April 2011 Office Technology

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CONTENTS Volume 17 • No. 10

FEATURE ARTICLES 10

Management Software Is your service department at optimum efficiency?

MPS STRATEGIES Making Money With MPS Is it possible to profit from managed print?

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by Leisa Thomason Strategy Development

by Brent Hoskins Office Technology Magazine

I was recently speaking with the owner of a dealership who asked this question: “Can you really make money in managed print services?” Of course, the short answer is “yes,” but I believe the real question he wanted to ask was “How can you make money?”

Today, most, if not all, mid- and large-sized office technology dealerships utilize one of the industry-specific business (or service) management software systems. Now may be the time for prospective new users of these systems to take a closer look.

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Chasing the Annuity Using technology to capture more printed pages

by Bob Sostilio Sostilio & Associates International

SELLING SOLUTIONS Effective Appointments Vital steps that help you advance your business

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The document industry is facing a new set of challenges — namely, meeting the hardcopy output needs of mobile office workers equipped with PDAs, smartphones, tablets and GPS systems. So, how is the independent office equipment dealer going to benefit from mobile printing?

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Winter Break 2011 BTA Southeast hosts education, networking event

by Brent Hoskins Office Technology Magazine

by Melissa Whitaker Melissa Whitaker International

Most salespeople get into a habit of winging appointments, which is unfortunately one of the top reasons why salespeople fail. Far too often, salespeople “talk at” prospects instead of engaging them by asking key questions to understand their challenges and goals.

The Assessment Strategy An effective appraisal is critical for success

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Continuing its long tradition of hosting education and networking opportunities for dealers, BTA Southeast recently hosted Winter Break 2011. The event, which drew approximately 70 dealer and vendor attendees, was held Feb. 17-18 at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando, Fla.

by Mike Lamothe Office Document Consulting

In this article, we will examine how an effective assessment strategy will be a critical element to the success of any form of strategic selling, not to mention a significant requirement before any form of MPS can begin.

COURTS & CAPITOLS 25

Workplace Romance Handling consensual relationships in the office

by Robert C. Goldberg BTA General Counsel

It is spring and love is in the air once again. We know that love has few limits and, sometimes, Cupid will find a match in the workplace. This month, we will focus on dealing with consensual relationships within the office. A consensual relationship among employees presents legal risks.

D E PA R T M E N T S Business Technology Association

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• BTA Highlights

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Executive Director’s Page

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BTA President’s Message

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Advertiser Index

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S PAGE

Register Now for BTA Mid-America’s Event

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s your schedule open for May 3-4? If so, I encourage you to make plans to attend BTA MidAmerica’s Gateway to Success event. Featuring five compelling education sessions, the opportunity to learn about the products and services of 24 exhibiting sponsors and plenty of networking opportunities, the event will be held at the Four Seasons Hotel in St. Louis, Mo. The scheduling of Gateway to Success was inspired by the great success of similar events held in the BTA East district in recent years and the long-time success of BTA Southeast events hosted each year for many years. This year, we are expanding the lineup with not only the Mid-America event, but a new event in BTA West as well, scheduled for Nov. 17-18 in Las Vegas.

Gateway to Success begins at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, May 3, with a keynote session to be presented by Ed McLaughlin, president of Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America — “On the Horizon: Possible Changes in the Office Technology Industry.” McLaughlin sees several important industry changes on the horizon that could lead to new opportunities for dealers. In this session, he will provide a look at what he sees as the ideal strategies for independent dealers seeking to grow their businesses in the months and years ahead.

Following the keynote session, an opening cocktail reception will take place, providing attendees an opportunity to network with fellow dealers and visit with exhibiting sponsors. The reception is being sponsored

by Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc. On Wednesday, May 4, at 8 a.m., following a continental breakfast sponsored by GreatAmerica Leasing Corp., attendees will have

the opportunity to attend four education sessions: “Twenty Traits of the Successful Dealership,” presented by Bob Goldberg, BTA general counsel; “Prospecting Stats: What ‘Good’ Looks Like,” presented by Kate Kingston, Kingston Training Group; “Building & Maximizing the Impact of Your Solutions Team,” presented by Mitch Morgan, Growth Achievement Partners; and “Service Productivity, Efficiency & Effectiveness,” presented by Mike Woodard, Strategy Development. There will be several extended breaks to visit with exhibitors. The day’s lunch is being sponsored by Micro Solutions Enterprises (MSE).

That evening, attendees will walk over to Busch Stadium to watch the Florida Marlins take on the St. Louis Cardinals from the vantage point of a private suite with plenty of free food and drinks. The evening is being co-sponsored by Equipment Data Associates (EDA).

The setting for Gateway to Success is going to be outstanding. Certainly, the Four Seasons Hotel is synonymous with luxury.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to enjoy the 24-hour, 75,000-square-foot Lumière Place Casino, adjacent to the hotel, which features approximately 2,000 slots, 55 tables and a dedicated 13-table poker room. And, of course, there is the incredible nearby Gateway Arch. It is an architectural wonder that has to be seen to be believed.

Finally, dealer attendees of the BTA MidAmerica event will be able to enter the BTA District Event Sweepstakes, for a chance to win cash prizes of $1,000, $750 or $250. For details, visit www.bta.org/Sweepstakes.

For more information on Gateway to Success, see pages 2 and 3, visit www.bta. org/BTAMidAmericaEvent or call BTA at (800) 843-5059. I look forward to seeing you in St. Louis.  — Brent Hoskins

Executive Director/BTA Editor/Office Technology Brent Hoskins brent@bta.org (816) 303-4040 Associate Editor Elizabeth Marvel elizabeth@bta.org (816) 303-4060 Contributing Writers Robert C. Goldberg, General Counsel Business Technology Association Mike Lamothe, Office Document Consulting Bob Sostilio, Sostilio & Associates International Leisa Thomason, Strategy Development www.strategydevelopment.com Melissa Whitaker, Melissa Whitaker International www.melissawhitakerintl.com

Business Technology Association 12411 Wornall Road Kansas City, MO 64145 (816) 941-3100 www.bta.org Member Services: (800) 505-2821 BTA Legal Hotline: (800) 869-6688 Valerie Briseno Membership & Marketing Manager valerie@bta.org Mary Hopkins Database Administrator mary@bta.org Teresa Leerar Bookkeeper teresa@bta.org Brian Smith Membership Sales Representative brian@bta.org ©2011 by the Business Technology Association. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means without the written permission of the publisher. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of published material.

However, the publisher assumes no liability for errors in articles nor are opinions expressed necessarily those of the publisher.

