records management will help an organization be more compliant. We can\u2019t make anyone more compliant, but can put them on that road to becoming more compliant.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of our successful dealers talk about the [customer\u2019s] business process and figure out how they can make them more efficient with their electronic data,\u201d states Malyon. \u201cIf you can take a business process and integrate it to a line of business, that\u2019s where the real return is.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStart with your existing contact – typically office manager, IT guy – tell them that you were able to prove in many companies that great efficiency gains can be achieved through document management,\u201d responds Schneck.<\/p>\n
The accounting department is a prime target for a document management system, which is why Schneck feels it\u2019s essential for one\u2019s existing customer contacts to introduce them to the VP of Finance or CFO.<\/p>\n
\u201cCFOs are ultimately our best allies and promoters in the company,\u201d emphasizes Schneck. \u201cThey make things happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
What questions from prospects should a dealer be prepared to answer when selling document management?<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cHow and will it pay off, will it disrupt my business, does it integrate with my IT, and will my people use it?\u201d states Schneck. \u201cEither they ask those questions or it\u2019s in the back of their mind. Those four things are the four biggest areas for us why [document management] isn\u2019t a mainstream application yet. Those are the doubts we have to overcome.\u201d<\/p>\n
How does someone respond to a question like, \u2018Will my people use it?\u2019<\/em><\/p>\nSchneck suggests asking them to start in one department, such as accounting. Then, three to six months after it\u2019s implemented and people are comfortable using it, host an internal workshop where users show other department heads what that department is doing. \u201cThat\u2019s how we spread the application to other departments.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018Can it work with my accounting system, my ERP system, or my medical billing system,\u2019 are some of the questions that Malyon hears over and over again. \u201cThey have to know how the product will integrate with various line-of-business applications. They have to understand if you have a SQL server database and what that means and how indexing information and security is set at the database level. They don\u2019t need to go in too deep, but they need to know some of the key buzzwords so a client doesn\u2019t catch them off guard.\u201d<\/p>\n
Malyon adds that an understanding of the different types of OCR is critical as well because there are differences. \u201cWe see MFP sales reps go in to sell OCR and they don\u2019t know what they\u2019re selling sometimes. They sell the wrong product, which won\u2019t do structured forms, and it blows off into this hole and a big refund for the client. It\u2019s one of those things, knowing forms processing, knowing OCR, database integration points, those are all key.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another question that may come up is, cloud-based or on premise? \u201cYou have to have both,\u201d says Frankel. \u201cIf you have one or the other, you\u2019re setting yourself up for failure.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lastly, he says, \u201cEverybody talks about how great their customer service and support is, but you have to be able to walk the walk and talk the talk. I hate to use the clich\u00e9, but if your document management vendor partner can\u2019t provide essential customer service and document it, then you\u2019re behind the eight ball.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would I buy from you and not another OnBase partner?\u201d says Kavanaugh. \u201cHow do you differentiate yourself to create a go forward relationship with? I often talk to our partners about what is it about you that makes you unique? Is it your background, location (sometimes it is location), is it your expertise in a specific market, is it the fact that you\u2019ve integrated OnBase or PeopleSoft 20 times already? Why you and not someone else? In addition, why OnBase and not a competitive solution? We have a ton of content around competitive information and we can help with that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another key question is, \u2018What value proposition do you provide that another partner or manufacturer cannot provide?\u2019 \u201cIf a partner cannot answer that they stand little chance to be successful,\u201d observes Kavanaugh.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are so many questions they can have, but the one I want them to focus on is to understand the \u2018why,\u2019\u201d notes Worroll. \u201cDon\u2019t come in with \u2018I have a list of these features and I think you need them because every other company sells these features so you need them as well.\u2019 I want our dealers to understand the benefit. Explain you have this tool that can provide this benefit and help them understand the why behind it.\u201d<\/p>\n
