After a short flight down the east coast from New Jersey, I arrived in Orlando about 9:30AM.  John Anderson (P4P'er) was to pick me up at Orlando International, however he forgot his notebook and have to travel back, by the time we spoke on the phone he was already an hour out from picking me up.

Thus, I jumped on a Meers transport and finally made it to the Hyatt Regency about 11AM.  John and I were able to hook up there, and we took some extra time to settle in to the old Peabody, relaxed, sipped a bourbon or two and then made our way to the Press Room at the North end of the Orlando Convention Center.

Holy smokes, we didn't realize how massive the convention center is!  We logged almost 8,000 steps via the convention center walkway from the Hyatt.

We finally arrived on the show floor about 1PM, for me entering the show gave me the feeling of a kid being in a candy store!  All I could see was a sea of color logo banners and hardware of every shape and color. For a print geek, I was loving life.  

The plan was to split up and get a feel for who and what devices were there.  We covered much of the show floor, and developed a list of vendors and devices that we wanted to know more about.  We'll be covering those vendors and devices on day two.

Later in the evening I met John at the Rocks Lounge at the Hyatt, had a few drinks and made out way North on International Drive to find some dinner.

It was an early evening since I had to wake up last night at 3AM to catch my flight to Orlando Sunday morning, however I did was able to watch the next to last  show of Fear the Walking Dead.  

Tonight, I will post a blog about our top ten devices that we loved at Graph Expo 2016.

-=Good Selling=-

I met Donnie Tuttle on LinkedIn as we are both recovering copier sales reps. Instantaneously, we had a common bond... sales stories. Stories I believe are the foundation inside the sales process.

“Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today. Stories are the creative conversion of life itself into a more powerful, clearer, more meaningful experience. They are the currency of human contact.” 

Robert McKee

This led me to get to know Donnie Tuttle; Level Up Sales Coach. This was my first time doing a podcast with Donnie and I had a blast.

IN THIS PODCAST YOU WILL GAIN AN UNDERSTANDING:

• Simple philosophy of being authentic and real, while branding and using modern meet-up methods from social media.
• If you can't build relationships with someone, it's gonna be real hard to sell them.
• If you help someone, it'll come back to you ten-fold.
• If you can't build an authentic conversation, get out of sales.

I firmly believe how I branded myself as a copier sales rep while staying true to my authentic self, melded me to complete my powerful selling style.

PLEASE CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

If you enjoyed the podcast please comment, like and share this with your network.

If you would like some inspiration I welcome the conversation or send me a message to llevine@socialsalesacademy.net. Your comments, likes and shares are greatly appreciated.

In 2016, Larry was recognized by ENX Magazine, “The Difference Maker” as someone who is making a difference inside the copier channel. Larry is passionate about helping sales reps succeed in creating their online brand image

Look for more information within the Social Sales Academy blog site.

I appreciate getting the opportunity to share my LinkedIn stories. Integrating the use of LinkedIn was my “game-changer” in the highly competitive copier world. With great pride I transform, coach and inspire B2B Office Technology Sales Professionals to grow net new business by helping them tell their story and communicate on LinkedIn. My commitment is to help office technology dealers thrive in a changing marketplace. You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, as well as at the Social Sales Academy

launch of the Ricoh DX 4542 Priport

Who wants to make GREAT commissions again? 

What dealer principal would be interested in creating another revenue stream where the orders of consumables never cease?

What would you give up not to have competition with a product that can practically sell itself, once you've demonstrated the product?

How did you answer those questions? 

Just like I did? My first answer is ME, my second response (if I was a dealer principal) is ME, and for the third question, I would give up my.......

Recent Appointments

Two recent appointments have sealed my opinion about Muratec's PLS- 2112 label press.

I was at a recent client that sells a ton of widgets (sorry can't name the account or what they do)and was conducting a bi-annual review for the fleet of copiers.  On the way in, I noticed that many of their widgets were adorned with color stickers and labels. 

After we finished up with the review, I asked, "I'm curious,  I see all of these color labels on your widgets, you wouldn't happen to know how much you're spending per year on those stickers and labels, would you?"  I was in luck because my contact was in charge of purchasing and cost reduction.  After waiting for a few minutes my contact stated, "one hundred".  I was bummed, and repeated "one hundred dollars, that's it?"   "No" he replied, "we're spending more than 100 hundred thousand dollars a year for stickers and label".  I was floored! 

My next question was, "how many labels did you buy?", a few more minutes passed, and the response was, "just about 180,000".   We did some quick math together and came up with a cost per label of about 55 cents each.  Bingo!  Opportunity!

Two days later at another account that is interested in IT services, I brought up the label question again. However this company did not sell widgets, but conducted national competitions across the US.  This client reported that they spend almost 50 thousand dollars per year for labels.  Woohoo, that's number 2 for opportunities!!

The Color Label Press

The Muratec PLS-2112 combines a high speed color laser press that can print continuous-substrate or cut sheets, up to 12.5 widths, on a variety of substrates.  The system is coupled with a Wasatch RIP that guides the users step by step through job setup and execution.

Demo

Thanx to Chris Wilson (Muratec) and Lou Strickland (Director, Marketing & Sales Support), I was able to meet Chris at Prior Nami Business Systems one evening last month for an awesome demonstration of the Muratec PLS-2112. 

I was floored with the quality of the labels, floored with the on demand web die cutter, and astounded with the ease of use along with the multitude of different substrates that the Muratec PLS-2112 can accept. 