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BTA PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 2010-2011 Board of Directors

BTA Addressing MFP Data Security Issue

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ince the April 19, 2010, report by the CBS Evening News on the topic of MFP (copier) security, the issue has received a significant amount of attention both inside and outside of the industry. BTA has hosted two Data Cleansing Summits with manufacturers, suppliers, wholesalers, industry press and leasing companies, and remains in contact with all of the participants. Meanwhile, increasingly, state legislators are asking the question: “Should there be a law that serves to address the possibility that data remaining on the hard drive of an MFP can pose the risk of a breach of confidential information?”

Shortly after the airing of the CBS report, BTA hosted its first Data Cleansing Summit, moderated by BTA General Counsel Bob Goldberg. This came after our initial dialog with representatives of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The conclusion of dialog at the summits and with the FTC was the recognition that the best course of action is not legislation, but educational efforts, to make end users aware that data left on hard drives may pose a security threat and should be appropriately addressed.

You are likely aware that BTA has developed an informational pamphlet that can be downloaded from BTA’s website at www. bta.org/DataSecurityPamphlet. The pamphlet is available for free to the industry at large, but a member dealership can also request a customized version that includes company contact information and a logo. If you have not already done so, I encourage you to download the PDF of the pamphlet for distribution to your customer base.

In addition, Bob has prepared two legal documents to help BTA member dealers

address the data cleansing issue — “Data Cleansing or Hard Drive Removal Agreement” and “Data Cleansing Waiver.” Both documents are available to BTA members only and can be downloaded from the BTA website at www.bta.org/DataSecurity.

Although end-user education is clearly the best course of action, in recent months, legislation has been introduced in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington. Last month, new legislation was also introduced in Connecticut and Nevada. Bob has been monitoring this legislation, and has met (or communicated otherwise) with legislators and state attorneys general, in some cases in cooperation with the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA). Likewise, representatives of Konica Minolta and Toshiba have met with legislators to explain the facts regarding document retention on hard drives. Additionally, a representative of BTA member dealership Pacific Office Automation provided testimony at a hearing in Oregon.

BTA has prepared a Model Resolution, providing for a comprehensive education effort for end users, for legislators who believe the issue needs to be addressed legislatively. The synopsis of a resolution prepared for the state of New Jersey, for example, states: “Requires a statewide educational program to advise end users of digital copy machines of the possible retention of certain information and data on hard drives. Provide end users of digital copy machines with options to preserve the confidentiality of information and data.”

Be assured that BTA is working on behalf of the dealer channel as the dialog regarding data security continues. If you have any questions, e-mail Brent Hoskins at brent@ bta.org. Watch the BTA website for additional new information.  — Rock Janecek

President Rock Janecek Burtronics Business Systems Inc. 216 S. Arrowhead Ave. San Bernardino, CA 92408 rjanecek@burtronics.com President-Elect Tom Ouellette Budget Document Technology 251 Goddard Road Lewiston, ME 04240 touellette@bdtme.com Vice President Terence Chapman Business Electronics Corp.

219 Oxmoor Circle Birmingham, AL 35209 tchapman@businesselectronics.com BTA East Todd J. Fitzsimons Network Imaging LLC 122 Spring St. Southington, CT 06489 tjfitzsimons@networkimaging.biz BTA Mid-America Ron Hulett U.S. Business Systems Inc. 3221 Southview Drive Elkhart, IN 46514 ron.hulett@usbus.com BTA Southeast Mike Upchurch Business Machines Inc. 3121-C Glen Royal Road Raleigh, NC 27617 mike@bmi4u.com BTA West Greg Gray Burtronics Business Systems Inc. 216 S. Arrowhead Ave. San Bernardino, CA 92408 ggray@burtronics.com Ex-Officio/Immediate Past President Bill James WJS Enterprises Inc. 3315 Ridgelake Drive Metairie, LA 70002 bjames@wjsenterprises.com Ex-Officio/General Counsel Robert C. Goldberg Schoenberg Finkel Newman & Rosenberg LLC 222 S. Riverside Plaza, Ste. 2100 Chicago, IL 60606 robert.goldberg@sfnr.com

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Management Software Is your service department at optimum efficiency? by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine

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oday, most, if not all, mid- and large-sized office technology dealerships utilize one of the industryspecific business (or service) management software systems marketed to the dealer channel. Often, their employees have utilized the dealership’s system of choice for years. It has become a part of the routine in their daily efforts, helping them optimize efficiencies in order to win new customers and keep existing ones.

Built around the enterprise relationship management (ERP) solution, the industry’s management software systems provide an ever-expanding list of standard features and add-on modules.

Today, such systems — primarily aiding the dealership’s service department — are being used, for example, to assist with service dispatch, analyze customer profitability, manage service technicians, generate invoices, produce custom contracts, collect meter reads, manage parts inventory and automate collections. “The ERP solution is absolutely important,” says Laryssa Alexander, president of OMD and La Crosse at ECi Software Solutions (www.ecisolutions.com).

“But today, dealers are looking at the ‘surround solution’ from a company they can partner with; they are looking for more than just an ERP solution.”

Despite their many features, while business management systems are commonplace among mid- and large-sized dealerships, many small dealerships may not be utilizing one of the systems. Instead, some may still be using non-industryspecific software such as QuickBooks or even, to some extent, outdated manual processes. There may be a hesitation to make a financial investment in anything new. There may also be a company-wide reluctance to face any changes in the manner in which daily business processes are handled.

Now may be the time for prospective new users of the industry’s business management systems to take a closer look. A reluctance to make the investment may be stifling

the growth of a dealership. Consider the rise of managed print services (MPS), increased competition and the commoditized nature of much of the hardware now on the market. Business management systems can be utilized to help dealerships better address these industry challenges.

Jim Phillips, CEO of Digital Gateway (www.digitalgateway.com), which offers the e-automate business management system, emphasizes that small and midsized dealerships should strive to confront the competitive threat of not only other, larger dealerships, but OEM direct sales and IT VARs as well, particularly given the burgeoning MPS opportunity. “You want to defend your biggest customers and protect them,” he says. “I ask dealers, ‘If you lost your largest customer today, could you survive the fall?’”

Using e-automate and its various add-ons, even a small dealership can become just as sophisticated in practice (as well as sophisticated in the eyes of the customer) as its larger competitors, says Phillips. He cites the examples of two e-automate add-on modules in particular, Remote Tech and e-info, which can help to “level the playing field” so that small dealerships “look as big as the majors.” With Remote Tech, service technicians are able to access information, manage service activities and input data while in the field using their laptops or mobile devices, such as BlackBerries.

The e-info module allows dealerships to set up and manage their own e-commerce Web portal to share information with their customers.

