Bellwether - A Blytheco Magazine - Improve Sales Now!

Volume 4 | Issue 1 | First Quarter 2013

Improve Sales Now

Plus Our:

2013 Software Buyers Guide

Smart Forms

Making Your Life Easier, One Process at a Time

By Christi Sobodos, Altec

Going Paperless is a high priority for companies that want to improve efficiencies.

Storing documents electronically makes for quick access, visibility to changes and a lot of paper-related cost savings. There are many other tools to improve efficiencies that go beyond just electronic storage. One of them is Altec’s Smart Form Toolkit, which allows you to create custom Smart Forms to meet each of your company’s individual proccess improvement needs.

Smart Forms are customizable electronic forms with capabilities beyond a traditional paper documents.

With Smart Forms, you can create documents, index documents, or streamline business processes. You can create electronic forms like Credit Card Statements, New Vendor Requests, Purchase Orders, Expense Reports – really any forms that are currently part of your business processes.

type in a search value and look up that document right from your desktop.

You can also use Smart Forms to manage a particular process. The user can enter and track data on a Smart Form, as well as view and attach related documents. For example, when a new employee is hired, there may be a number of different steps various employees need to complete for the on-boarding process.

With a Smart Form, you can include a checklist with items like: set up computer, email and phone, fill out insurance and employment forms, etc.

All of the members involved can view the form and check off their tasks as they complete them, and the associated documents can be attached for quick retrieval.

With expense reports, for example, you may be used to having employees fill out an Excel sheet, print it out and pass it around for approvals.

The data from this document will still need to get manually entered in the accounting system at the end of the process. With Smart Forms, you can minimize data entry by re-purposing the information you fill out in the www.bit.ly/SageSmart Document Management is all about Smart Form fields to populate the fields in your accounting system. And taking your current processes and routing it electronically speeds up the approval process coming up with an electronic alternative to save you while giving you visibility to its status. time. Smart Forms are just one of the many process improvement tools Altec has available. With the help Since the document is already electronic, you won’t of our partners and our customers, we are coming up need to scan or index it to be able to retrieve them at with some pretty amazing ways to use Smart Forms to a later date. Rather than searching for a document in automate processes in every department. a file cabinet or on another employee’s desk, you can

Attend a Webinar to Learn More:

800.997.9921 www.altec-inc.com @doclinkbyAtlec 2

Bellwether Magazine | First Quarter 2013

sections

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” ~Walt Disney

Letter from the Editor

5

Leadership

6

Sales and Marketing

8

Cover Story

12

Industry News

16

Technology

18

Book Report

29

Customer Profile

30

6 8

14 18

12 bell•weth•er -noun: one who takes initiative or leadership

3

TM

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tablet

browser

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If you don’t have a complete lifecycle view of your customers, you are missing opportunities.

SugarCRM integrates with Quickbooks, Sage 100, and more. Blytheco can help.

Learn more about the benefits of a complete view of your customers download Aberdeen’s whitepaper “Leveraging the 360 Degree Customer View” from

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LETTERFROMTHEEDITOR

BELLWETHER

A Blytheco Magazine Volume 4 First Quarter, 2013 www.blytheco.com www.bellwethermagazine.com

STAFF EDITOR Apryl Hanson CREATIVE DIRECTOR Greg Went CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Joanne Black Joshua Curlett Peter Fasulo Jeff Gregorec Mark Grimes Apryl Hanson Valerie Hook Rob Johnson Ginger Kittinger Barry Maher Bill Wiersma Geni Whitehouse Sierra Workforce ADVERTISING SALES Ginger Kittinger SUBSCRIPTIONS www.bellwethermagazine.com Or contact Dori Fitch (800) 425-9843, Extension 1168 dorif@blytheco.com Bellwether Magazine is published by Blytheco with principal offices at: 23161 Mill Creek Road Suite 200 Laguna Hills, CA 92653 If you wish to be removed from the mailing list or to add names to the mailing list, send your request, including name, business name, and mailing address to the above address or to dorif@blytheco.com This is a copyrighted publication and all articles herein are covered by this copyright. Any use of the content for commercial reasons or other form or reproduction of material herein is strictly prohibited without prior, written approval of Bellwether Magazine.

bell•weth•er -noun: one who takes initiative or leadership

5

Sales Leadership Do You Have It?

by Bill Wiersma

O

f the seven mind-sets I write about in The Power of Professionalism, there is arguably none more important to sales leadership than mind-set number two.

The second mind-set is all about ‘realizing (and acting like) you’re part of something bigger than yourself’---which, for most, can prove to be a tremendous source of motivation.

This mind-set speaks to one’s core values. It reinforces purpose. It acts as a constant reminder of the big picture.

It oozes leadership. This is the mind-set that the military excels in and corporate America struggles with. My previous Bellwether article---Greater Purpose, Greater Company--- captured why it’s so important, especially for founders, to look beyond their capacity to make money when thinking about what their core purpose really is.

Consider the study that the sales leadership consultancy McLeod & More conducted for a major biotech firm six years ago. The study sought to determine the behaviors that distinguished the firm’s top salespeople from their average ones. The results were quite unexpected.

The results revealed that the firm’s top salespeople all had a larger sense of purpose than their less-successful peers.

Amongst the top salespeople there was a heart-felt desire to make a difference in the lives of their customers.

Of course, this larger sense of purpose is perfectly consistent with mind-set number two. Those salespeople that focused primarily on goals and money (which is largely inconsistent with mind-set two) were regularly outsold by those serving with a higher purpose. The distinction in ‘purpose’ proved to be the key differentiator between the two groups.

Lisa Earle McLeod, president of McLeod & More has noted, “The research is clear, 10,000 hours of interviewing and assessing top performers revealed: salespeople who care about something bigger than just money - helping their customers - drive more revenue than salespeople who are solely focused on their quota. Ironic, isn’t it?”

Jim Stengel, former chief marketing officer for Procter and Gamble, reports a related finding. He has concluded, “Those who center their business on improving people’s lives have a growth rate triple that of their competitors.”

In other words, the core purpose of successful businesses needn’t be to become ‘money-making machines’.

6

Bellwether Magazine | First Quarter 2013

The paradox, of course, is that it’s possible to excel financially without obsessing about ‘selling stuff’—and the short term monetary gain that goes with it. Rather, money can become a handsome by-product when one keeps their primary focus (their obsession, if you will) on the organization’s core purpose.

In 1960, Theodore Levitt wrote a famous Harvard Business Review article entitled ‘Marketing Myopia’. In it he suggested that the enterprise’s core purpose was to concentrate on meeting customers’ needs rather than on merely selling products---a largely heretical notion at the time. While Levitt didn’t explicitly say so, he was alluding to the enterprises higher purpose. Jim Stengel’s charge for each of us to ‘improve people’s lives’ is the latter-day version of Levitt’s admonition to ‘meet customer needs’.

Certainly this meets the ‘higher purpose’ criteria that professionals hold themselves to.

The professional trusts that when they improve someone’s life (e.g. putting their customer’s interests first) they’ll be rewarded. Many professionals consider this a natural law--one they live by. Because the sales professional thinks in this unique way, the desirable behaviors (similar to those that McLeod observed) naturally follow. In other words, behavior is a by-product of how the sales professional thinks.

