click image for web link
MFP Copier Blog
This Week in the Copier Industry 10 Years Ago
This Week in the Copier Industry 10 Years Ago
Second Week of February 2012
One of the interesting blogs from Ten years Ago
Last week I blogged the "Death of the Direct Copier Channel", in less than one week there were over 1,400 views. I'm guessing we hit a hot spot with many of those in the Direct and Dealer Channel. Death of the Copier Channel "Part Two"
Enjoy These Awesome Copier Threads from ten years Ago!
Re: Canon shaking up the great white north
Konica Minolta 10% Price Increase April 01/12
Canon U.S.A. Receives Seven Winter "Pick" Awards from Buyers Laboratory LLC
ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS CITY OF GRANITE FALLS COPIER
EFI and Konica Minolta Launch Fiery IC-414
EFI Fiery Technology and Konica Minolta Digital Press Are Perfect Match for Demanding
Konica Minolta Acquires IT Company
Sharp's relationship with Pitney Bowes Canada
Xerox & McAfee Team Up to Deliver New Level of Protection
S&P Downgrades Ricoh from A+ to A Credit Rating
is panasonic still selling copiers?
Re: Konica Minolta 10% Price Increase April 01/12
Re: Konica Minolta 10% Price Increase April 01/12
Print Audit® Welcomes INNATO to its New Premier Subscription Program
Darwill Installs Océ ColorStream 3500 Inkjet Printing System
Ricoh 2352 & 2852?
COPIER PROPOSALS
Toshiba Launches 4 Innovative MFPs
Xeroxing laying off @ solid ink tech center
Fuji Xeroes in on rivals with 'revolutionary' new printer
OKI Data Americas to Present Proprietary Managed Print Services Solution, Serve as Pl
Canon shaking up the great white north
Death of the Direct Copier Channel? "part two"
DOCUWISE, LLC and Level Platforms Introduce Integrated MPS Program at LPI ROADSHOW
Ricoh announces job cuts in Telford
Canon USA Launches Océ VarioPrint Digital Press
Re: Canon shaking up the great white north
Re: Canon shaking up the great white north
Bryan S Ryan promise to show Irish businesses how to slash IT costs by 40pc
Production Print Certification VI
Bizhub series gets Info-Palette touch-screen
REQUEST FOR COPIER PROPOSALS The School District of University
... and you thought copiers were boring!
New Ricoh 4410SPF "brainshark" review
LEAF Announces The Launch Of The Next Generation Of Cost Per Usage Billing
Re: Custom Page coverage meter
Re: S&P Downgrades Ricoh from A+ to A Credit Rating
Re: Canon shaking up the great white north
jonster
Re: Konica Minolta 10% Price Increase April 01/12
Re: Japan's Ricoh & group companies downgraded to 'A'
ImagePROGRAF 825 roll switching issue
Oce cutting my throat in every deal!!!
Document Management Company, MES Hybrid Document Systems Inc., Announces February 22n
Re: Ricoh 2352 & 2852?
Re: Canon shaking up the great white north
Re: Canon shaking up the great white north
Re: Bizhub series gets Info-Palette touch-screen
Re: is panasonic still selling copiers?
Death of the Direct Copier Channel? "part two"
Thought this would be an interesting re-post from the old blog site. In addition there are some great responses. Enjoy
Death of the Direct Copier Channel? "part two"
Last week I blogged the "Death of the Direct Copier Channel", in less than one week there were over 1,400 views. I'm guessing we hit a hot spot with many of those in the Direct and Dealer Channel.
The Print4Pay Hotel forums also posted many comments like
"Wow - it's like Ricoh coughed up a hairball!"
"Since IKON / RBS has not been able to upgrade the Canon / Ricoh IKON MIF that was the intent of the acquisition, they are now selling off the base to mega Dealers. But RJ Young will upgrade these 6,000 units to Canon machines and Muratec devices. Ricoh is having extensive back-order issues at present time."
"I doubt that they will upgrade to all Canon devices that would not have been in the best interest for Ricoh. That acquisition is now approaching four years old (Ricoh of Ikon). I agree with the back order issues however so are other manufacturers as well. It's not only Ricoh!"
"In the grander scheme of things 6000 machines in field is nothing to Ricoh. Those branches must have really been sucking wind to only have 6000 machines."
But a few interesting threads were posted yesterday that seemed to stir the pot for manufacturers that may be shedding branches and ceding more business to dealers. One Print4Pay Hotel member stated that they heard that OCE Canada had released all of the sales reps except for one, and more interesting is that the one rep had to report to someone in Florida. It was listed as the Great White North shakeup. Additionally, another member has now stated that Canon Direct closed a small office in Nova Scotia and handed over operations to a local dealer.
