February 2019 Office Technology

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CONTENTS Volume 25 • No. 8

FEATURE ARTICLES 10

Strategies for Success: Part 1 Uncovering a treasure trove of ideas for growth

DEALERSHIP SPOTLIGHT Here’s Johnny!

Dustin Office Machines owner reflects on 65 years

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by Sarah Einselen The Gainesville Daily Register

Compiled by Brent Hoskins Office Technology Magazine

This article was published in the holiday 2018 edition of Gainesville Living, reprinted here with permission. Johnny Leftwich is the owner/manager of Dustin Office Machines of Gainesville, Texas, a BTA member since 1970.

What do you believe will be the areas of greatest opportunity for office technology dealers in 2019?

Perhaps comments shared by your fellow dealers will be the treasure trove of ideas you have been seeking.

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Service 2025 Massive disruptors are looming on the horizon

by Ken Edmonds Service Management Coach

AIMED VIEWPOINT Millennials’ Mail USPS representative reports on recent study

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by Brent Hoskins Office Technology Magazine

I want you to imagine walking into your service department on Jan. 2, 2025. In your mind, look around the office and focus on what is different from today. What are the technicians like? What products do you support?

COURTS & CAPITOLS 24

Website Rankings Improve your company’s position in searches

by Robert C. Goldberg BTA General Counsel

Millennials do welcome receiving physical mail. In fact, reported Steven Monteith of the United States Postal Service during the 2018 AIMED Conference, “millennials get fewer pieces, but they spend more time sorting their mail.”

SELLING SOLUTIONS Building a Sales Culture Center it around a process of profitable growth

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by Troy Harrison Troy Harrison & Associates

End users are educating themselves regarding products and services long before speaking to providers. The internet is a vast resource for information that can also be used to identify potential suppliers.

DEALERS HELPING DEALERS 25

Supplies Fulfillment Dealers share advice for managing toner

Compiled by Brent Hoskins Office Technology Magazine

This article includes another of the questions submitted by a dealer member as part of BTA’s new Dealers Helping Dealers resource, and many of the answers received. These answers and others can be found on the BTA website.

In my years of experience in working with (and for) companies large and small, I have discovered that there is a common element to the most successful businesses. The most successful companies have a sales culture.

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

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• BTA Education Calendar • 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

The Best Strategies for Dealers in 2019?

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hat do you believe will be the areas of greatest opportunity for office technology dealers in 2019? What do you believe will be the best strategies for pursuing those opportunities? Recently, Office Technology magazine asked these questions of dealers via an email survey. My hope is that the responses — seven appear below — will provide you new ideas.

For additional responses, see page 10.

Opportunities: Managed services and managed print services.

Strategies: Partner with vendors that can support you with the necessary resources, such as equipment, supplies and technologies. Have your whole team understand that you approach all prospects with this in mind.

Have a technology in-house support team and a comp plan in place that will make this the logical direction that your sales team takes.

— José Lopez, president, Barlop Inc., Miami, Florida Opportunities: IT infrastructure, cloud storage and app solutions for individual customers are opportunities.

Strategies: Strategic alliances with IT companies and competent IT professionals to bring SME credentials to your organizations.

— Frank DeFrancesco, owner, D-Tech Business Solutions, Jupiter, Florida Opportunities: Using third-party software solutions such as Nuance Navigator, DocuWare, eGoldFax and/or cloud services is our next step in helping our clients with their continued success.

Strategies: Constant training — not only of the sales team, but of the service team as well — to understand how to have business conversations with our clients, what to look for to uncover these opportunities and

how to listen to clients. It’s not about selling stuff; it’s about doing what is right for our clients to make them successful.

— Joe Escamilla, COO, Document Systems, Oxnard, California Opportunities: The greatest opportunity areas continue to be MPS, document workflow solutions and production print.

Strategies: The best strategies will be to provide training with measurable results and employing professional salespeople.

— George Peckham, president, Office Systems of Texas, Houston, Texas Opportunities: Software solutions.

Strategies: I think they [software solutions] need to be discussed at every opportunity: brought up during information gathering, put into proposals and included in meetings with decision makers.

