What separates great OCS sales professionals from average ones? According to Michelle Scott, director of national accounts for Royal Cup Inc., it isn’t aggressive selling. It’s listening, consulting, building relationships and earning trust over time.

In Part Two of Bob Tullio’s conversation with Michelle Scott, she shares two decades of experience selling office coffee service, from her first job out of college to leading Royal Cup’s national accounts team.

This conversation on Automatic Merchandiser and VendingMarketWatch’s Vending & OCS Nation podcast is packed with practical advice for operators of every size. Michelle discusses consultative selling and coffee tastings, referrals, AI, customer service, technology, sustainability and why patience remains one of the most valuable sales skills in the business.

Whether you’re a new operator or an industry veteran, this episode is filled with ideas that can help you grow your business and strengthen customer relationships.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why successful OCS sales begin by understanding the customer's vision, not pitching products.
• How coffee tastings can become one of your most powerful sales tools.
• Why national account selling is really about managing expectations and building layered relationships.
• When bean-to-cup equipment makes sense—and when it doesn't.
• Why technology should enhance customer experience, not complicate it.
• How to have authentic conversations about sustainability and budget.
• Why investing in sales support allows salespeople to spend more time in front of customers.
• The tremendous value of referrals and how to earn them.
• Practical ways AI can improve prospecting and territory planning.
• Why new operators should master one part of the business before expanding.
• How persistence turned a six-year prospect into a long-term national customer.
• Why customer relationships remain the greatest competitive advantage in OCS.

For operators looking to improve their sales process, this episode serves as a practical blueprint from one of the industry’s most accomplished professionals.