With most manufacturers declaring that they are reducing profit estimates or even posting losses for fiscal year 2011, the writing may be on the wall for the Direct Channel. I'm not saying that the Direct Channel will cease to exist. However what's a manufacturer to do when they are posting losses... with any good business model they would try to eliminate or reduce that part of the business which has become a liability. With no good news for the economy in the short term, the threat of Europe recession and the strength of the yen, the copier manufacturers will have to make some tough decisions in the near future.
Selling off those Direct branches that are not turning a profit could be a great model and return the manufacturers to profitability in 2012 along with increasing dealer loyalty. With RJ Young not only did they get MIF (machines in field), they also got employees (pretty much these employees probably won't have to get worried about getting laid off at the end of every March).
Just maybe, when we look at a time line of the copier industry in 20-25 years, we'll see a blip that designated the wholesale changes to the Direct Channel model and then the decrease back the the Dealer Channel model of business.
What come around goes around and I'm thinking just maybe we're heading back to the model of the early and mid eighties.
After writing this blog, I read the interview that Scott Cullen (The Week in Imaging) had with Chip Crunk (CEO of RJ Young) titled "Chip Crunk Talks about RJ Young's Acquisition of Ricoh Direct Branches" . Well, I'm thinking great minds think alike and I found this the most interesting statement, "I think the industry is in a transition where in the future the distribution model is going to be large independents and the direct operations. I think Ricoh and the others are going to want to align themselves with the top independent dealers in the secondary markets because they cannot be successful in those markets".
-=Good Selling=-
If you like to register for our secure forums, please go here, and please keep in mind we don't give access to people that are not in our industry!
Sales Leaders... Are Your Salespeople Growing Your Competitors Next Great Client?
"The greatest gift you can give another is the purity of your attention."
Richard Moss
Sales leaders, key in on this for a moment...
The attention by your salespeople determines the experiences your clients have. Conversely, these experiences determine the quality of your salespeople's lives.
Is your team allowing distractions to derail them?
What are they paying attention to?
To set all of this up... Allow me to take you back to 1890. In his book The Principles of Psychology, Vol.1, William James wrote a simple statement that’s packed with meaning: “My experience is what I agree to attend to.”
Your attention determines the experiences you have, and the experiences you have determine the life you live. Basically, you must control your attention to control your life.
Applying this theory to your sales team...
What kind of experiences are your salespeople creating for their clients?
Let's set this all up...
I realize it is challenging for your salespeople to prospect for new business while trying to retain their current clients.
Choosing what they pay attention to or how they divvy up their time can be challenging, as you and I know how busy they all are running around doing "stuff".
Research continually shows us that it costs businesses significantly more to acquire new clients as opposed to retaining them. Successful businesses and their leadership understand the importance of providing and continually creating outstanding client relationships.
Your salespeople become a huge factor in determining if your clients stay or if they go.
Allow me to take you back to the spring of 1982 and introduce you to The Clash. Their hit entitled "Should I Stay or Should I Go" further reinforces the point within this article.
Should I stay or should I go now?
Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go, there will be trouble
And if I stay it will be double
So come on and let me know
Customers rely on their emotional experiences with salespeople more than any of the traditional factors, according to research by the Peppers & Rogers Group, which showed:
- 60% of all customers stop dealing with a company because of what they perceive as indifference on the part of salespeople
- 70% of customers leave a company because of poor service, which is usually attributed to a salesperson
What this reinforces is the importance that attitude and emotion play in determining whether your clients leave or stay. It’s mission critical for your salespeople to understand their client's attitudes and regularly collect their feedback.
Chew on this... Why do your clients do business with you? Is it because they feel valued and well taken care of? I guarantee the “why” will have monumental impact to you, your salespeople and the loyalty of your clients.
ARE YOUR SALESPEOPLE TAKING RELATIONSHIPS FOR GRANTED?
"Life is a precious gift - a gift we often take for granted until it is threatened."
Lecrae
Taking things for granted is an awful mistake many of us make and a huge strategic error that afflict many salespeople.
Unfortunately, and for many in sales when success sets in the "complacency syndrome" kicks in.
Taking your clients for granted is equivalent to shutting down your business.
Your salespeople are not indispensable given the fierce competition. Your clients have options and they will not stick around for long when complacency sets in.
According to research conducted by Microsoft and cited inside the Nextiva blog - "100 Essential Customer Service Statistics and Trends for 2022, update: June 3rd, 2021."
"68% of people around the world have stopped doing business with a company because of a poor customer service experience."
Sales leaders out there... let's apply this quote to your salespeople but with a twist...
Could 68% of your clients stop doing business with your salespeople due to a poor experience or lack of attention?