What are some of the mistakes that dealers who aren\u2019t successful selling document management consistently make?<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cYou need to have a focus,\u201d states Hyland\u2019s Kavanaugh. \u201cThe generalists often suffer. They\u2019ll do okay, but won\u2019t excel. In addition, it\u2019s taking training for granted. We release two new versions of OnBase every year. If our partners don\u2019t do the ongoing training they\u2019re going to be ducks in the wind and we don\u2019t want that. Partners that continually educate, attend our conferences, and take advantage of the resources we provide excel.\u201d<\/p>\n
For DocuWare\u2019s Schneck it\u2019s under-investing in the opportunity by not hiring specialists, not making the necessary changes to align the organization and operations, not providing a generous comp plan, and not having a marketing plan.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe biggest mistake is just dabbling in document management,\u201d adds Worroll. \u201cThey need to make a full commitment to focus on it and leverage the resources that are available. If they\u2019re not doing that, they\u2019re not successful. They\u2019re just finding small opportunities here and there where they can squeeze in a basic solution. If they have a focus they can go out and find the opportunity. Today\u2019s customers are expecting you to be the expert and if you\u2019re just dabbling in it you\u2019re hemming and hawing and you don\u2019t come off as an expert.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another common mistake is that \u201cthey don\u2019t sell to their installed base,\u201d states Frankel.<\/p>\n
Not educating or training themselves on the software is another liability, according to Frankel, even though docSTAR offers a workaround for that issue. \u201cWe have two programs, a traditional partner program with a higher profit margin if the reseller wants to sell directly to the end user,\u201d reports Frankel. \u201cIf the copier reseller wants to leverage their install base without having to spend time and resources training on the software, we offer a referral program. They need to understand their internal capabilities and how they want to invest.\u201d<\/p>\n
Malyon contends it takes a lot of training and dedication to sell document management. \u201cIf a dealer is only doing one or two document management deals a year, they aren\u2019t going to have the time to become a document management expert,\u201d he says. \u201cOne reason is because they don\u2019t leverage the vendor relationship enough and two is sometimes they don\u2019t listen. In a big copier deal when a client says \u2018document management\u2019 the dealer cobbles something together and throws it into a lease. Then the customer wonders what they\u2019ve been sold. They\u2019ve been sold document management, but what does that mean, so sometimes it\u2019s not bundling the right solution with the right hardware.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In what\u2019s evolved into a solutions-oriented imaging industry, document management and ECM solutions represent two of the highest impact solutions within a dealer\u2019s menu of services. As with any solution, it\u2019s critical to understand how to best present and position that solution to prospects. With that in mind I asked five document management and ECM solutions providers to share with me the strategies that their successful dealers use for selling their solution(s) and the mistakes dealers who aren\u2019t successful consistently make. What strategies do your successful dealers use to sell your solution(s)? For DocuWare it\u2019s developing specialists who are focused on DocuWare rather than multiple solutions, creating a generous comp plan for sales reps, and developing a marketing plan. \u201cIt\u2019s not a matter of size,\u201d maintains DocuWare president Thomas Schenck, who adds that being successful or not selling document management doesn\u2019t matter whether one is a $5 million, $15 million or $50 million dealer. Concentrating on comp plans, Schneck contends many sales reps don\u2019t want to jeopardize existing relationships by treading unfamiliar waters, especially if they\u2019re only receiving modest compensation. \u201cWe tell owners and VPs of sales, be generous,\u201d he says. \u201cOne strategy and only one strategy successful dealers in our channel use to drive new revenue around document management is by leveraging their installed base,\u201d emphasizes Jeff Frankel, vice president and principal with docSTAR. \u201cIf they\u2019re not leveraging their installed base then they shouldn\u2019t be selling document management software. It\u2019s that simple.\u201d MaxxVault president Bruce Malyon has found that successful dealers keep it simple and look to discover how they can best help their customers. \u201cWhether it is electronic files or scanning hard copies, it\u2019s identifying the one area of the company that has information overload. If you can figure out that, then you can qualify the opportunity.