I don't have all of my notes with me, and I'm pretty much shooting from memory.  But, once you find the right prospect like I did, do the math for the ROI and then demonstrate the Muratec Label Press, I'm confident that this system can sell it self.   Funny thing, not once during the demonstration did I ask about the cost of the consumables. I knew right away that this was the perfect ROI selling machine, all you have to do is to find out how many labels the client is printing, the substrate that's required, the cost and you can quickly identify who is a prospect and who is not.

We all remember print on demand for the copiers, right?  What's the sense with printing thousands of documents, flyers, or newsletters, and then throwing out hundreds if not thousands of prints because of a changes to the product or the program that came down the road. Same thing with labels, many clients are forced to buy thousands to lower the cost per label, with many of those labels going unused due to a change. In addition many clients are also forced to wait weeks to receive a label order.  Clients that have their own label press can benefit from lowering their cost per label, printing only what they need, and freeing up cash that is typically tied to label inventory.

Paper vs Labels

We all understand that office paper use is declining.  At a recent conference I attended, I heard stats from an industry analyst that stated with the next recession we could see a 15%-20% drop in the amount of paper that is consumed with A4 & A3 devices in the office.  That's a huge drop that could hurt most of us that depend on the recurring revenue from clicks! 

Labels are not declining!  Full color labels are everywhere, from the local grocery store, to the local coffee shops, craft breweries,  the list goes on and on, just look at the two prospects I found. Custom full color die cut labels are everywhere. 

What is Your Plan to Grow Revenue?

I believe that there are many copiers dealers that want no part of Managed IT, nor Content, and BDR (back up disaster recovery).  Adding  the Muratec Label Press to your core of services will ensure that you can enhance your recurring revenue stream, continue to employee your service engineers and add value to your existing clients, plus your sales people can make some serious cash.

Ask yourself, do you want to be in a declining revenue model or diversify to a growth revenue model that offers additional consumables that copiers and printers could never offer?

If I had my own dealership, the Muratec Label Press is certainly a product I would take on ASAP. Now, I just gotta work on my dealer principal!

-=Good Selling=-

Over my career, I have heard and played party to many of the buzz words and trends that regularly sweep the world of business. What we thought was the path to success yesterday takes a new turn today. For the most part though, many things that contribute to an organization's success remain the same.

It does seem, however, that drive and ambition are strongest when organizations are born. New companies have a complete understanding that it takes customer satisfaction to grow, and they are 100% customer focused. Older, stable companies have the pain associated with the business cancer I call complacency.

It relates to corporate culture. Many who holler about it the loudest have no real definition of what corporate culture is. In many organizations, corporate culture has been defined as the pool table in the breakroom, the putting green in the common area, free haircuts, day care centers -- one’s imagination can complete the list. The purpose of these perks is to create comradery and collaboration in hopes of sparking creativity and innovation. Organizations that understand corporate culture know it’s the corporation’s interactions and outcomes with their customers that define their corporate culture. These organizations also understand that happy employees create happy customers, and all these perks and employee happiness are great, provided the corporation can balance the needs of the two.

When organizations put their employees ahead of the customers in creating satisfaction, they will fuel the cancer of complacency. All leaders understand that happy, healthy workers can create happy, business-healthy customers. There is no denying that. The problem is when leaders put more commitment towards delivering happiness to the employees’ environment than to the customer's. Organizations must ensure that teams are a collection of assets derived from different personality traits, education backgrounds and business experiences. Teams that are cumulative of experience and personalities will always out-deliver teams that are based on conformity.

“Teams that surround themselves with those who cause them no disruption will never be the team that causes disruption.”

Complacency happens when the team is more focused on the team’s happiness than the customer’s needs, or fear the pain caused by addressing those needs. This complacency is hidden when things are going well for the organization, and frankly when things are good, employee perks can multiply. In some organizations, perks are honor badges for the leaders. 

However, when the organization finds itself in a market shift, or even worse, a complete disruption, they also can find themselves surrounded by a team that does not understand, or have the wherewithal to challenge each other or their leadership. I contend this is the reason they are being disrupted in the first place. While things were good, the leadership -- with advice from their team -- created a complacent team. These organization had a defect in their hiring practices by seeking people who would not disrupt their so-called “corporate culture.” Their corporate culture which was intended to create happy customers was highjacked by internal customers. These internal customers would fight and in some cases sabotage the admittance of those who could potentially disrupt their status quo, their so-called corporate culture.

I believe as do many others that teams with camaraderie or esprit de corps will always outperform those without these traits. I also believe that such teams are not defined by how well they make each other feel; they are defined by how well they accomplish the mission, because they trust each other and understand each other’s weaknesses, and they capitalize on each of their strengths cumulatively.

The most important trait for any organization is the ability to have and embrace conflict when needed for improvement. The rules of business are not about what is best for employee happiness. The rules for business are based on customers’ happiness. The question for the team is simple. Can they ensure continuous improvement that leads to keeping those customers happy? Does the team understand that their happiness -- all the perks, the pool tables, the putting greens, the free snacks, all the fun stuff --depend on the organization's continued success in keeping customers happy?

Corporate complacency will be the biggest threat to a company’s survival in this new age, where overnight a competitive landscape can completely change. The teams that thrive today will be those built of diverse individuals who cumulatively come together to disrupt the status quo, inherently creating a corporate culture praised by their customers now and when things completely change or are disrupted.