— Kris Smith, president, Copiers Plus, Monticello, Indiana Opportunities: Document management (not as a sales add-on, but as a real, viable solution to reducing paper).

Strategies: Have a process development person who can properly identify and assess weaknesses in office productivity and then be able to address them professionally.

This should not be done by a sales associate.

This should be done by a business analyst.

— Don Risser, president, Advanced Laser Printer Service & Supplies Inc., Emigsville, Pennsylvania Opportunities: Solutions and MPS. Strategies: Hiring the best people. Training the best people. Go wider and deeper into all your accounts. Make sure you penetrate each account with all the services you offer, including copiers, solutions and MPS. — Steve Clapp, owner, North American Office Solutions, Orlando, Florida Additional submissions will appear in the March issue of Office Technology. n — 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 Sarah Einselen, The Gainesville Daily Register www.gainesvilleregister.com Ken Edmonds, Service Management Coach ken@kedmonds.biz Robert C. Goldberg, General Counsel Business Technology Association Troy Harrison, Troy Harrison & Associates www.troyharrison.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 Marketing Director valerie@bta.org Brian Smith Membership Sales Representative brian@bta.org Photo Credits: Bigstockphoto. Cover created by Bruce Quade, Brand X Studio. ©2019 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

Download a 2019-20 BTA Scholarship App

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n 1968, the Dorothy R. Ames Scholarship fund was announced in her honor at Ames’ retirement dinner. This fund ultimately became the BTA Scholarship Foundation. Today, the foundation awards a number of $1,000 and $1,500 scholarships — as well as one $3,000 scholarship — to the children of full-time employees of BTA member dealerships. The scholarship application deadline is May 1, so I encourage you to download an application today.

Since the 1984-85 school year, BTA has awarded 1,446 scholarships to deserving students, for a total of $1.635 million. For the 2018-19 school year, the association awarded $28,500 in scholarships to 24 students.

Below are excerpts from thank-you notes received from some of our 2018-19 school year scholarship recipients. n “I am writing you for the second consecutive year to express my gratitude for making the BTA scholarship possible.

I am honored to know that the foundation thought me qualified to receive this award in memory of Dorothy R. Ames. The financial assistance these BTA scholarships have provided has certainly helped in making my educational goals possible and has allowed me to concentrate on school work and other fantastic extracurricular activities. Thank you again for your generosity and support.” — Evan Mikos, Geneva, Illinois n “I would like to express my sincere gratitude for receiving the BTA scholarship. I was honored to learn of my selection for the prestigious Goldberg scholarship.

Thank you for your generosity, support and commitment to education.” — Abigail Hamvas, Princeton, Minnesota

n “Thank you so much for choosing me as a recipient of a BTA scholarship. I will be starting my junior year this fall and this scholarship will be a great help in lessening my financial burden. As a third-year recipient of this scholarship, I cannot even begin to express how grateful I am for your continued support toward my higher education. I truly appreciate this opportunity and I will continue to work hard to be deserving of your support. Thank you again!”

— Sydney Emmerich, La Crosse, Wisconsin As noted, only the student children of full-time employees of current BTA member dealerships are eligible for BTA scholarships. Students must maintain a class schedule of at least 12 hours of accredited college courses at a two- or four-year college, university or technical/trade school.

Applicants must submit information on their school activities; leadership positions; work experience, recognition and awards; and community involvement. The application process also requires transcripts and an essay. An independent, impartial evaluator reviews the applications and selects the winners.

Again, applications must be postmarked

by May 1, 2019. To obtain a scholarship application, download it from the BTA website at www.bta.org/Scholarships (you will need your username and password) or contact Elizabeth Marvel at elizabeth@bta.org or (816) 303-4060.

