The future of work

[BillyCarpenter]

Re: The future of work

It is easy to make 20 calls in a day. New sales reps are expected to make 30.

You go to one area and walk from business to business.

You can complete this prospecting task by early afternoon and focus on other tasks later in the day that might require driving.

Sales reps develop what I call "emotional armour" that they put on every morning to help them get past 100 no's to find that 1 yes.

Often a sales call will only be 1-2 minutes but you can learn a lot being inside a lobby and just looking around.

What is key is to keep good notes after each call and database those notes end of day.

These 1-2 minute calls are followed up with a return visit approx every six months. Gate keepers are trained to say no to everyone who comes through the door as they know most sales reps will not come back. The ones that do come back they might give a chance if the need to replace their office equipment is within six months.

Most dealers give their sales reps some part of their database that corresponds to their territory so that they have some idea where to go if a lease will expire that year. Upgrading copiers early in a lease is not uncommon.

You covered a lot of ground so I'll try to address all of it and give my thoughts. I enjoy the discussion.

1. No matter how fast you can make 20 face to face calls, I can make 10x that and get the information that I need.

2. "Emotional Armor", as you put it, (I like to call it Fear of Rejection) only comes from hearing the word 'NO' over and over. The more sales rep. hears 'NO', the more desensitized they become to hearing no. Some people aren't cut out for sales and they never get used to rejection. Hell, some times it gets to me and I've been in some form of sales for 30 years.

3. Yes, going into an office does offer some advantages to the phone but they are far outweighed by the benefits of using the phone.

4. I disagree that cold calling an office multiple times greatly increases odds for getting in front of the Decision Maker. I suppose you may get lucky sooner or later.

5. Good notes are vital. Agree.

6. You say you re-visit an office every 6-months? That doesn't make sense as all prospects are at a different point in the sales process. If the lease is up in 10-12 months, I'm gonna contact them way before six months and multiple times. Too many sales reps think they'll be viewed as being pushy. But constant contact is critical when the buying window is open - 10 to 12 months. Now, if they're 3 years out, then 6-months is acceptable.

7. Yes, most dealers use a CRM that should have valuable data on the businesses in their territory. However, this info is totally dependent on the sales rep who entered the information and there's a high turnover in sales.Much of that info is totally useless I have found.

Edit: One last note:

I never leave a meeting without first setting up the next meeting. Any contact with a prospect, whether fact-to-face or telephone should not be left before establishing a CLEAR NEXT STEP. That means setting a date and time for next meeting/phone call.

By the way, I would get rid of the bulk mail-outs and use a drip email campaign. I use Mail Chimp. There are many others.

[SalesServiceGuy]

Re: The future of work

You covered a lot of ground so I'll try to address all of it and give my thoughts. I enjoy the discussion.

1. No matter how fast you can make 20 face to face calls, I can make 10x that and get the information that I need.

2. "Emotional Armor", as you put it, (I like to call it Fear of Rejection) only comes from hearing the word 'NO' over and over. The more sales rep. hears 'NO', the more desensitized they become to hearing no. Some people aren't cut out for sales and they never get used to rejection. Hell, some times it gets to me and I've been in some form of sales for 30 years.

3. Yes, going into an office does offer some advantages to the phone but they are far outweighed by the benefits of using the phone.

4. I disagree that cold calling an office multiple times greatly increases odds for getting in front of the Decision Maker. I suppose you may get lucky sooner or later.

5. Good notes are vital. Agree.

6. You say you re-visit an office every 6-months? That doesn't make sense as all prospects are at a different point in the sales process. If the lease is up in 10-12 months, I'm gonna contact them way before six months and multiple times. Too many sales reps think they'll be viewed as being pushy. But constant contact is critical when the buying window is open - 10 to 12 months. Now, if they're 3 years out, then 6-months is acceptable.

7. Yes, most dealers use a CRM that should have valuable data on the businesses in their territory. However, this info is totally dependent on the sales rep who entered the information and there's a high turnover in sales.Much of that info is totally useless I have found.

Edit: One last note:

I never leave a meeting without first setting up the next meeting. Any contact with a prospect, whether fact-to-face or telephone should not be left before establishing a CLEAR NEXT STEP. That means setting a date and time for next meeting/phone call.