With the use of e-info, which can be customized to reflect a dealership’s corporate identity, technicians (and sales reps) can state to their customers, “‘Using the Internet, you can put in a service call, order supplies, order toner, input meter reads and communicate with us; this is your view to us,’” explains Phillips. “When you promote the use of e-info,

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you are selling the ‘personal sponding to MPS has been a touch’ your dealership can big focus for us these last 12 “We give dealers offer. You are not just sellmonths,” he says. “Historiconnectivity to all of the ing boxes, you are selling the cally, the dealer would typicritical vendors in the [benefits of doing business cally have a contract with market. We have spent the with your] dealership.” two or three machines on past year and a half getting Beyond the dealership’s it. Now, the dealership has increased visibility to the contracts with 50 to 100 manot only the visibility to the customer provided by e-info chines. Trying to manage all customer, but now the and the other base capabiliof that information has beconnectivity to the vendors.” ties such as inventory concome much more difficult.”

— Jim Phillips trol, service dispatch and Sombach cites one of Digital Gateway contract processing, Philthe various aspects of MPS lips emphasizes that dealers that can be easily addressed welcome the “connectivity” that e-automate offers them. by the dealership’s use of a management software system.

“We give dealers connectivity to all of the critical vendors in “Hospitals, for example, want to receive one invoice in the the market,” he says. “We have spent the past year and a half finance department, and the finance department wants [further improving e-automate] getting not only the visibili- you to tell them where those machines are located and how ty to the customer, but now the connectivity to the vendors.” much each machine costs to operate so they can allocate Specifically, Digital Gateway has partnered with such expenses for each department for those costs,” he explains. companies as Supplies Network, West Point Products and “Providing an Excel spreadsheet that segments which deParts Now!, integrating e-automate directly with the part- partment gets what portion of the invoice is an easy task ners’ order fulfillment systems. “So, on the same console, with Miracle Service.” you are able to see not only that your customer has ordered A look at another feature of Miracle Service touted by toner, but you are able to see if the toner was shipped,” says Sombach provides a sense of the scope of the value that Phillips. “Connectivity is the only way to go in a high trans- management software systems can offer dealers. “From the action business with multiple partners.” management team’s perspective, a key benefit of the softRobert Sombach, vice president of operations and devel- ware lies in business intelligence,” he says. “It will produce opment for Nexent Innovations Inc. (www.miracleservice. reports that will serve to answer such questions as: Which com), makers of the Miracle Service management system, customers are the most and the least profitable? How are my offers a similar perspective. With the use of management service techs performing? Do I have any weak people? Do I software, he says, dealers can expect to increase efficiencies have a shining star that I need to make sure I am protectand profitability. Dealerships that do not have such a system ing? The reports help you scrutinize your entire operation.” in place have “information silos,” says Sombach. “The serOf course, the other key player in the business managevice guy may be using Excel spreadsheets and whiteboards ment systems arena is ECi Software Solutions, which proover here, and someone else is tracking meter billing in an vides the industry with three products — OMD, La Crosse Excel spreadsheet over there,” he explains. “What’s missing and DDMS. How does a prospective dealer customer decide is a way to roll it all up. So, when Miracle Service is installed, which is best for his (or her) dealership? “We take the time we are not doing a wholesale forklift replacement, we are to get to know the dealership, making sure we have a thorjust building on what you have already; we’re extending the ough understanding of their needs, current business model technology, not replacing it.” and plans for the future,” says Alexander. “That helps us to When representatives of Nexent visit a dealership that custom fit a solution that will work for them today and help has no company-wide management system, “we walk them them grow tomorrow.” through some of the areas where they have inefficiencies,” Alexander shares examples of the types of dealership says Sombach. “They are making some money, but typically characteristics that would point to the right ECi solution for they know that they are not as efficient as they should be. the dealership. “If I have a prospective customer approach They see how use of our software can help them become us who says, ‘The majority of my business is office supplies more profitable and, ultimately, make them much more and I do some contract furniture, but I do sell some equipcompetitive in the marketplace.” ment,’ then the best fit is most likely going to be DDMS. If Being more competitive is particularly important given they are looking for integrated payroll, fixed assets and emthe rise of MPS in recent years, Sombach emphasizes. “Re- bedded business procedures, OMD would be a good fit,” she 12 | ­w w w. o f f i c e t e c h n o l o gymag.com | April 2011

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— Laryssa Alexander ECi Software Solutions explains. “Similarly, if I have a prospect who is doing some business abroad and requires something that handles multiple currencies, then I will point them to La Crosse, because it has that capability. So, it is just figuring out their needs.”

Like it has for its competitors, at ECi, the changing market has resulted in new capabilities being added to the company’s business management systems. “We have definitely made enhancements,” says Alexander. “For example, we have addressed the needs required to handle managed print services and the associated contracts.”

Other significant changes are on the horizon, she adds: “With OMD, we are well underway to providing a .net SQL environment, which will have a significant impact on all aspects of a company’s business.”

As ECi makes changes to its products, it remains focused on providing dealers the means to increase their revenues, says Alexander. “It has become increasingly difficult for dealers to obtain new customers in the last few years, so the focus is on gaining a greater share of the customer’s business,” she explains. “Recognizing that, ECi’s solutions, such as ECinteractive for e-commerce, PSN and ESN for vendor connectivity, FMAudit for device management or Acsellerate for sales analytics, have enabled our dealers to operate at maximum efficiency. Diversification is key in today’s market. Our solutions provide the flexibility for dealers to effectively pursue new opportunities.”

While many dealers are solidly ingrained in their use of one of the industry’s business management systems, dealers with smaller companies only now considering the investment may want to think about some advice from Alexander: “For those dealers who are feeling the workflow pain associated with company growth, it is easier to implement a business management system now than when you are bursting at the seams.” n Brent Hoskins, executive director of the Business Technology Association, is editor of Office Technology magazine.

He can be reached at brent@bta.org.

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Chasing the Annuity Using technology to capture more printed pages by: Bob Sostilio, Sostilio & Associates International

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do not have to tell you that your page volumes per installed unit within the office environment are declining in a non-linear fashion as the number of people using smartphones and tablets increases. Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau and figures from the Pulp and Paper Product Council, since 1999-2000 the consumption of pages by U.S. office workers has declined from a high of 16 million tons (3,200 billion pages) to 10.5 million tons (2,100 billion pages) in 2010. That is a decline in total output of 34.4 percent in just 10 years.

Factoring in office worker unemployment rates during that same time period, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, it seems the number of office workers increased 6 percent from 1999 to 2007 when it peaked, before declining 8.8 percent by 2010.

I do not have to remind you that we have shown that fewer office workers produce less output, but the declining numbers of office employment does not account for the dramatic decline in paper consumption.

So what happened in 1999-2000 that was disruptive enough to cause the impetus to start this erosion of lost pages? It was the Internet.