Sales leadership is dependent on two levels of trust. First, does the customer trust the salesperson? Second, does the salesperson trust the organization’s leadership? If you have neither, you’re toast—sales leadership is currently beyond your reach. If you have one or the other, you’ve got one foot on the dock and one on the boat. Your situation is precarious---fixable, but precarious. If you have both, you’re golden.

For the customer whose salesperson has earned their trust, it’s easy to appreciate someone who has your back, someone always looking out for your best interests. ‘A’ list

LEADERSHIP salespeople typically see that as a professional imperative.

It’s integral to the professional’s values, it’s analogous to who they are. It’s antithetical for them to ‘push’ something they don’t believe in or isn’t in their customers best interests.

“

To these types of salespeople, they appreciate that a sale is ultimately a by-product of a trusting relationship.

Everything else being equal, the better the relationship, the greater upside for sales. Their higher purpose is being helpful---they never confuse that with ‘selling stuff’.

Many ‘A’ list salespeople will, over time, become distrustful of their organization should its leadership stray from priorities that are central to fulfilling the organization’s core purpose.

‘Straying’ siphons off the organization’s best energies and resources and preempts the organization from investing in or supporting leading-edge products or desired services.

When leadership loses focus, corners get cut, quality gets short-changed---customers notice.

realizing (and acting like) you’re part of something bigger than yourself”

Simply put, focusing on things that aren’t central to the organization’s core purpose puts the salesperson’s credibility at risk. ‘A’ list salespeople won’t put up with that for long. They want to make a difference with their customers and expect that their organization will ‘come to play’.

Great salespeople think differently than their less-successful counter-parts. Likewise, great sales managers do too. The foundation for sales leadership stems from the trust that’s inherent in having a ‘something bigger’ mind-set. Great salespeople have a service orientation, they know that it’s important to ‘get beyond yourself’. That enables the sales organization to focus---first and foremost---on their central purpose.

Is sales leadership dependent on great lead generation, powerful CRM tools, and the like? Sure! Yet, the most vital aspect of sales leadership is the way the sales professional thinks. Great organizations are great because their people think differently.

Where’s the level of trust in your sales organization? What do your salespeople people obsess about---being helpful to customers or their sales goals? Are you fulfilling your real purpose or do you feel like you’ve got sand in your gears? If you’re struggling, developing a ‘something bigger’ mind-set is a good place to start.

About the Author Bill Wiersma is the principal of Wiersma and Associates, LLC, a consultancy that helps leaders create cultures based on professional ideals. Bill is the author of two critically acclaimed books. His expertise has been featured in numerous media outlets--including the New York Times. The Power of Professionalism, Bill’s latest book, was a finalist for Soundview Executive Book Summaries 2011 Book of the Year. Follow his weekly blog posts at: www.wiersmaandassociates.com/blog/

bell•weth•er -noun: one who takes initiative or leadership

7

SALES&MARKETING

by Rob Johnson

Create Your Super Simple Sales Success Plan

by Rob Johnson

The best rainmakers have the simplest sales plans.

In fact, true to the Pareto Principle, most top performers focus

system each year. They are known

80% of their efforts executing a single selling strategy. That

in the local banking community

simple business development and selling strategy becomes the

as the experts in helping

mainspring of their business growth. The result of this laser-like

small and micro businesses

intensity of focus is above average revenue and profit growth,

get organized and ready to

resulting in sustained superior performance.

take on business growth.

A former client of mine provides IT and accounting solutions for small businesses. They developed their Super Simple Sales Strategy with this notion; all small businesses will eventually

They grow at a rate more than triple of their nearest competitor.

need the services of a banker. And, bankers in general feel

Chances

much more confident working with a small business who has a

know what your SSSP should be.

proper accounting system in place… There you have it. Their entire go-to-market strategy was to get connected with every bank that had small business clients in their marketing area.

are

you

already

Most of us know what we want to do and what our natural strengths are. We simply don’t know

Their execution plan is very straightforward; • Identify the banks that fit their target market.

• Identify the lending officers in each bank.

• Create a strategy to make a connection with each of the lending officers, and begin educating them on their services, helping the bank to see why referring a client to them would ultimately help the bank develop a deeper

how to get started. For that, it’s

relationship with their client, and dramatically improve the

helpful to have a planning template. There are a

client’s chances of success.

lot of great resources available. However, your focus

• Create a follow-up and stay-in-touch program They work with more than 60 bank branches in their metro area.

They visit each branch and lending officer every quarter. That

should be to keep this process as simple as possible.

So, let’s look at 5 simple steps.

1.

Verticalize your approach

- The more narrowly

averages about 5 visits per week. As a result, they help about

you define your market, and the approach for reaching it –

100 new small businesses implement their first accounting

the better. One of my favorite business books of all time

8

Bellwether Magazine | First Quarter 2013

LEADERSHIP is Customers for Life, written by Carl Sewell, a Cadillac

and old media, branding and lead generation, education

dealer in Dallas, TX. In it, he describes the transformation

and awareness building. However, it’s important to have

of his dealership by focusing their strategy on the small

a single primary activity. The smartest way to do that

percentage of Cadillac buyers who want really great

is to look at your existing client base for clues. Where

service, and are willing to pay for it. Creating a niche-

did your happiest, most profitable customers come

based approach brings enormous benefits for everyone

from? What are your natural strengths and interests? It’s

connected to your enterprise.

remarkable what you will learn from an exercise of this

2.

Set and write down clear goals - There is overwhelming evidence that goals that are specific, measurable and meaningful – and that are written down and stuck on the refrigerator door - have a billion times more likelihood of

nature. Once finished, you’ll have a really good idea of where to look, and the best ways to build a connection.

The reality is this; what you choose as your “one thing” is less important than executing it every single day. Even a mediocre plan, well-executed, is better than sitting at your desk complaining about the crappy leads from the home office.

4.

Connect the dots of activities to results - There

being achieved. Be

is a direct connection between effort and results. And,

as granular and

it’s very important that you know and track your metrics

analytical as your

and ratios. In this way, you’ll be able to determine if your

personality

goals are obtainable, and where you have opportunities

dictates.

for improvement.

not about door

I’m

kidding the thing.

Do it.

5.

Build and execute your plan - The last, and most

important element is building your daily, weekly and monthly sales plan. What you do each day matters. How you prepare yourself matters. Your key daily activities are what you can manage and measure.

3. Create

Most of us know what we want to do and what our natural

an impactful way

strengths are. We simply don’t know how to get started.

of reaching your

Chapter 16 of my book Kick Your Own Ass; The Will, Skill,

market - How you

& Drill of Selling More Than You Ever Thought Possible

reach your market largely

addresses this exact issue. The book includes planning

determines

your

overall

success. For most companies, you will likely have a blended approach of new

templates and resources available on my book’s website www.thesaleskicker.com

Happy Selling!

About the author Robert Early Johnson is the National Sales Manager for Channels at Avalara. In this role, he manages the national field sales organization and key ERP software developer relationships. He and team are responsible for managing Avalara’s rapidly growing channel sales strategy. Previously, he served as head of Channel Programs and Readiness for Sage in North America.