By the way, I would get rid of the bulk mail-outs and use a drip email campaign. I use Mail Chimp. There are many others.

There is no right or wrong way to prospect for new customers, you have your way, I have mine.

During COVID-19, decision makers have been bombarded with inbound telemarketing campaigns. We have better luck when we make the effort to get in front of customers. I cannot listen to another sales guru on a webinar telling me how to sell over the phone during COVID-19.

In Canada, it is illegal to send unsolicited marketing emails without prior permission. The fines can be quite heavy if found guilty not only against the sales rep but also against the President/CEO personally no hiding behind a Ltd or Corp.

[BillyCarpenter]

Re: The future of work

There is no right or wrong way to prospect for new customers, you have your way, I have mine.

During COVID-19, decision makers have been bombarded with inbound telemarketing campaigns. We have better luck when we make the effort to get in front of customers. I cannot listen to another sales guru on a webinar telling me how to sell over the phone during COVID-19.

In Canada, it is illegal to send unsolicited marketing emails without prior permission. The fines can be quite heavy if found guilty not only against the sales rep but also against the President/CEO personally no hiding behind a Ltd or Corp.

Speaking of sales gurus....

The new thing being pushed on inexperienced sales people is selling thru social media: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, ect. They promise that a sales person no longer has to pick up the phone or make face to face calls. All they need to do is spend their time on social media and they'll make more sales than they can handle. It's all bullshit and they prey on the fears sales people have of contacting strangers.

With that said, I do a little of everything: telephone (90%), B2B (5%) social media (5%) And I have someone to do our email campaign.

It's always good to talk to another sales person. Cheers.

[SalesServiceGuy]

Re: The future of work

Speaking of sales gurus....

The new thing being pushed on inexperienced sales people is selling thru social media: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, ect. They promise that a sales person no longer has to pick up the phone or make face to face calls. All they need to do is spend their time on social media and they'll make more sales than they can handle. It's all bullshit and they prey on the fears sales people have of contacting strangers.

With that said, I do a little of everything: telephone (90%), B2B (5%) social media (5%) And I have someone to do our email campaign.

It's always good to talk to another sales person. Cheers.

The industry and my employer encouraged me to increase my social media presence. During the worst of COVID-19, since I could not go anywhere, I put a lot of effort into it, refreshing my websites while optimizing for SEO, creating a YouTube channel and constantly posting on Linkedin. I cannot say that social media, other than increasing my awareness amongst industry insiders, has driven any new sales.

It is now part of my daily routine and I will continue to put some effort into it.

[Bix]

Re: The future of work

I believe it is essential to have a website and certainly social media allow you to get new customers. Do you manage your page on Google Maps through Google Business? This is very important because if one is looking for an office printer, I would like my company to appear at the top on Google Maps. You can also pay for Google Ads to do this.

[SalesServiceGuy]

Re: The future of work

I believe it is essential to have a website and certainly social media allow you to get new customers. Do you manage your page on Google Maps through Google Business? This is very important because if one is looking for an office printer, I would like my company to appear at the top on Google Maps. You can also pay for Google Ads to do this.

I manage several copier related websites. I have noticed that no matter how bad or incomplete your website is, Google will snail mail you a letter to confirm your physical address. Once you enter your code from that letter, regardless of the SEO ratings of your website, a short description of your website will always be on Google maps homepage in your local city area.

[SalesServiceGuy]

Re: The future of work

The pandemic of 2020 has produced a myriad of consequences for the legal industry, with courts literally closing up shop and halting new case filings, which in turn caused a significant drop in law firm billings.

By June, Clio, a leading legal technology firm, documented a 27% decrease in billings nationwide, leading firms to layoff more than 64,000 employees across the industry, a nearly 20-year low according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

In addition, the coronavirus has forced many lawyers across the U.S. to learn how to work from home, leaving offices empty, void of the traditional labor and technology that moves the legal information out of reach for them.

The new normal of working remotely hasn’t stopped the paper from coming in. Firms are struggling with how reduced staff can maintain access to critical information, how to digitize the new work coming in, and are obviously concerned with maintaining document security.

WHERE TO START?

Because of COVID, firms are forced to pivot and adapt new technologies to function in “the new normal.” This means taking an aggressive stance in going upstream to digitize information at the point of transaction as effectively and efficiently as possible with state-of-the-art solutions.

