The purpose of a newsletter is an opportunity for the ASWi team to provide you and the rest of our clients with information on all the new ASWi an Acumatica related things (or “happenings”) that you may not otherwise be aware of.
Please feel free to share this newsletter with any/ all of your team. Pease let me know if anyone on your team who would like to be added to the mailing list for the next issue and removed.
You can always have a look at back issues of Happenings on ASWi’s web- site at: https://aswiblog.wpengine.com/category/customer-newsletters/
“Ev’ry heart beats true ‘neath the Red, White and Blue.” George Cohan
National Flag Day commemorates the adoption of the U.S. flag on June 14, 1777. Today, we show respect for our flag and for what it represents, including
independence, unity.
To celebrate National Flag Day, we can raise the U.S. flag and fly it proudly, we can spend time learning about U.S. flag history, and/or put your creative hat on
and create some stars and stripes of your own with baked goods, painting, and/or other arts and crafts.
About the picture: In 1945, the Republic of Texas was annexed by the U.S. A ceremony lowering the Republic’s flag and raising the U.S. flag in its place.
Q: What did one flag say to another flag?
A: Nothing, it just waved.
Q: What’s something nice about Switzerland?
A: Well, its flag is a big plus. (not like Austria’s flag; it’s a big minus)
Q: Where was the first flag of the United States hoisted?
A: On a flag pole.
Q: What do Santa Claus and flags have in common?
A: They both like to hang out at the pole.
Q: How did you do on your signals flag waving test?
A: I passed with flying colors.
Q: Why are you wearing all those flags?
A: I’m going to a semaphore-mal party.
Q: What is the official sport of National Flag Day?
A: Flag football.
Q: Did you hear about the kid who bungie jumped from his school’s flag pole?
A: He was suspended..
By ASWi’s Sales & Marketing Team
1.) Manage Your Energy, Not Just Your Time
Everyone’s body rhythms have times when you have high energyand, conversely, low energy. Being self-aware of when you typically have higher and lower
energy and then schedule your activities accordingly will enable you to get more done with higher quality.
2.) Use Team-Wide Calendar Color Coding
Each member of the ASWi Sales & Marketing Team color codes their Microsoft Outlook Calendar appointments using the following categories:
• Prospective Client Meeting
• Existing Client Meeting
• Internal Meeting
• Event
• Autonomous Activity/Task
• Travel
This enables everyone on the team to see at a glance what prospect and customer meetings are coming up, both on their own calendars and their teammates.
3.) Turn Off email Notifications
The myth of “multi-tasking” benefits has been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. It is much more productive to schedule set times to review and respond to email than it is to have it constantly taking your focus away from the subject at hand.
Being distracted by the constant notification of new emails entering your email inbox can cause you to lose concentration and greatly affect your productivity.
Here’s how you can turn off notifications in Microsoft Outlook for your email inbox:
1. Click on File
2. Click on Options
3. Click on Mail
4. Uncheck everything under Message arrival
Acumatica Portal Payments is a customization that enables Acumatica customers to collect credit card payments on invoices from their clients from within the Acumatica Customer Portal.
The Acumatica Customer Portal is a separate application, so clients do not need to login into the same Acumatica Cloud ERP instance used by internal team members.
You can view a short video of the Acumatica Portal Payments customization here.
As you can see in the video, you are able to post payment instruction, apply cash discounts and partial payments and process credit cards as payment methods.
Please let our Customer Success Manager Keith Wood know by emailing him at keithw@aswius.com or call him at (717) 581-1226 if you would like to learn more about the Acumatica Portal Payment customization.
Staying ahead of emerging cyber threats is crucial in today’s digital landscape. One of the most effective ways to protect your organization is through proactive Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) gathering.
Why Cyber Threat Intelligence Matters
Cyber Threat Intelligence provides actionable insights into potential threats, allowing you to anticipate and mitigate cyber attacks before they occur. By understanding the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) of threat actors, you can strengthen your security posture and reduce your organization’s vulnerability to attacks.
Effective Cyber Threat Intelligence Gathering Techniques
1. Open Source Intelligence (OSINT)
OSINT involves collecting data from publicly available sources, such as websites, social media, forums, and news articles. Our Managed IT Services team can recommend tools that can help you discover valuable information about potential threats and threat actors.
2. Human Intelligence (HUMINT)
HUMINT involves gathering information through human interaction. Engaging with cybersecurity communities, attending industry conferences, and networking with peers can provide insights into emerging threats and trends.
3. Technical Intelligence (TECHINT)
TECHINT focuses on the technical aspects of cyber threats, such as malware analysis, network traffic monitoring, and vulnerability assessments. Our Managed IT Services team can provide tools to help you identify and analyze malicious activities.
4. Social Media Intelligence (SOCMINT)
SOCMINT involves monitoring social media platforms for indicators of cyber threats. Analyzing posts, tweets, and discussions can reveal early signs of coordinated attacks or emerging vulnerabilities.
5. Dark Web Intelligence
DARKINT involves monitoring the dark web for threat actor activities, such as the sale of stolen data or discussions about new attack methods. Specialized tools and services can provide insights into these hidden areas of the internet.
