Xerox Sales Process

There has been quite an interest in the Xerox Sales Training article that I wrote as one of my first blog entries. Most of it sadly has been negative. In order to clear up any misconceptions about Xerox and their phenomenal sales training(Ranked 13^th best in 2005 per Business Week) let me first explain a few things:

• I will not do their sales process justice in one entry, or even one entire blog. I cannot replicate in text the experience I had in Lewisville, Tx
• This is based on their sales process in 2005 called Client Centered Selling – NOT based on anything else or anyone else’s sales process
• I am not using all of the information I learned because it would probably get me into trouble and hey, I could be competing against you some day!
• Finally it is not exhaustive, complete, or anything more than a fantastic conversation piece. I learned a ton from going through their sales training and it has made me successful now at two different companies.

Finally, I want to be clear. I hope that this causes MORE conversation rather than less. I do not want to discourage interaction, however if it is not constructive, I will not post your comments.

So after that unfortunate, but needed, disclaimer let me go a bit more into depth about the Xerox sales process and exactly why, as long as you follow the steps, it will make you successful

They have a 6 Step sales process and many of you will simply read this and say “duh”. I did too. The devil is in the details. Not many of you sales “professionals” actually follow this entire process every time. I would imagine it is that same group that wonders why they are not doing so well, or why they are continually being beaten by a peer who, “Does the exact same thing that I do”.

There is no mystery to it: Just have the discipline to actually follow the process every sales call.

Step #1 Identify Opportunities

You need to find any changes that have been made in the company recently or since the last time you spoke. Uncover the needs: Current state versus desired state of the client.

Step #2 Clarify

You need to position your questions to build the entire scope of the call around the benefits your client is seeking and how they align to what you, and only you, can offer. Clarify all of their needs based on the opportunities uncovered in Step #1. Then agree on the action needed and summary close on the next step needed. Be sure to zero in on their points of pain.

Step #3 Develop Requirements

Discuss the decision making process and what is needed to make that decision. Make sure that criteria favorable to your product are included and get the customer to rank order the criteria if possible. Make those favorable criteria to your product a requirement for the sale.

Step #4 Recommend Solution(s)

Review the criteria, check for any additional needs (or if anything has changed if time has passed between Step 3 and 4) and for each of the needs highlight the business value that Xerox can offer that no one else can. After this, agree on the solution to be offered moving forward.

Step #5 Gaining Commitment

Summarize the unique value you will deliver. Ask for commitment, then agree on the terms and next steps in the process.

Step #6 Managing implementation

Finally go over and agree on the timeframe for the implementation plan. Make sure that you under promise and over deliver. Adjust the plan should it need to be amended.

So that is it. Notice that you preliminarily close (trial close) at the end of each of the 6 steps to move forward to the next step. So, at the end the decision is easy because you have handled each objection in the appropriate phase of the sales cycle. All of these six steps should be completed in every sales cycle at some point depending on the client’s specific situation and need.

Be flexible and Great Selling.

Ale Fest Dayton

When it hits about mid-summer my mind tends to think of one event: Ale Fest.

Alefest is probably the best way to spend an afternoon in Dayton in late August. Carillon Park is a fantastic venue for a number of reasons. It is somewhat close to the river, the Bells are impressive to drink under and the field in which it is held is plenty big and no one feels crowded. Plus, it paradoxically raises money for the Diabetes Foundation by…that’s right serving alcohol.

I would recommend getting there about 15 minutes early as you need to get your 10oz glass and your tickets (25 in total) for your beer. The ticket system is definitely the way to go as I could only imagine the already long lines otherwise. It is fast, easy and often you can forget to put your ticket in their jar and end up with a bonus beer toward the end of the event…as if you need that last one anyway.

