Tips on How to be Successful at Sales

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No matter how much you think you need to talk about your service, listening to a prospective buyer becomes the center of the selling process. Here are a few tips that can help during a potential sale:

1. Listen: After you’ve introduced yourself and briefly explained your service or product, it’s important to let the potential client talk about their needs. You don’t want to be the one talking too much or pushing the prospect into buying your product right away. They might get turned off by the persistence and decide to not acquire your business.

2. Ask questions: Pretend that you’re on a date with this prospective buyer. Be honest and interested in what they’re saying. If something is mentioned that you feel you could question and get more information on what their needs are, then ask away. Find out what it is that they really need.

3. Speak sincerely– no sales talk: Even though both parties know they’re in a business meeting, don’t treat it like a typical one. Don’t sound rehearsed or forced when you’re discussing the facts about your service or product.

4. Make moves: If there comes a point in the conversation where it seems that what’s being said has already been covered, subtly direct the conversation in a different direction. Make sure that direction is still a direction that benefits your potential client.

5. Build the relationship: Ultimately, if you’re listening to your prospect, asking the right questions at the right time and not talking like a clichéd salesperson, you’re going in the right direction toward building a business relationship. Keeping that relationship happy requires attention, knowing what your customer needs, and making sure that you’re content with the product or service that your customer is getting.

Selling to China: Tips from Villanova MBA Lecturer James Chan (Part 2)

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asia export, asian marketing, asian sales, business, business administration, china, china export, educational sales, export to asia, export to china, exporting, how to sell, how to sell in china, india, international marketing, international sales, iPad, japan, korea, lecture, marketing, mba, Sales, success, technology, upenn, villanova

Dr. James Chan, in addition to teaching classes at the University of Pennsylvania and Villanova, is the Founder & President of Asia Marketing and Management (AMM). He has decades of experience successfully exporting durables such as published materials and precision-engineered components.

In this lecture, Dr. Chan boils down the complex challenges and murky waters of the Asian market, specifically China, into a five point pneumonic strategy–appropriately abbreviated C.H.I.N.A. This is part two of his lecture summary.

Insiders
No company will be successful without insiders. The insiders you need can be people you know – partners, such as your distributors, agents, or direct hires, and representatives you’ve groomed yourself. Or they can be those you meet – customers, or other people that hear your sales pitch and tip you off.
Dr. Chan recounts a story of meeting an insider that was very influential to his understanding of success in exporting. He gave a presentation while working for a scientific publishing company at a University library. A Librarian stayed to speak to him after the talk, and only after several hours admitted that 70% of the book market was counterfeit. Although his company’s books were priced at $5000/year – the library could easily buy counterfeited books, simply xeroxed, for $300. On top of the savings, it would prevent them from having to exchange currency from the bank, get an import-export license from the government, and allow them to avoid doing business with a western supplier, which could be frowned upon.
In another story, an executive had the opportunity to give the Prime Minister a proposal of their database product. Luckily, his insider prevented him from making a fool of himself, and wasting his opportunity. The only person he needed to convince to close the sale, he was informed, was the Minister of Education. Using this information, he was able to easily close the deal.

“There are three D’s to doing business in China:
Diplomacy, Duplicity, and Denial”
Understand that what you see in public is superficial. Public conversations are filled with non-critical

No

Get comfortable saying no. You can not cave into their demands. Chinese buyers are purposefully difficult – it is part of the ritual of negotiation. If you’re willing to give up 5%, but the buyer is demanding 40%, tell them that you’re constrained by the board of your company. Pretexts, excuses and all duplicitous statements are perfectly acceptable. This is not cynicism, Dr. Chan makes a point to say, it is merely how the game is played — not only to you, as a westerner, but between Chinese companies as well.

Being tough on your side of the the negotiation will show that you are confident and trustworthy. Anything that can budge easily in a negotiation could make your whole offer seem arbitrary, permanently tarnishing your brand.
A new client may appear on the brink, complaining that ‘pre-payment’ is unreasonable. But, know: collection is a major problem in Asia, and this is a commonly used negotiation tactic to get a free shipment out of a naive salesperson.
Be comfortable saying no to incisive questions. It is common to ask very specific technical or subversive questions. Dr. Chan remembers a young engineer asking the specific tolerance of precision-engineered part – information that could be as sensitive as a programmer’s code or another industry secret. Say no without fear or hesitation, and you will earn esteem, and maintain composure in the perilous ritual of negotiation.

