The Death of the Internet and Other Ramblings...

The following content was originally published on April 11, 2014, and although extreme, I think it aged well.

Inspired by the Johnny Depp movie, Transcendence.  For me, we are on the Edge of the Singularity or Ultimate Convergence.  The transition will be immediate - from "off" to "on", like bits, from "0" to "1".  The singularity will occur in an instant. Sure there will be warnings, there have been for decades, but when it comes, it will be an institutional

This month marks the 25th anniversary of the addressing vehicle for the internet, the "World Wide Web". The internet, as it is defined, has been around 40 years, created in 1973.  The thing is, I don't see the internet surviving another 40, let alone 10 years.

No really, I'm calling it, we are witnessing the very beginning of the Death of the Internet.

Indicators:

New to Copier Sales: How to Work With Your Technicians

It’s an age-old argument. “Without Sales, the lights don’t come on,” says the selling professional. “Without Service, you don’t get a paycheck,” says the seasoned service technician. Who is correct?

I’d like to share ideas about something I haven’t heard anyone address: the relationship between sales reps and your service department — more specifically, how to work with people who service your customers almost every day.

"Selling Copiers" - Art Post. Wisdom from the Windows to the Walls

Good friend and colleague, Art Post has a great interview over at ENX.  I know the business model at ENX and if Art is getting space, he is worth the listen.

Here is a sample:

Based on your 40-plus years of experience, what do you think are the primary reasons you’ve been able to unseat incumbents and pull off net-new wins?

Post: 

"For one, they don’t get enough training or support from their organization. A second thing is one of my biggest pet peeves: work ethic. They simply lack it. Ours is not a nine-to-five job; if you want to make nine-to-five money, go work for a fast food company. In my writing, I like to focus on the three Ds: desire, determination, and dedication. If you’re going to be successful in this business, you need to have the desire to succeed. 

You need to be dedicated to continuously learning. And you have to have the determination not to fail. That determination to see something from start to finish and not give up, to not give in. 

And I think that’s missing. It’s a reason a lot of good people fail. I believe you can’t teach desire; the desire to be the best is an innate trait salespeople must have in order to make money and succeed.0 

It probably applies to the top 20% of salespeople; after all, they say 20% of the salespeople make 80% of the sales."

Good stuff, full interview, here.