Datamax Helps Its Resellers Sell Value

I recently attended the 2004 Partners Conference conducted by bar code printing solutions provider Datamax (Orlando, FL) and was struck by the focus placed on helping its reseller community add - and successfully sell - value. Rather than dwelling on its own products and services, Datamax treated its partners to a generous dose of education and provided them with tools to sharpen their collective selling skills.

For industry education and analysis, RFID (radio frequency identification) was front and center. Datamax partners heard industry veterans like John Hill from eSYNC International (Toledo, OH) and Bob Scher, CEO of Dynasys (Clearwater, FL) speak candidly about RFID's current practicalities and how to get in the game. Dan Schell, supply chain editor for Business Solutions magazine, participated with Hill, Scher, and other industry experts in a subsequent roundtable discussion. Click here to read Dan's observations entitled "We All Have A Lot To Learn About RFID."

I was particularly impressed with the sales training session, entitled "Beyond Selling Value." The session highlighted key points from a book by the same name, and was generally applicable to any organization, large or small, that wants to sell value instead of price. Datamax enlisted Dan Kosch, co-president of sales consulting company IMPAX Corporation (Westport, CT), to make the presentation. In one hour, Kosch outlined a step-by-step process that sales professionals can follow to be viewed by customers as a strategic resource rather than just another vendor. Along the way, Kosch provided valuable tips and techniques that every salesman can use to connect with key executives and avoid the dreaded commodity trap. Of course, everybody received a copy of the book to take home and put into practice.

"We felt that these topics for the Partners Conference would be especially beneficial to our resellers because they may not typically be able to invest in this type of training or have access to so many resources in one place," explained Leslie Becker, marketing communication manager at Datamax. "Since we don't sell direct, any investment that makes our resellers more effective helps to ensure our long term success."