BTA appreciates the contributors to the BTA Scholarship Foundation. If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to the foundation, mail your check (made out to the BTA Scholarship Foundation) to: Business Technology Association, 12411 Wornall Road, Ste. 200, Kansas City, MO 64145. You can also make a contribution online at www.bta.org/Scholarships. n — John Eckstrom

2018-2019 Board of Directors President John Eckstrom Carolina Business Equipment Inc. Columbia, South Carolina johne@cbesc.com President-Elect Bob Evans Function4 Sugar Land, Texas bobevans@function-4.com Vice President Tim Renegar Kelly Office Solutions Winston-Salem, North Carolina trenegar@kellyofficesolutions.com BTA East Tim Seeley Jr. Seeley Office Systems Inc. Glens Falls, NY tseeleyjr@seeleyoffice.com Don Risser Advanced Laser Printer Service & Supplies Inc. Emigsville, PA drisser@alpslaser.com BTA Mid-America Greg Quirk JQ Office Equipment Omaha, Nebraska gquirk@jqoffice.com DJ Hastings Hogland Office Equipment Lubbock, TX dj@hoglandofficeworks.com BTA Southeast David Polimeni RITE Technology Sarasota, Florida dpolimeni@ritefl.com Michael Hicks Electronic Business Machines Inc. Lexington, KY mhicks@ebmky.com BTA West Mike Brandon ABC Office Equipment Co. Inc. Spokane, Washington mbrandon@abcoe.com Joe Escamilla Document Systems Oxnard, CA jescamilla@documentsystems.com Immediate Past President Dan Castaneda International Copy Machine Center El Paso, Texas dan@icmc-elp.com Ex-Officio/General Counsel Robert C. Goldberg Schoenberg Finkel Newman & Rosenberg LLC Chicago, Illinois robert.goldberg@sfnr.com

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Strategies for Success: Part 1 Uncovering a treasure trove of ideas for growth Compiled by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine

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hat do you believe will be the areas of greatest opportunity for office technology dealers in 2019? What do you believe will be the best strategies for success in pursuing those opportunities? Recently, Office Technology magazine asked these questions of dealers via an email survey. Following are a number of the responses received. Additional responses will appear in the March issue. Perhaps comments shared by your fellow dealers will be the treasure trove of ideas you have been seeking.

Opportunities: Managed IT services.

Strategies: Leveraging the existing customer base, acquisitions, and partnering with third parties to expand support offerings.

Jane Coehlo, CFO DOCUMation Inc., San Antonio, Texas Opportunities: IT, IT, IT! Today there are around 1,800 or so dealerships, and fewer every day with all the buyouts going on. For those of us who want to continue to stay in business, the one thing we will have to do is evolve our businesses into great IT companies. It is a business value of 2.2 times what our traditional business model is today.

Strategies: We have to be willing to invest in the tools, as well as learn and build around the business model in this space, just like we have learned in the imaging space. That is a lot easier said than done, but it is critical if we are going to make the evolution into this new model that we are going to have to adopt.

Jeff Cousins, president Kraft Business Systems, Kentwood, Michigan Opportunities: We see managed network services as our largest area for growth in 2019. We have continued to invest in this area as the return affects the copier/print part of our business. The rewards are worth the effort/investment. We

continue to try to learn in this space, as the formula for success varies. I think being very open-minded and eager to learn is essential in bettering your offering in managed network services as well. We also feel that MPS is gaining strength as businesses strive to be more cost effective and open to moving into MPS-type agreements. As copier dealers, no one is more positioned to gain share in this space than us.

Strategies: Again, strategically we see a need for continued learning and networking with others in order to gain new marketing ideas. Attending conferences and expos really is a great way to learn new or different ideas. I remember many years ago, the value of BTA or (showing my age) NOMDA shows, giving copier dealers the opportunity to share ideas with fellow dealers. This was a great way for me to sit back, listen and learn. We are, in many ways, at the same point with managed network services. We also think forging strong relationships with your print/copy vendors is essential in such a competitive landscape.

Mark Watson, president CDS Office Technologies, Spring field, Illinois Opportunities: I strongly feel that the opportunities for office technology dealers lie in the ability to offer multiple services. Service is the key and providing service for customers is going to be even more important in the future than ever before.

Dealers are going to have to grow and adapt to the changing technology and provide sales and, more importantly, service in those areas. They have to become even more versatile than before and add key personnel who can provide quick professional service in all areas of the office. They must be able to service all office equipment and IT services. Furthermore, service technicians are going to have to be knowledgeable in so many more areas (i.e., software, apps, network environments, etc.).