A strong hardware and software tool set combined with high-speed scanners offer a range of technology that will capture, digitize and index case data.

Your technology partner, your staff will gain access to a technology infrastructure designed with proven best practices and ease-of-use in mind.

REMOTE ACCESS ISN’T GOING AWAY

As is common with many industries, brick and mortar is a top expense. Costly office space requirements will decline without question.
This will cause firms to reduce their need for storing case files and eliminating the “weigh-station” areas required for processing volumes of paper data such as legal case files and discovery materials. Firms have long sought to eliminate perpetual “hostage fees” associated with storing information in the mines, then having to recall it for research and distribution.

An experienced services team can eliminate those fees altogether by converting any existing paper documentation into a comprehensive, searchable data repository and secure it with appropriate access to any qualified worker at the click of a mouse.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Data security is vital for any firm, as you are literal custodians of your client’s most vital and sensitive information. The legal industry’s has a high obligation to secure client data from electronic data breach or cyberattack.

Solutions, when properly implemented and configured, have proven to be effective in making certain that no client data is left unsecured. In the event a breach was to occur, the solution would require notification to administrators, detail of the breach and a thorough audit trail of the event.

There are ways to minimize risks. Crazy as it may sound, there are cloud faxing solution with the toolset which allows for the transfer of native files of most any size, securely and safely between not only your workforce, but to your clients as well.
With just a few clicks, your team can initiate a notification that data is stored in what’s called a SafeBox. This is an end-to-end encrypted network storage area that holds the data to be transferred.

Using standard email for notification, the data can be secured with two-factor authentication (2FA), allowing coworkers or clients to access as you see fit. All communication around the SafeBox can be secured, with additional tools allowing for collaboration, responses and timing controlled by your team.

The underlying challenge for the legal industry is understanding what choices to make on how best to empower employees to work remotely in these strange times. It’s never too late to make that happen.

[SalesServiceGuy]

Re: The future of work

The new world of work from Ricoh

Ricoh’s DocuWare Simplifies Employee and Visitor Screening - YouTube

... formalizing who enters a business

... the USA passes an unfortunate new record high of over 100,000 COVID-19 infections in a single day making visitor control more important.

[Bix]

Re: The future of work

Konica Minolta has activated smartworking in Europe since the beginning of the year. Employees go to the office only when strictly necessary. With MOBOTIX, they automatically detect temperature and accesses.

[SalesServiceGuy]

Re: The future of work

Konica Minolta has activated smartworking in Europe since the beginning of the year. Employees go to the office only when strictly necessary. With MOBOTIX, they automatically detect temperature and accesses.

... not that I know the pricing but if Ricoh is suggesting a customer should install Docuware to manage employee and visitor access to a business space, that is usually an expensive and somewhat complicated solution to install. Remember Ricoh recently purchased Docuware so the video is definitely a self promoting message.

[SalesServiceGuy]

Re: The future of work

Permanent work from home is here to stay as many of the best and brightest employees want that flexibility to better manage their lifestyles.

Employers who do not offer work from home will have trouble attracting top talent.

Low skilled urban workers who service high skilled workers are facing increased unemployment as skilled workers stay home or move away to less expensive, lower population density areas.

Urban bars, restaurants, retail stores are all facing deep declining revenues due to a double whammy of commuters and locals staying home in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Skilled workers who can afford suitable housing have an advantage over transient people to get full time jobs.

In the USA, 88% of skilled workers want to continue to work from home at least 2-3 days per week. Home is now considered to be the place for concentration on job tasks. The traditional office is now a place for collaboration and communication. Employers are reconfiguring their current office space to optimize that. 68% of surveyed CEOs plan to downsize their office space.

Municipal and state gov'ts that depend upon transit and road taxes to service their infrastructure are experiencing deep shortfalls in revenues as skilled workers no longer commute every day.

Urban offices will continue to need high quality, feature rich, dependable office equipment. Office print volumes have declined but show signs of stabilizing at a much lower level. Largely uncontrolled home office print volumes continue to increase using much more expensive to operate and less secure print devices.

Home office workers will have to be ever more vigilant about information security. Businesses need to protect their intellectual property as the for profit activities of bad actors explode. Hacking attacks can now be launched from anywhere in the world with easily accessible software tools found on the dark web and used by medium skilled workers with criminal intent.