In 2010, Mr. Johnson authored and released the highly acclaimed book Kick Your Own Ass; The Will, Skill & Drill of Selling More Than You Ever Thought Possible. Published by John H. Wiley & Sons, the book is designed to offer practical solutions to help salespeople improve their sales performance. KYOA is available at bookstores and online book retailers everywhere. Learn more at www.robertearlyjohnson.com

bell•weth•er -noun: one who takes initiative or leadership

9

SALES&MARKETING

Elevate the Conversation:

Using Social Tools in Business

by Joshua Curlett

U

se the ideas within this article to facilitate a conversation with your team that focuses on elevating the conversation from “sales” to “trusted advisor” in the social space.

How is your business differentiating itself from competitors in social media? As the economy continues to change, businesses are looking for ways to set themselves apart in the marketplace as much as they are the social space. The days of leveraging “nurture marketing” campaigns by way of email or direct mail to enter the conversation and provide value in hopes of changing customer perception are over. Today, businesses must also consider extending marketing strategies and enter the conversation by connecting with customers using social media.

According to the international best-selling book by Erik Qualman, “Socialnomics,” 90% of consumers trust peer evaluations, whereas they only trust company advertisements at a staggering 14%. It has been commonly stated that people do business with those they like, respect, and trust, which requires businesses to communicate clearly and effectively on different channels to reach their potential customer base.

Marketers no longer lead the path people take, and they don’t lead the dialogue. Consumers lead it through social.

As noted in Josh Bernoff’s book on harnessing the power of social technologies in business, “Groundswell,” as marketers, we have little control over what happens in the middle stages of the marketing funnel, but the influence of what we do in social is heaviest there. Social outlets such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube are platforms your business can use to talk to and engage your target audience. The main principle with these tools is not to create another sales outlet but to provide value and educate.

Rolling out a new social media marketing campaign can be as simple or complex as your time allows. It is imperative to manage content rollout so that time is budgeted to appropriately update information and respond to users within each medium. Plan to pace fresh content for campaigns so as

to engage your audience and maintain message momentum.

Twitter: By far one of the simpler social media tools to setup and maintain. Because tweets are limited to 140 characters, businesses can communicate short bits of information via text, pictures or links so as not to overwhelm followers. When deciding whether your business should tweet, remember that people are more inclined to follow you if you are interesting, engaging and provide value.

Facebook: Facebook‘s tools allow for sharing large amounts of content, including text, links and photos. Be wary of making your business’ fan page into an online brochure or a duplicate of your website. Doing so could potentially cannibalize content and prove counterproductive, and you risk receiving diminishing returns for your efforts.

LinkedIn: A similar concept to Facebook, LinkedIn allows users to connect with other businesses or contacts. While serving as a professional base, LinkedIn also provides users a forum in which to tell a story and build a network. Here, users can view professional experience, background and even make recommendations and endorsements—all of which can be a powerful tool to build trust.

YouTube: Videos can be a great way to educate your audience and provide instant value. When communicating complex ideas, a video can be your best tool to communicate clearly in a timely manner. Be aware of video and sound quality as initial pitfalls in many video rollouts.

To keep your business top-of-mind, focus on relating value through social channels and deepening relationships with customers. Remember, leaders can be found in the front of the pack—leading.

About the author: Joshua Curlett is the CFO of Sound Productions, Inc. a Pro Audio Sales and Distribution company servicing North America.

Joshua has a B.B.A. from Baylor University, M.B.A. from Southern Methodist University and has studied at the Disney Institute, as well as multiple international universities. Follow Joshua @joshuacurlett or his company @soundpro

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Bellwether Magazine | First Quarter 2013

SALES&MARKETING

A shot in the

DARK

by Ginger Kittinger

by Ginger Kittinger

C

ompanies spend a lot of money on their marketing efforts to bring in new business and to continue receiving revenue from their existing clients. But do you really know what is happening once you send out an email or put up a pay-per-click ad – and do you know how prospects found your website?

You may come up with a great marketing idea and create an entire campaign around it, send out emails, a direct mail piece and steer prospects to your website, but if you don’t measure responses along the way, how do you know if it is effective?

You have to put a lot of triggers in place so you can gauge the effectiveness. Email programs (such as Swiftpage and MailChimp) have open/click counters so you can determine how many people read and/or clicked on links in an email you sent out. Asking people to call a special phone number or to visit a specific URL after receiving a direct mail piece will allow you to track those responses. Having a form for them to fill out on your website to request more information or to sign up for an online presentation is a great way to capture responses.

But – once these events occur, what do you do next? Hopefully you have a Customer Relationship Management system in place, such as Sage SalesLogix, SugarCRM or Sage CRM to track the prospects and activities associated with them. You can even take it a step further and integrate an Inbound Marketing system, such as HubSpot, to give you more detail and background on visitors to your website.

Most CRM systems have marketing capabilities included that allow you to set up campaigns to track responses and sales opportunities which will help you measure success. It is crucial to make sure your lead generation and sales teams are aware of the campaigns, goals, audience and expected response methods so they can track them correctly in your CRM system.

Tracking Lead Sources is a great way to tell where prospects are

coming from. It isn’t enough to just say they visited our website or called in – how did they find your website or phone number?

Did someone refer them to you, did they do a Google search, find you via social media, click on a paid online ad or did they respond to an email or direct mail piece? Knowing what works and what doesn’t will help you quickly assess whether you need to change your approach or keep it the way it is.

Another statistic you need to look at is not just the quantity of responses, but the quality of them. You may get a lot of calls or form fills, but if they are not from serious buyers, then you are wasting time and giving things away for nothing. High quality prospects that are ready to engage in the sales cycle are what you are looking for. The true measure of success means you found the right target audience and you sent the right message.

In the last few years, online software trials are becoming popular and expected by prospects. It is a great way to let them see it before they buy it. However, Christopher Hosford from B to B, The Magazine for Marketing Strategists, found that while many companies offer free online software trials, many did little or no follow up with the prospects. Most didn’t acknowledge that the prospect hadn’t used the software and most just sent automated follow-up emails. They got them in the door but never said hello.

You need to analyze results throughout a campaign and make necessary changes or call it quits. It just doesn’t make sense to keep sending a message that isn’t working to people that aren’t interested.

bell•weth•er -noun: one who takes initiative or leadership

11

COVERSTORY

Pick Up the Phone, Bring In the Money

by Joanne S. Black

Y

ou’re the missing link in your sales success.

Now is the time to “pick up the phone,” engage with prospects and clients, and leverage your connections to bring new clients to your company. Only by getting in front of your clients and prospects will you generate and deliver the kind of business that guarantees results.

But how? Try this to start: five lunches and four breakfasts each week. That’s nine meetings a week. It could be 10, but who wants to meet for breakfast on Monday morning? (I know this plan seems aggressive, but stick with me.)

The Magic Meeting Number Nine meetings a week equals 36 meetings a month, equals 396 meetings a year. (A solid 12 months a year adds up to 432 meetings, but I subtracted four weeks for vacation, and other things that get in the way—conferences, personal business, sick days, etc.)

Either way, the number is staggering: 396. This is what one of my clients asks his sales team to do. Do they always reach that goal? No. But they continue to expand their relationships and build out their networks.