Once you’ve gathered threat intelligence, the next step is to analyze and act on it with these steps:
• Correlate Data: Combine multiple sourced data to ID patterns & trends.
• Assess Impact: Determine the potential impact of identified threats.
• Prioritize Responses: Focus on hi-impact threats & allocate resources.
• Implement Mitigations: Develop & deploy countermeasures to threats.
• Update Continuously: Threat landscapes evolve, so continuously update your intelligence gathering and analysis efforts.
Please let our Customer Success Manager Keith Wood know by emailing him at keithw@aswius.com or call him at (717) 581-1226 if you would like to
learn more about Cyber Intelligence Gathering.
By Mike Brooks
If you would like to instantly improve your selling skills – and so your open and close rate – you can do so by taking just a few minutes to complete the following exercise (don’t worry, it’s easy and fun!).
What you’ll do is make a list of all the common closed endedquestions you ask, and then turn them into assumptive questions instead! I’ll get you started:
For the Gatekeeper:
Closed ended: “Is ____ available?” (or “Can I talk to _____?)
Assumptive: “Hi, can you connect me with _____please?” (or just “Hi, ________ please.”)
Questions while qualifying:
Closed ended: “Do you ever use an outside vendor?”
Assumptive: “How often do you use outside vendors?”
Closed ended: “Are you the best person to speak to about this?”
Assumptive: “How do you get involved in this?”
Following up on emails sent or information sent:
Closed ended: “Did you get a chance to read the email I sent?”
Assumptive: “I’m sure you browsed the email I sent, question: how do our capabilities line up with what you’re looking for?”
Closing the sale:
Closed ended: “Do you have any questions?”
Assumptive: “What questions do you have?”
Closed ended: “Does this sound like something you’d like to do?”
Assumptive: “Would you like to start with the X package or the Y package?”
Based on these closed ended questions, I’ll bet you use many of them now, don’t you? Again, if you want to immediately improve, make the switch today to assumptive questions.
You’ll see a change for the better right away!
By Mike Brooks
If you have followed me for a while, you may know that my opinion on whether to ask a prospect, “How are you,” has changed over the years.
What I’ve discovered, is that asking this simple and socially accepted icebreaker is more important than you might think.
Here’s why:
Selling over the phone is challenging because you don’t have all the visual cues an outside sales rep has and uses. You can’t tell if your prospect is annoyed, resistant, bothered, or if they are willing to have a conversation with you. You just can’t read their expressions and so react to those physical cues.
That’s where asking the simple: “How are you doing today?” comes in. The seasoned inside sales rep knows that the answer to that question, and more importantly how a prospect answers it, makes up for all the cues missing from a face-to- face interaction.
Think about it:
You can immediately tell if a prospect is in a hurry when they answer the phone. You can tell by their tone of voice if they are open to communicating with you or if they are annoyed.
That’s why asking this simple (and accepted) question is the way to go.
What you need to do next is respond accordingly to what (and how) they respond.
For example, if they tell you they’re doing well and ask how you’re doing, you must respond with, “Thanks for asking! I’m well also . . .” before going on with your opening.
If they say, “Fine, how can I help you?” then you’d better react to that as well. Something along the lines of, “I’m sure you’re busy, so I’ll be brief. The reason for the call is . . .”
I’m sure you see now how asking this simple question at the beginning of your call gives you more leverage than not asking it. Hope this helps take the “cold” out of “cold-calling”!
Nearly every weekday, a motivational quote is posted on X/Twitter by @ASWiDelivered and on LinkedIn by @ASWi.
• “Making Things Easy is Hard.” Ted Nelson
• “Your customers’ customers are your customers.” Ash Maurya
• “Reason is the first victim of strong emotion.” Frank Herbert
• “More visibility is more power.” Ezra Furman
| Date | Event/Activity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 7/24 | CICPAC 2024 | Chicago, IL |
| 9/9 | IMTS 2024 | Chicago, IL |
| 10/15 | Fabtech 2024 | Orlando, FL |
| 11/13 | Advanced Design and Manufacturing Expo | Montreal, QC |
| 11/20 | PROCORE Groundbreak | Denver, CO |
| 1/26 | Acumatica Summit | Las Vegas, NV |
| Date | Time | Webinar |
|---|---|---|
| 6/18 | Noon CT | FinQuery | Ensure an Efficient Budget & Year End (1 CPE) |
| 6/19 | Noon CT | eWorkplace Apps | Process Manufacturing – Maximize Efficiency |
| 6/25 | 1:00 pm CT | Acumatica | ERP for Concrete, Foundation & Paving Contractors |
| 6/26 | Noon CT | Acumatica | Distribution: Streamline Your Operations |
| 6/27 | Noon CT | Acumatica | The Amazon Effect: Profit-Bosting Strategies II |
| 6/27 | Noon CT | Acumatica | Demystifying No Code Customizations – Part 2 |
| Date | Article |
|---|---|
| 6/3 | Acumatica | A Helpful Guide to Mastering Construction KPIs |
| 6/4 | Acumatica | 5 Reasons Why Acumatica is Right for QuickBooks Graduates |