STOP ALLOWING YOUR SALESPEOPLE TO GROW YOUR COMPETITORS NEXT GREAT CLIENT
Chew on this for a moment...
How do you truly know your salespeople are delivering value to your clients?
Are your salespeople really giving them what they value more effectively than your competitors?
How sure are you?
It’s not a good idea to take your client’s loyalty for granted. Meeting their expectations is just not good enough. Your clients want to know you and your salespeople care.
I truly believe it’s more effective to act as if no one knows you or recognizes the value you bring because this will make you show it every day.
Would you know the last time one of your salespeople met with their clients and asked them, "What value do my services, products or solutions create for you?" I am waiting for your answer, still waiting, still waiting; this is what I thought - it has been a while or never.
I encourage you to think about this question "What does value add look like to your clients?" I bet your clients want to increase sales and grow their client base, correct?
Here is an exercise for your next sales meeting... Ask your team these two questions and have them write down their responses to:
How do I help my client's gain a competitive advantage?
What is my client's perception of value in working with me?
STAY TOP OF MIND OR BECOME AN AFTER THOUGHT
Sustaining meaningful value in the minds of your clients requires persistence and extreme focus.
Think about the following and then think about your clients:
- What’s happening right now within their business?
- What changes if any may be happening to them right now?
- What problems may they be facing?
- What difficulties are they encountering in their marketplace?
If your salespeople are not spending quality time in getting to know their clients better, then I guarantee someone else will be.
HOW WELL DO YOUR SALESPEOPLE UNDERSTAND THEIR CLIENT'S BUSINESS?
Creating true, authentic and genuine relationships requires spending informal time with your clients.
Do your salespeople REALLY know what’s important to their clients and their business?
I believe true leadership for a sales professional is their ability to affect change and to become influential inside their current accounts.
With all sincerity, when your salespeople get to know their clients inside and out, they can then start to personalize the attention they to give them.
START TREATING THEM AS CLIENTS
Between you and your team, do you view your customers as customers, or do you view them as clients? How many refer to them as clients but treat them as customers?
How do you know when a customer becomes a client, or the other way around? When a client becomes a customer, this becomes a problem.
Are your salespeople building customers or are they building clients?
You can't expect to get Nordstrom's level of service at Target or Walmart!
Think long and hard about this one... Are your salespeople viewed as sales rep who sells products and services or are they viewed as someone who enlightens, adds value, informs, advises, counsels, nurtures and becomes an advocate on behalf of their clients?
Question for you...
Is it your personal preference to be sold or served? When you’re in the marketplace as a consumer do you seek out professionals whom you can trust or sleaze-balls selling you and then moving on?
As the sales leader you must coach your salespeople to build meaningful relationships with their clients who value their professional advice rather than banging on them to find customers who make a one-time purchase.
An ever-flowing relationship funnel will fuel an ever-flowing sales funnel
If you and your salespeople fail to keep your clients as such, they could turn into customers.
In today's complex business environment, it’s the ideas, insight, information, help, and guidance your salespeople provide which will continually earn them the privilege of doing business with your clients.
Coach your salespeople to initiate conversations focused on their future needs, upcoming projects and areas of potential growth.
I will leave you all to think about this...
Are Your Salespeople Growing Your Competitors Next Great Client?
I understand, I get where you all are coming from. Every day, I walk in your shoes. I am fully committed to helping your sales team integrate social aspects and heartfelt strategies into your current sales process to grow new business. I want you to get results. This is why I am passionate about doing this the right way, the genuine way, the authentic way! It's about understanding value before visibility.
Selling From the Heart is making a difference! I poured my heart into every page of this book and I believe you're going to love it. You can find it on Amazon in paperback, kindle and in audio.
In a world full of empty suits, I'm passionate about helping sales reps become sales professionals. I help sales teams understand the true value they bring to the market.
With great pride I transform, challenge, coach and inspire sales teams to grow new business by helping them share their story and how they communicate it out by integrating the use of social and Selling from the Heart.
You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebookand on my podcast by clicking on Selling from the Heart.