Set Stretch Goals and Reach Wouldn’t it be great if you had loads of people out there selling for you and you didn’t have to pay them to make sales? This low- to no-cost sales force would find sales leads, put you in touch with the right sales prospects, and maybe even make the sale. A referral network does this for you (here’s how).

When your goal is to bring new clients to your company, your most important activity is to expand your referral network and enroll them as de-facto members of your sales team. Think of it this way (I’ll round down the numbers for easy math and reduce the number to be conservative): • Say you have 200 meetings a year with potential referral sources. What if half (100) of those connections introduced you to a potential client?

12

Bellwether Magazine | First Quarter 2013

• You convert a minimum of 50 percent of your contacts to clients when you receive a referral introduction to your decision maker. That means 50 new clients to your company.

Sound too good to be true? It’s not. But you need to work the process. Sales success means leveraging your relationships.

You Are the Secret to Your Sales Success Whether you have an ultrahigh or low-tech business, the most important buying decisions customers make are still based on personal relationships—because they like and trust the salesperson and his organization, or because someone they trust recommended him.

Bottom line: People do business with people they know, like, and trust. Our smartest, tried-and-true businessdevelopment, lead-generation, deal-closing tool has always been ourselves.

Nothing Replaces a Handshake The digital world—as great as it is—threatens personal connections. We need face-to-face contact with others. Even with whisper-light computing power and immediate, 140-character Twitter posts, we are not a species meant to sit alone behind computers. We thrive on interpersonal communication and being in the presence of like-minded individuals working together to accomplish results.

In his 2009 commencement address to the graduating class of the University of Pennsylvania, Eric Schmidt, executive chairman and CEO of Google, urged students to make human connections. “Turn off your computer,” he said. “You’re actually going to have to turn off your phone and discover all that is human around us.”

In an era when companies are canceling sales trips to cut costs, believing webcasts and videoconferences are just as effective, they actually need to do the opposite—schedule more. Faceto-face meetings aren’t luxuries. Even in our technology-driven world, nothing replaces a handshake and in-person interactions for both building and maintaining business relationships. In fact, 95 percent of business people agree that they’re the keys to building long-term relationships, according to a Harvard Business Review Reader Poll.

Win the Numbers Game

prospect. You will accelerate your sales process by at least 30 percent, spend less time prospecting (who wouldn’t want that?), and attract more quality clients. Face-to-face contact gives you the edge over your competitors every time.

Keep reaching out. Preserve your most valuable sales asset— your relationships. When you make the effort, you win—and you win big.

Joanne Black is America’s leading authority on referral selling.

A captivating speaker and innovative seminar leader, Joanne works with sales executives, business owners, and their teams to increase revenue while decreasing their cost of sales. Turn prospects into clients more than 50 percent of the time and ace out the competition. Joanne is the author of NO MORE COLD CALLING™: The Breakthrough System That Will Leave Your Competition in the Dust.

One summer, I tacked a 60-mile drive onto the end of a vacation to meet with a prospect. That business-development visit resulted in two speaking engagements, which never would have occurred had I not taken the time to visit and build a new, mutually respectful relationship.

You don’t have to hop on an airplane. Drive your car, get on a bus, or take a train. Just meet face-to-face with every m a j o r client a n d

Visit Joanne at www.NoMoreColdCalling.com or email joanne@nomorecoldcalling.com or 415-461-8763.

bell•weth•er -noun: one who takes initiative or leadership

13

Secrets

of Successful Sales Managers

by Ginger Kittinger

W

e wanted to know what works in managing a sales team – so we reached out and got some great insights from some of the top professionals we know in

sales.

All three pros keep the goal of success in mind, but their approaches are different.

See which one might help you improve your team’s performance, or use elements of all of them to work smarter in 2013.

Focus on Team Barry Maher of Barry Maher & Associates shared 8 tips from his

book, “No Lie: Truth Is the Ultimate Sales Tool.”

1) Demonstrate faith in your team. To me, great leadership is about showing your people that there is more in them than they know: so they’ll be unwilling to settle for less. I made it clear to them that I truly believed that individually and collectively they had the capability to be the best. Then I acted as if that were true. Within a very short time, they were all trying to live up to my expectations. A little while longer and they had adopted those expectations as their own, which meant they worked even harder to fulfill them.

2) Demonstrate loyalty to your team. I fought for them and championed them in the division and in the company. I had their best interests at heart. I found out what their short term and long term goals were, and together we worked out concrete plans for reaching those goals. I never asked them to do anything without making it clear what was in it for them.

And it wasn’t long before they were doing things just for me and for the company.

3) Work for your team. I explained my belief that the company was a selling organization and that made those who did the selling the most important people in the company. I told them that all the rest of us, the administrators, the managers, the VPs, the CEO, were sales support. Then I acted on that belief and supported them in every way I could.

overcome their fear of failure unless I could first overcome my own: if I were afraid of failure, they would be also afraid. They learned to review every call, every day, every week and every month, always asking themselves what they could have done better. But after absorbing the lesson, they learned to absolve themselves-leaving the mistakes behind-and move on to the next call.

7) Whenever possible, turn negatives into positives.

For example, we discussed how the top salesperson in any company is always the one who hears the most “Nos”: the most “Nos” in total and the most within any given call. Then we started collecting those “Nos” and worked on building the kind of rapport with our customers and our prospects that would create the kind of tolerance in them to allow us to get more “Nos” in each of our calls. Eventually of course we ended up, also collecting the most “Yeses”.

8) Have fun. We made having fun on the job and in the accounts a priority. We tried to create an atmosphere where everyone would look forward to going to work, and look forward to making the calls. A salesperson who enjoys what he is doing will sell more. One who can make the call fun for the prospect is half way to a sale.

Focus on Structure Peter Fasulo, President of PJF Sales Training, Inc. told us about one of their greatest success stories:

5) Create a team mentality TOGETHER. We were going to be number one, and we were going to help each other and mentor each other to make sure that we all made it together.

We set up a mentoring program that went beyond the constant training that I was doing. No one who wanted or needed help was ever left alone with a problem.

We presented our sales management course entitled “The 8 Basic Facets of Sales Management” in 2011 to the 18 frontline sales managers and the 3 sales directors from the New England region of a major Fortune 500 corporation. In the 120-day period after the class, sales for that region of that particular company increased over 45% within the first 120 days following the course. In addition, that company’s rep turnover decreased from over 50% annually the previous year to under 25% in the 12-month period after the course was delivered.

6) Make it OK to make a mistake, to fail. I did all I could to overcome their fear of failure, their fear of giving their best and proving to themselves, to me, and to those around them that they did not have the potential they all wanted to believe they had. I also realized that I could never help them

When asked “What do you do to create sustained success as a sales manager?” he replied “we teach front-line sales managers to create structure. Too many managers these days are spending much too much time reacting, and fighting fires, rather than leading sales individuals.”

4) Praise and Reward your team for their accomplishments and make sure the company does the same.

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SALES&MARKETING Our course “The 8 Basic Facets of Sales Management” focuses on having front-line managers and Directors of Sales stay focused on the 8 facets of running a successful team: •

Recruiting

•

Hiring/Interviewing

•

Training

•

Coaching

•

Motivating

•

Disciplining

•

Terminating

•

Promoting sales professionals.

