Xerox Process
When should a rep bring in the IT team?
As early as possible. Introduce the IT representative the second a possible business obstacle has been addressed.
Role-play a voicemail for a CFO who has never heard of you.
Identify themselves, Shows relevance to CFO, creates curiosity, low pressure call to action, concise
A proposal has been sitting with Finance for 45 days. What are your next three actions?
1) Reengage the champion
2) Confirm the proposal is still solving the active business problem
3) Schedule a reset meeting with all key players
Give 3 reasons on how Xerox will add more value than it's competitors.
Dedicated Local Support & Escalation
Broader Business Process Expertise
Long-Term Partnership and Scalability
The customer says, "We're just gathering information."
What do you say next?
The goal is not to overcome the statement. The goal is to understand why they're gathering information.
"That makes sense. Most organizations I speak with start there. Just so I don't waste your time with information that isn't relevant, what prompted you to start gathering information in the first place?"
A prospect verbally commits to moving forward. What are the next three things you do before forecasting the deal as closed?
A prospect replies on the phone with 'We have a vendor and we are happy.' Respond to the prospect
A deal you are working is at the finish line. You are ready to get the paperwork signed and, suddenly, the decision maker goes radio-silent. How do you determine if the deal is stalled or dead?
Don't assume silence means they are busy
Use multiple channels to reach out
Re-visit the business issue
Look for objective evidence
"John, we've been working toward implementation for several months and I haven't been able to reach you. I understand priorities change. Have circumstances shifted, or does it still make sense to move forward? Either answer is perfectly fine—I want to make sure I'm respecting your time."
A CFO says, "Everything you're showing me sounds nice, but why should I spend money fixing something that isn't broken?"
Who are the four stakeholders you should identify first in a 250+ employee account and why?
CEO/CFO
COO/VP of Operations
CIO/IT Director
Production Manager
A prospect has ignored your last six touches. What is your next move?
Stop repeating the same outreach.
Change the message, change the channel, and create value.
Reach out with a new insight, business reason, referral request, or breakup email that prompts a response.
If there's still no engagement, move on and focus on other opportunities for the time being.
Role-play a discovery conversation after learning a prospect recently had a cybersecurity incident.
Show empathy
Ask about business impact (financial, customer, compliance, operational)
No pitching
Uncover gaps (what happened and what concerns remain)
"A competitor is 15% cheaper." How do you reposition the conversation?
"I understand they're coming in at a lower price. Help me understand—when you compare the two solutions, are you evaluating strictly on cost, or are factors like support, reliability, security, implementation, and long-term business impact also important?"
No immediate discount, acknowledge the comparison, refocus on business outcome, qualify cost of a bad decision.
A prospect says, "At the end of the day, a copier is a copier." How do you respond?
"Nobody answers their phone anymore. Prospecting doesn't work."
How would you combat this using the concepts taught in Fanatical Prospecting?
Prospecting isn't about getting every prospect to answer. It's about creating enough activity to fill the pipeline. Fanatical Prospecting teaches that salespeople often mistake outcomes for process. We can't control who answers the phone today, but we can control the number of quality touches we make. When activity is consistent, opportunities follow.
What are the three main purposes of a Quarterly Business Review (QBR) with a client?
1) Demonstrate Value
2) Strengthen Relationships
3) Identify new opportunities and challenges
You spent 30 minutes presenting only to learn the attendee can't approve anything.
What do you say next?
"I appreciate you sharing that with me. It sounds like you play an important role in the evaluation process even though final approval sits elsewhere. Can you help me understand how decisions like this typically get made and who else would need to be involved?"
After they answer:
"Thank you for being transparent. One thing I've learned is that projects tend to move much faster when the business problem, desired outcome, and decision criteria are aligned across all stakeholders. Who besides yourself would need to see value in this initiative before it could move forward?"
You have been working a deal for months and your champion leaves the company. What are your next steps?
"My first step would be determining how much of the opportunity was tied to that individual versus the broader organization. Then I would identify who inherited their responsibilities and reconnect with the other stakeholders involved in the evaluation. Finally, I would validate that the business problem, timeline, and priority still exist and adjust my strategy based on what I learn."
Role-Play Response
"I understand John has moved on. Can you help me understand who has assumed responsibility for the initiative we were discussing? I'd also like to make sure I understand whether the goals we were working toward are still priorities for the organization."
You have strong support from Operations and IT, but the CEO doesn't see the project as a priority. How do you reposition the value of the solution proposed?
You've been assigned a new 500 employee prospect. They are local. What's your first 30-day plan?
You discover a competitor has been in the account for 10 years. What is your strategy to displace them?
You are doing a strategic stop-by after phone calls, emails, and LinkedIn In-Mail messages to a prospect. The gatekeeper at the desk tells you that the individual does not speak with solicitors and that they are not interested. How do you respond?
"I appreciate that. We've been working with several organizations in the area on reducing operational costs and improving workflow efficiency. Before I move on, would you mind pointing me toward whoever would evaluate those types of initiatives if they ever became a priority?"
Professional, don't argue, ask follow up, gather info, leave door open for future contact
The prospect says:
"We like Xerox. We like the proposal. We have budget. We're just not ready."
What questions do you ask to uncover the real obstacle?
"I appreciate your honesty. Help me understand what 'not ready' means in this case."
Then listen.
Follow-Up Questions
"What specifically needs to happen before you're ready?"
"When do you anticipate being ready?"
"What's driving that timeline?"
You've been given 60 seconds with the CEO in an elevator. You cannot mention Xerox, copiers, printers, leases, or managed print. How do you create interest in a future meeting?
Talk about business challenges, not equipment.
Create curiosity.
Demonstrate business acumen.
Ask for a future conversation, not conduct discovery in the elevator.
"I'm not sure whether this is relevant to your business, but many CEOs I speak with believe they have a technology problem when they actually have a workflow problem. The result is wasted labor, slower decision-making, and unnecessary operational expense. We've been helping organizations identify those hidden costs and determine whether they're worth addressing. If that's a conversation worth having, I'd be happy to connect at a later date."
Sound like a peer, not a vendor.
You discover your champion has been misleading you. What do you do?
Stay professional and don't assume bad intent. Find out if it was intentional or unintentional (this is big)
Revalidate the budget, timeline, decision process, and stakeholders.
Expand relationships beyond the champion, verify facts with other decision-makers, and adjust your strategy and forecast based on what you learn.