Honorable Mention beers from last year:

• Hoegaarden
• Dogfish head 60 Minute IPA (Two years ago they dry hopped 90 minute at the event)
• Great Lakes Blackout Stout

I hope to report that many more discoveries will happen on August 23^rd. I actually plan on having a bunch of people over afterward this year to keep the festivities moving. If only we had a brewery in Dayton like Christian Moerlein or the Hofbrauhaus.

www.Mint.com - a Great Financial Tool

A few weeks ago I was reading some website with the “Top 100 Web Tools” and stumbled upon www.mint.com. Mint is the slickest personal finance tool I have used on the internet or otherwise. It consolidates every bank account, 401k, IRA, credit card, and even your mortgage (however no GMAC unfortunately for me).

After typing your username and password for all of your various accounts it lets you slice and dice your spending habits in a number of ways. It pulled over 300 days of history for me spending habits and it was immediately shown in graphs and made a mock budget for each of the areas where I can spend my hard earned dollar. There is no longer a need for those AMEX consolidated spending lists based on type of vendor. Mint has all of that for every card.

My only worry with Mint was the security around consolidating all of my financial life into one easily accessible area. Fortunately, Mint.com is a very limited tool and that is where the inherent security features are built in. You cannot shift funds, spend anything or change anything about any account because there is no functionality around doing anything other than viewing the information. Mint has no integration other than the ability to view your account information. Though I am no computer expert, it seems pretty fool proof.

I showed a few people at work the tools involved and it spread like wild fire. We have a pretty strict internet blocking program and somehow Mint circumvents all of the blocks. I can even check my daily 401k balance. Which right now is unfortunately depressing as my balance seems to be going in the wrong direction.

Chicago - The Map Room

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Blue Coral > Dawn Detergent

I recently realized I have been mistreating my Yuppie Mobile. As it turns out Dawn dish washing detergent is NOT good for your car. I repeat: Not good.

Two days ago I was at lunch with a few of my co-workers who consider themselves car junkies (I do not consider myself this) and I was basically scolded as I asked this seemingly innocent question:

"How do you get your car so clean, do you use Dawn Detergent?"

"Dawn? You wash your car with that crap?"

"It takes off all of your wax, think about it! If it can cut grease off of a broiler pan just imagine what it will do to your car!"

Silly me.

So I naturally asked these know-it-alls what DOES work if my Dad's tried and true method of Dawn Detergent with scalding hot water causes such anger and resentment.

Their answer? Blue Coral High Foam Car Soap. *Insert clapping noise*

I just gave it a try and to be honest I can tell no difference other than it is specifically made for my car and costs $6.49 for 1.89L. The bottle I bought should last me two years. Hopefully they are two blissful years of clean cars

Ah the Joys of Finishing an MBA Program

First: Thank you to all of you like minded sales reps for making comments that I have published many of them. I appreciate very much your feed back and I am humbled that so many people are interested in my little part of the world.

Truly: Thank you; Keep contributing.

So, after my very long hiatus of contributing a single thing to this Blog I’m back! The world is my oyster! It seems that no immediate “MBA promotion” is in my immediate future so I have got to figure out what to do this thing…

First a few thoughts n the MBA program:

• It was without a doubt the most work I have ever put into any project
• It was the most rewarding education I have ever received
• The academic quality and the quality of students was very impressive
• It is no wonder why The University of Dayton wins the case competitions in the state of Ohio every year

Per the Motto of UD: “Learn, Lead, Serve” I guess I am entering the lead part of my life. For two years I have had nights weekends filled with team meetings, finance problems, Operations analysis and Marketing projects. Now I will have weekends filled with….well, I guess we shall see.

I have been trying to pick up some kind of hobby after I finish reading the three weeks of Newsweek, Business week and the Economist that I have been neglecting. My thoughts first went strangely enough to starting an herb garden, but that will most likely take about 2 hours to plant and I am sure I would be an absent minded gardner letting everything get too dry. Not the best way to eat up spare time.

I also thought joining some kind of cooking classes and getting really good at a few impressive gourmet dishes. That is much more likely, however it seems that should be something I should learn on my own….I mean come on…I have my MBA. :-P

Expect more posts soon. Life is getting exciting.