This course has been proven to increase productivity and decrease rep turnover at companies such as Comcast, Siemens Medical, Bright House Networks, AFLAC and many others.

they don’t.

Best management style is based on ”RUMBA” •

R realizable = set a course/clear direction for your team that is attainable so team-members can “visualize it”.

•

U understandable = be sure that everyone, without a doubt, understands the mission ahead.

•

M measurable = if you can’t measure the results or outcomes of an initiative, it’s probably not worth doing.

•

B behavioral = ensure that team-members are properly suited for the task at hand. In other words, be sure you have appropriate skills for specific tasks to get the highest chance of success.

•

A agreed-upon = if you set a clear objective with measureable outcomes, MOST importantly you need to be sure your team agrees with them.

Focus on Simplicity Our own Vice President of Sales Jeff Gregorec helps his team exceed their goals with a combination of clear and simple principles for leadership, hiring, and management.

My personal leadership philosophy is based on the principles of “LLTR”.

About Barry Maher

Selling Power says “To his power and famous clients, Barry Maher is simply the best sales trainer in the business.” Barry, www.barrymaher.com, has appeared on the Today Show, NBC Nightly News, CNBC, and he’s frequently featured in publications like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the London Times, Business Week and USA Today.

• Like – Leaders and team-members should strive to form a working relationship where they “like” one another at some level. This allows for comfortable working conversations, better collaboration and fosters a sense of genuine openness between one another.

His books include Filling the Glass, which has been cited as “[One of] The Seven Essential Popular Business Books,” by Today’s Librarian along with books like The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and The One Minute Manager. His most recent book, the groundbreaking No Lie: Truth Is the Ultimate Sales Tool, from McGraw-Hill, has been translated around the world.

• Learn – Leaders and team-members should look to learn from each other whenever possible. It is a misconception that managers are always the teachers and team-members the students. I believe the best leaders learn more from their staff collectively than they can ever teach an entire group.

Peter Fasulo left corporate America and started his own business, PJF Sales Training Inc. He wrote a book entitled “The 3 Ps to Sales Success” which was published in 2007. His firm has conducted sales training and sales management training programs over the past 8 years for companies such as Comcast, ClearChannel Radio, Bright House Networks, Siemens Medical, AFLAC, Mass Mutual, Cellular South, Veterinary Clinics of America, and many others. Their courses have been PROVEN to lead to an increase in sales of anywhere from 17-52% almost immediately.

• Trust – This is foundational to everything. Unless there is trust amongst your team, you have nothing. This should be paramount to all other elements.

About Peter Fasulo

• Respect – If you can establish the other attributes, respect comes over time. When you establish mutual respect, there is no challenge you cannot overcome.

Best hiring philosophy or priority of needs • Recruit team members for their intangibles… .”honest,” “hard-working,” “communicative,” “enthusiastic,” “trustworthy,” and “teamoriented’….you can train people to know products,, policies and procedures…. you can’t train intangibles. People either have those qualities OR

bell•weth•er -noun: one who takes initiative or leadership

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INDUSTRYNEWS

Trying to overcome customer objections?

Need referrals? Have a need to increase your Margin? The Answer:

Options!

by Valerie Hook & Mark Grimes

E

very salesperson, regardless of their industry, product, or skill level, makes mistakes from time to time. To keep from missing out on profits, avoid the biggest mistake of all- not giving your client options. Every large manufacturer offers their clients payment options. So why can’t it be the same for small to medium businesses? Do what most SMB business owners are not doing, offer an easier way for them to afford your product or service. Providing options yields three important results; improved customer care which leads to more referrals, uncovering and handling hidden objections and most importantly increased profits.

Take a moment and think about how this proven financial program can not only make you more money but in actuality make you stand out from your competition since you are offering one of the most compelling ways to develop your clients’ loyalty. In 2004, Inc. Magazine printed an article stating, “Taking a cue from the Big Three automakers, Eric Ruud saw a 10% jump in three months just by offering financing, which is rare for a company of his size.” Sabrix’s tax compliance software costs between $250,000 and $1 million but by partnering with a financing company and giving his customers payment options, he was able to grow sales from zero to $11 million in just four years.

Offering payment options can lead to more referrals.

We all know our customers talk, especially in the age of social media. Giving a slight advantage in a highly competitive market can make all the difference in a client referring you to more revenue sources. Referrals are the backbone to any sales success. Any slight advantage can make the difference. If presented correctly and in a professional manner, options will help you close more sales. These options must be a tool to guide your client to the close of sale, it is also very important to not overwhelm the client with too many. This can lead to a prolonged sales cycle, confusion and ultimately loss of sales. Experts agree that the power of 3 is the best.

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You may be pleasantly surprised at the amount of people who will gladly take advantage of your options. Here are two real life examples we experienced this year.

We recently had a salesperson that had a client, with whom they knew had plenty of capital and were highly profitable. When the sales executive approached the operations manager with their software proposal and payment options, the operations manager initially said, “We don’t need that, we have plenty of cash”.

The diligent sales executive just said to take the quote with the payment options attached, when it landed on the desk of the CEO, he immediately saw the monthly payment and said, “Let’s do it!” After the loan funded we followed up with the CEO to get their feedback. He said they never would have paid the upfront costs; it just didn’t make sense to use his capital where he can make a better return on other functions of the business such as advertising, employees and inventory. Point being, given options sped up the sales cycle, and uncovered an objection which was never thought to even be an issue.

Realistically no client will take the initiative and ask you if you offer a payment plan. This is why you need to make this an added feature on your quotes or mention it when discussing budget. Having options eliminates the sensitive money objections and helps to discover the

hidden objection, “How do we pay for this”.

The operations manager or the IT manager may not see the need, but at some point it lands on the CFO or CEO’s desk and the first question is “how much is this going to cost?”

The second example we saw this year came from a reseller who received a referral from his existing client who recently just purchased from them. The new client was deciding on getting a software package but didn’t realize the cost, so they started asking some of their distributors who they use. One of the distributors told him he just finished a CRM installation and they offered monthly payments for an on premise solution, and it covered maintenance, services, software and product.

Immediately it was the tipping point in his decision making. He called the same reseller and thus the deal was closed.

Partnering with a finance company not only benefits the client but it benefits your business in many ways. For example, clients on average spend 20% more when they are paying on payments.

It creates repeat business because business expiring agreements push clients to action to either replace or upgrade. It’s easier to sell a monthly payment versus the full equipment price and lastly, financing clients can add more features than they would if they pay cash.

More and more independent surveys are showing that customers who take advantage of an extended customer financing program are more loyal, will usually purchase higher ticket items, and ultimately come back and purchase more items compared to cash or bank customers. Remember: By offering financing, you are giving yourself a selling advantage over your competition who may have decided not to offer financing. To learn more please contact us. We will show you just how we can help.

