Sales & Marketing – On Demos

Demos of the RISO Technology

Unlike the copier industry, which is more or less understood by everyone, RISO inkjet printers are different, and must be seen to appreciate the differences between them and traditional toner devices. The speed and performance of a RISO cannot be overstated – and must be shown to the customer to fully drive this distinction home.

Some time ago, the demo was replaced by the “pencil sell”, which was all about lease rate and term – about crunching the numbers to achieve the most attractive deal on paper. Low CPC and cost justification are the goal of the pencil sell – but the pencil sell makes one all-important assumption: that the devices being considered are all interchangeable, that they all do the same thing, run at the same speeds, and that the only difference between them is the deal your customer is getting.

And that’s where the RISO inkjet differs from the others.

Seeing is believing when it comes to 160 pages a minute in full color. That can’t be visualized by your customer – and when it happens right in front of them, it makes an impression. A RISO demonstration goes beyond the calculator and the pencil sell, and gets them excited about what they can accomplish with all that speed – and suddenly, you’re having a whole new conversation with your customer. And the way to get them excited like that is to get people out of their chairs and into your office.

And if you don’t agree with that idea, consider this statistic: 75% of all demonstrations of the product result in a sale.

What Makes Demos Effective?

Demos encourage firsthand interaction with the device, and presents you as more than just a salesperson, but an expert. People want knowledge, and everyone with an internet connection can become a well-informed comparison shopper. If you supply them with information they can’t find on Google, you’ll establish yourself in a role of trust and authority when it comes to the decision-making process.

So, how do you make this experience valuable to your customers? What entices them to come out to your demo day? The answers are pretty straightforward:

– Make it worth their while
– People need nutrition
– People need/want entertainment
– People are intrigued by something different

Demo Day Ideas

Consider some of the following themes for your Demo Day. These are relatively simple to set up, and proven effective!

(click on the various boxes below)

So How Do You Ensure A Good Turnout To Your Event?

Grow your Sales Funnel thru consistent Prospecting
Set a Lunch N Learn day every quarter

Offer an invitation to the following
Cold Call
Phone Call
Appointment
Courtesy visit

The Lunch N Learn (Dem Center) is that one day per quarter when your DSM will be on hand to demo your accounts. Fix the day on your schedule (4 days per year)

Drive the event … promote it every chance you get
The interest you generate will not be for RISO’s only, create MFP leads
“I do need something but it’s not Inkjet, we need an MFP”
Some accounts may have more urgent needs “we need something this week”

Invitation/Flyer Templates

Here are a few templates for flyers that you can use to get your blitz started:

Prospecting Tips

Salespeople don’t like cold calling because they think their message is falling on deaf ears
They don’t Cold Call in a manner that is “credentialing”
Stop being like everyone else in your territory and show them something different
Show them something no one else is talking about
Show them how your MFP in tandem with a high speed Inkjet unit is a more complete solution and falls inside the current operating budget

How To Make It Work

Set the day 6 weeks in advance
Let everyone in sales know that the RISO Sales Manager will be in the office on that day to support customer demos for you
Have handouts printed with a Value Proposition and the date (There are RISO marketing pieces already developed that are perfect for this)
Prospect in your territory as previously discussed
In addition, have a defined, targeted list of customers you want to get in front of. Visit, mail to, email to and telemarket to these accounts

Prospecting + Demo = Sales

No matter what you win! This generates positive activity for your sales organization.
Utilize your association with RISO. Our biggest investment is on our people. Don’t forget to use our support mechanism (RSM/DSM) to aid your efforts