The Unspeakable Question

Prospects! I have a tool in this video that will guarantee you get the best price on the copiers, printers, and other forms of imaging equipment that you purchase!

Watch this video and then use it! I promise you, you will always get a better price after asking your vendors salesmen/saleswomen this question.

Happy purchasing!

On Not Throwing Temper Tantrums

Today marks the end of an appalling, trivial and in the end positive experience for both myself and one of my customers. About two weeks ago I sold a copier to a local bank who after reviewing our price for said copier and finding our pricing and service plan being superior to their current vendors options, chose to do business with us versus their current (now former) vendor.

About a week after the installation of our machine and the removal of the competitors machine from our customers location, I received a phone call from my contact from this bank.

They told me they had just received a phone call from their now former copier vendor...

I sat dumfounded, jaw having hit the floor while listening to the tale of our competitors rant.

My customer explained to me how this gentleman angrily and sarcastically reprimanded my customer for choosing us over them saying something to the effect of "Who do you think you are? You buy your copiers from us! We are taking that machine out of your building!"

Of course this was an empty threat and they had no ability to remove the machine themselves.

As it turned it out, I had (unknowingly) sold a machine in another vendors territory and they could not compete with our price. So, the gentleman from this other vendor thought it would be wise to call and then yell at his (former)/my (current) customer...

While we did eventually remove the machine, it was replaced by a different brand of copier that was also bought from me.

The temper tantrum thrown by the childish sales "professional" from the vendor of whom we had submitted our proposal against accomplished them only one thing...

Loosing a customer.

This salesman's activities are a perfect illustration of how to shoot yourself in the foot...

It is never a good idea to verbally attack your customer.

While I would likely have taken the sale regardless of this gentleman's actions due to our ability to provide a better price for the hardware and CPC rate for service and supplies, his choice to go off the deep end is what ultimately sealed his fate.

Had he simply chosen to accept he had lost a sale and thank his customer for their consideration perhaps in the future he would have the opportunity to re-quote against us however, my contact made it known that their organization would no longer even consider doing business with our competitor due to the actions of the aforementioned gentleman.

Sure, it hurts to loose a sale and perhaps in some situations emotions such as those presented by my contemporary from our competitor are even justified to some extent, but to unleash those emotions on a customer...

There is no excuse.

Not Your Grandfathers Cold Call

As part of my roll as an MPS sales consultant, I do at least 10 cold calls (by phone and by foot) every week. I stop in to companies of all sizes and garner the names of either the CFO or IT manager of each potential customer.

A few weeks back I decided that I would do all my cold calls through twitter...

While this was an experiment and will only be something I generally do in conjunction with the more "old school" style of cold calling as time goes on, I can honestly say I had the fastest "call back" from a prospect ever.

A new prospect answered my tweet within a few hours of hitting "send" and compared to the response from cold calling on the phone or by foot, this was something of a new record in speed as far as a response to the call is concerned.

I now have a meeting scheduled with this potential client...

Now this will not be my first sale made through twitter, however this example further suggests the writing is on the wall.

I write this as sign of the times or a warning if you will...

If your not using social media to augment your current marketing and sales endeavors, you are missing out on hot leads. Leads which come from people manning twitter accounts from potential customers who are excited to connect with the human beings on the other side of your twitter account.

My New Book Is Now Available

I am pretty excited to announce the release of my first book (in e-book format only, for now).

"Music, Mischief And Marketing: A guerrilla's guide for the creative protagonist" is a detailed account of my exploits regarding the wild ride which has been my career in marketing.

Part inspirational, part how to guide; the book highlights my own tales in professional marketing adventures while also providing examples to inspire your own creative marketing endeavors.

The book covers topics which include how to leverage social networks as catalysts for thought leadership, how to correctly approach and work within the blogosphere to develop a community of readers and how to use these "new age" techniques in conjunction with old school marketing know-how to produce a powerful brand awareness and various other returns on investment.

Managed Print Services, Spiral Out

The above video is an exposé on how the Fibonacci sequence is present in the composition of the song "lateralus" by the band Tool.

Tool has had a profound effect on me personally, primarily in regards to the music from the album "lateralus".

Much of the lyrical content from this album speaks to the idea of self discovery, embracing the unknown and learning from experiences that reside outside of what is considered common, ordinary or mundane.

These ideas while easy to understand in the context of rock and roll are more complex when considered as guides for behavior in more conservative rolls such as the position of a professional in the corporate world.