About the authors Mark Grimes and Valerie Hook are with Dimension Funding, one of the most respected equipment lessors in Southern California. Dimension uses its almost-30 years of expertise and knowledge to create leasing programs that best fit our clients’ needs. Learn more about Dimension Funding at www.dimensionfunding.com.

bell•weth•er -noun: one who takes initiative or leadership

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TECHNOLOGY

ERP - Sage Sales Tax Compliance Avalara

Sage 100 ERP, 300 ERP, 500 ERP www.blytheco.com/avatax/ A hosted, web-service-based solution that automatically performs address validation, sales tax jurisdiction research and rate calculation – all on the fly within your accounting application, with no change to your existing workflow. Fully detailed reports are always at your fingertips and returns are automatically repopulated and generated.

Starts at $10,000

Excel Business Information Suite BizNet Sage 100 ERP, 300 ERP, 500 ERP www.blytheco.com/biznet/ Business reporting and analytics platform that provides real-time access to your business data from Microsoft Office Excel.

Starts at $5,000 18

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Web-based Procurement Management eRequester Sage 100 ERP, 300 ERP, 500 ERP www.erequester.com eRequester is a Web-based procurement management, purchase requisition, authorization routing, and purchase order system. It allows companies to define and implement standardized purchasing practices, which streamlines and manages supply chains.

Starts at $25,000

Monitor/Alert/Report/Update Knowledgesync Sage 100 ERP, 500 ERP

www.blytheco.com/knowledgesync/ Monitor your business data, automate the production and delivery of documents and automatically trigger workflow to update applications, schedule tasks and move information between systems.

Starts at $4,000

Barcode/Warehouse Automation Scanco Sage 100 ERP

www.blytheco.com/scanco Scanco specializes in an extensive line of products designed to increase warehouse productivity. From basic barcode label printing to wireless inventory management, there is a solution to fit every budget and need.

Scanco’s goal is to provide solutions that automate the complete distribution process for customers in virtually every industry while seamlessly integrating the accounting back end.

Starts at $25,000

Barcode/Warehouse Automation ScanForce Sage 100 ERP

www.blytheco.com/sage100/scanforce.asp ScanForce combines the affordability of a batch upload solution with the cutting edge technology of wireless communication. Warehouse Automation, Sales Automation, Remote Sales Automation and Labeling.

Starts at $20,000

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Document Management ACOM

ERP Sage Cont.

Sage 100 ERP, 300 ERP, 500 ERP www.blytheco.com/acom EZContentManager is a powerful document management solution that enables you to build a secure digital document library—an efficient electronic filing system for the myriad of documents your business relies on, and might otherwise need to print and file, including: Scanned invoices, checks, purchase orders; System reports and forms; Faxes and email messages and Images, multimedia files, spreadsheets, PDFs, etc.

Starts at $25,000

Document Management Altec

Sage 100 ERP, 300 ERP, 500 ERP www.altec-inc.com doc-link™ software is an integrated document management system (IDMS) that is interfaced with your business system to effectively eliminate paper from your office. doc-link enables you to archive, process through workflow, retrieve and research document transactions from the desktop. Increase company productivity while enhancing communication to customers, vendors and employees.

Starts at $25,000

EDI HighJump

Sage 100 ERP, 500 ERP www.blytheco.com/truecommerce TrueCommerce EDI Solutions – everything you need to fully implement an EDI system from one source.

Implementing EDI with TrueCommerce is simple. Whenever your business grows and you acquire new customers that require EDI, all you need to do is request an affordable software plug-in that allows your current system to interact with a new customer or vendor.

Starts at $13,000

EDI RedTail

Sage 100 ERP, 500 ERP www.blytheco.com/redtail RedTail’s solution is a unique combination of service and software that provides you, the mid-market supplier, with a cost-effective approach that fully implements electronic trading with all of your trading partners. Our RedTail Transaction Manager™ provides a single, simple interface that allows transactions to be exchanged directly with your accounting system via the internet.

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Shipping SmartLinc

Sage 100 ERP, 300 ERP, 500 ERP www.blytheco.com/sage100/shipping_smartlinc.asp Count on Shipping by SmartLinc. Reduce costs while processing shipments accurately and on time, every time.

Provides a flexible solution that can help you streamline shipping activities for all Parcel Carriers, Less than Truckload (LTL) shipments, Truck Load, and Company Vehicles.

Starts at $13,000

Shipping Starship

Sage 100 ERP, 300 ERP, 500 ERP www.blytheco.com/starship StarShip integrates tightly with your Sage ERP system and makes the entire shipping process more fluid. Plus, when combined with the pick, pack, and ship feature built into the Sales Order module, StarShip helps your company become a more competitive business

Starts at $6,000

Website to ERP Integration InSynch Sage 100 ERP

www.blytheco.com/sage100/insynch.asp IN-SYNCH allows you to pull sales orders from a website; the product is customizable and can be expanded to accomplish many more Sage 100 ERP integration and synchronization needs. IN-SYNCH allows you to connect Sage 100 ERP to a pre-existing web site, no matter what Database Server it accesses. Using IN-SYNCH allows for full control and flexibility in designing, creating and customizing your corporate web site and store front.

Starts at $11,000

Website to ERP Integration Websitepipeline Sage 100 ERP, 500 ERP

www.blytheco.com/websitepipeline/ With websitepipeline, you can get an eCommerce website with SEO tools, fully integrated with Sage 100 ERP, including a web-based, non-technical content management system, and running on a MS SQL Server database.

All in less than 30 days.

Starts at $35,000

bell•weth•er -noun: one who takes initiative or leadership

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Mobile Warehouse O2 Sage 500 ERP

www.evs-sw.com Developed specifically for Sage 500 ERP financial accounting software, O2 Mobile Warehouse offers real-time views of your inventory. O2 Mobile Warehouse is a warehouse distribution and inventory management software that allows you to fully utilize the power of Sage 500 ERP software’s warehouse management module.

Starts at $20,000

Mobility bly:Mobile Sage 100 ERP

www.blytheco.com/blymobile bly:Mobile, the mobile app for Sage 100, is easy to deploy for smartphone, tablet and browser. It’s as intuitive to use as any app – it’s a cost-effective way to get the system you have today mobile and get your team more productive.

Starts at $1,250 per license or $99 per user per month.

ERP - NetSuite eCommerce and More Sererra www.sererra.com

eCommerce, Event Management, Rental Management, Repair Management and more for NetSuite.

Starts at $10,000

Inventory Planner Valogix www.valogix.com

VALOGIX® Planner is integrated to NetSuite and manages an unlimited number of items and locations. Users have instant visibility to the Master warehouse, to field stock, and everything in between. The proprietary planning engine efficiently plans for each item\location combination based on its unique characteristics.

Ranges from $5,000 - $25,000

Exchange email synch Riva

www.rivacrmintegration.com/netsuite Riva delivers transparent, bi-directional synchronization of NetSuite address book data (accounts, contacts, leads) and calendar information (appointments, meetings, tasks, phone calls). You can decide whether you prefer to work in NetSuite or your email application. Riva will keep both systems synched and up to date.

License: $195 per user per year | Cloud: $15 - $25 per user per month 22

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POS system Retail Anywhere

www.retailanywhere.com Utilizing web services to support near real-time, bi-directional integration with NetSuite, Retail Anywhere POS is a full-featured NetSuite POS solution, guaranteeing retailers a reliable and proven solution that allows for choice, scalability, and a high ROI.

