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Add You - How to Sell Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) to Small and Medium Business (SMB) Clients
Top Three Ways to Get Bilingual Jobs siveWith the country’s immigrant population booming, the need for bilingual jobs continues to increase. But how do you single yourself out from the crowd and effectively market your bilingual skills? An average of 880,000 documented people immigrate to the United States each year, and corporations are struggling to meet the needs of a progressively multi-lingual population. Bilingual personnel are more valuable than ever; the flip side is that a large portion of the new consumers are also bilingual jobseekers. As a bilingual jobseeker you need a way to make your resume stand out.There is no nationwide test to certify your bilingual status. Some states require certification for specific jobs (such as court translation), and some government jobs require a screening test after you are singled out as a promising candidate. Unfortunately, employers are just getting used to screening bilingual applicants and are often unaware that there is no standardized test. They will inevitably ask you about your official credentials. There are three ways to assure them that you are well qualified.Translators associations, most notably the American Translator’s Association (or ATA) provide general certification t ERP solutions, typically in a consulting engagement. But this is wrong in the SMB business area; the cost for such a solution is far too high and that scares the SMB customers. We on the other hand can offer ERP, which is industry specific and can give the customer a cost effective solution that matches their business need 85% more. Presale – simplicity. Keep the simple. Again and again you have to repeat that for yourself. Demo Think in core processes. When you prepare you demo. Don’t be tempted to use complex solutions. This is a game that makes the reality show like “Temptation Island” look like kindergarten. Go for the simple solution even though it doesn't fulfill your ambitions. The customer loves and understands simplicity. Show whole core processes. Make them understand that you know the business. Show it all the way. They win – Then you win – a win win situation. 8. The Seven sins in the SMB market 2 ~ Greed – Level you earning – friendship. Don’t sell a total solution from the start. Make a quick start. Be friends making longterm partnerships with the customer. Then you can make more money on the longterm. 3 ~ Gluttony – The “big” has enough money. When we work in the SMB area we don’t make special programming. We must use standard functionality and use it to the Networking and Trade Shows 1. SMB market situationThe most important reasons people exhibit at a trade show? To see what's new and to gather leads - information for future business.So, how do you that besides standing in the booth and walking the aisles? The word is "Networking". It is much more than a buzzword. Networking is a conscious, planned effort to get the most of quick encounters, in. brief time periods, and to develop a lasting mutual relationship.WHAT IS NETWORKING?The concept of networking got its start with job searches and head hunting. Like a spider spinning a web, a job seeker leaves a trail of resumes, going from point to point, tying knots in the process, until the quest (the web) is complete.In the beginning, your technical skills will be required, but it's your people skills that keep you going. Technical expertise is important as it puts you on one level, but it's people who raise you up in the business world.Networking should be of mutual benefit. What can you offer to raise up the other person?PROVIDE ADVICEAt a trade show, position your firm as an expert. Besides meeting people at your exhibit, here are other networking suggestions:* Have tech Big competition –The SMB market is characterized by a lot of competitors, who are trying to be market leaders. The competition is tough and we have to fight hard to get a sale.e Little earning – At the same time, it’s a market that gives us a little earning. It is very hard to drive a consultancy firm living only from the earning from small a midrange customer. Decision making about 1 year. The decision making does not come overnight. You have to have patience and ensure awareness. You have to keep pushing the same winner buttons: branch specific, state of the art solution and low cost price. ? day to convince the customer. When the SMB customer wants to se you be sure that you are on immediately available. The SMB company doesn’t wait for you. You got typically ? day to get yet another invitation into the world of the SMB company and to get the sale. This leads and trigger white lies – It’s a hard market and we all know that when we’re pushed enough we start to make our little white lies. So everybody without exception makes these white lies or conceals the truth. 2. The characteristics of the SMB customer Humble – They have a very humble approach to the way of running business. Proud – They have built their business and are proud of it and remember we are only invited into. Simple minded – they just love simple solutions. Often they cannot afford the luxury of endless meeting to make decisions They know the art of survival – They know more than anybody the art of survival. The must be flexible and continuously change according to their business environment Their business is their life. Once I heard a sales man propose daily fines if we didn’t succeed in meeting the go life deadline in time. He didn’t understand that they were more concerned about surviving the implementation. An implementation drains the business for energy and if its fails it will kill the customer. 