R.J. Stasieczko

Investing in DocuWare

Loan and investment company BACS Banco de Credito y Securitizacion S.A. integrated DocuWare to simplify documentation and record-keeping practices, and strengthen the security and accuracy of their records. BACS improved document workflows, auditing practices, and customer service by switching to electronic document management.

Based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, BACS is a leader in the design of financial solutions for investment companies and capital markets. BACS has an impressive volume of loan portfolios—including pledges, leases, personal loans, and car loans. They have a large distribution capacity made up of insurance companies, mutual funds, hedge funds and family businesses. BACS is among the leading underwriters of the Argentine notes market, with more than $26 million in assets under its management between 2010 and 2014. 

Requirements

With only 20 employees responsible for the documentation inventory and filing of more than 50,000 loan documents that came through BACS each month, they struggled with inefficient document processes. BACS’ existing workflows were almost entirely manual in nature.

Each month employees were tasked with matching these loan documents to a new or existing client file. Many of the documents were redundant or incomplete, forcing the staff to constantly take inventory of every document and file. Every time new or updated documents came through, staff members were required to physically take inventory of them, attach them to the correct client file, and record the level of their completeness using spreadsheets.

Documents were frequently lost or misfiled, which led to reporting errors and limitations since the document inventory record did not ensure that a particular document was currently on file.

BACS simply didn’t have the time or personnel resources to handle the large quantity of incoming paper documents, and found it more and more difficult to keep track of documents as they were shared and moved between multiple departments. Searching for specific documents and client files was a time-consuming and inefficient process that often left employees frustrated.

It soon became clear that manual, paper document processes were holding them back. They needed a solution to help them keep up with the demands of their growing company as well make it easier to comply with FACTA (Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act), which stipulates privacy policies for bank documents and limits the ways consumer information can be shared.

Solution

After a comprehensive evaluation of various document solutions, BACS ultimately chose DocuWare because of its ability to streamline the management and inventory of client files with automated, transparent workflow processes that improved recordkeeping compliance. Authorized DocuWare Partner, Ranko S.A., worked with BACS to develop a zero-interruption plan for the implementation of DocuWare and the creation of digital workflow procedures, easing the migration process so employees were not overwhelmed.

First, a study was conducted to analyze the intricacies of current document workflows, then digital workflow rules were established for each process. Indexing was automated by linking DocuWare with the company’s internal systems. With their systems now linked, an index field such as document ID number can be used as a “match code” to pull related data records which are already in existence in the company’s system, as additional indexing terms further enhancing the security and accuracy of their records. All paper documents were then scanned (using multi-function devices) and indexed into the secure digital database, making the move to digital storage a seamless transition.

Benefits

The electronic routing of documents between departments has made it easier for employees to find and share information. Additionally, as documents are scanned into the system, inventories are automatically updated to show the degree of completeness of each individual file. This helps employees keep accurate reports of the information the company has on file, and also alerts them about missing information so they can work to complete each file more efficiently. Different levels of alerts are in place to send specific notifications depending on the importance and type of document that is missing from a file. All documents and records are now immediately available for internal, external, state, or national auditors.

Although BACS still stores their paper files for up to ten years (as required by law) in an offsite facility, the company is now able to make better use of office space that was once filled with paper files. Also, with digital document workflows in place, BACS has improved security for customers and meets or exceeds compliance with all industry regulations including FACTA, UIF (Financial Information Units), and the BCRA (Central Bank of the Republic of Argentina).

With DocuWare, BACS no longer experiences the cost and frustrations associated with handling paper files on a daily basis, and has significantly reduced the amount of time it takes to process documents and files. Document sharing, collaboration and customer service has improved greatly now that requests for information can be filled immediately; eliminating long wait times. The number of lost documents has been significantly reduced now that all documents are scanned, indexed, archived, and easily retrievable. DocuWare has helped BACS unify all of its documentation in a single repository, making it easy to retrieve information from several different platforms and systems without delay.

BACS Operations and Systems Manager, Daniel Arzamendia, is pleased with the way DocuWare has streamlined document processes across the organization. “DocuWare has given us peace of mind regarding the management and security of our electronic documents, alerts, and reports. Additionally, we are very happy with the integration between DocuWare and our internal systems, which allows us to quickly and easily share documents without duplicating information.”

The most notable improvement to BACS workflow processes is its ability to provide responsive, real-time information to clients and auditors, while increasing the overall quality and accuracy of that information.

Since BACS manages sensitive financial documents that could invoke serious financial consequences if such information is not properly managed and protected, BACS considers the switch to DocuWare a “priceless” investment.

The Tasks

• Efficiently process and manage loan documentation and client files
• Eliminate lost documents and streamline document sharing between departments
• Become compliant with industry regulations established by FACTA, UIF, and BCRA 

The Benefits

• Electronic workflows facilitate efficient movement of documents between departments
• Transparent processes provide management and employees with accurate documents status listing
• Documents and records are now immediately available for internal, external, state, or national auditors.
• Document processing time has been reduced and customer service has improved
• Document security now meets or exceeds compliance with all industry regulations

In my last post, Sales Transformation... The Key To Success As A Copier Sales Rep I went on to say, I am blown away how all the focus is continually being placed on what copier dealers need to do to succeed inside the office equipment environment. Copier dealerships need a dose of reality and accept the fact they must CHANGE their mindsets and become open to CHANGE if their dealerships are to succeed into the future.