While not always easy or acceptable I often try to apply these very ideas to my role as a managed print services professional.

(I like to pride myself on using both rock and roll and said ideas to promote printer repair.)

I wanted to share some of the ideas that I had for my own company that were accepted as well as some ideas which were not accepted as viable options for our brand of MPS in hopes that they provide inspiration to others in the industry. Essentially I am proposing for these ideas to spread laterally or to "spiral out".

Lets take a look at some of the lyrics from the song mentioned above...

"Over thinking, over analyzing,
separates the body from the mind.
Withering my intuition, leaving
opportunities behind."

One reason that we don't see innovation and creativity expand exponentially as a widespread phenomena in all industries all of the time rests within the fact that many businesses and corporations choose to rest on their laurels. That is to say that they choose to use a system of thought that while useful to build and sustain their organization, lacks the dynamic of evolution.

Over thinking and over analyzing leads to shutting the doors on risk and creativity, leading the decision makers to choose an outdated system and re-branding it with a new name to provide themselves with the illusion that they are a forward thinking organization when really they are simply doing the same things they have always done.

This kind of behavior robs the organization of what possibilities and opportunities rest outside of the box which they both sustain and refuse to admit working within the boundaries of...

So what are some ways in which an organization can escape the box and tap into the creative powers that be?

1. Tapping Your Employee Base

In so many business there are untapped resources of brilliance laying dormant in said organization's employees. While most corporations will try to brain storm new ideas with the c-level professionals in their business, it is uncommon to tap the mind of the custodian or perhaps the production crew for ideas in relation to corporate growth, marketing and or sales simply because they don't have the "expertise" necessary to make said decisions.

Tapping into your employee base and asking for feedback on what they think may be good ideas to help grow the company can be an invaluable resource for creative growth. Chances are their is someone in your company who while proficient at the mundane tasks they have be given, have ideas that could send your business into a new level of prosperity.

If your CEO was to ask around and dig into this idea, they may be surprised to find it is the man or woman who has no college education that has the next great idea that your company needs.

I can say this with a certain level of certainty because I have no college degree and built my own career within marketing by asking for it. Due to the fact that the owner and president of my company have not been afraid to take major risks in both creative and "out of the box" ideas, I have had opportunities many folks would love to have but have been denied.

2. Go Further

While I have been able to do some wild stuff here at Expert Laser Services that are ideas no one else in the company would have ever suggested and proved them to be profitable, there are some ideas which have been shot down.

I would like to present my ideas about moving forward in managed print services here but first, let's take a quick look at another set of lyrics from that same song...

"Feed my will to feel this moment, urging me to cross the line.
Reaching out to embrace the random.
Reaching out to embrace whatever may come."

"And following our will and wind,
we may just go where no one's been.
We'll ride the spiral to the end and may just go where no one's been.
Spiral out. Keep going.
Spiral out. Keep going.
Spiral out. Keep going.
Spiral out. Keep going."

Here are my thoughts on what should be "next" in managed print services...

Augmented Reality Analysis

What is augmented reality? Wikipedia has this to say...

"Augmented reality (AR) is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. It is related to a more general concept called mediated reality, in which a view of reality is modified (possibly even diminished rather than augmented) by a computer. As a result, the technology functions by enhancing one’s current perception of reality."

I propose that augmented reality applications via smart phones could be used in conjunction with video, panoramic photography and the current USB network scanning technology to supplement the physical walk around of a traditional printer fleet analysis.

My argument includes using this piece of equipment to make a three dimensional map of a managed print services customer's business.



While I do not posses all the technical prowess to synchronize each of these technologies to create the application of which I envision, I know there are people who could make this happen.

My boss, while amused with this idea did not decide to look into making this a reality.

While I understand that the budget needed to make this technology available most likely exceeds what funds we have, I know that if I at least present the idea perhaps there are other people who have the funds and other tools necessary to manifest said application.

Some of you who realize the potential of said vision are probably thinking it foolish to share this idea here with the possibility of another organization capitalizing on the concept.

To which my response would be, "go ahead". While I would love to make some form of profit from this idea I would rather see it come to pass by the hands of another in hopes that managed print services as a whole is benefited as I would hope said benefit would be passed on to the customers.

I contend that these separate technologies could be synchronized with services like PrintFleet to allow a virtual collection of data post physical analysis to streamline and improve the continued data collection process as needed in any true comprehensive managed print services/document output management plan.