Custom Pricing

DCAA compliance Daston

www.daston.com/dcaa.htm Using NetSuite’s integrated ERP/CRM solution, Daston has helped many organizations move away from their legacy on-premise solution, including government contractors that need to comply with DCAA accounting regulations. Daston has extended NetSuite’s functionality by developing the DCAA-On-Demand solution for NetSuite which automates much of the strict project costing, book keeping, and time keeping needed by government contractors. Daston’s DCAA-On-Demand product resides within NetSuite and requires no installation or any hardware or software by the end users.

Custom Pricing

CRM - Sage Social/Sales Intelligence InsideView Sage SalesLogix

www.blytheco.com/insideview SalesView maximizes sales team productivity by delivering a one-stop shop for your prospecting needs and accelerates the sales cycle by enabling sales people to call the right prospects at the right time.

It’s no longer just who you know that will make business deals happen but “what you know about who you know” tightly synched with “when and where you should know it”. You need to be able to combine the best enterprise information sources with the best insights from social relationships to identify the right opportunities at the right time and determine the right people.

$29 - $99 per user per month

Monitor/Alert/Report/Update Knowledgesync Sage SalesLogix

www.blytheco.com/knowledgesync/ Monitor your business data, automate the production and delivery of documents and automatically trigger workflow to update applications, schedule tasks and move information between systems.

Starts at $1,995 bell•weth•er -noun: one who takes initiative or leadership

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Business Process Management TaskCentre

CRM Sage Cont.

Sage SalesLogix

www.blytheco.com/taskcentre What do you want to Automate? TaskCentre is a business process management suite that offers workflow, advanced business alerts, document automation and integration. TaskCentre takes an everyday manual repetitive process and automates it according to your business rules. Some of the benefits of using TaskCentre are: Frees up employee time; Ensures that customer service requests are responded to quickly and effectively; Gives real time visibility of critical information; Lower operational costs and Greater Agility

Starts at $3,750

Marketing Automation SalesFusion Sage CRM, Sage SalesLogix www.salesfusion.com SalesFUSION is an enterprise b2b marketing automation software platform designed to support the business, technology and process needs of B2B marketers. SalesFUSION is the only marketing automation software built on top of a traditional CRM database. As such, we specialize in integrating key marketing and lead generation processes to your installed CRM system. With broad features ranging from email marketing, nurture marketing, landing pages, social media publishing, lead scoring and website visitor tracking, we are well-positioned to support your multichannel marketing needs.

Starts at $550 per month

Email/e-Marketing Swiftpage Sage SalesLogix

http://www.blytheco.com/saleslogix/saleslogix_emarketing.asp Sage SalesLogix E-Marketing enables you to reach out to your contacts, grow your customer base, nurture and qualify leads, and automate sales and marketing practices. It is a fully integrated e-marketing solution, that lets users create campaigns and view history, interactions, and results -- all from within Sage SalesLogix. Reports show open and click rates and trends over time so users can understand which campaigns bring the most success. And, Sage SalesLogix E-marketing is powered

by Swiftpage so emails are sent out through their powerful and reputable servers ensuring users remain compliant with the latest spam laws and increasing the likelihood that communications will reach their intended inbox.

Starts at $250 per month

Sage CRM integration to ERP Greytrix Sage CRM

www.greytrix.com Integrates Sage CRM with Sage 100 ERP giving you a bi-directional flow of information between CRM and ERP in real time. Access the latest/added accounting information like Customer details, Sales Orders, Invoices, frequency and payment information of Customer from within Sage CRM.

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Customer Data Integration Inaport Sage CRM, Sage SalesLogix www.inaplex.com Inaport is the premier customer data integration tool from InaPlex. It moves data between your CRM system and other data repositories in your organization. Key functions provided by Inaport include: Two way data integration; Data Migration move legacy CRM data to new systems; Data Management and Data Integrity.

Starts at $1,799

Computer Telephony Integration QGate intelli-CTi Sage CRM, Sage SalesLogix www.qgatesoftware.com intelli-CTi delivers tangible productivity enhancements and is used by thousands of SalesLogix and Sage CRM users worldwide. Fast, error-free dialing and caller identification shaves vital seconds off every call, meaning hours across the whole infrastructure and reductions in your business overhead.

Starts at $4,400

Project Management System TimeLinx Sage CRM, Sage SalesLogix www.timelinxsoftware.com For companies that need to track more than just customer relationship information, TimeLinx Web, LAN and Mobile editions extend both Sage CRM and Sage SalesLogix through the entire Customer and Project lifecycle.

TimeLinx allows you to track your prospects from marketing campaigns to opportunity through service delivery, customer service and/or tech support.

Starts at $2,995

CRM - Sugar ERP Integration Faye Business - Sugar Connectors to ERP www.fayebsg.com/sugarcrm-home/sugarcrm-integrations Integration between ERP and CRM can help you close the gap between prospects and customers, and help meet your business objectives. SugarCRM integrates with Quickbooks, Sage 100 ERP, and more.

Starts at $1,499 per year

bell•weth•er -noun: one who takes initiative or leadership

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Social selling Share2b

CRM Sugar Cont.

www.share2b.com Share2B is the optimum Social Sales solution. In combination with third-party software this suite models CRM structures – for instance key sales data or customer relationships. Sales executives can track their important sales leads and share information about customers in Share2B with colleagues or external experts. Missed opportunities are therefore a thing of the past. The Sales team is always right in the picture if an ideal opportunity to close a sale presents itself.

$12 per user per month

VoIP call center solution NewBridge www.blytheco.com/newbridge Newbridge offers our clients a comprehensive hosted and managed Cloud Call Center Solution. Newbridge melds managed customer experience solutions with the benefits of state of the art, customized technology.

$99 per user per month

ERP Integration Starfish ETL www.starfishetl.com With pre-built maps and connectors to many databases, ERP systems, email clients, website and mobile platforms, Starfish ETL™ automates the integration, importing, exporting and data sharing process seamlessly. Push, pull or synchronize data from Sage 100 ERP (formerly Sage ERP MAS 90 & 200) to SugarCRM for a 360 degree view of the customer.

Starts at $4,800 per year

Marketing Automation SalesFusion www.salesfusion.com SalesFUSION 360 is a SaaS marketing automation & demand generation platform built with B2B marketers in mind. Easy to use and adopt, yet powerful enough to manage complex marketing needs of large enterprises, SF360 is the right solution for companies who are looking to improve their lead to sales management processes.

Starts at $12,000 per year

Marketing Automation HubSpot www.blytheco.com/hubspot Attract scores of high-quality leads with blogs, social media and search. Nurture sales prospects with the right content at the right time. Measure it all. HubSpot makes it possible.

Starts at $12,000 per year

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HRMS Outsource payroll CompuPay www.blytheco.com/sage-hrms/compupay.asp Sage Partner CompuPay is one of the country’s leading experts in payroll, tax filing and HR-related services. The company has become a major force in the industry by tailoring innovative, cost-effective payroll solutions for small and mid-sized businesses in all 50 states.

Custom pricing

Time collection Insperity Timestar www.blytheco.com/timestar Payroll is often the largest expense for most companies, especially service-oriented businesses. Insperity TimeStar™ timetracking software can help you get the most value from your workforce by ensuring that your employees are working the right hours, in the right place — and are accurately compensated for their time.