This Week in the Copier Industry 5 Years Ago
This Week in the Copier Industry 5 Years Ago
Second Week of February 2017
So, I had some fun last night. I cleaned my idea with BS and it was a go for my fun. Told everyone I had an announcement, spoke about my 13 years with Stratix, the long term relationships and the new relationships with everyone. Looked at some older history and then told everyone of my announcement. I paused and wanted to show that the announcement was hard for me. Thus I told everyone Monday is my Birthday 🥳. Yes it worked as most thought that was my copier retirement speech. Stratix Systems I’m not done yet, still much to do
Enjoy these copier threads from 5 years ago
Xerox: Inkjet Is a Reality for All Print Providers “Right Now”
Konica Minolta Named One of Canada’s 50 Best Managed IT Companies
Xerox launches Xerox Color C70 Printer at PrintPack 2017
Brand Keys Names Konica Minolta #1 in Customer Loyalty for Tenth Consecutive Year
Four Common Mistakes Rookie Copier Sales Rep Make
Selling Price Alone, Whats the Problem with Reps, Sales Managers and Dealers
Re: Best Copiers of the Eighties
Reshaping the Workplace 2017: Konica Minolta's Webinar to Focus on Opportunities to Increase Productivity and Enhanced Employee Experience
Copier Reps: 3 Alternatives To Avoid Getting Beat Up On Price
New Canon Deep Matte Media Available for DreamLabo 5000 Inkjet Production Printer
PrintPack 2017: Canon sells all but one machine on display
Ricoh to shutter or relocate 4 offices in Kanto region
Toshiba Adds Nuance's AutoStore and Equitrac Document Solutions to Its Portfolio
Canon imageRUNNER ADVANCE Portfolio Celebrated as Top Performer with Highly Coveted Industry Accolades from Buyers Laboratory, LLC
Kyocera TASKalpha 5002i Questions
Global Sticker Labels Flexo Printers Market 2017- HP , Mutoh , Roland , Mimaki Engineering
How Did You Come Up with the Name the Print4Pay Hotel?
Re: Nine Butt Kicking Copier Proposals for January 2017
Ricoh broadens award-winning inkjet portfolio; bolstering capabilities for transactional and direct mail users
Re: Nine Butt Kicking Copier Proposals for January 2017
Re: Ricoh Tier (ricotier) Color Page Cost?
Nuclear write-down leaves Toshiba with $3.5-billion loss in third-quarter: Nikkei
Toshiba receives bid as high as $3.6 billion for chip business stake: Source
Best Copiers of the Eighties
RISO, Inc. Launches “Professional Inkjet” Printer
The 4 Major Reasons Sales Managers Fail
7 Things Sales Managers are Sick and Tired of Hearing
Brother to Showcase Largest Ever Array of Print, Capture, Labeling and Communications Solutions at HIMSS 2017
Meter read for Canon imageClass MF7470
Lead for Mega Fleet of Copiers in Massachusetts
Lead for Copiers in Louisiana
5 Psychological Biases That Help Salespeople Gain More Ground During Negotiations
Apple partner Sharp’s planned US manufacturing rumored for first half of year as Japan PM meets Trump
9 Types of People Who Never Succeed at Sales
Toshiba set to book loss of ¥700 billion
Toshiba receives bids as high as US$3.6bil for chip business stake
Ricoh's Forensic Expert Helps a Global Software Corporation Solve a Difficult Piracy Case
Toshiba prepares to unveil nuclear hole, other perils threaten
Chairman Shiga resigns from Toshiba
Re: Copier Reps: 3 Alternatives To Avoid Getting Beat Up On Price
Re: Copier Reps: 3 Alternatives To Avoid Getting Beat Up On Price
Re: Ricoh Tier (ricotier) Color Page Cost?
Data Communications Management acquires Eclipse Imaging and Thistle Printing in multi-million-dollar deal
Photizo Group Selects Channel Partners for 2016 Leaders Index
MPSA white paper released
Better Call Art "Spies Like Xerox"
Soviet Union and a short story how copy machines played and important role in spying. Please like, and subscribe to my YouTube channel.
New Survey Posted for Cost Effective Print Management
A highly cost effective print management SaaS that enables dealers to have differentiated conversations with customers addressing their print management needs.
Commercial overview
- Low upfront costs
- Generous initial margin
- Recurring margin Yoy
- Huge feature set
- Ability to differentiate vs other dealers selling same bundle (e.g. copier + PaperCut)
- Over half a million users
- Direct support reduces dealer overhead: Setup, aftersales, ongoing updates.
- Transparent dealer support through a dedicated portal
Technical key feature
- Cloud based - easy setup, no hardware required
- Windows, Mac and Chromebooks supported
- Universal driver supporting all advanced finishing and security features
- Office 365, Google Workspace integrated
There is a total of 7 questions for the survey. We're hoping you can take part in our survey because your help may bring another player to the US market that could give us additional options.
Lead for Copiers in Texas
The University of Texas at Austin (the “University”) has posted an Request for Proposal (“RFP”) on behalf of Document Solutions. Bid documents are available via the University’s Bonfire portal which can be found at the link below: https://utexas.bonfirehub.com/opportunities/59407 Submission instructions are also included in the attachments. The University will accept proposals until 2:30 p.m. CST on Tuesday, March 1, 2022.
Lead for 5 Copiers in Georgia
see attached file