3. SMB customer’s perception Too big – It can be difficult to maintain the overview of ERP since there are too many functionalities and constant changes. However, it is necessary to understand what is available and how it can benefit them. On the other hand it takes the customer 5 min to ask for the very deepest functionalities the ERP system. I feel sorry for the other systems. They must give up much sooner. You’re lost in the ERP system – Nobody seems to know what is going on, there are too many bad stories and you cannot control development. Not user friendly – ERP much be repeated again and again. The new customers haven’t heard the good news. Too expensive – It is an old story. Now it is cost effective. 4. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) The best documented system – this is in fact a unique selling point. You will get all the support you can get – Some of my colleagues just have to learn to ask within our organization or ERP politely. Just ask politely and you will get the help. Respect – Everybody respects the ERP system. We know and the customer knows that this is state of the art. Often it is chosen in the preliminary phase only as a reference system to ensure that the cheaper system is good enough. You have to earn the trust – You don’t immediately have the customer’s trust. You have to earn it. 5. Presales issues Trust – show the system. The customers want to see the system in action in detail! They want to see it before they can trust you. Be honest so it hurts – You have to be very honest and that may hurts. Then the customer will trust you. The point is that you don’t have to lie. Remember that you have the best solution on the market in your hand. Trust it. Show the pain points and challenges – Show that you know their business by indicating paint points and challenges that can be eased by using the system. Often they are amazing of the possibilities in the ERP system. Emphasize template. Repeat again and again that this is a template and that the major decision already has been taken. We don’t need 1 year of analysis phase. Narrow the scope down. Continue to control and focus on the scope to keep on narrowing it down. Don’t make it bigger every time the customer has a question. Fixed price – This shows the customer that you really believe in what you’re selling. 6. How do you present the system? Focus on enduser functions. When you show it, focus on enduser functionalities. Customers often have a perception that the system is very poor in this area. Even though you might think it is so simple, show it anyway. You get acceptance right away. Start from scratch and build up the trust. Build a relationship of trust and a common ground of understanding from scratch. Show simplicity – Keep it simple. Don’t show 8 different approaches to a problem. Show only what you believe in is best for them. Be straight forward – Show how easily the ERP solution solves even the complex issues. Answer “razor sharp” every time – When you get a question, answer “razor sharp” every time. Don’t say: “well it depends”. What kind of functionality do you have in mind? You are the master. You are the one bringing in the best practice show it. You must be the expert – The preseller must have basic SAP knowledge – he must even be a standard expert. Don’t sell programming in the presale phase. You will not get the sale. Demonstrate excellence – Show that you control the system – not the other way around. 7. Case study ERP solutions, typically in a consulting engagement. But this is wrong in the SMB business area; the cost for such a solution is far too high and that scares the SMB customers. We on the other hand can offer ERP, which is industry specific and can give the customer a cost effective solution that matches their business need 85% more. Presale – simplicity. Keep the simple. Again and again you have to repeat that for yourself. Demo Think in core processes. When you prepare you demo. Don’t be tempted to use complex solutions. This is a game that makes the reality show like “Temptation Island” look like kindergarten. Go for the simple solution even though it doesn't fulfill your ambitions. The customer loves and understands simplicity. Show whole core processes. Make them understand that you know the business. Show it all the way. They win – Then you win – a win win situation. 8. The Seven sins in the SMB market 2 ~ Greed – Level you earning – friendship. Don’t sell a total solution from the start. Make a quick start. Be friends making longterm partnerships with the customer. Then you can make more money on the longterm. 3 ~ Gluttony – The “big” has enough money. When we work in the SMB area we don’t make special programming. We must use standard functionality and use it to the Basic Principles of Brochure Design ival – They know more than anybody the art of survival. The must be flexible and continuously change according to their business environmentSales don’t just happen. Research in decision science reveals that customers go through three stages of a purchasing process: 1) knowing your products or services, 2) collecting information and comparing products, and 3) finally making a choice for purchase. Brochure is one of the most important marketing vehicles that convert sales. A brochure presents customers with detailed information about your products or services whether it’s brochure printing on paper or a online brochure on your corporate website.Cover DesignA prospect either receives your brochure passively or actively ask for a brochure from you. Those two types of prospects will view your brochure with a different mindsets. For those who have passively received your brochures, their mindsets are still at the first stage of a purchase decision making process - knowing your products or services. For those who have asked for a brochure from you, their mindsets are at the second stage of a purchase process - collecting information for comparison before they make a choice. An effective brochure design services both types of prospects well. For the first type of prospects, the cover of the brochure serves the same function of a Their business is their life. Once I heard a sales man propose daily fines if we didn’t succeed in meeting the go life deadline in time. He didn’t understand that they were more concerned about surviving the implementation. An implementation drains the business for energy and if its fails it will kill the customer. 