Strategies: Key personnel are going to be the best strategy for succeeding in tomorrow’s office technology. Dealers are going to have to hire and train not only technicians, but office

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personnel who can service customers in equipment space. It really comes down “The opportunity all areas of their businesses. Answering to assessing the dealership’s capabiliphones and passing calls is a thing of the ties, choosing the correct option, then is in automation past. Everyone should be able to assist planning and executing. and efficiency, figuring callers and get them the help that we need Most dealers never became proficient out clever ways to to be billing for. Hiring people who can in MPS, yet that space offers a multiple reduce our costs and work new technology and training them of the revenue available in the copier prevent dollars from to interact with customers is also very imspace. Production print is a major area portant to succeed. Have the attitude of of growth for those dealerships that walking out the door ... ” answering the customer’s question, “Can are not in the production space today. you help me with this?” with, “Yes we can!”

I would certainly stay within the core Dan Castaneda, general manager business before I moved to adjacent spaces, and MPS and International Copy Machine Center, El Paso, Texas production are clearly extensions from the core. If you are proficient in your core business, I believe MIT [managed Opportunities: For us, it is finding other sources of rev- IT] offers the greatest opportunity available for traditional enue not connected to devices and clicks, because it seems copier dealers, in that they have a customer base that fits the margins keep degrading and companies are getting perfectly with MIT. I’d be remiss in not mentioning the more and more desperate just to survive, given the current great opportunities available to sell your company if you model of doing business. The opportunity is in automation don’t have a succession plan in place. I’m not sure valuations and efficiency, figuring out clever ways to reduce our costs will remain at current levels given rising interest rates and and prevent dollars from walking out the door using a more the inevitable end of the 10-year bull run we’ve experienced archaic model of doing business. We have built, for exam- with the economy. ple, a quoting tool to make quotes for people in less than Strategies: In order to achieve success, dealers need to 20 seconds. Our experience is showing us that people who be able to execute and embrace change. The Flex Technolare looking for devices do not want relationships; they want ogy Group (FTG) grew from $50 million in revenue to $300 quick information. Once we work with them, we can build a million in three years by developing and executing on Frank relationship. So, our primary area of opportunity and focus Gaspari’s (our CEO) vision, backed by a strong plan. FTG involves automation of tasks normally done by humans. The has many great former dealership owners who are now robots are taking over! stockholders of FTG, still executing on their local plans to Strategies: The biggest thing dealers are going to have to grow their market share, extend their product offerings or ask as margins continue to constrict is: “Can we afford to pay enter new spaces with the support of FTG. There are many these guys the same when we are getting killed on our mar- dealers across the country growing far above the industry gin?” Having worked for a dot-matrix printer manufacturer norm: Frank Cucco at Impact, John Lowery at Applied and years ago, I saw how the laser printer killed that industry. I Brad Knepper at ACP are three names that come to mind think we are in the beginning stages of that curve, but peo- (full disclosure: all were former clients when I was a consulple will still want some kind of printing device, so I see more tant). Knowing these three, I can attest to the fact that they people migrating to small, connected devices and getting develop and execute on plans. away from the single office copier, because many people are Yet, during my consulting and now — as we look at comworking from home. Our strategy is one where we can sell panies that want to join FTG — it is clear that most dealers the smaller devices and be able to do it at reasonable prices just go about their day-to-day operations as if it were still (fair to both us and the customer). I think a lot of dealers and 1980; they resist change, attempting to “run faster” with the manufacturers will struggle because buyers are more will- same old game plans. I said it as a consultant and I’ll say it ing to buy A4 devices, but most dealers are optimized for now as the president of a $300-million company that is looklong-term A3 installations. We have been streamlining all of ing to add well-run companies with dynamic leadership to our processes, support and resources to be able to correctly our group: Seek advice from people who have been there behandle the change we are seeing in the marketplace. fore you and have been highly successful in their journeys.