Ok, let's take the focus off "copier dealership" and insert any other industry and the same holds true.

I am here to inform all of you if your sales reps are to succeed into the future, one thing has to happen immediately... Your sales reps need to transform!

Sales leaders, I am here to share with you it all starts with making a commitment to bridge the gap between your sales reps "analog" sales skill set and their "digital" sales skill set. We all agree the workforce is getting younger. Then my question to sales leaders,

Why bring digital natives into your organization and expect them to succeed incorporating ONLY analog sales go to market strategies?

Guide them, coach them and educate them as they now have to become mini-marketers on behalf of your company. Think of how they can amplify your corporate message.

Why is this important? The top three issues I hear from sales reps (copier sales reps specifically)

1. Net new sales opportunities
2. Can't crack the C-Suite
3. Hard time creating unique differentiation

In case you haven't noticed sales is a changing... How sales reps go to market must change in order to align with how buyers are buying and corporations are doing business Why... According to Google research, "89% of B2B researchers use the internet during the B2B research process."

Let's go back to the three issues concerning sales reps and apply the Google research statistic to it. If 89% of B2B researchers use the internet during the B2B research process then my suggestion to sales reps... Learn how to play in the online sandbox.

From here on out, I ask you to visualize on two words as you continue to read on...

If you would like more net new sales opportunities, crack the C-Suite more often andcreate your unique differentiation then take your online presence serious. Where can you start? Start with your LinkedIn profile. You have the ability as a sales rep to use your profile to your benefit before, during and after the sales process.

Please take a serious look at your LinkedIn profile and think about the following...

Vision = How is my story being told through my LinkedIn profile?

Mission = What is my objective of having a LinkedIn profile?

Purpose = What function is my LinkedIn profile going to provide to me?

Plan = How am I going to construct my LinkedIn profile?

Goals = How am I going to leverage LinkedIn to grow my business?

Furthermore, If Your LinkedIn Profile Can't Answer These 5 Questions You May Get "Vetted" Out Of Potential Sales Opportunities

In business context the word "vetted" means to make a careful and critical examination; check, examine, scrutinize, investigate, inspect, look over or evaluate. Starting to get it?

Being true to yourself, set aside some quiet time and answer these five questions regarding your LinkedIn profile...

1. Does my headline promote the value I bring to the businesses I work with? If the answer is no then think of the challenges your prospects or clients have and how you can help when crafting your headline.

2. Does my summary state the value I bring to the businesses I work with? If the answer is no then think of the W’s. What you do, what makes you different, why you do what you do, what is your unique promise of value and how you can address the challenges businesses face in today’s marketplace.

3. Does my experience promote added value and differentiation? If the answer is no then give thought to promoting how you serve your clients and what do you do within your role that makes you different?

4. Am I building trust and credibility with my prospects and clients based upon what is currently on my LinkedIn profile?

5. Am I eliminating any risk factors with my prospects and clients based upon what is currently on my LinkedIn profile?

With the changing sales environment, think of what you can do as a sales rep in a highly connected, digital business world to build your “visible expertise” Think...

In conclusion...

1. Sales is changing every day and we need to adapt
2. Your digital first impression has become a big deal
3. LinkedIn is where people go when they want to learn more about you

You have one shot to make a great first digital impression. So hit them with your best shot and fire away!

It is all about developing a next-gen mindset and skill set. If you all plan on being in sales for any length of time you must learn how to adapt.

If you would like some inspiration I welcome the conversation or send me a message to llevine@socialsalesacademy.net. Your comments, likes and shares are greatly appreciated.

In 2016, Larry was recognized by ENX Magazine, “The Difference Maker” as someone who is making a difference inside the copier channel. Larry is passionate about helping sales reps succeed in creating their online brand image

Look for more information within the Social Sales Academy blog site.

I appreciate getting the opportunity to share my LinkedIn stories. Integrating the use of LinkedIn was my “game-changer” in the highly competitive copier world. With great pride I transform and coach B2B Office Technology Sales Professionals to grow net new business by helping them tell their story and communicate on LinkedIn. My commitment is to help office technology dealers thrive in a changing marketplace. You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, as well as at the Social Sales Academy

Well, with recent events everyone finally got to see some of the future. The news of Samsung selling their Printer line to H.P. defiantly captured my imagination. As I read the comments and listen to the chatter I am reminded of how Status Quo thinking is so attached to one's emotions. The title of this post is what the Imaging Channel should fear most, this article will lead you to my titles definition. As you read this give your imagination power over your perceived reality. This will spark things you might not want to think about but probably should.

I have argued the point that it’s not about how many pages experts say are printed. The disruption coming quicker well it’s here. This disruption is based on how many manufacturers can survive the consolidation, how technology will reshape the printing device, allowing alternatives to their delivery, and the way they are serviced. Some manufacturers, are barely hanging on, rumors spread on their sale or not. Manufacturers, where print represents such a small part of their overall deliverable, will see more value in an exit strategy, than a growth strategy. More than likely their executives are eating lunch at the H.P. cafeteria listening to their Samsung friends explain how good the food taste. The industry has too many players, and the customer base simply does not care about print like they used to. The facts are that most organization spend less than 2% of their technology dollars on print. Ok, I am not talking about the mega church who pounds out the Sunday bulletin in a particular sales representative territory or Bill's print shop next to the Kroger. I am talking about the world of print inside the SMB market as an average, the market the Imaging Channel calls home.