Acceptance
Buyers will attempt to make you feel guilty for any lag-time in phone or email responses, or blame you for dawdling with quotes. It is not uncommon to be accused of sending, for instance 12 springs short of the 20,000 spring order. Even after a sale, buyers may act, as Dr. Chan puts it, “like spoiled children.” It may get to the point where the complaints from current customers sound as natural as background noise. Accept the way they behave.
Dr. Chan often spends an entire class going back to Chinese history: the opium war, British annexation, even back to the ancient times of Chinese matriarchy, to explain the mindset of a Chinese buyer.

“I have to make you understand, for some… inexplicable reason, [Asian businessmen], particularly now the Chinese, have a deep-seeded psychological… emotional need to be respected, to be accepted, to be acknowledged, particularly by America”

This is important to keep in mind, when negotiating with a buyer. You are not coming to China as a conquering force, eating up a progressively larger piece of the economic pie.

If you learn to accept these things – the nature of Chinese negotiations, tactless inquiries and ‘post-sales’ marketing, you will be much better suited when dealing with the stressful, and time-consuming endeavor of exporting to China.

P.S. Also, avoid giving clocks, green hats, or using too much white packaging.

For more from ProSel, the world’s leading wholesale pre-order app, follow our blog.
To learn more about our product, contact our sales team and sample the app for free in the AppStore!

Selling to China: Tips from Villanova MBA Lecturer James Chan (Part 1)

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iPad, Sales, technology, apps for salespeople, how to sell, how to sell in china, export to china, export to asia, asia export, china export, china, international sales, educational sales, lecture, mba, villanova, upenn, business administration, exporting, asian marketing, asian sales, international marketing, india, japan, korea, success, business, marketing, international tips, selling, wholesale, preorder

Dr. James Chan, in addition to teaching classes at the University of Pennsylvania and Villanova, is the Founder & President of Asia Marketing and Management (AMM). He has decades of experience successfully exporting durables such as published materials and precision-engineered components.

Export is hard. And exporting to Asia has very specific challenges, among them is rampant counterfeiting (or “import substitution”), fixed-pie mentality, and an underlying complex that he explains as if British annexation left China with a perennial posttraumatic stress disorder.

“I have to make you understand: for some mysterious, inexplicable, irresistible reason, Asians, particularly now the Chinese, have a deep-seated psychological, emotional need to be respected, to be accepted, and to be acknowledged– particularly by America.”

Dr. Chan boils down the complex challenges and murky waters of the Asian market, specifically China, into a five point pneumonic strategy–appropriately abbreviated C.H.I.N.A.

Confidence

The first key to sales success in China is confidence. Confidence has always been the litmus of sales success, but in China, it’s not simply a cerebral art. Confidence in the the asian market only comes when you’ve gotten your hands dirty. To achieve catalytic success, you must win a tough hard-fought battle early on.

“Once you do it, you’ll know you can do it.”

Chan argues that, to be a confident manager, executive, or department head, you must have the ability to report to your CEO, VP, or business owner with what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.
The ability to communicate with your management will be critical to answer the inevitable question: ‘why does it take so long?’ Very few owners are willing to recognize that it may take months, or even years before they see revenue from their international venture.

Your confidence, like a gravitational field, must extend up and down your chain of command, pulling your leadership and employees along with you, as well as your suppliers and business partners. What you’re selling actually does have a market. Time will vindicate your confidence.

Hunger

In the game of Risk, it is easy to get arrogant with a strong army stationed in Alaska. There is an important lesson learned, repeated, by children on rainy days: regardless of how many troops you have, Asia is just too big to take by force. And just like that stack of tiny painted blocks, a billion-dollar marketing budget will easily and ineffectively run dry without penetrating the continent. What is an exporter to do? Where can you start?
Do not promote to anyone who isn’t hungry for your product. In China, promotion is not the first step in marketing. Step one is always smelling out those that are hungry for your product. Focus on quality clients in the short-term, and trust that quantity will come over time. Educational marketing is at the core of building a quality clientele, not direct mail.