Custom pricing

Recruiting Management Cyber Recruiter http://www.blytheco.com/cyber-recruiter Effectively manage and communicate during the entire recruiting process with Sage HRMS Cyber Recruiter by Visibility Software, a Sage Endorsed Solution to help fill open positions more quickly and efficiently. Recruiters, hiring managers, and their staff can focus more on core recruiting activities while eliminating administrative tasks.

$6,700/20-150 employees

TalentManagement PerformancePAM www.blytheco.com/sage-hrms/PerformancePam.asp PerformancePAM is the premier talent management solution designed specifically to work with Sage HRMS. Performance PAM is developed with direction from HR professionals resulting in a system that encourages employee development and increases workplace performance and satisfaction.

Starts at $14,000 / 300 employees

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Talent Management Cornerstone

HRMS Cont.

www.blytheco.com/cornerstone Increase employee engagement, productivity, retention and alignment with organizational goals with Sage HRMS Talent Management by Cornerstone OnDemand. Sage HRMS Talent Management covers the employee lifecycle, from onboarding through learning management and performance management to succession planning and can grow with your needs.

Custom pricing

Tax Forms and eFiling Sage Payroll www.blytheco.com/aatrix With Sage Payroll Tax Forms and eFiling by Aatrix, you can meet all state and federal reporting and payment requirements right from your Sage HRMS Payroll software. It is easy to use and saves you time by eliminating the need to create reports manually. Reports are automatically completed, reviewed and edited on screen, then eFiled in minutes for processing.

$500 per year / Unlimited filings

Marketing Inbound Marketing System HubSpot www.blytheco.com/hubspot HubSpot is an inbound marketing system that helps you get found online by qualified prospects, capture more leads, and convert them into customers. With over 4,500 customers & growing, HubSpot is transforming online marketing for companies of all sizes. That integration can only become more powerful when you are able to tie that into your current CRM strategy. Now you can tie HubSpot to SalesLogix with integration from Blytheco, LLC.

Starts at $12,000 per year

Heatmap Software SeeVolution www.blytheco.com/seevolution SeeVolution’s Real-Time Tools display analytics and heatmaps directly on YOUR website. No complicated dashboards everything is simplified and easy to understand. Use our tools in conjunction with Google Analytics to make rapid easy improvements to your website.

Starts at $79 per month

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BOOKREPORT

by Geni Whitehouse

T

his month’s authors share three different perspectives on how to have a successful business: be awesome, build a great culture, or create your own luck.

The Paradox of Choice : Why More is Less | Barry Schwartz In this book, Schwartz helps us learn how to present alternatives in a way that offers prospective customers choice without overwhelming them to the point of indecision. He unlocks the mysteries of decision making and offers a series of tips to help people who are forced to decide. (You might want to share this book with your prospective customers before they send out their next Request for Proposals.)

Resilience: Facing Down Rejection & Criticism on the Road to Success | Mark McGuinness The hardest part of selling, in my opinion, is dealing with the no’s – the slammed doors, the unanswered phone calls, the outright rejection. The author takes us on a journey inward so we can learn to develop the confidence to keep moving forward, taking risks, and asking for that order. He offers tips from Aikido, psychology, and the mindfulness practitioners as alternatives to the wrong things that most of us do in the face of rejection.

The Art of Explanation | Lee Lefever This book grabbed me on page 10 with this statement “Great explainers have the ability to picture themselves in another person’s shoes and communicate from that perspective.” I have spent many years trying to craft presentations from the perspective of my audience and to understand why a given subject matters to them. In sales, the surest route to success with a prospective customer is to explain your product or service in a way that shows that you understand their point of view. Take advantage of the techniques the author has used with companies like Dropbox and Twitter to become a master artist of explanation.

About Geni Whitehouse A self-proclaimed nerd, former technology executive and CPA firm partner, Geni Whitehouse has made it her mission to eliminate boring from the world of presentations. The author of “How to Make a Boring Subject Interesting: 52 Ways Even a Nerd Can Be Heard,” Geni believes her mission as a presenter is to understand a subject well enough to approach it from an angle that will not only educate her audiences—but will resonate with them. Learn more at www.evenanerd.com.

bell•weth•er -noun: one who takes initiative or leadership

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CUSTOMERPROFILE

Timeless Precision Delivered at Kramer and Frank

by Sierra Workforce

by Alicia Anderson

A

t Kramer and Frank P.C, a litigation and trial practice law firm that focuses on commercial, collection and fiduciary disputes and litigation, complex cases, arbitrations, and mediations must be scheduled and meticulous records of time worked must be kept. When Denise Sparrow, Chief of Operations, needed a precise timekeeping solution that was capable of handling exact time and attendance requirements, she reached out to Sierra Workforce Solutions.

The challenge of managing employee’s time daily was especially important to Kramer and Frank at the end of the day. The solution had to be accessible 24x7x365 and handle the employee’s varying workload schedules of varying lengths.

“Sierra Workforce Solutions was an absolute resolution to our firm’s employee time tracking and payroll interface needs. Kramer & Frank worked very closely with Sierra to plan and subsequently orchestrate a seamless implementation. Sierra’s dedication and assignment of resources proved to be invaluable from a customer perspective. They tackled the complexity of our requests and operating uniqueness as a challenge and unequivocally surpassed expectations. The firm has acquired not just a new vendor but has developed a strong working relationship with an organization who truly focuses on meeting the needs of their customers – a win, win for everyone,” says Denise Sparrow, Kramer and Frank, P.C. TimeMaster Web was an excellent fit for the law firm. Capable of handling complex milestones with probation, carryover, and paid/unpaid lunch policies, it was able to reflect the benefits and culture Kramer and Frank wanted to provide their employees without compromise.

Kramer and Frank had the need to export employee time and attendance data to their Sage ERP 300 (formerly Accpac) accounting and payroll system. Complicated by

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Bellwether Magazine | First Quarter 2013

complex export code requirements, Sierra’s proprietary interface, the TimeMaster Integration Application (TIA), was designed to do just that. Since TIA can integrate to any accounting and payroll application and works with all of the TimeMaster applications, configuring it to pass the data to Sage ERP 300 in the way Kramer and Frank expected to see it for payroll processing was easy.

“TimeMaster Web handles all of Kramer and Frank’s needs with ease,” states Leonard Ramirez, Director of Operations at Sierra Workforce Operations. “Kramer and Frank’s complex accrual requirements were the challenge because with different employee types working various numbers of hours on a weekly basis, they’re also rewarded with different PTO and SICK amounts as well.”

Capability was not the only vendor selection criteria.

Since time is always of the essence in the field of law, Kramer and Frank needed a ‘partner’ capable of providing knowledgeable support quickly whenever it was needed. With Sierra’s 95% customer satisfaction rating and 97% customer retainment rate year over year, Kramer and Frank found what they were looking for. Sierra Workforce Solution’s 25 years of successfully delivering workforce solutions and integrations was an intelligent choice.

25 years of successful integrations

Time & Attendance • Data Integration • Labor Costing • Security

Be a hero in 2013—seamlessly integrate your accounting and payroll systems, saving time and money!

We can help!

Call today to see how you can have a robust time keeping system.

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(800) 822-0973

www.SierraWS.com

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