How to Be Your Customer’s Trusted Advisor– and Why It’s Easier Than You Think

What do your customers buy, and why do they buy them from you?

There are many obvious buzzwords you can throw at that question. “Solutions” has been a popular response for many years. Another one is “value.” “Features”. “Benefits”. “Functionality.” “Capabilities.” “Capacities.” The list goes on, and every one of these answers is absolutely correct. Customers buy all these things.

But in the end, customers don’t “buy” as much they expect to “invest.” They make investments that they believe will increase their profitability. They are most interested in how quickly they can recover their initial investment, and then enjoy repeating return on investment (ROI). If an investment in information technology increases the speed at which their information generates profit, or better protects their high-value data assets from theft or corruption, that’s a worthwhile investment.

Why do they buy from you?

Smarts. Yes, it is just that simple. Customers invest with you because you show them something that will increase their profits. You’ve done your homework. No, you don’t necessarily know how to install the hardware and software involved, but what you know is far more important than that to them. You know what these technologies will do, and how they will deliver increased profits.

Your customers have a business to focus on. The people they employ have jobs to do. None of them have the time to learn about what specific technologies are capable of, and how they deliver increased profits. Anyone who knows that is of value to them, and the more you know the more valuable you are.

If you’re among those who feel that the term “trusted advisor” has become tired and overused, revisit it in this context. Be the expert who can show the customer technologies that can be employed to improve productivity, move information to where it’s most needed faster, more efficiently, and more securely, and thereby deliver increased profits to their business and they will absolutely trust you to be their advisor, buzzphrase or not.

Your Toolkit: Complete with Trustworthiness

A true advisor doesn’t just show up and start spouting solutions. That’s a low-level salesperson.

A true advisor instead starts by asking questions. They seek to learn what’s happening within the information transport infrastructure of their client’s company. They look for bottlenecks that introduce latency. They try to find process steps that can be eliminated or improved upon. They perform this search armed with knowledge of many tools and platforms that can be employed to improve upon what they find but don’t make a recommendation until they are fully informed and as aware of the entire environment as possible.

They also know that their client must be confident in the tools they recommend. Few executives will be willing to stake their employment on software from obscure providers. Whether it’s hardware, software, or services, clients will always be much more comfortable when they hear that the products used to produce the improvements come from someone they’ve known of for years.

This is what drove the development of the Xerox App Gallery, applications that are downloaded to any Xerox ConnectKey-enabled printer providing enhanced functionality that you can customize specifically to your customer’s needs.

• Cloud-Connected Functionality: Some of these apps make it far easier for you to print from and scan to your favorite cloud-based storage services including  Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, OneDrive and Office 365.
• Workflow Apps: All along your workflow, Xerox apps make moving information faster and easier.
• Xerox Easy Translator App localizes and translates between over 40 languages.
• CapturePoint Transformer easily and securely scans printed documents into editable, actionable information in the cloud.
• Info App lets you easily deploy targeted messages that appear on the MFP’s user interface, such as promotions, company messages, general communications, and contact information.
• Customized Scan Apps: Now you can create personalized and customized workflows for a group or individual. Scan Apps include: Scan to email, FTP, shared network folders, USB, and multi-destinations.

Add to this the world of highly customized apps being developed by members of the Xerox Personalized Application Builder Program and you become a truly trusted advisor with a well-stocked quiver of ways to add value and profit to every customer’s business.

This is All About You

Arming yourself with Xerox ConnectKey Apps creates offerings that are all about you, your professional practice, and your unique value proposition for your customers. Learn more about Xerox ConnectKey Apps today.

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