There is a second kind of hunger that Dr. Chan refers to — why do exports average the equivolent of 200% of Hong Kong’s GDP, when US exports only equal 12%? Hong Kong is a small, densely-populated island with few natural resources, and their companies are hungry.

A company that is fat and happy will not have the brass to make connections in the Chinese marketplace. If you aren’t starving for a breakthrough in development, you won’t take the kinds of risks or make the investments necessary to be successful in the Asian market. Focus on hunger.

For more from ProSel, the world’s leading wholesale pre-order app, follow our blog.
To learn more about our product, contact our sales team and sample the app for free in the AppStore!

Appearances Matter

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best ipad sales apps, ipads for business people, professionals with ipads, sales apps 2012, Sales automation, sales automation apps

Before any big job interview it’s smart to make sure your suit is clean, your shirt is wrinkle free and your shoes shine; it’s professional.
People notice that.

Before a game a team should make sure their warm ups are crisp and enthusiastic; it’s intimidating.
People notice that.

Before a date you should clean out your car and make sure you leave early enough to be on time; it’s polite.
People notice that.

What do you want people to notice about your sales reps?

Sure, you want them to be polite and their sales pitch to be crisp and enthusiastic, but don’t you want them to look professional as well? Just like a job interview, a sales rep isn’t going to show up for a sales call in a coffee stained worn out suit, but their clothes aren’t the only thing they’ll be judged by.  People notice what kind of materials your sales reps bring, and it can speak volumes about them as well as about your company.

A briefcase, no matter how organized, is a thing of the past.  Rifling through pamphlets and folders just doesn’t match an iPad for efficiency or professional appearance.  It only logical that sending your sales reps out with the best possible materials is going to bring back the best returns. A sales rep carrying an iPad shows customers that he/she represents a business that is progressive and more serious about selling their product than a business only willing to print off a few flyers.  Like it or not, people notice appearances and will judge your entire company by the materials your sales rep uses.

Put your best foot forward, and quit using the excuse that it’s too expensive to supply your sales reps with iPads.  Besides the obvious savings in print materials over time, the increase in sales will more than make up for the cost of the one time purchase.  Think of each sales call as an interviewer you want to impress, an imposing team you want to respect you, and a date you want to swoon.  Appearances matter, and an iPad can give your reps the appearance to achieve all those things.

ProSel Feature Of The Week: Order Guides

Reblogged from Sales Force Automation Apps, Order Entry for iPad, iPhone, Android - Ai2:

ProSel for iPad has so many features that simply reading a long list of them won't give you the insight you need into this solution.  So we're going to go more in-depth and discuss the ways this order entry and sales app for iPad is beneficial to your sales team.  This week's feature: Order Guides.

Read more… 171 more words

What the 2012 Olympics have taught us about sales management.

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London Olympics lessons, sales coaching, sales lessons, what the olympics taught us, what we can learn from the olympics

The Olympic games were an exhilarating, inspirational, and heartwarming experience for athletes and spectators alike.  Every four years we witness triumph and tragedy as competitors battle for gold.  This year we witnessed some exciting events which can teach sales managers a lot about building the right team and running a successful operation.  Here’s what the 2012 London games have taught us about sales management:

Role players are essential for a winning team.

A role player is someone who is brought on board because they excel in one skill set.  As many seasoned vets will tell you, finding a team of well rounded all stars can be an extremely difficult thing to do.  Filling the gaps with the right role players can help your team win the gold.

Case in point: the U.S women’s gymnastic team.  McKayla Maroney was brought to the Olympics to compete in one event.  Her high flying acrobatics were unmatched by any other team and gave the US team a commanding lead from the start.  While her contributions were limited to this one event, her efforts were an undeniable part of the overall success for the team.  Your team too should have a McKayla Maroney of sorts.  Maybe they are a whiz prospector or a powerhouse closer.  Having role players will contribute to the success of the overall team.

Talent is limited by motivation.

In the lap lanes this year, the buzz was surrounding the epic showdown between Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte.  Phelps was considered a favorite for nearly every race he participated in.  Yet much to his dismay, his efforts seemed to fall short of expectations.  While Phelps natural talent has set him apart for several years, it was Lochte’s motivation which set the two apart in the Olympics.  Lochte who trained much like a powerlifter rather than a swimmer simply put in more time and effort to ensure his success.  Although Phelps ended up with more medals, the effort of Lochte shouldn’t be overlooked.