So if anyone out there can do this and shares my enthusiasm...

Have at it.

When The Student Is Ready...

Mark Schaefer and I at "CLINK" Boston, MA.

Here is an excerpt from my new book

Music, Mischief And Marketing: A Guerrillas Guide For The Creative Protagonist

From chapter 9:
When The Student Is Ready, The Teacher Will Appear

"The title of this chapter is an old Buddhist proverb that speaks volumes about my own experiences in Marketing. When I started out in my position as Expert Laser Services “Chief Social Media Marketing Engineer” (as I have been dubbed by management) I had no credentials, no budget and a mere six months to show some ROI.

What on earth was I to do?

Not only was thinking outside of the box my only option, it was the only thing that made sense at that point in time. As an autodidact, I leapt headlong into educating myself about social media, B2B Marketing, the state of our industry and how to combine and utilize knowledge from each of those resources.

In addition to studying marketing and mps industry blogs I worked hard at developing my own perspective, a unique voice within an industry that already had its fair share of experts spread over the blogosphere.

Being true to your self is key in a position such as this. Listening to my own intuition and trying to think as a consumer within my market space, I created content that I would want to see coming from a vendor such as my own company.

With the internet still pulsing with free knowledge I simply soaked up everything I could from all other marketing experts and industry pundits that I could while simultaneously presenting my own variants of opinions and information via the company blog, Facebook page, LinkedIn page and Twitter account.

To be an “expert” you simply have to be at least two steps ahead of those who view you as a thought leader and always learning more, day in and day out.

While using this same process in becoming a thought leader in my own industry, I formulated the first installment of the “Destroy Your Printer Contest”.

On October 19^th of 2009 I (the student) had apparently become ready for exposure on Mark Scheafer’s (the teacher) “Grow” marketing blog. Mark who is a legend in his own right as author of one of the top marketing blogs on the net, Professor of social media at Rutgers University and author of the book “The Tao of Twitter” was the first person to break the story of my now infamous and annual destruction contest.

I truly feel that his post about my work is the seed that has sprouted into a cornucopia of media surrounding my work which includes coverage from countless blogs in both the marketing and MPS industries as well as the New York Times, Recycler Magazine, and multiple books.

Indeed, when the student is ready, the teacher will appear…"

In the picture above you will find both myself and Mark Schaefer striking a pose. In this shot we are sitting in the restaurant "CLINK" which resides in the beautiful Liberty Hotel in Boston Massachusetts. Mark and I finally had the chance to meet here in person after years of communication via the internet and a short phone call a while back.

Meeting Mark in person was more like reconnecting with an old friend than meeting a fellow human being in person for the first time.

Friendly, professional, humble and generous...

In addition to being a master of his craft, Mark is the epitome of the above terms.

If you ever have the chance to meet with Mark, I highly recommend jumping at the opportunity. A conversation with this man will likely result in your own bursts of inspiration. Truly a great person with a great mind, Mark is simply a joy to be around.

The Value of Prospect Created Content

Whether your marketing managed print services or candy bars, B2C or B2B. The simple fact remains...

Content is king.

And when it comes to content, there may be no content more valuable than that of which is made by your own clients or prospects in reaction to a video contest.

The above video is one of six submissions we received for our "Destroy Your Printer Contest 3". The video is a perfect example of "prospect created content". Not only is this video creative, humorous and totally over the top, but also an excellent advertisement. One of which was made not by our marketing department, but by a passionate prospect.

This is important because it acts as a catalyst for connecting with other prospects due to the simple fact that the user gave us a plug by noting our website and company name at the beginning of the video.

Now whenever someone watches this video we are able to capitalize on the interest generated by the video and not as an entity marketing to an audience, but as a third party who came up with this wild idea for a contest in which the creator of the video obviously went to great lengths to win.

This is one reason that video contests are so valuable in the world of content.

In reaction to this kind of promotional device, your prospects and or customers alike will create viral content for you and your brand. Plus, they will do it with a level of passion that you simply won't find in relation to other marketing endeavors.

By generating a video contest that taps into your customers pain points and providing products and services that aid in the relief of said pain points, you will effectively generate a working alchemy within your marketing efforts.

This kind of promotional event also allows you to use fun and creativity to market your products and services regardless of whether your products and services are devoid of both. Thus infusing your brand image with a positively charged emotional reaction from your customers and prospects alike.

So, the next time you find your self at a loss for your next marketing endeavor...

Consider the video contest.

