Sales reps and marketing professionals struggle to get attention from decision-makers when talking about copiers since these products are viewed as commodities. Yet if we don’t get the attention of decision-makers we cannot sell anything.
How do you get the attention of a decision-maker? Talk about something interesting to them.
If you’re an investor, you’ve heard the line, “The trend is your friend.” This is true in investments. It’s also true in sales.
What’s interesting to a business owner or executive? Trends that affect their business:
- What trends are disrupting my business?
- What trends could improve my business?
- What trends are my competitors capitalizing on that could hurt my business?
Technology Mega Trends Impacting Business
Fortunately, many of today’s business trends have to do with technology. Consider some of the top trends in technology:
- Digital Transformation — By 2020, 60% of all enterprises will have fully articulated an organization-wide digital transformation (DX) platform strategy, and will be in the process of implementing that strategy as the new IT core for competing in the digital economy. (IDC FutureScape: Worldwide IT Industry 2018 Predictions)
- Cloud — By 2021, spending on cloud services and cloud-enabling hardware, software and services will more than double to over $530 billion, leveraging the diversifying cloud environment. By 2021, enterprise apps will shift toward hyper-agile architectures, with 80% of application development on cloud platforms (PaaS) using microservices and cloud functions. (IDC FutureScape: Worldwide IT Industry 2018 Predictions)
- Internet of Things — By 2018, There Will Be 22 Billion IoT Devices Installed, Driving the Development of Over 200,000 New IoT Apps and Services (IDC FutureScape: Worldwide IT Industry 2017 Predictions)
- Security — 82 percent of organizations struggle to identify and secure network-connected devices. Worse, most were unclear on who is responsible for managing the devices. (CIO: 12 Biggest Issues IT Faces Today)
- Staffing — Sixty percent of respondents say they face an IT talent shortage in one or more areas. And those shortages cause pain. Over the past 18 months, a lack of IT talent has led to delayed projects (53%), poor-quality IT projects (30%), missed revenue opportunities (21%), and canceled IT projects (17%). (Interop: 2017 State of IT Report)
How You Can Capitalize On Trends
Smart marketers and sales reps make the bridge between these trends with what they sell. Here are some ideas to bridge technology megatrends with the products, services, and solutions we offer:
- Digital Transformation
- Leverage workflow applications and customized MFP apps to streamline business processes.
- Implement workflow solutions to automate key business processes.
- Cloud
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- Use MFP apps to form a seamless bridge between paper and the cloud.
- Leverage cloud-based document management platforms to streamline workflow
- Internet of Things
- Monitor printers to proactively provide supplies and support with an eye to optimize the fleet inside an MPS program.
- Monitor endpoints to enhance security and user satisfaction inside an MNS program.
- Security
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- Monitor endpoints and proactively install patches to enhance security.
- Reduce security risk with new printers and MFP’s with the latest security protocols.
Turning Trends Into Appointments
Trends are great, but what you need is appointments with decision-makers. How do you get there? Here are two ideas
1. Marketing: Use the Trends to Get Found
Business owners are looking for information to improve their business. This means people are searching Google for this type of information. Publish content on your website and social media that explores these trends. Show how you help businesses leverage the trends. Bring real-world case studies. This helps you get found online by buyers that are looking for new ways to do things.
2. Sales: Use the Trends To Get Appointments
Thinking you can pick up a chamber of commerce list, bang out 50 phone calls, and get an appointment are long gone. You need to be much more strategic. Mike Schultz, the author of Insight Selling, says that you need 8 touches to get an appointment. These touches should include multiple channels like phone, email, and social.
With our new program, sales reps use Sharpspring with automated sequences of email, phone, and social touches to get appointments. All of this is done using content focused on how the vertical market can leverage technology trends to grow. (Learn more in the video below.)
The trend is your friend! Start asking yourself what technology trends you could use to get attention and drive more appointments.
Originally published on Convergo.