3. SMB customer’s perception Too big – It can be difficult to maintain the overview of ERP since there are too many functionalities and constant changes. However, it is necessary to understand what is available and how it can benefit them. On the other hand it takes the customer 5 min to ask for the very deepest functionalities the ERP system. I feel sorry for the other systems. They must give up much sooner. You’re lost in the ERP system – Nobody seems to know what is going on, there are too many bad stories and you cannot control development. Not user friendly – ERP much be repeated again and again. The new customers haven’t heard the good news. Too expensive – It is an old story. Now it is cost effective. 4. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) The best documented system – this is in fact a unique selling point. You will get all the support you can get – Some of my colleagues just have to learn to ask within our organization or ERP politely. Just ask politely and you will get the help. Respect – Everybody respects the ERP system. We know and the customer knows that this is state of the art. Often it is chosen in the preliminary phase only as a reference system to ensure that the cheaper system is good enough. You have to earn the trust – You don’t immediately have the customer’s trust. You have to earn it. 5. Presales issues Trust – show the system. The customers want to see the system in action in detail! They want to see it before they can trust you. Be honest so it hurts – You have to be very honest and that may hurts. Then the customer will trust you. The point is that you don’t have to lie. Remember that you have the best solution on the market in your hand. Trust it. Show the pain points and challenges – Show that you know their business by indicating paint points and challenges that can be eased by using the system. Often they are amazing of the possibilities in the ERP system. Emphasize template. Repeat again and again that this is a template and that the major decision already has been taken. We don’t need 1 year of analysis phase. Narrow the scope down. Continue to control and focus on the scope to keep on narrowing it down. Don’t make it bigger every time the customer has a question. Fixed price – This shows the customer that you really believe in what you’re selling. 6. How do you present the system? Focus on enduser functions. When you show it, focus on enduser functionalities. Customers often have a perception that the system is very poor in this area. Even though you might think it is so simple, show it anyway. You get acceptance right away. Start from scratch and build up the trust. Build a relationship of trust and a common ground of understanding from scratch. Show simplicity – Keep it simple. Don’t show 8 different approaches to a problem. Show only what you believe in is best for them. Be straight forward – Show how easily the ERP solution solves even the complex issues. Answer “razor sharp” every time – When you get a question, answer “razor sharp” every time. Don’t say: “well it depends”. What kind of functionality do you have in mind? You are the master. You are the one bringing in the best practice show it. You must be the expert – The preseller must have basic SAP knowledge – he must even be a standard expert. Don’t sell programming in the presale phase. You will not get the sale. Demonstrate excellence – Show that you control the system – not the other way around. 7. Case study ERP solutions, typically in a consulting engagement. But this is wrong in the SMB business area; the cost for such a solution is far too high and that scares the SMB customers. We on the other hand can offer ERP, which is industry specific and can give the customer a cost effective solution that matches their business need 85% more. Presale – simplicity. Keep the simple. Again and again you have to repeat that for yourself. Demo Think in core processes. When you prepare you demo. Don’t be tempted to use complex solutions. This is a game that makes the reality show like “Temptation Island” look like kindergarten. Go for the simple solution even though it doesn't fulfill your ambitions. The customer loves and understands simplicity. Show whole core processes. Make them understand that you know the business. Show it all the way. They win – Then you win – a win win situation. 8. The Seven sins in the SMB market 2 ~ Greed – Level you earning – friendship. Don’t sell a total solution from the start. Make a quick start. Be friends making longterm partnerships with the customer. Then you can make more money on the longterm. 3 ~ Gluttony – The “big” has enough money. When we work in the SMB area we don’t make special programming. We must use standard functionality and use it to the The Most Important Components For Successful Negotiations veries. ERP covers the latest best practices and process need for a specific sub industry.Change ... A lot is currently being made of change ... embrace change, love change, don't be an enemy of change, dancing with change, I've got change in my pocket!Enough with the change ... Let's consider going back to the basics ... at least in the ever changing world of negotiation.Let's review what we have covered in the last several issues of Words of Mouth.SPITTING IN YOUR SOUP: Watch out! Haggling too much, cutting corners, compromising integrity, violating ethical standards ... it never pays. Long term relationships can be destroyed by short term thinking. Words of Mouth Issue No. 3 contains the complete text of this discussion.SIX STEPS FOR NEGOTIATION PREPARATION: Getting ready to negotiate is probably more productive than mastering all the slick tricks. While a good working understanding of tactical negotiation