From 1998 to 1999, the number of Internet users grew 25.8 percent in the United States to 88 million and that number has continued to mushroom in the ensuing years. As more offices employed the Internet and gave access to their office workers, information was no longer restricted to “marks on paper,” but could be transmitted in a reliable format in real time via the Web. Also during that same time period, multifunctional copier/printer/fax/scanners started to penetrate the office and capture online documents, as well as serve as on-ramps for scanned documents, thereby eliminating the need for a separate printer. No longer was it necessary to use copiers to make duplicates — a “digital” document could be created and sent and then printed instead of printed and then sent. Productivity improved with the introduction of desktop publishing applications and more documents were created on the desktop and sent over the Internet without

being printed locally. This disruptive methodology can account for many of the lost pages in the office, the near disappearance of standalone facsimile devices and declining postal revenues.

Now the document industry is facing a new generation of office workers and a new set of challenges — namely, meeting the hardcopy output needs of mobile office workers equipped with PDAs, smartphones, tablets and GPS systems. These devices, when equipped with remote printing applications, seek the path of least resistance when it comes to outputting/retrieving a document. How then is the independent office equipment dealer going to benefit from mobile printing?

Well, thanks to Intel and Global Graphics, a peer-to-peer, driverless mobile print solution is possible. Using Intel’s Atom processor and Global Graphics’ Harlequin embedded RIP, it is now possible to print from any mobile device without the need for the Internet, a network, the cloud or installing print drivers. This key development allows the user of a mobile device to utilize the device’s wireless technology to quickly and securely print documents in common file formats such as Microsoft Office, PDF and JPEG. For a dealer, the technology can be embedded in newer printers and MFPs. Or, for legacy devices, they can be attached

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via an externally mounted box or a This new technology card that plugs into provides an advantage the motherboard. ... when offering a This new techmanaged print service nology provides an solution to ... any place advantage to a servicing dealer when an ... on-demand offering a managed document is sought. print service solution to law firms, local governments (courthouses), trucking company depots, shipping companies (loading docks), travel centers, hotels, airports, airport lounges, print shops — virtually any place an amended or on-demand document is sought. The servicing dealership is not restricted by brands, networks, installed drivers, etc. This allows it to be virtually agnostic to the enterprise or end-user environment.

Imagine telling your prospect that you have the capability to capture any document from any worker or visitor’s mobile device without having to access or log on to the prospect’s network or the cloud, or to obtain a password or download drivers. What IT manager would not see the value of such a technology?

The Intel/Global Graphics solution is one emerging technology that independent dealerships can actually deploy to recapture some of those pages that have left the office but are within its realm. It has virtually no power drain on the mobile device given the RIP is performed on the printing device via the Intel/Global Graphics solution. Having this solution requires no action by the device user, who merely has to locate a printer with the Intel/Global Graphics technology, pair it, print and retrieve the document(s). And because there is no Internet connection, there are relatively few issues with security.

The Intel/Global Graphics solution is just one of many emerging technologies that will evolve over the next five to 10 years as document management progresses to encompass mobile and remote office workers. And as a document imaging dealer, it behooves you to take advantage of these technologies, become an early adopter and retain your annuities from the printed page. n Bob Sostilio is president and CEO of Sostilio & Associates International (SAI), an Ocala, Fla.-based consulting firm serving the office technology industry.

He has more than 34 years of experience in the industry, including service in senior management positions with leading manufacturers and research organizations. Sostilio can be reached at bsostilio@embarqmail.com.

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Your competitive advantage.

and ongoing sales support. If you are in need of an MPS solution, we are here to help you.

www.mse.com C o r p o rate Head q u arters 800. 673. 4 9 6 8 | 8 1 8 .4 0 7 .7 5 0 0 | 8 2 0 1 Wo o d le y Av e . Va n N u y s , C A 9 1 4 06 800. 418. 4968 (US - E ast Co ast ) | 8 7 7 .2 4 6 .2 1 3 3 (Pa r ts N o w! C a n a d a ) | + 3 1 .3 6 .5 2 2 .2 6 0 1 (EMEA ) Š Copyright 2010 Micro Solutions Enterprises. All rights reserved. All trademarks referenced are registered trademarks of their respective owners. All model designations are for compatibility purposes only.

MSE ad Apr 11.indd 1

3/23/11 9:18 AM

Winter Break 2011 BTA Southeast hosts education, networking event by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine

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ontinuing its long tradition of hosting education and networking opportunities for dealers in an intimate, relaxed setting, BTA Southeast recently hosted Winter Break 2011. The event, which drew approximately 70 dealer and vendor attendees, was held Feb. 17-18 at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando, Fla. The event featured six education sessions ranging from “Service Benchmarks,” presented by Guy Worzel of BEI Services Inc., to “Digital Copier/MFP Security,” a round-table discussion facilitated by Bill James of WJS Enterprises Inc. Attendees also had the opportunity to learn about the latest products and services of 20 exhibiting sponsors.

The Winter Break 2011 event drew favorable comments from dealers and vendors. From Monica Abair of U.S. Business Systems, Elkhart, Ind.: “It all proved beneficial and interesting to me. I hope to implement everything I learned in our dealership and plan on sharing all of the information.” From Chris McCord, Muratec America Inc.: “I think the speakers did a great job. Their sessions gave us a good pulse of what the owners are interested in hearing and what their concerns are for their dealerships.”

BTA also recognized the winners of its 2011 BTA Channel’s Choice Awards during the event. The award winners were determined by ballots cast by approximately 390 dealers, who were asked to rate their primary and secondary line manufacturers in key performance categories. The 2011 Channel’s Choice Award winners: Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc. (TABS) received four awards — Superior Performance as a Primary Product Line Provider (the top award, received by TABS for the fifth consecutive year), Corporate Support, Distribution and Inventory; Kyocera Mita America Inc. (KMA) for Product Line; and Muratec America Inc. for Outstanding Performance as a Secondary Product Line Provider.

“More than anything, we are extremely thankful for the consistent recognition we have received from our independent dealers,” said Mark Mathews, president and COO for TABS, following the event. (Cary Butler, TABS Southeast Region director of sales, accepted the awards.) “The

Clockwise from top: Winter Break 2011 drew approximately 70 dealer and vendor attendees; Guy Worzel, BEI Services, presents his “Service Benchmarks” education session; attendees visit with exhibiting sponsors; and Bill James, WJS Enterprises, leads a round-table discussion on the topic of “Digital Copier/MFP Security.”

20 | w w w. o f f i c e t e c h n o l o gymag.com | April 2011

BTA Southeast Apr 11.indd 1

3/31/11 2:10 PM

FMAudit ad Dec 10:Layout 1

11/19/10

12:28 PM

Page 1

The first choice in managed print

Take your MPS business discussions to a more strategic level FMAudit Enterprise

Get everything you need to assess, analyze, propose, monitor and market your MPS Strategy. Developed on the .NET Framework, this complete package includes all of the FMAudit modules, partner interfaces and MPS best practices.

Central Server Central Server is the heart of the FMAudit software solution. Central Server is the data repository for the wealth of device data collected by FMAudit.