I wrote an article once where I mentioned that Samsung really did not care about the BTA model. They just needed it at the time. They started a revolutionary disruption in the industry others will finish. Samsung is a manufacturer which goes directly to the consumer through VAR's. They never could understand the Imaging Channel and frankly I seriously doubt they wanted to. Samsung is a manufacturer which sells its goods by the train load. The model of selling five or ten machines to a particular dealer in the middle of nowhere, was just too mind-numbing for them to grasp. History will recognize Samsung as the manufacturer who started the thought process of building copier’s and printer’s which would eliminate much of technical hands-on service. Samsung understood the importance of pricing aftermarket supplies aggressively enough to keep out the third party vendors. Those of us who sold Samsung will recognize the power of that. When I was a Samsung reseller Samsung was the only product we never considered third party parts or supplies for. Samsung had great yields and aggressive pricing. If H.P. or any manufacturer adopts that strategy the third party parts and supply companies are more threaten than the resellers. Everyone should think about how Samsung actually benefited the market while they played in the Imaging Channel. They were the forefront of A4 and caused many to scramble their products lines to compete. Samsung may have failed in the eyes of some. Samsung is a corporation which kept emotion from business, they see a better more profitable role in the future of print. After all - the world reads and distributes more documents on their phone than from the printer, MFP, whatever it’s called today, or will be called tomorrow. Samsung visualizes the future and they are reacting in the manner more manufacturers will follow. Especially those where print is such a small part of their overall deliverables, or those smaller manufacturers who will never be able to compete as demand continues declining. Small companies thrive in a growing markets creating competition. However, when an industry is in decline the little guys sell or simply disappear. This is also the case regarding the dealer companies which make up the Imaging Channel. The good bad or ugly - H.P. is the multi-billion pound gorilla and could be the biggest last one standing. Everyone in the Imaging Channel should focus on business possibilities in a changing world. This can only happen when you keep the emotional baggage containing your product prejudices’, your spreadsheets prepared by some analyst describing the growth of print as a reason not to change, or having the attitude that H.P. can only survive if the Imaging Channel cooperates. Lockup these thoughts in that emotional baggage and leave it at the train station as you get on the train to the future.    

Ok, let’s talk about how the Industry gets UBERED. H.P. is the catalyst in this thinking. For decades actually, since the two fellas known as Hewlett and Packard decided to clean out an old garage and start a printer company. H.P.’s model was always closer to the end-user than any particular channel. This is not a debate it’s a fact. H.P. will disrupt the way end-users not only obtain products, they will create an environment which will disrupt the way a majority of print products are serviced as well.

OK, I hear those with deep emotions yelling this. “BOTH H.P. AND XEROX TRIED TO SELL SEGMENT ONE, TWO, THREE, AND FOUR - DIRECT TO END-USER AND IT WAS A FAILURE” (remember the H.P. Mopier, remember the Xerox full systems segment 1-3 sold at office depot). I would simply say it was the first try and the market, or the equipment wasn’t ready. But my how things have changed. That change started when manufacturers increased their footprint of direct operations. This forced them to make better products, with longer lasting consumable yields. Products which could be set up by guys or gals with my technical skills, which those who know me would attest are not very technical. After all the manufacturers had to be profitable selling print clicks at .0000001 or whatever it took to beat the competition which in some cases was their dealer partner. As manufacturers delivered and serviced more and more of their goods through their direct model, they realized the reason so many of the legacy dealers were using third party parts and supplies. When Manufactures had larger dealer distribution the parts and supplies business was extremely important creating large revenue and profit centers. When Manufactures had larger dealer distribution toner and replaceable parts with too high of yield cut into aftermarket sales revenue and the profit they generate. However today manufacturers must not only make equipment more reliable, they must also increase supply yields, parts yield and reduce the number of replaceable parts - eliminating as much onsite technical work as possible. Kind of like Samsung and H.P.

Remember when people bought their own toner and paid for service and parts when they needed them. Remember when Xerox had drums, along with toner all replaced by the end-user in all their machines through segment 5, remember when Xerox and all the other manufacturers had no click charges. Well, guess what! That is where the industry is heading back to. Here’s why that model worked in the beginning, and why it will carry the remaining players in the end. In the beginning, there was a small customer base who printed small volumes, and for the most part very little competition. Today we have declining unit placements this is – fact, and most defiantly have reduced print volumes again - fact. Neither one of those categories will grow. Growth will only come to those who take it from others until their no more to take.     

All these improvements to the products, the New H.P. shown in Boston has only seven replaceable parts. Products of the future some of which are here today will have lower than ever operating cost. These new products will lead end-users to the conclusion caring about or managing something when it’s 2% or less of their technology spend is a waste time. MPS is not a future - it’s a slogan. So the supplier of print equipment who will reap the rewards will be the one who can deliver to the consumer by the simplest approach. Utilizing VAR's or the thousands of resellers spread across the world, and delivering the most dependable device. So those who argue against H.P. being that company, look in your customer’s office and ask them how long they had their 4si or the 4050 sitting on Betty’s desk. As the market continues to constrict H.P. will clearly define what is needed by its customers. H.P. will bring to market what makes sense for the customer. They will do this without the emotional baggage of what makes sense to the current Imaging Channel. H.P. had 13,000 resellers at their Boston meeting when they talk Channel they are not talking about the 2,000 or fewer copier dealers. H.P. does not see a border in service providers the way the Imaging Channel does. When Dion Weisler talks about disruption he sees a different vision of who delivers and services the equipment. Some will most surely be from the Imaging Channel, although H.P. won't care.