is great - the strategic preparation process offers real leverage. Words of Mouth Issue No. 4 will walk you through the step-by-step process.THE GENDER BLENDERS: How successful men and women mix-it-up in negotiation. We must not ignore the incredible differences in perspective and perception between men The best documented system – this is in fact a unique selling point. You will get all the support you can get – Some of my colleagues just have to learn to ask within our organization or ERP politely. Just ask politely and you will get the help. Respect – Everybody respects the ERP system. We know and the customer knows that this is state of the art. Often it is chosen in the preliminary phase only as a reference system to ensure that the cheaper system is good enough. You have to earn the trust – You don’t immediately have the customer’s trust. You have to earn it. 5. Presales issues Trust – show the system. The customers want to see the system in action in detail! They want to see it before they can trust you. Be honest so it hurts – You have to be very honest and that may hurts. Then the customer will trust you. The point is that you don’t have to lie. Remember that you have the best solution on the market in your hand. Trust it. Show the pain points and challenges – Show that you know their business by indicating paint points and challenges that can be eased by using the system. Often they are amazing of the possibilities in the ERP system. Emphasize template. Repeat again and again that this is a template and that the major decision already has been taken. We don’t need 1 year of analysis phase. Narrow the scope down. Continue to control and focus on the scope to keep on narrowing it down. Don’t make it bigger every time the customer has a question. Fixed price – This shows the customer that you really believe in what you’re selling. 6. How do you present the system? Focus on enduser functions. When you show it, focus on enduser functionalities. Customers often have a perception that the system is very poor in this area. Even though you might think it is so simple, show it anyway. You get acceptance right away. Start from scratch and build up the trust. Build a relationship of trust and a common ground of understanding from scratch. Show simplicity – Keep it simple. Don’t show 8 different approaches to a problem. Show only what you believe in is best for them. Be straight forward – Show how easily the ERP solution solves even the complex issues. Answer “razor sharp” every time – When you get a question, answer “razor sharp” every time. Don’t say: “well it depends”. What kind of functionality do you have in mind? You are the master. You are the one bringing in the best practice show it. You must be the expert – The preseller must have basic SAP knowledge – he must even be a standard expert. Don’t sell programming in the presale phase. You will not get the sale. Demonstrate excellence – Show that you control the system – not the other way around. 7. Case study ERP solutions, typically in a consulting engagement. But this is wrong in the SMB business area; the cost for such a solution is far too high and that scares the SMB customers. We on the other hand can offer ERP, which is industry specific and can give the customer a cost effective solution that matches their business need 85% more. Presale – simplicity. Keep the simple. Again and again you have to repeat that for yourself. Demo Think in core processes. When you prepare you demo. Don’t be tempted to use complex solutions. This is a game that makes the reality show like “Temptation Island” look like kindergarten. Go for the simple solution even though it doesn't fulfill your ambitions. The customer loves and understands simplicity. Show whole core processes. Make them understand that you know the business. Show it all the way. They win – Then you win – a win win situation. 8. The Seven sins in the SMB market 2 ~ Greed – Level you earning – friendship. Don’t sell a total solution from the start. Make a quick start. Be friends making longterm partnerships with the customer. Then you can make more money on the longterm. 3 ~ Gluttony – The “big” has enough money. When we work in the SMB area we don’t make special programming. We must use standard functionality and use it to the Worst Kind of Failure to control and focus on the scope to keep on narrowing it down.Success is easy to measure. It can be quantified in terms of profit, cash flow, and wealth.Failure is more subtle.Of course, some failures can be quantified, such as the value of a lost sale or the cost of a project delay.Since such failures are easy to measure, most people focus on them.But there is a type of failure that people ignore. It has huge costs. And it defies measurement.It’s the future you could have had if you had made the correct decisions.Before you become depressed by tallying a lost fortune, realize that some of this can be easily fixed by holding effective meetings.With a bad meeting, there are no results. That means there are no plans, no solutions, no agreements. Thus your business stays stuck with whatever you had before the meeting. And that represents a much larger loss than the time and payroll wasted on the bad meeting.Imagine what your business could achieve with a creative plan for increasing revenue.Imagine what your staff could do with solutions to the problems that hinder their productivity.Imagine what you could do with an agreement to support your vision for your business.With a bad meeting, you h Don’t make it bigger every time the customer has a question. Fixed price – This shows the customer that you really believe in what you’re selling. 