[SalesServiceGuy]

Re: The future of work

... confirmation of the previous post from US Federal Reserve Chairman Powell.

The economy as we knew it might be over, Fed Chairman says - CNN


The Covid-19 pandemic brought the US economy to a screeching halt, and while it has started its long road to recovery, the economy we knew is probably a thing of the past, said Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Thursday.

"We're recovering, but to a different economy," Powell said during a virtual panel discussion at the European Central Bank's Forum on Central Banking.

The pandemic has accelerated existing trends in the economy and society, including the increasing use of technology, telework and automation, he said. This will have lasting effects on how people live and work.

While technological advances are generally positive for societies over the long term, Powell said, on a short-term basis they create disruption, and as the market adjusts to the new normal the pain isn't shared evenly.

For example, it's likely that lower-paid workers, as well as those in jobs requiring face-to-face interactions, such as retail or restaurant workers, will shoulder most of the burden of this shift. These groups, heavily skewed towards women and minorities, have already been among those most affected by pandemic layoffs, Powell said.

The post-pandemic economy is also at risk of being less productive: women have been forced to quit their jobs due to child care responsibilities during the crisis, and children aren't getting the education they deserve, Powell said.
Generally speaking, inequality holds the economy back, the central banker said.

"Even after the unemployment rate goes down and there's a vaccine, there's going to be a probably substantial group of workers who are going to need support as they're finding their way in the post-pandemic economy, because it's going to be different in some fundamental ways," Powell said.

Washington has spent trillions of dollars to boost the economy in the wake of the pandemic. But jobless workers are still in a tough spot: some benefits have already dwindled and more are set to expire at year-end. Economists are hopeful that the next administration will manage to pass another stimulus bill to help workers and businesses as the recovery continues.

More work needs to be done


Powell has long said that the economy might need more stimulus from both the government and the central bank to get through the crisis. He again echoed this sentiment on Thursday.

"My sense is that we will need to do more and that Congress will need to do more," he said.

While the prospect of a vaccine is goods news, many questions remain, including the resurgence of the virus around the world.

"The main risk we see today [...] is the further spread of disease here in the United States," he said. Several states have restarted their pandemic restrictions to curb the spread.

[SalesServiceGuy]

Re: The future of work

The days of 'office-centricity' are over: Shopify president

The days of 'office-centricity' are over: Shopify president - BNN Bloomberg


The mass adoption of remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic signals that the days of “office-centricity” are over, according to the president of Canadian e-commerce company Shopify Inc.

Harley Finkelstein said businesses are shifting away from the idea of the office being the place where everything happens, as COVID-19 has normalized the concept of working from home for many companies.

“There still will be a place for offices, whether that’s for on-sites, or onboarding, or team-building, or white-boarding sessions,” he told BNN Bloomberg’s Jon Erlichman in an interview Thursday. “But in terms of the primary place to organize and to gather being the office, we don’t think that’s going to be the case in the long term.

“We think the days of office-centricity are over.”

The Ottawa-based technology company made news earlier this year when it announced its employees would be able to work from home even after COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

... I realize that many business do not lend themselves well to working from home such as a manufacturing facility, distribution facility, etc.. Today, I sold a 35 cpm A3 colour copier to a private school. Some employees are in the office, some work from home, some practise distance education.

[BillyCarpenter]

Re: The future of work

The days of 'office-centricity' are over: Shopify president

The days of 'office-centricity' are over: Shopify president - BNN Bloomberg



Harley Finkelstein said businesses are shifting away from the idea of the office being the place where everything happens, as COVID-19 has normalized the concept of working from home for many companies.



The Ottawa-based technology company made news earlier this year when it announced its employees would be able to work from home even after COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

... I realize that many business do not lend themselves well to working from home such as a manufacturing facility, distribution facility, etc.. Today, I sold a 35 cpm A3 colour copier to a private school. Some employees are in the office, some work from home, some practise distance education.

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/11/13/deutsche-bank-wants-privilege-tax-imposed-on-people-who-work-from-home/

[Copier Addict]

Re: The future of work

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/11/13/deutsche-bank-wants-privilege-tax-imposed-on-people-who-work-from-home/

You will have to explain how a bank suggesting a tax has to do with "the left" ? Those look like two different articles that you put together for dramatic effect.