This is a serious lesson for sales management as well.  Tip: top performers can get by on talent alone, but without motivation their efforts can fall flat. Find out what motivates your team and push yourself to push them.  You will be surprised by how your entire team can hang with the top guns when motivated properly.

Appreciate every opportunity.

While not every Olympian is able to win a medal, the fact still stands that they are a world class athlete who received an opportunity most dream of.  In interviews with the athletes we heard time and time again how thankful they were just to be at the Olympics at all.  The outlook we have on sales should be no different.  We can never forget that we should be thankful to do business with customers, not the other way around.  Regardless of the volume or frequency which your customers give your business, thank each and every one like they are your most important customers – make them feel like they are all gold medal winners!

Do you have any sales lessons from the Olympics? Share with us on Facebook!

50 Inspirational Quotes To Motivate Your Sales Team.

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inspirational quotes, inspirational sales quotes, motivational quotes, motivational sales quotes, sales quotes

In business, as in life, we often need reminded of the reasons why we do what we do.  In our heads, we know it is because we want to succeed; but, without the proper words, the reasons can be forgotten.  These fifty quotes will serve to remind you that when you struggle, suffer, and fail it is because you had the courage to continue past where others have quit; and that courage is why you will succeed.

1. “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.”–Vince Lombardi

2. “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” – Thomas A. Edison

3.“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” – Dale Carnegie

4. “If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude.” –Charles R. Swindoll

5. “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” –Albert Schweitzer

6. “It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” -Theodore Roosevelt

7. “Act now. There is never any time but now, and there never will be any time but now.” –Wallace Wattles

8. “The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.” – Michelangelo

9. “There are those who work all day. Those who dream all day. And those who spend an hour dreaming before setting to work to fulfill those dreams. Go into the third category because there’s virtually no competition.” – Steven J Ross

10. “The tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goals to reach.” – Benjamin Mays

11. “The secret of joy in work is contained in one word – excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.”–Pearl Buck

12. “An invincible determination can accomplish almost anything and in this lies the great distinction between great men and little men.”–Thomas Fuller

13. “I was never afraid of failure, for I would sooner fail than not be among the best.” -John Keats

14. “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle

15. “If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.” – Jim Rohn

16. “Don’t wait for a light to appear at the end of the tunnel Stride down there and light the bloody thing yourself.” – Dara Henderson

17. “Think like a man of action, and act like a man of thought.” – Henri L. Bergson

18. “Hard work spotlights the character of people. Some turn up their sleeves. Some turn up their noses, and some don’t turn up at all.” – Sam Ewing

19. “The tragedy in life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach.”–Benjamin Mays

20. “Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘Press On’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”–Calvin Coolidge

21. “Successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities. They vary in their desires to reach their potential.”–John Maxwell

22. “Your time is limited, don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living the result of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinion drowned your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”–Steve Jobs

23. “The greatest mistake you can make in life is to continually be afraid you will make one.” -Elbert Hubbard

24. “The entrepreneur is essentially a visualizer and actualizer… He can visualize something, and when he visualizes it he sees exactly how to make it happen.”–Robert L. Schwartz

25. “Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better. Don’t wish for fewer problems, wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenges, wish for more wisdom.” – Earl Shoaf

26. “Efficiency is doing things right. Effectiveness is doing the right things.” – Peter Drucker

27. “Your attitude, not your aptitude, determines your altitude.” – Zig Ziglar

28. “Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising everytime we fall.” -Oliver Goldsmith

29. “Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” -Dale Carnegie

30. “The man who does not work for the love of work but only for money is not likely to neither make money nor find much fun in life.” – Charles M. Schwab

31. “Live daringly, boldly, fearlessly. Taste the relish to be found in competition – in having put forth the best within you.” – Henry J. Kaiser

32. “If there is such a thing as good leadership, it is to give a good example.” – Ingvar Kamprad

33. “To think is easy. To act is difficult. To act as one thinks is the most difficult.” – Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

34. “Be patient with yourself. Self-growth is tender; it’s holy ground. There’s no greater investment.”–Stephen Covey

35. “There is nothing more genuine than breaking away from the chorus to learn the sound of your own voice.”- Po Bronson

36. “The problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting otherwise and thinking that having problems is a problem.” – Theodore Rubin