You can leverage the information to empower your staff to develop and act on your strategic business opportunities in both new and existing accounts.

The server can be installed at your company or hosted by FMAudit or an FMAudit partner.

Capture Technologies FMAudit offers the most extensive data collection software tools available in the industry today. USB Viewer for quick snapshot assessment, WebAudit for browser/e-mail enabled quick assessment, Onsite for ongoing assessment, device meter/supply/service monitoring and device optimization and Local Agent to collect non-networked device data. FMAudit provides a secure, comprehensive approach to address the needs of your diverse client base.

TCO Reporting/Green Reporting/ Customized Reports FMAudit provides reporting features to help you understand and present your solutions and recommendations. FMAudit includes TCO reporting to determine and validate current cost of ownership, “Green” reporting to analyze environmental efficiencies and customized reporting to uniquely present data for new account proposals, current account reviews and proactive fleet device management and optimization.

Complete software for remote meter reading and managed print services automation Flexible capture options TCO Reporting to determine operational costs Adaptive Service Management to filter service alerts Bi-directional ERP/CRM synchronization simplifies contract administration Green Reporting for “eco-friendly” optimization

Adaptive Supply & Service Management

Web based assessments

FMAudit includes automation to interpret and filter alerts into process workflows. You can set parameters and triggers to handle the specific needs and expectations of your clients MPS agreement. The ability to automate supply and service fulfillment and the flow of information is a primary differentiator in the delivery of a profitable MPS strategy.

Remote Onsite install and update Supply level alerts and workflows

Bi-Directional ERP Sync FMAudit provides bi-directional ERP systems data integration to enable complete automation of meter collection and accurate billing. Your ERP account data and device information can be pulled seamlessly into FMAudit Central providing ongoing data exchange and updates.

To learn more about how your MPS strategy can reach new levels with FMAudit and the minimal investment required to deploy the FMAudit solution, contact us today for a demo and quote.

fact that dealers take the time out “Our distribution strategy of their busy day to focuses exclusively on recognize the hard the independent office work and effort of equipment dealer, so the Toshiba team to be ... recognized to create valuable programs, products by this channel ... is and processes, is extremely gratifying.” something that we will never take for granted, no matter how many times we win.”

Accepting the award on behalf of Kyocera was Don Snowden, strategic accounts manager. Following the event, KMA President and CEO Michael Pietrunti commented on the recognition. “It’s an honor for our product line to be recognized by the dealer community and we appreciate that dealers are choosing Kyocera products above all others,” he said. “We’ve made a concerted effort to deliver true business value to our dealer community, by introducing new products, applications and programs that improve our level of support and commitment.”

Jim D’Emidio, president of Muratec America, was on hand to accept his company’s eighth Channel’s Choice award for Secondary Product Line. “We’re honored to receive this recognition from BTA,” he said. “Our distribution strategy focuses exclusively on the independent office equipment dealer, so to be consistently recognized by this channel for our performance is extremely gratifying. Muratec employees take great pride in providing our dealers with superior products, service and support, and I believe this recognition validates their efforts.”

Winter Break 2011 also provided a venue for BTA to recognize one of its key volunteers. Todd J. Fitzsimons, president of Network Imaging LLC, Southington, Conn., was presented with the 2011 Volunteer of the Year Award by 2010-11 BTA National President Rock Janecek. Fitzsimons first volunteered his services in 2008.

“He has since served as an outstanding and loyal member of the National BTA Board of Directors,” said Janecek when announcing the award winner. “He has also played a very key role in the growing success of the BTA East district event. And, if you were at the event in September 2010, then you know this individual did an unbelievable job as the emcee for that event from start to finish.”

The next BTA Southeast event, “The Fall Colors Retreat,” will take place Oct. 21-22 in Waynesville, N.C. Watch BTA’s website, www.bta.org, and Office Technology for details.  Brent Hoskins, executive director of the Business Technology Association, is editor of Office Technology magazine. He can be reached at brent@bta.org.

Clockwise from top left: BTA President Rock Janecek (left) presents a Channel’s Choice award to Kyocera Mita America’s Don Snowden; education session presenter Jeff Westerberg; Janecek presents one of four Channel’s Choice awards to Toshiba’s Cary Butler; Janecek presents the 2011 Volunteer of the Year Award to Todd J. Fitzsimons; and Muratec’s Jim D’Emidio accepts his company’s Channel’s Choice award.

22 | w w w. o f f i c e t e c h n o l o gymag.com | April 2011

BTA Southeast Apr 11.indd 2

3/31/11 12:12 PM

You’ve launched an MPS program, but are you achieving the profits you had hoped for?

Strategy Development will help you accelerate your MPS growth and achieve profit margins in excess of 55%.

BTA MPS Operations & Service Workshop Developed and taught by Mike Woodard, Strategy Development Service Consultant, this course is designed to jump-start your understanding of how to set-up and manage all operational and service aspects of an MPS agreement.

What you will learn: • What should be included in a contract • How to set-up a contract • What printers you should service • How to get training to service printers • How to determine the number of techs needed • Territories vs route service • And much more!

When: May 18, 2011 Dallas, TX Pricing: $995 for members $795 for a second member attendee $1,425 for non-members* (*Non-member price includes a one-year BTA dealer membership.)

For more information and to register, visit: www.bta.org/MPSOperationsService or call 800.843.5059.

“This workshop helps to alleviate the angst of starting a successful MPS program and brought the project down to a simplistic, manageable process.

The process, pricing and implementation ideas are well thought out.” - Ron Fuhrman, Liberty Business

Systems, Fargo, ND

“In an economy that is faced with daily challenges, Strategy Development offers hope and a ‘valueadd’ plan to help dealers grow exponentially. The program is logical, fact-based and incorporates an ‘under-promise/over-deliver’ mantra. Well done!”

- Dave Varney, Millennium Business Systems, Cincinnati, OH

BTA MPS Sales Workshop Developed and taught by Strategy Development consultants, this two-day educational workshop will provide dealerships with the tools they need to establish a profitable MPS strategy.

What you will learn: • Understanding the print space • Getting the appointment • Presenting a value proposition • Conducting an assessment • Building an MPS proposal that sells • Pricing an MPS contract • Quarterly business reviews When: May 18-19, 2011 Dallas, TX June 6-7, 2011 Baltimore, MD Pricing: $1,695 for members $1,195 for a second member attendee $2,125 for non-members* (*Non-member price includes a one-year BTA dealer membership.)

For more information and to register, visit: www.bta.org/MPSSales or call 800.843.5059.

