Mental Toughness - Ingram Micro

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Mental Toughness: Your Edge When Times are Tough How to Prevent Pessimism from Bringing Your Sales Team Down by Ken Thoreson During an economic downturn, mental toughness separates the top sales performers from those who are just average. Mental toughness helps salespeople overcome the pessimism they are likely to encounter in their e-mail messages and phone calls, as well as during face to-face sales meetings. In such an environment, every salesperson can benefit from a company-wide effort to instill mental toughness. Mental toughness means staying the course, finding ways to resolve objections, pushing for desired outcomes and being creative in solving problems. It starts with a commitment from the top. Whatever their worries, solution provider, owners and managers need to communicate a positive vision for the future to put the downturn in perspective. We encourage solution 4 I CONNECTED I spring 09 providers to have monthly allcompany meetings to improve communications among executives and staff. Well-crafted events can reinforce the positive attitudes and beliefs that lead to mental toughness. Other steps to take include the following: n Push consultative selling: When customers and prospects alike complain about tough times and shrinking budgets, mentally tough salespeople empathize without buying into the negativity. Instead, they return to the basics of consultative selling. With the confidence to meet with business owners and C-level executives, instead of just IT managers, they highlight the business benefits that technology solutions offer. Sales staff who struggle with this approach should receive additional training. n Bring in the customers: Letters of reference from satisfied customers help salespeople believe in what they sell, but why stop there Customer user groups and focus groups provide invaluable intelligence to sales staff. Sales managers should invite your customers to sales meetings to explain the merits of your solutions. Salespeople will gain useful anecdotes for consultative selling and their morale will soar. n Join salespeople on calls: In a downturn, there’s a need for superior planning and execution on every sales call. Top management can help by participating on more sales calls. More eyes and ears at the prospect’s office can mean better proposals and higher salesclose rates. n Ramp-up lead generation: A fresh batch of quality sales leads will lift any salesperson’s mood. Develop an aggressive campaign using proven methods such as webinars, executive forums and customer referrals. n Focus on motivation: When negativity is in the air, salespeople need special encouragement. Try to make sales meetings fun as well as productive. Simple sales contests and games can boost team spirit while moving business through the pipeline. Also determine the sales incentives your staff likes best, and then honor those preferences. In all this, it pays for salespeople to keep in mind the wonderful industry we are in. Technology solutions can help companies boost revenues, lower costs, increase productivity, improve customer service and drive profits to the bottom line. Mental toughness means helping customers realize these very real business benefits.
V7 Expands Line Keyboard, Mice and Laptop Accessories Added to Value Added Line-Up V7 is Ingram Micro’s exclusive global house brand and provider of premier computer accessories worldwide, has added a new line of V7 carrying cases manufactured by Targus, makers of the world’s bestselling laptop cases and accessories, as well as a new line of keyboards and mice to its extensive line-up of LCD displays and TVs, accessories, cables and portable products. V7 products offer innovation in design at an attractive price-performance ratio ideal for valueadded resellers, small-to-medium businesses (SMBs) and systems integrators. The V7 keyboards are available in four different styles: standard, multimedia, natural and wireless. The mice are available in two different styles: wired USB optical and 2.4GHz wireless optical. “Backed by Ingram Micro’s powerful distribution network and reputation for service, V7 keyboards and mice are an excellent choice for VARs and others who are looking for the same quality, reliability and performance from first-tier brands without paying premium prices,” said Rainer Kozlik, vice president and general manager of Ingram Micro’s Global V7 Private Label Group. “Our focus with the V7 portfolio is to create products that help enhance our customers’ profitability.” The V7 by Targus brand includes a full line of laptop computer carrying cases, including a deluxe toploading case, two backpacks, a messenger bag and a slip case. Showcasing both style and function, the laptop bags use high-quality materials to achieve a design with the economical, fashion-conscious, business-casual user in mind. “V7 by Targus cases are an excellent choice for VARs and small-to-medium business (SMB) customers who are looking for the quality, reliability and performance found in laptop bags from first-tier brands without paying premium prices,” said Kozlik “The V7 by Targus laptop carrying cases are designed for price value leadership, helping our customers’ profitability.” “We’re proud to partner with Ingram Micro and offer this custom-designed line of laptop carrying cases to V7 customers,” said Stephanie Piccirelli, vice president alliance sales, Targus. “We believe Ingram Micro provides an excellent distribution channel for our products and we look forward to other co-branding opportunities with V7.” “The V7 line of accessories are high quality, but cost effective products, another example of how Ingram Micro’s house brand can offer our resellers an opportunity to make better margins,” said Chris Lorenz, senior director, vendor management, Ingram Micro’s North American V7 Private Label Group. For more information, visit www.V7-world.com or call (800) 668-3450 to speak to an Ingram Micro sales representative. spring 09 I CONNECTED I 5
Page 1 and 2: SPRING 2009 n V7 Expands Line Menta
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