37. “You need to be aware of what others are doing, applaud their efforts, acknowledge their successes, and encourage them in their pursuits. When we all help one another, everybody wins.” – Jim Stovall

38. “The entrepreneur always searches for change, responds to it, and exploits it as an opportunity.” – Peter F. Drucker

39. “Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly and get on with improving your other innovations.” – Steve Jobs

40. “There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” – Nelson Mandela

41. “A man’s life is interesting primarily when he has failed–I well know.
For it’s a sign that he tried to surpass himself.” -Georges Clemenceau

42. “Try a thing you haven’t done three times. Once, to get over the fear of doing it. Twice, to learn how to do it. And a third time to figure out whether you like it or not.” -Virgil Thomson

43. “Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.” -William Shakespeare

44. “We must train from the inside out. Using our strengths to attack and nullify any weaknesses. It’s not about denying a weakness may exist but about denying its right to persist.” -Vince McConnell

45. “My attitude is that if you push me towards something that you think is a weakness, then I will turn that perceived weakness into a strength.”–Michael Jordan

46. “You’ve got to say, I think that if I keep working at this and want it badly enough I can have it. It’s called perseverance.” – Lee Iacocca

47. “The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.” – Carlos Castaneda

48. “The man who will use his skill and constructive imagination to see how much he can give for a dollar, instead of how little he can give for a dollar, is bound to succeed.” – Henry Ford

49. “If you work just for money, you’ll never make it, but if you love what you’re doing and you always put the customer first, success will be yours.” – Ray Kroc

50. “Use what talents you possess, the woods will be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.” – Henry van Dyke

Fire, the Wheel, Electricity, …the iPad

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best ipad apps, enterprise ipad apps, ipad accessories for business, ipad apps for bsiness, iPad apps for salespeople, ipad sales automations

In the fickle world of sales, the differences between feast and famine are often minute. Between two salespeople selling an equal product, the one who “eats” is the one with the better presentation. At one time, you could get by with pamphlets, paper proposals, and a quick wit. Now any Joe Shmoe with a good spiel can print out a few hundred “business offers” and try that gambit.  If you want to be taken seriously as a professional, you’re going to have to do better than that.  Using accessories that come standard on the iPad in your presentation could determine if a business allows you a place at the table or leaves you to starve .

A Picture is worth a thousand words only if the picture is clear.

You’ve realized that you need to abandon the untidy paper stack approach for the organization of a tablet, but why an ipad? Because, when you rely on visuals, clarity is imperative. The high quality retina display is not only the highest resolution display ever on a mobile device, but it has more than a million more pixels than other devices considered HD. The 9.7 inch screen displays razor sharp text (more clear than printed text) and pictures with as much detail as real life. The iPad works so effectively, in fact, that it is almost forgotten that you are using technology at all as your customer will be totally captivated by the presentation instead.

How many words is a video is worth then?

It is one thing to tell someone about your product, and it’s entirely different to show them. Given 5 hours even the greatest wordsmith would struggle to paint a scene as vivid and easy to understand as a minute long video. While the iPad is not the only way to present video, we’ve already determined it has the highest quality visuals, and it is the most convenient.  Have the ability to showcase both tangible products as well as visualizations of affect from other less tangible products with animated charts and graphs.

Never worry again

A soldier would not head into war without first knowing beyond a doubt that his weapon will work. Similarly, you shouldn’t head into sales meetings without knowing beyond a doubt that your technology will work. The iPad battery lasts for ten hours of continuous use, even if you are watching video or surfing the web, so an entire day of presentations is not a problem.  Also, the next generation wireless technology works with more bands than any other wireless device, so connectivity shouldn’t be a problem unless you are in a cave.

Using a tablet in sales used to be cutting edge, but now it is essential.  If you want your business sales to continue, a tablet is a must.  If you want sale to thrive, the best of the best, an iPad, is a must.

How to empower your customers with ProSel

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apps for salespeople, best apps for iPads, best apps for salespeople, customer relationship management, empowering customers, ipad apps for sales people, iPad CRM, ipad sales automation, Sales automation app, sales automation apps, what is an ipad app for sales

Sometimes, customers are simply inaccessible to sales reps.  They could be located at the most remote areas of a territory, they could have odd or limiting hours of operation, or they might just not be the most reasonable people to work with.  For whatever the reason may be, ProSel offers the possibility of putting the task of order automation into the hands of the customer.  By providing an iPad equipped with ProSel to your customers, you can save quite a bit of time and money.