Join Me At MarketingProfs B2B Forum Boston!

I will be speaking at the MarektingProfs B2B Forum in Boston, Massachusetts on June 15 from 11:00am-11:15am.

Here is my track information...

Case Study 1: 11:00–11:15am A B2B Social Media Program With Real $$ ROI!

Speaker:
Nathan Dube, Chief Social Media Marketing Engineer, Expert Laser Services

Can you really generate sales with social media in a B2B atmosphere? Of course you can! By combining elements of guerrilla marketing, music and free social media sites like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, Nathan will show you how he was able to create a profitable B2B social media campaign with little to no budget! If you enjoy humor, creativity, fun and music you won't want to miss this case study that incorporates them all!

If you would like to attend read more about the event here

As a reader of my Blog I am pleased to offer you a $100 discount off the price of your ticket!

Just use this promo code to save $100 off your ticket price! > SPEAK100

Hope to see you there!

Are Your Customers Fans?

As many of you know I play in the New England based Jamband Jabooda.

While the atmosphere, culture and people surrounding the band is about as far from the corporate/business realm as one could possibly get, the parallels in customer service, marketing and sales is astoundingly similar as is the work ethic involved. The band truly is, a second job.

In the band we place heavy responsibilities on our shoulders in regards to treating our fans (customers) like gold. While we do sell products to our fans we also give many of our live recordings and merchandise away for free as a thank you for their dedication and support. We put hundreds of hours into rehearsals in hopes to make sure that our fans get their moneys worth and we treat each of our fans as both human beings and friends.

In my role as a sales and marketing professional at Expert Laser Services I try to manifest the same dedication in my customers by catalyzing a similar energy to that which I have on stage. The hope is that my customers will truly become fans.

While I don't give away free cds or t-shirts to prospects I have at times given them a toner cartridge for free because I believe in the products my company produces and sells and I know that in certain cases, giving something away will turn a profit and act as a conduit for a positive relationship with that person who in the end, will truly become a fan of our products and services.

In the same way that a soaring guitar solo is at times pushed to its peak even as the muscles in the guitarists hands seem that they will give out from pain, such a sacrifice will almost certainly draw an intense return on investment in the form of ecstatic emotion derived from the crowd. I truly believe that offering unconventional services such as help desk calls after hours, last minute emergency parts delivery or repair calls and so on and so forth (which can be an intense personal burden on myself or other employees at my company depending on the situation) this kind of self sacrifice provides a similar feeling of gratitude to that of the aforementioned guitarist. Sometimes truly great customer service requires that we take added stress and burdens upon ourselves in order to provide the absolute best for our customers.

I can honestly the say that the labor of love as mentioned above is the key to success for both my company and my band. Expert Laser Services emphasis on advanced and caring customer service is what separates us from our competitors both large and small.

In the end, it is not hype or a robust marketing scheme that makes you a literal and or metaphorical rock star. It is the lengths that you are willing to go for your people. It is the actions that you are willing to make in order for your customers to truly become a die hard, dedicated and loving fanbase.

Relational Sales Via Twitter

On Thursday of last week I had the pleasure of consulting a long time twitter follower about laser printer repair directly through twitter. The consultation which was in and of itself a rewarding experience ended in a sale. Yep, that's right...

A sale directly through twitter!

Long time twitter follower and independent B2B Marketing Queen Dianna Huff, tweeted her frustrations about her HP 2015. In dealing with the issues of these machines as of recent, I quickly responded to her asking about the problems she was having in regards to said machine.

Bellow I have posted both Dianna's tweets as well as my own.





After going back and forth for a while I suggested two service providers in Nashua, NH where Dianna could look into service and sales however, she asked me to call her because she would prefer to purchase a machine from me.

Struck by the opportunity for a sale through twitter I suggested shipping the machine to her as to how I am located on the Massachusetts/Connecticut border and she on the Massachusetts/New Hampshire border.

However in the true spirit of the tweetup we decided to meet half way as to how it worked for Dianna's schedrule to be in Massachusetts. We were able to meet in person, discuss our careers within the world of B2B social media marketing and the challenges and joys associated with said work, while also completing one of the first ever direct through twitter sales (at least that I know of).

In retrospect, the cash ROI was trivial at best in comparison to the truly rewarding experience of connecting with another wonderful and talented human being who shared a passion for the same industry that I do.

Is this a glimpse of a possible paradigm shift in the world of marketing and sales?

I suppose time will tell.