Guilt by association: Betraying ourselves and customer confidence
By Bob Johnson, NAID CEO In any service industry, there is the temptation to embellish, a.k.a., “marketing puffery.” To some degree, I think we forgive it because it is easy for customers to recognize. When a service provider says they are “the most trusted name in the secure destruction industry,” potential clients understand what this […]
Read more »How do I build trust?
By Ray Barry, Chief Shreducation and Member Relations Officer In the information management and destruction industries, relationships rule the sales process. You get a new client as soon as you build know, like and trust feelings with a prospect. If you lost a deal, it’s most likely because the prospect knew, liked and trusted your […]
Read more »Vendor selection isn’t difficult but it’s critical to risk management
By Bob Johnson, NAID CEO Every data protection law in the world holds clients responsible for making sure their third party data processors meet regulatory requirements and security standards. This applies to clients hiring services such as records storage, data destruction, computer recycling and imaging services, among others. The regulations contain language to make sure […]
Read more »If you aspire to great success, a coach is a necessity
By Bob Johnson, NAID CEO Athletes, especially professional athletes, provide one of the most obvious examples of human beings who have to continually focus on improving their performances. Their livelihoods depend on it. And, whether they are the front lineman on a professional football team or a star tennis player, they have a coach. Think […]
Read more »Get involved
By Ray Barry, NAID Deputy Executive Director As many of you know, this is the time of year we all start planning for 2015 to make ourselves and our businesses healthier. We start looking back at 2014 and what we could do better and hopefully implement new things personally and professionally for 2015. My hope […]
Read more »Why do some salespeople fail?
By Ray Barry, Chief Shreducation and Member Relations Officer When I speak with business owners in the information destruction and records management industries, one of the biggest issues they face is finding the right sales professionals for their businesses. And, once they find a good sales professional, they struggle with helping him/her maintain a certain […]
Read more »Attitude is the key
By Ray Barry, NAID Deputy Executive Director The most important quality that top sales professionals and business owners possess is, without a doubt, a positive attitude. I have never met a great sales professional that had a negative attitude. In sales, as in life, attitude is a major factor in your successes and failures. Your […]
Read more »Selling versus consulting
By Ray Barry, Chief Shreducation and Member Relations Officer “People will pay more if they perceive there is greater value or a deeper reason for buying from one provider over another.” ‑ Chet Holmes, “The Ultimate Sales Machine” This quote from the late great Chet Holmes tells me one specific thing: It’s not always about […]
Read more »People buy for their reasons, not yours
By Ray Barry, NAID Deputy Executive Director People buy for their own reasons, not yours. This is a mindset that average sales professionals do not understand. The top sales professionals understand that everyone makes their purchasing decisions based on different motives. No two decision-making processes are exactly alike. The only way to discover what these […]
Read more »Relationships feed the sales funnel
By Bob Johnson, NAID CEO Over the past few weeks, I’ve been reminded twice that the networking and partnership techniques taught at Shred School are both valid and valuable when marketing secure destruction services. Last month I spoke at a large convention of businesses that provide assistance to senior citizens who need varying degrees of care. They […]
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