Register today and learn a highly profitable approach to growing your MPS business from the leaders in the MPS consulting space. www.strategydevelopment.com

MPS Workshops ad Apr 11.indd 1

3/29/11 11:37 AM

BTA HIGHLIGHTS BTA would like to welcome the following new members to the association:

Dealer Members American Copier Solutions, Cleveland, OH Cartridge on Wheels, Monroe, LA DigiTec Office Solutions, Sugar Land, TX Kopy Sales, Traverse City, MI Offix LC, Gainesville, VA Ridders Business Supply Co., Quincy, IL Service Associate Members Univest Capital Inc., Bensalem, PA For full contact information of these new members, visit www.bta.org.

For the benefit of its dealer members, each month BTA features two of its Vendor or Service Associate members in this space.

BTA Vendor Associate member Innovolt manufactures next-generation power protection products for commercial, residential, industrial, OEM and utility applications.

Based in Atlanta, the company has grown its global delivery capability to commercialize its cutting-edge power protection products. Innovolt has revolutionized the industry by offering power monitoring and power protection in one low-cost device. Innovolt products are microprocessor-based, enabling diagnostics, asset optimization and energy conservation essential for 21st century electronics in an increasingly digital and eco-friendly world. www.innovolt.com

Are you seeking information and insight regarding office technology industry trends and developments? Through an alliance with InfoTrends (www.infotrends.com), BTA members can submit their questions via e-mail for an InfoTrends’ analyst to address. BTA’s “Ask The Analyst” feature is free to the association’s dealer members.

It’s simple — just visit www.bta.org/ AsktheAnalyst. You will be provided with an e-mail address to submit your question and an InfoTrends analyst will respond to you directly via e-mail. (You will need your member login and password to access the e-mail address.)

BTA Service Associate member Strategy Development is a management consulting and advanced sales training firm for technology and outsourcing companies. It specializes in strategy consulting, business planning, service operations improvement, and sales training and mentoring. Strategy Development developed and leads the BTA MPS Sales Workshop, BTA MPS Operations & Service Workshop, BTA Business Planning Workshop, BTA Sales Management Workshop and BTA Service Management University (SMU). www.strategydevelopment.com

For information on BTA member benefits, visit www.bta.org/MemberBenefits.

A full list of BTA Vendor and Service Associate members can be found online at www.bta.org.

24 | w w w. o f f i c e t e c h n o l o gymag.com | April 2011

Highlights Apr 11.indd 1

3/31/11 12:18 PM

COURTS & CAPITOLS

Workplace Romance Handling consensual relationships in the office by: Robert C. Goldberg, General Counsel for the Business Technology Association

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t is spring and love is in the air once again. We know that love has few limits and, sometimes, Cupid will find a match in the workplace. This month, we will focus on dealing with consensual relationships within the office.

A consensual relationship among employees presents numerous legal risks when clear rules are not in place. Depending on the stage of a relationship, there is a fine line between consensual partners and harassment, coercion or intimidation. Relationships always start out well, but when they sour there are hurt feelings and often repercussions for the employer. What was once love has now become harassment or coercion. It is difficult to regulate activities outside the business, but there are steps that can be taken to assure that you, as an employer, do not face claims for a relationship gone bad.

Previously, we have reviewed the need for a written antiharassment policy even if you do not have an employee policy and procedure handbook. This written policy is the first item the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission requests when investigating a complaint.

Here’s an interesting fact: In the last year, more employers have been found guilty of retaliating against an employee who raises a harassment complaint than have been found guilty of the alleged harassment itself. Knowing what to do in these situations is critical and BTA is always available to guide you through the proper steps.

If a relationship between employees develops, it is important to eliminate any potential conflicts of interest. This may require a transfer, demotion or even termination. If it is necessary to move an individual, ask the romantically involved individuals to determine which employee will be affected to minimize the risk of discrimination claims.

In a small business, it is often difficult to keep employees separated for supervisory purposes. In that situation, take steps so that the reporting, supervising and work requirements are shifted to another individual so the couple is not performing these responsibilities for one another. This may require one of the individuals to report to the president.

In your employee policy and procedure manual, require

employees who become involved to notify the president or human resources manager. This is the same obligation an employee has if he (or she) feels he has been harassed.

As an employer, ask the parties to submit a written statement regarding their consensual relationship. It should state that the relationship is voluntary and consensual and that the relationship will not have a negative impact on their performance or that of the company. It should also state that there will not be any public displays of affection or behavior that would make others uncomfortable. In this statement, have the couple acknowledge that position adjustments may be required if a conflict of interest develops. Require that the parties acknowledge and strictly observe the company’s anti-harassment policy. It should also be stated that the parties will always act professionally toward each other, even after the relationship ends. And, if the relationship does end, the parties will agree to respect each other’s decision to end the relationship, and will not retaliate or engage in unprofessional or inappropriate efforts to resume the relationship. In the event that the relationship does end, the couple should notify the president or human resources manager. Both parties should sign this statement and a copy should be placed in each of their employment files.

In small family businesses, the issue can become more complex. If a husband and wife are both working in the business, they should observe similar rules. Be sure to recognize that as a corporation, all employees must be subject to the same rules and regulations.

We spend many hours at our jobs and relationships can develop. The law is silent on consensual relationships, but very strict on harassment, intimidation and coercion. To protect your business from claims, establish in writing that a relationship is consensual at the outset.

A well-documented relationship is the best insurance for a subsequent claim. n Robert C. Goldberg is general counsel for the Business Technology Association.

He can be reached at robert.goldberg@sfnr.com. www.officetechnologyma g. c o m | A p r i l 2 0 1 1 | 25

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MPS STRATEGIES

Making Money With MPS Is it possible to profit from managed print? by: Leisa Thomason, Strategy Development

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was recently speaking with the owner of a dealership who asked this question: “Can you really make money in managed print services (MPS)?” Being the owner of a small, independent dealership that has been experiencing tremendous growth with 50 percent-plus margins in MPS for the last six years, I was surprised by the question.

Of course, the short answer is “yes,” but I believe the real question he wanted to ask was not, “Can you make money?” but, “How can you make money?” This is the million-dollar question on everyone’s mind.

Before we discuss the how-to, let us define what MPS is. There are some who say, “I have been doing MPS for 20 years.” Or, “I even implement MPS in my small customers’ offices where there is not more than one MFP and a few printers.”

Really? When I ask questions, it becomes clear that what they are referring to is nothing more than a click charge, because all they manage to do is to invoice the customer for pages printed.

There is no secret here — this is a model we all understand. But this is not MPS; it is simply cost-per-page (CPP) billing.

So what is MPS? It is an end-to-end, outsourced solution that provides the customer with everything needed to control output costs: an initial output assessment, hardware redeployment or acquisition, pay-per-use output that includes service and supplies, thorough ongoing assessment of the contract and, as needed, optimization of the fleet. Hence, there must be something to manage. So to start, you will need to figure out who your target MPS customer is.