 If it's H.P. for that matter any print manufacturer who delivers a service friendly device with high consumable yields the customers won't care who delivers or services it. History will prove what happens, one thing is for sure somethings will change, and betting things will not, or believing the current way can only be improved, instead of re-invented is a recipe for disaster.

 So, what’s the Uber connection? Go to the google machine as I affectionately call it, and type in Field Nation, or Work Market. These are just two examples of many companies like them. Then simply use your imagination. These two organizations and others like them probably don't even know yet, how they could disrupt the service deliverable of the Imaging Channel. Or is there an organization being created specifically to disrupt the service delivery of not only the imaging Channel those in the direct channel as well. The future will not be the same even if we insist on it. All of us reading this understand that customers or lack of them determine the fate of all things sold, manufactured, and serviced.

This article is intended to provoke thoughts, tapping imaginations, exploring things and concepts which are different. Driving discussion based on reality, not emotions. If the actors in the theater of the Imaging Channel can look past what is in front of them, and leave their emotional baggage in the past they can win.

I will close with my favorite quote. “Status Quo is the killer of all that will be invented”.

R.J. Stasieczko

Geesh, I grabbed and extra day to stay in San Diego after the Print Audit Top 100 Summit, come home on Sunday to find that Larry Levine, and Darrell Amy already wrote about the happenings of the event (dagnabit).  Can't wait until next year's event!

During one of the open discussions, that's where our moderator threw out questions to the attendees, the first question posed was, "what is your biggest challenge to your business?" 

First Business Challenge

Now, I was thinking along the lines of competition, eroding margins, declining pages, but the first challenge that a dealer principal put out there was, "finding qualified sales people".  As I looked around the room, I saw quite a few other principals give the old head nod that they too were having the same challenge. 

We could interpret "qualified sales people" as those that are successful earners, or successful prospectors and of course those that can earn and prospect, right?

In 36 years, I can probably count the guys and gals on two hands that have stayed in the industry for more than 5 years. Our industry just seems to churn through sales people at an alarming rate. 

Why is that?

Is there something wrong with our process of hiring sales people? I'm no HR person, but I do know of many companies that use the Caliper test to higher sales people. From what I've seen, the test seems to be worthless when you only keep one out of twenty hires for more than a few years!

Pro Scouting

My son Nick starting playing baseball at the age of 5.  For some reason he took a liking to the game and many summer nights would find him and I having throwing and catching games in the yard. That repetition and muscle memory from our catching games allowed him to develop into a decent ball player.  As he got older he was good enough in High School to make the Varsity Team  as a Freshman (they put him on late in the season), and he got his first start as a Freshman. He did pretty well.

At the end of High School, a few Pro Scouts had been in touch, but nothing materialized.  Nick ended up getting almost a full scholarship to pitch at a Division 2 College, and then excelled at that level also.

I had the opportunity to talk with a few Pro Scouts, and with Nick at 6'1" and topping out at 91 mph, being a right handed pitcher, there 500 other guys just like him.  Here's what the Pro Scout told me, "we can't teach 95 mph, we can teach mechanics, we can teach how to locate, we can teach grips and pitches, thus we'll take the guy who can hit 95 and can't pitch, because we can teach him the rest."

Wow, being an avid baseball fan and a coach for more than 20 years, I agree that you can't teach 95mph.

How Were You Hired?

Back in 1981, there was no tests to get hired.  In 1981, I was hired as a technician, after 90 days I was brought in for a review with the dealer principal. That review did not go well, I was told I was excellent at taking the copiers apart, however not so good at putting them back together (ouch). I was being laid-off! 

Before I left, the dealer principal reached into his pocket and pull out a couple of $100 bills. He then asked, "What would rather do to earn that $200, would you like to work another week, or would you like to try to talk me out of it?"

Ok, I thought, I love money and I especially love EASY money. I stated that I would try to talk him out of it. After 10 minutes of trying and failing, I was not able to talk him out of the $200 bucks.  But, I was offered a job to sell copiers!

Desire

Just as you can't teach someone to throw 95 mph, you either have 95 mph or you don't have it.

The same is true with Desire, you can't teach desire!  Desire is innate, you either have it or you don't have.  My innate desire is to make money, always has been and always will be. From having that lemonade stand on the corner, to the paper route, I had the innate desire to make money at an early age.

Desire Test

Is there a test you can take to find if a potential applicant has that innate desire to make money? 

There's only one that I know of, and that's one that reserved for the dealer principal.  Once you've identified an applicant as worthy, then give them the $500 desire test, the same way it was given to me.

Put the $500 bucks on the table and ask the applicant how they would like to make that $500, either by working a week or trying to talk you out it.  If they can give you a couple of minutes of trying to talk you of the $500 bucks, don't give them the $500 , but offer them a job in sales, because those are the applicants you want for sales.

For those that want to work a week, give them the boot!