6. How do you present the system? Focus on enduser functions. When you show it, focus on enduser functionalities. Customers often have a perception that the system is very poor in this area. Even though you might think it is so simple, show it anyway. You get acceptance right away. Start from scratch and build up the trust. Build a relationship of trust and a common ground of understanding from scratch. Show simplicity – Keep it simple. Don’t show 8 different approaches to a problem. Show only what you believe in is best for them. Be straight forward – Show how easily the ERP solution solves even the complex issues. Answer “razor sharp” every time – When you get a question, answer “razor sharp” every time. Don’t say: “well it depends”. What kind of functionality do you have in mind? You are the master. You are the one bringing in the best practice show it. You must be the expert – The preseller must have basic SAP knowledge – he must even be a standard expert. Don’t sell programming in the presale phase. You will not get the sale. Demonstrate excellence – Show that you control the system – not the other way around. 7. Case study ERP solutions, typically in a consulting engagement. But this is wrong in the SMB business area; the cost for such a solution is far too high and that scares the SMB customers. We on the other hand can offer ERP, which is industry specific and can give the customer a cost effective solution that matches their business need 85% more. Presale – simplicity. Keep the simple. Again and again you have to repeat that for yourself. Demo Think in core processes. When you prepare you demo. Don’t be tempted to use complex solutions. This is a game that makes the reality show like “Temptation Island” look like kindergarten. Go for the simple solution even though it doesn't fulfill your ambitions. The customer loves and understands simplicity. Show whole core processes. Make them understand that you know the business. Show it all the way. They win – Then you win – a win win situation. 8. The Seven sins in the SMB market 2 ~ Greed – Level you earning – friendship. Don’t sell a total solution from the start. Make a quick start. Be friends making longterm partnerships with the customer. Then you can make more money on the longterm. 3 ~ Gluttony – The “big” has enough money. When we work in the SMB area we don’t make special programming. We must use standard functionality and use it to the What's A Good Idea For A Business? siveAny idea can be a good idea, but not every idea is. Before you process that let's take the following questions into account. Why did Bavarian Motor Works (BMW) decide to produce cars? How did soft drinks become a billion dollar industry? Who would have thought you could make millions off of junk? When did the internet go from the information highway to the shopping highway? Where did Xerox go wrong with computers and what leads some to believe they should have been the personal computing tycoons of today?An idea can be a first step in a new direction, the dawn of a new era, or it can be the means to failure - or even worse disaster. In the business world, ideas are at a dime a dozen. So it doesn't mean much to have an idea unless you know how to turn that idea into realistic goals and are capable of designing a comprehensive plan to achieve those goals.By looking back on a few of the largest and most recognized businesses in the world, and maybe some that aren't so recognized, and analyzing the ideas that either boomed or bombed their businesses, we can get a clear perception of why an idea isn't necessarily enough to determine good business.Bayerische Flugzeug Werke, later called Ba ERP solutions, typically in a consulting engagement. But this is wrong in the SMB business area; the cost for such a solution is far too high and that scares the SMB customers. We on the other hand can offer ERP, which is industry specific and can give the customer a cost effective solution that matches their business need 85% more. Presale – simplicity. Keep the simple. Again and again you have to repeat that for yourself. Demo Think in core processes. When you prepare you demo. Don’t be tempted to use complex solutions. This is a game that makes the reality show like “Temptation Island” look like kindergarten. Go for the simple solution even though it doesn't fulfill your ambitions. The customer loves and understands simplicity. Show whole core processes. Make them understand that you know the business. Show it all the way. They win – Then you win – a win win situation. 8. The Seven sins in the SMB market 2 ~ Greed – Level you earning – friendship. Don’t sell a total solution from the start. Make a quick start. Be friends making longterm partnerships with the customer. Then you can make more money on the longterm. 3 ~ Gluttony – The “big” has enough money. When we work in the SMB area we don’t make special programming. We must use standard functionality and use it to the extreme. 4 ~ Pride – Don’t be arrogant. I heard lots of stories about, how we have lost sales not because of the system but because we act arrogant when we meet the customer. Why do we do it? We are good. Apparently we aren't good enough to be humble and respect the customer. 5 ~ Laziness – Hardworking consultants. When we work in the SMB area we must remember that this is not a place for making easy money. We have to work hard to succeed in the SMB area. – We have to be not only an SD consultant but a logistics consultant with FI/CO common knowledge. 6 ~ Anger –Lies are unnecessary you don’t have to lie. So stop. Be the trusted advisor all through the implementation and after sale time. Then you have a customer that trusts you. 7 ~ Envy – You have to show that you are worth you money. You have to be not only the consultant, but also the project manager and the change management consultant. In the end it makes the high wages of the ERP consultant justifiable for the customer. He gets value for money in driving his business. Not just a consultant that makes a system setting For more information The Sales Guide is result of intensive collaboration and sales exercise from IBM’s own SMB Sales force and our Value Added Resellers such as EDB Gruppens, SerCon, InSA and SAP Consulting Italy.
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