New to Copier Sales: How to Sell Solutions

What, exactly is a solution? According to Merriam-Webster, it is “an action or process of solving a problem” Sounds simple, doesn’t it?

In the land of copier sales, duplexing (the ability to place images on both sides of a sheet of paper) was once considered a solution. Indeed, the times were much simpler.

Today, the phrase “solution selling” is as old as the hills — some say obsolete. But as with most opinions, it depends on who you ask and how you define solutions. Solutions are less about the “how” and more about the result, but when selling hardware, we tend to get caught up in the how. We talk about how long we’ve been in business, how toner is applied to paper, how much more can be saved with our lease and how fast our device spits out paper.

All true, but excruciatingly boring and out of date.



Let’s cover “solution selling” in today’s realm. I caution you — books have been written on this subject. Veritable reams of content and hours of classes teach thousands of selling professionals the ins and outs of solution selling, and I’m not going to even scratch the surface. There is even a movement against solution selling. So take these tidbits with a grain of salt — the selling landscape is dynamic. My suggestions can be used as a touchstone for the future.

First, forget about copiers. Lose sight of...read the rest here...