\u201d Hyland Software\u2019s most successful dealers focus on sub-verticals within vertical markets. \u201cOur best partners aren\u2019t generalists,\u201d contends Bill Kavanaugh, channel sales manager. \u201cThey must be able to walk into a prospect and talk not just about a specific macro vertical, but how they\u2019re experts in this field.\u201d That\u2019s critical he says, offering various examples of sub verticals such as Home Healthcare, Court Case Management, and Agent Management. \u201cOur successful partners can talk about the value of a specific integration in a niche market and integrate our solution, OnBase, into these core applications that run in those (sub verticals),\u201d states Kavanaugh. \u201cThat\u2019s not what a generalist can do. They talk about generic integration.\u201d \u201cOur most successful dealers focus on selling the outcome they can provide with our software,\u201d observes Scott Worroll, marketing manager for Square 9. \u201cWe don\u2019t want them saying, \u2018we have document management, I think you need it, come check it out.\u2019 We want them to take an approach where they can maximize [a customer\u2019s] profitability while minimizing many of their back office expenses, focusing on how they can improve the customer\u2019s business.\u201d What\u2019s the first thing you tell a dealer who signs on to carry your solution? \u201cBe ready to invest and then be ready to be successful,\u201d responds Docuware\u2019s Schneck. Besides telling dealers to keep things simple, Malyon recommends selling customers the right solution. \u201cIf we\u2019re not a fit, tell the client we\u2019re not a fit because we don\u2019t just want to sell a piece of software,\u201d acknowledges Malyon. \u201cThey have to be flexible and trust us to make sure we\u2019re recommending what\u2019s right for them.\u201d docSTAR\u2019s Frankel goes back to his earlier comment, \u201cLeverage your installed base, focus on one or two verticals, and invest in learning our software\u2014the features, benefits, and how to sell it.\u201d \u201cOne of the first things we try to teach them, and it goes against a lot of the norm, is avoid vertical market selling,\u201d says Square 9\u2019s Worroll. \u201cIt\u2019s too broad to be effective with all the various markets out there and requires way too much expertise in each market.\u201d He recommends a horizontal approach. \u201cFocus on three or four different [applications] and become an expert on them,\u201d states Worroll. \u201cOrder processing, accounts payable automation, employee on-boarding, and contract management. Pretty much every business has three out of those four pieces. Sell the outcome and deliver value by being that expert.\u201d Hyland\u2019s Kavanaugh wants to know if dealers have the will and the way. \u201cDo they want to be a partner of ours?\u201d he asks. \u201cOur partners are far more than resellers of our software. They not only sell our software, but implement it and support that solution going forward. A good portion of our revenue is add-on sales into our customer base. I don\u2019t only want them to just support that solution, I want them to continue to sell into that customer base. We expect them to bring in prospects on their own and with us. Are you comfortable with us selling with you? Because there\u2019s a lot of value you can derive from us selling with you not just going and selling on your own. We don\u2019t sign up partners who come to us with one deal. This is a long-term commitment. We\u2019re investing in them and they\u2019re investing in us.\u201d He also wants to know if the dealer has the resources, the bodies, the implementation team, the sales team, and the marketing team. \u201cIf you don\u2019t have the people today, that\u2019s okay, but do you have the mechanism to get those people or at least leverage Hyland to help you get those people?\u201d states Kavanaugh. A willingness to invest in training is also critical. \u201cWe have an extensive amount of collateral and content as well as classes onsite and online that will allow our partners to ramp up and be well versed in our products and solutions,\u201d states Kavanaugh. \u201cThis is not a passive partnership. Hyland is a growing company and we are growing on the backs of our partners, so we\u2019re looking for partners who want to grow with us.\u201d What\u2019s the best way for a dealer to start a conversation with a customer about document management? […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1649,1641],"tags":[1791,126,1675,171,1794,1792,242,1793,643,400],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8156"}],"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\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8156"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8156\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8276,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8156\/revisions\/8276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8156"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8156"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8156"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"Thomas](\"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/schneck_thomas.jpg\")
<\/a>