-=Good Selling=-

Wouldn’t it be great if we humans could program our minds to dream of practical things? My answer - hell no! Although I believe many wish they could. In this information-driven world, we can learn so much today that we had no concept of yesterday. This fact is multiplied when we welcome time for our imaginations. So many of us get stuck in the routine commonality of what they do, their reality, they forget to nourish their most valuable asset their Imaginations. Things which are practical are always known, things which are revolutionary usually have no history to help us decide the merits of taking action. So those who stifle their imaginations or live with tunnel vision, will believe that sticking with what they know is a better gamble.

“In leadership, the void of imagination is cancer to the business. The future is unknown unless of course, you are the gypsy with the crystal ball. For the rest of us, our crystal ball must be our imagination.”

 Imaginations are the keys to finding something new, never get so consumed by the need to know everything’s outcome, before you welcome the time for your own imaginations input. When imaginations collaborate the outcomes will cause change. When imaginations are held prisoner by our need for absolutes, or quickly dismiss things which are unclear we will find ourselves in the dungeon of status quo wondering why things don’t get better.

We must allow our imagination time to think about and digest what could be or what should be.

Next time you meet with peers and the conversation is consumed with talk about what it is, lead the conversation to what it could be, what should it be, or even more provocative talk about what happens without the familiarity of what it is, that commonality which ties the group together in the first place.

I was thinking of some of the interesting missed opportunities and how imaginations could create new opportunities. Here are some things I can imagine - imagine along with me. 

Should cable providers be talking about a better cable service or talking about how the social media industry could be the future of video content delivery? Then collaborate their imaginations allowing them to visualize how they live in a world without cable. Or will they wait for Facebook to broadcast the Super Bowl? Allowing fans the ability to communicate online while they watch on their 90" flat screen using airplay. Can you imagine the advertising dynamic? What can the cable industry imagine? Or will the cable industry say we didn’t see that coming? Will they get UBERED?  

Should the print/copy industry be talking about a better printer, or fancy new ink in a dying industry or collaborating their imaginations with those who provide a means to read documents which are void of print? After all, don’t most of us read and distribute more documents on our phones than our printers or copiers? Does this give Samsung an advantage? Samsung sells why more phones then Printers. Can print providers imagine what could be or will they stay stuck in what is? Do they understand the danger of ignoring the word currently and its definition? Everyone knows sooner or later everything ends.

What if the taxi industry was not so stubborn to their way of business, and actually collaborated their imagination with technology companies, what if they used their imagination and welcomed the imagination from those they were confused by. The very first time a cab driver used his phone to navigate to the customer's distention and then collect payment on his phone using Square, the Uber concept was staring them in the face. So what if they used their imagination, what if they collaborated their imagination with those technologies which gave them directions and help collect their money.

 The sad thing is this without collaborating Imaginations more and more industries will get UBERED.

What if Barnes & Noble became a destination for all those home office professionals? Barnes & Noble has fantastic facilities and they proudly serve Starbucks. The square footage in Barnes & Nobel is ten times that of a standalone Starbucks. Over the last few months, as I transition careers, I have worked from many Starbucks across the country. They are always packed many business people call them their office. So what if every town had a Mega Starbucks in partnership with Barnes & Noble. They would have large conference rooms, play areas for Kids, delivery points for Amazon goods. Barns & Noble only sees themselves selling books. If they used their imaginations they would see themselves as the home office destination king which proudly serves Starbucks. After all working from the home model is only gaining in popularity. The question is, can Barnes & Noble imagine a life without dependency on books? Do they continue to fight or collaborate with amazon?

“Those who understand and embrace things which are different and collaborate imaginations will be the disruptors of their industry while those in the borders sleep away in their comfort zone of commonality”

The greatest asset we have is our imagination and when we collaborate with the imaginations of others we will discover the gift of something different, the gift of creating something new.

If anyone wants to collaborate with my imagination, call me.

R.J. Stasieczko

It's obvious that HP's CEO Deon Weisler may not have the pulse of the copier channel especially when he releases a statement that reads:

"What we're doing is disrupting an outdated, old $55 billion copier market with superior multi-functional printing and that's the core takeaway. 

Some questions I'd like to ask Weisler would be:

1.  How is the current copier channel out dated?  

Last time I checked Samsung also uses Xerographic technology to print & copy.

2. Why are you investing into the A3 copier channel when more than 90% of pages printed or copied are not 11x17? 

At a recent Summit held by Print Audit, InfoTrends reported 1.6 trillion pages printed and 821 billion of those pages were printed/copied on A4 devices.  In addition, InfoTrends predicts a drop of 15%-20% of pages printed with the next recession.

3. In a recent statement HP reported that Samsung has built solid A3-sized MFP's that deliver the power, simplicity, reliability and ease-of-use if standard printers with as few as seven replaceable parts.  Can you please elaborate on the "as few as 7 replaceable parts?" 

Last time I check with one of my Samsung dealers there are a whole heck of a lot more parts than seven.

4. How do you plan to disrupt the copier channel with superior copier technology from Samsung? 

Especially when chatter has it that many dealers are unhappy with Samsung and the products.

5. Is your plan to take the best of the Samsung MFP technology and marry it with your PageWide Technology to produce a new hybrid ink based MFP? 

If so, what are your plans to offer the same quality prints that are produced by a laser engine? 

Lastly, there is no "copier" industry anymore.  I don't believe there has been a copy machine manufactured in the last fifteen years.  Yes, there are multi-functional devices that will print, copy, scan and fax, but the death of the copier (copy machine) happened many years ago.