For insight on how this strategy can be efficient and effective, we have outlined each of the previous scenarios:

For the customer in a remote location:

Do you have a customer that is relatively far out of the way?  Traveling to this customer’s location takes up quite a bit of time and money, and gas isn’t cheap!  Sure, you could reach the customer by phone to place orders, but that too can become counterproductive in a busy schedule.  By giving the remote customer an iPad with ProSel, you are eliminating any and all time related to order input.  What time is spent with the customer can focus on quality of products and strengthening relationships.  Furthermore, having this ability allows you to increase your customer base by expanding your territory without having to hire more reps.

For the customer with limited hours of operation:

While certainly not as prevalent as the remote customer, there are those businesses that have limited hours of operation.  Maybe it is the bar that opens at 10pm, or its the hot dog stand that is only open on the weekends.  Servicing these establishments can be a hassle for your sales team.  Once again, giving these customers an iPad with ProSel can make order automation a breeze.  Customers can place their orders when they need them, and will not be affected by conflicting schedules.  Who knows, maybe this freedom will help you break into markets you didn’t even know existed!

For the not so ideal customer:

We’ve all had them: customers who like to complain, talk your ears off, or maybe just can’t make up their mind about anything.  While their orders aren’t the biggest, they tend to take up a large percentage of your sales rep’s time.  By giving these customers an iPad with ProSel, they will see the iPad as a gift, will assume the responsibilities of order input, and it will free up your reps to assist other customers.  Everyone can be a winner.

While we have provided some suggestions on how to implement ProSel with the customer, we recommend that this strategy only be used for special scenarios.  ProSel is not intended to replace sales reps, as they are unparalleled in building customer loyalty and, ultimately, a representation of your brand.

To see how you can empower your customers with ProSel, call us for a one on one today!

Ai2 To Bring iPad Order Entry, Sales Force Automation To Norway Food Distributors

 Integrated Enterprise Solution Will Offer Competitive Advantage to Grocer Spesialgrossiste
CHICAGO – July 30, 2012 – Software developer Ai2 today announced that Spesialgrossisten, one of Scandanavia’s largest wholesale grocery distributors, will deploy ProSel, Ai2’s sales automation solution running native on the iPad. Spesialgrossisten evaluated dozens of iPad-based solutions for sales orders and other consulting functions and selected ProSel for its feature set, its ability to integrate with Microsoft Navision and its industry-specific functionality.

“We are thrilled to have this opportunity and we look forward to delivering the industry’s best solution,” said Douglas Katich, CEO for Ai2. “The appeal of the iPad in business applications is truly a worldwide phenomenon and we are excited to have another chance to expand ProSel’s international presence.” Ai2 designed ProSel with input from food wholesalers to handle orders, returns, enterprise content management, pricing, and scores of other functions required by food and grocery distribution professionals. The attention Ai2 paid to industry-specific requirements cemented Spesialgrossisten’s choice. iPad’s market share is significant enough in Norway that Spesialgrossisten mainly evaluated iOS apps when making this decision.

ProSel, a worldwide top-100 business app, is Ai2′s latest addition to its software suite for distributors. The native app gives wholesale distribution sales reps offline access to their complete product e-catalog, product images, a very fast search function, content management, document syncing and much more. The solution works without the need for a persistent connection and integrates seamlessly to any host ERP system. Clients who select ProSel have the option to add enterprise content management and document sharing through Ai2’s “Pigeonholes” app, also exclusively for iPad.

ProSel handles custom pricing at the item level, rebate compliance tracking, bar code scanning, customer purchase history and dozens of other requirements for distributors in a variety of industries. ProSel debuted in March 2011 and more than forty distributors — including some of the largest distributors in the U.S. — have already licensed ProSel to replace their legacy field ordering systems.

Ai2 was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in downtown Chicago. Their applications are used by more than 75,000 users each day to capture upwards of $75 billion in annual sales. Ai2 improves the sales process for some of the world’s largest distributors in foodservice, convenience store, grocery, beverage, hardware, medical, beauty products, jewelry and more. For more information about Ai2, visit www.ai2.com.