Generally speaking, your MPS program should target a company with 40 or more printers. Any less than that and there really is nothing to manage and, therefore, there is usually no pain for the IT department. For these smaller customers, any traditional method of providing them with supplies and service is sufficient. Companies with 40 or more printers will generally have 150 or more employees and their IT departments are working on business-critical projects. Printers are a nuisance to them and their focus is not on managing the print fleet. A true MPS program can be of great value to them, can save them money over time and it can be very lucrative for you.

Notice that I said MPS can save a company money “over time.” One of the things we can all do to help ensure that we

capture the deserved profit margins and that we are able to provide excellent service to our customers with MPS programs is to stop telling people you are going to save them money — 30 percent being the most widely used figure — from the very first phone call.

How a salesperson can feel comfortable making this claim without ever laying eyes on the fleet or knowing a single thing about a company’s business processes amazes me.

It also insults the prospect, as you are telling him (or her) that he does not know what he is doing. Do not lead with your chin by telling someone you can save him money.

As a firm, Strategy Development works hundreds of deals each month and I can tell you that you can feel comfortable claiming that you can manage a company’s printing for no more than what it costs now.

And this is a deal for a company. The IT department employees get to focus on the department’s core competencies and projects that help the company make money. They can look forward to substantial savings over the next couple of years and it does not cost the company any more than it is paying now.

The three points I want you to remember are: target accounts of the correct size, focus on the management aspect of MPS and emphasize the benefits of outsourcing to your company, not saving money.  Leisa Thomason is an MPS consultant with Strategy Development, focused on helping companies transition their business models to MPS. She is also the president of Genesis Technologies, Charleston, S.C., which she transitioned from a printer service provider to an MPS provider with more than 23 million prints under contract. She brings nearly 20 years of experience and deep knowledge of the MPS space. Thomason can be reached at (843) 345-4549 or thomason@ strategydevelopment.com. Strategy Development consultants have been writing about the MPS space for five years (and helping companies achieve margins in the 57 to 59 percent range through its consulting engagements). For more information, attend the upcoming BTA MPS Sales and MPS Operations & Service Workshops May 18-19 in Dallas.

Visit www.strategydevelopment.com.

26 | w w w. o f f i c e t e c h n o l o gymag.com | April 2010

Thomason Apr 11.indd 1

4/1/11 8:50 AM

Selling Solutions

Effective Appointments Vital steps that help you advance your business by: Melissa Whitaker, Melissa Whitaker International

A

re you hitting a roadblock and stalling out after conducting an appointment?

Have you ever wondered why you cannot reach your contact right after you just gave the performance of your life at his (or her) office? Does the prospect know that you can solve his problems? Did you truly conduct an effective “needs analysis,” or did you act like every other salesperson and just tell him why and how your company is so great?

Most salespeople get into a habit of winging appointments, which is unfortunately one of the top reasons why salespeople fail. Far too often, salespeople “talk at” prospects instead of engaging them by asking key questions to understand their challenges and goals.

Have an Appointment Strategy Plan Having an appointment strategy plan can help you avoid this issue by giving the call an objective and asking strategic questions to keep you focused. This will give you credibility that engages the prospect before you have earned the right of telling him what your company offers. An appointment strategy plan is simply a road map where you plan what key questions need to be asked to see if you can offer value to the prospect.

Let them do 80 percent of the talking. If you set yourself up as someone who can advance the prospect’s business, it will not matter what you are selling. A good prospect is always looking for people to help him get where he is going.

So what is the main objective in the first appointment? The initial call is your opportunity to identify your client’s needs and what his pains and challenges are. At this point, you can begin the process of determining how your product or service will meet his needs. Building a relationship with the client or prospect is crucial in creating a long-lasting partnership.

Develop a True Needs Analysis Following are the six steps required when conducting an effective appointment: (1) “Thank You.” — Saying “thank you” is a simple courtesy most people have forgotten. However, it shows appreciation for someone’s time, which, in today’s economy, is a challenging commodity to secure.

(2) Have an Agenda — Since time is so precious, prospects

want to know what you plan on covering and where you are in the process 10 minutes into the meeting. You can have a verbal agenda, but a professional, simple written agenda is preferred.

(3) The Current Situation — Ask open-ended questions. Effective questioning skills will assist you in accurately identifying the needs, wants and motivations of your clients, thus enabling you to best serve them.

Act like a doctor and start with an examination. First, examine the facts and visions and focus on the big picture. Where is the company today? What are the company’s visions and goals?

Next, diagnose the company by learning about its needs and pains. Be sure to find out multiple pains or challenges the prospect is having. Too often, salespeople uncover one problem and immediately start selling. Hold yourself back from getting caught in this trap. If the prospect does not associate a high enough cost to that one pain to make a change, then you have just shot yourself in the foot. Peel back the onion on every pain you uncover by simply saying, “Tell me more ... ” After finding multiple pains, ask what the possible sources of the pains are; what might be causing these situations? Next, what are the hurdles (costs) of each pain?

(4) The Ideal Situation — Now that you understand where the prospect is today and what he would like to move away from (those pains), your next task is to ask questions to see what he wants to move toward (needs, requirements, benefits, buying criteria). This will help you to come back with a proper prescription.

Since prospects do not usually know how to fix their problems — that is why you are there — you might have to guide them toward possible options. Customers are becoming more educated on the benefits of managed print services (MPS), document needs analysis and fleet optimization. An example of this guidance would be asking your prospect: “Would optimizing your current fleet of assets and consolidating overredundant equipment help your organization reduce costs and streamline workflow? How do you feel that will help your organization?” I am sure you have heard the saying, “People like to buy, but they don’t like to be sold.” Let the prospect take some ownership of his solutions so he feels the outcome is a collaboration of efforts and he is not being sold.

(5) The Decision-Making Process — Since you have www.officetechnologyma g. c o m | A p r i l 2 0 1 1 | 27

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A common mistake salespeople make is demonstrated your commitment to undercommitting to doing more work for the standing the customer’s needs by listening Let the prospect prospect without having a commitment and have earned his trust, now you can ask take some ownership by the prospect to also bring more to the direct questions about the decision-makof his solutions so table. If the prospect does not have to do ing process and expect honest and comhe feels the outcome anything, how invested is he? Sure, he does plete answers. is a collaboration of not mind getting free work from you — but How often have you been led to believe these days, that does not make him feel that you are talking to the decision maker, efforts and he is not guilty enough to say “yes” in the end. only to find out later that there are other being sold.

So instead of doing all the work, ask people involved in the process? This may be that he commit to do some research and because you asked too soon and put the clibring some data to the next meeting. Or, ent on the spot.