I'm not an industry analyst, nor do I consult or invest with any of the major copier manufacturers.  What I do have is 36 years of experience in the industry and a whole heck of a lot of common sense.

Comments, would love to hear from others on this!

-=Good Selling=-

I had the privilege and honor in attending the Print Audit Top 100 Summit in San Diego, California, September 7-10, 2016; as a sponsor and speaker.

This event stamped in my mind, this is one helluva a great time to be working inside the office technology environment. The team at Print Audit led by John MacInnes brought the brightest minds together inside the imaging industry to help chart their own course. From copier dealer principals through to sales teams the business world is your "Oyster". The time is now to unite and work together to help build the business model of the future, a model which will bring back margins, growth and sustainability.

For those who feverishly speak about print is dead... No, print is not dead as some may think it is. During the summit David Ramos from InfoTrends provided some staggering numbers: 1.6 trillion-total office+production pages printed in US | 838 billion-pages coming out of the office (segs 1-5) | 628 billion-pages from A4 devices | 193 billion-pages from A4 color. 

From a pure sales perspective, my take during the summit... the business workplace has changed. No longer is it about the copier, the MFD (Multi-functional device) or whatever copier sales reps love calling devices which kick out paper. The time is now to...

"Innovate in your own Industry"

Industry pundits and experts, inside the office equipment space; continually suggest Copier Dealerships must adopt, repackage, retool and go to market as Managed Service Providers (Managed IT, Managed Network and Managed Print). During the Top 100 summit it was clear to me the business model must change to remain relevant inside an ever-changing office environment.

As a recovering copier sales rep, I am continually blown away as all of the focus is being placed on what copier dealers need to do to succeed inside the office equipment environment. Yes, copier dealerships need a dose of reality and accept the fact they must CHANGE their mindsets and become open to CHANGE if their dealerships are to succeed into the future.

I am here to inform you all if your dealerships are to succeed into the future, one thing has to happen immediately... Your sales reps need to transform!

Haters will hate and this is fine. Dealer principals can spend all the money they want on repositioning themselves with credible looking websites and fancy marketing material, however; the fact of the matter is if you are not making a commitment to helping your sales reps transform then how do you expect to grow your dealership?

The time is now to reunite with your sales team. I urge you to make a commitment to help your sales team transform. Even Peaches and Herb agree!

Successful Copier Dealerships Will Succeed By Helping Transform Their Sales Team

So much focus is placed on managing to the "model", managed service this managed service that, let's focus our attention to the sales team. Help and guide your sales team to succeed in an ever changing business world.

It all starts with making a commitment to bridge the gap between their "analog" sales skill set and their "digital" sales skill set. Bring to them education. Guide them with coaching as they now have to become mini-marketers on behalf of your dealership.

Just as copier dealerships invest in building their credibility online, they must make a 100% commitment to make sure their sales reps look credible online. Heck, they are front and center; the marquee main event to your clients and prospects.

Copier Dealer Principals

Please take a few minutes and look at each and every sales rep within your dealership and ask yourself this question...

Would I buy from them based on how they have positioned themselves on LinkedIn?

To all dealer principals... how your sales reps look online is a direct reflection upon your dealership. Opinions are being formed daily based on what your prospects find or don't find about your sales reps. Foster the environment for your sales reps to build their brand as they are driving the sales revenue of your dealership. It all starts with two key words

COMMITMENT & TRUST

I don't care if you sell Ricoh, Canon, Konica Minolta, Xerox, Toshiba, Sharp, Kyocera or the other multitude of manufacturers; they are all copiers which do virtually the same thing. 

How your sales reps sell it and how they offer it has become THE competitive advantage. I urge you to make a commitment to how your sales reps integrate the use of LinkedIn into the sales process to do one thing... Drive more new business opportunities!

To be effective today your sales reps inside your dealership need to acquire a whole new skill set: self-branding and content magnets! If you want to be perceived as a commodity then continue to pursue being involved in the dog pile; continuing to go to war over cost per page and lease payments. 

I challenge copier dealer principals and their sales teams... time to set the egos aside. Start helping your clients and prospects solve their business problems and challenges. Rise above the copier sea of sameness! I know you can do it!

A special thank you as events such as Print Audit's Top 100 Summit bring bright minds together to discuss business diversification beyond hardware and managed print services. Events such as... 

http://www.socialsalesacademy....-roadshow-announced/

Bring ideas to help transform sales reps.

My commitment, drive and passion is to bring to each and every copier dealership the digital sets of skills needed to help successfully transform sales departments to consistent revenue generating machines inside a digital business world.

It is all about developing a next-gen mindset and skill set. If you all plan on being in this business for any length of time you must learn how to adapt.

If you would like some inspiration I welcome the conversation or send me a message to llevine@socialsalesacademy.net. Your comments, likes and shares are greatly appreciated.

In 2016, Larry was recognized by ENX Magazine, “The Difference Maker” as someone who is making a difference inside the copier channel. Larry is passionate about helping sales reps succeed in creating their online brand image

Look for more information within the Social Sales Academy blog site.

I appreciate getting the opportunity to share my LinkedIn stories. Integrating the use of LinkedIn was my “game-changer” in the highly competitive copier world. With great pride I transform and coach B2B Office Technology Sales Professionals to grow net new business by helping them tell their story and communicate on LinkedIn. My commitment is to help office technology dealers thrive in a changing marketplace. You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, as well as at the Social Sales Academy