When asking “Are you the decision maker?” or “Will any- ensure he has additional people attend the next meeting who one else be making the decision?” in the initial stages of in- are vital for you to move forward in the process. The more information gathering, most people feel compelled to say, “Yes, I vested your prospect is in the process, the more confident you am the decision maker.” To say otherwise may make him feel can be in getting the business. Keep building rapport and keep foolish. In order to preserve the dignity of the customer, ask: closing more business. n Melissa Whitaker has a proven track record in coaching “Who, other than yourself, will be involved in the decision?” salespeople and managers in selling at a higher level. After 14 Many companies have multiple people or groups making the years of proven sales and management results with leading final decisions to share the risk of the outcome. organizations — Impact Networking, Toshiba America You also need to ask additional vital questions such as: n “What other companies are you looking at?”

Business Solutions and Chicago Office Technology Group (COTG/GISX/XEROX) — n “Tell me about your decision-making process.” she founded Melissa Whitaker International. n “How have you made decisions like this in the past?”

She specializes in MPS and can be n “What is your time frame for making this decision?” reached at (847) 845-4922 or n “Do you lease or purchase?” melissa@melissawhitakerintl.com.

(6) Move-Forward Commitment — Last but not least, Visit www.melissawhitakerintl.com. both parties need to establish a commitment to move forward.

28 | ­w w w. o f f i c e t e c h n o l o gymag.com | April 2011

Whitaker Apr 11.indd 2

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Selling Solutions

The Assessment Strategy An effective appraisal is critical for success by: Mike Lamothe, Office Document Consulting

I

was asked to join a rep on an appointment last week in an effort to help position a new assessment strategy we were rolling out at a dealership. We were greeted by the CIO, who seemed to be preoccupied with something obviously much more important than our meeting.

I asked him a question I thought would help him focus his attention on our meeting: “What are your top three strategic initiatives for 2011-12?” That seemed to pique his interest and he went on to tell us the organization was looking at two key initiatives, one being the introduction of Lean Six Sigma and the other 5S Systems.

Having been in a Lean Six Sigma/5S System environment before, I was fully aware of the methodologies and took the opportunity to discuss how an in-depth assessment might benefit his team by providing a baseline to begin analyzing the company’s print environment. I told him that once we completed the assessment, we could begin to look at greater utilization of the technology, improving the company’s workflows and possibly eliminating legacy processes that could migrate to electronic workflows. Our meeting ended on a positive note and we have now set our next appointment to begin the company’s assessment.

In this article, we will examine how an effective assessment strategy will be a critical element to the success of any form of strategic selling, not to mention a significant requirement before any form of MPS can begin.

I started developing my own assessment technique early in my career because I realized it would provide me the necessary information to justify my proposal. Today, the assessment is now measuring all elements of the print environment.

The key elements of an assessment are: IT infrastructure; a technology inventory and mapping (floor plans are helpful); data capture (possibly through a DCA); interviews with a cross-section of end users; financial disclosure of all print-related costs (leases, capital purchases, consumables, service contracts, outsourcing, etc.); and validation of assessment findings.

In some cases, we are also measuring carbon footprint, cost of IT and space allocation, and it will only continue to develop as our customers look for an accurate picture of their true costs.

Think about it. When I began selling, we measured a customer’s current costs by looking at its lease and service contracts. What an assessment provides is a total cost to the

print environment. Isn’t that a better way to take the focus away from service rates and asking if a customer’s MFPs have single-pass color scanning?

From a sales rep’s perspective, an assessment strategy can be the one tool that keeps him (or her) focused and on track. I sent reps out cold calling and approaching their current customers with an assessment document in hand. Right away, they were differentiating themselves from the competition, not to mention they simply walked the customer through the document to sell the process. Look at incorporating an assessment strategy into your sales process and I believe you will begin to see more positive results, not to mention higher closing rates and higher margins.

There is a reason why I have spent significant time on the “assessment strategy.” Everywhere you look today you hear about managed print services (MPS). MPS will become a fundamental part of most dealerships because it minimizes the focus on the specific technology and price and is more appropriately measured by the services that will be provided to the end user. You cannot begin to position MPS with any customer before you have performed some type of assessment.

In addition to the initial assessment, when looking at rolling out an MPS arrangement in a business, most customers are demanding cost containment and, in some cases, annual cost reductions that can only be achieved with ongoing cost optimization by way of an assessment.

So now that I have begun to utter those three letters that seem to be dominating our industry, over the next couple of articles I will be focusing on dealership principals and the transitions they will need to make. www.officetechnologyma g. c o m | A p r i l 2 0 1 1 | 29

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I will share recent experiences with you that I will share recent have helped groups of experiences with you dealership principals that have helped groups understand the signifiof dealership principals cance of continuing to understand the do business the way they were versus looksignificance of ... more ing to transition their progressive services. dealerships into more progressive services.

Follow me on Twitter at @ODCConsulting, where I will direct you to specific industry articles that I believe will provide you significant value.  Mike Lamothe is president of Office Document Consulting (ODC). With 25-plus years in professional sales and management, he brings extensive industry experience, having worked at both the dealership and manufacturer levels. Today, Lamothe assists clients with the implementation and ongoing support of MPS programs and offers guidance in such areas as strategic selling, development of selling and marketing tools, organizational right-sizing, and assessment consulting and design. Lamothe can be reached at odcconsulting@live.com or (647) 389-5048.

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(307) 587-8446 / www.beiservices.com

(816) 303-4031 / www.bta.org/Scholarships

(573) 632-2461 / www.fmaudit.com

30 • BTA Data Cleansing Pamphlet

11 • Digital Gateway

15 • Marlin Leasing

www.bta.org/DataCleansing

(866) 342-8392 / www.digitalgateway.com

www.marlinleasing.com

2-3 • BTA Mid-America District Event

14 • DocuLex

13 • Miracle Service/Nexent Innovations

(800) 843-5059 / www.bta.org/BTAMidAmericaEvent

(863) 297-3691 ext. 236 / www.doculex.com

(866) 639-3681 / www.miracleservice.com

23 • BTA MPS Operations & Service Workshop

5 • DocuWare

19 • MSE

(800) 843-5059 / www.bta.org/MPSOperationsService

(888) 565-5907 / www.docuware.com

(800) 673-4968 / www.mse.com

23 • BTA MPS Sales Workshop

32 • ECi Software Solutions

9 • Strategy Development

(800) 843-5059 / www.bta.org/MPSSales

(800) 959-3367 ext. 66500 / www.ecisolutions.com

(610) 527-3317 / www.strategydevelopment.com

31 • BTA ProFinance 2.0

17 • Equipment Data Associates

18 • West Point Products

(800) 843-5059 / www.bta.org/ProFinance

(800) 288-8262 / www.edadata.com

(800) 624-6991 / www.westpointproducts.com

30 | w w w. o f f i c e t e c h n o l o gymag.com | April 2011

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Office Technology Magazine Business Technology Association 12411 Wornall Road Kansas City, MO 64145 (816) 941-3100 www.officetechnologymag.com www.bta.org

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