Jesse Harwell, president If you have a $5-million dealership that wants to get to $20 Pahoda Image Products, Golden, Colorado million, network with the principal of a $50-million company and learn from that person and his team. If you are at Opportunities: As we transition into 2019, there are a $30 million and want to get to $60 million, do the same with multitude of great opportunities for dealers in the office the senior team of a $100-million company. Hire competent 12 | ­w w w. o f f ic et ec hno lo g y m a g.c om | F e b r ua r y 2 0 1 9

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consultants — not the unemployed guy who hangs a shingle. Success breeds success. Be willing to change and make darn sure you have a plan and that you are executing to that plan.

Tom Callinan, president Flex Technology Group, Mesa, Arizona

course, our area is growing like crazy, so that doesn’t hurt at all.

Strategies: Our challenge is to get the message to the consumers that there is an alternative. There are always so many reps calling on prospects from other vendors that it’s difficult for customers to really believe there is a difference. We will do this through feet-on-the-street, our newly revamped website and continued social marketing.

David Carson, president Plus Inc., Greenville, South Carolina

“... The disruption in the industry by mergers and acquisitions has created our best opportunities in many years ... this has made us a leader in our area for being local ... ”

Opportunities: For Plus Inc., the disruption in the industry by mergers and acquisitions has created our best opportunities in many years. We have seen several acquisitions in our area by the large players and this has made us a leader in our area for being local and flexible. The disruption of the industry has been a challenge for many competitors with customer service. It seems as if many customers are open to changing vendors if they can find trusted partners. Our product-line offerings from two major copier manufacturers, along with managed IT services, software solutions and whiteboards, has us in a unique position as being one of the few vendors in our area that offer all of these services together. And, of

Opportunities: The thinking needs to be elevated to move away from selling hardware and start offering solutions (e.g., managed services and cloud solutions) and utilizing them to create bundled solutions offerings for customers.

Strategies: (1) Explore a path to managed services for your dealership to create more business opportunities with your customers (i.e., the one-stop-shop approach. For

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example: managed print, network secuOpportunities: Without any doubts, “We must constantly rity, telephony, etc.). (2) Invest in a cloud being specialized and certified in specifplatform to create “X-as-a-service” soic niches of document management/docchallenge the business lutions. We have invested with a major uments/paper digitalization or what... to move beyond our technology manufacturer and created a ever you call it [in your dealership]. This traditional mentalities platform (www.inviocloud.com) that alis not your typical “product/software” and become more lows us to offer the following: infrastrucsale or “authorized distributor.” More and more agile and ture as a service, device as a service, than that, it is to offer a solution for a document management as a service, specific problem; it could be on HR, it customer-focused.” application as a service, and software as could be on government. If, at this point, a service. Please note that once a cloud you don’t have a clear idea how to do it, platform is established, all managed services can be migrat- don’t waste time anymore. Hire someone who specializes in ed to “as-a-service” offerings, which will reduce the dealer- and is currently working in the field you want to attack. ship’s opportunity cost while increasing GMs. Strategies: Identify the niche, pain point or opportunity David Ramsaran, senior manager, business products to resolve within your current customer base. Certify your Massy Technology InfoCom Ltd. company, solution or service so that you are almost excluWoodbrook, Port of Spain, Trinidad, West Indies sive. Hire people currently working in those areas.

Jaime Luis Aguilar, director general Opportunities: Convergence and alignment; we believe Think Smart, Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico that the greatest opportunities remain similar to last year.

While we weren’t as successful at executing on our strategy as Opportunities: (1) Hardware: Significant opportuniwe would have liked, we still made gains. As businesses look ties to take market share away from manufacturer direct to improve on their execution and delivery of their products, branches; (2) MPS/content management: Opportunities to office technology dealers are well-positioned to capitalize on sell more to existing happy customers; (3) Production. those initiatives, provided they have worked to morph their Strategies: No change here. Continue to build strong rebusinesses from print-centric models to professional servic- lationships and deliver excellent customer service. es models. The ability to capture business and provide conSean Bell, president tracted services beyond print in the market is, at least for us, Solutions YES, Portland, Oregon a primary objective. However, this has its challenges as traditional sales and service personnel and practices can — and Opportunities: The SMB market continues to offer the will — hinder the business’s ability to go to market at a pace best opportunity in 2019 for small dealerships like A-Z. We that can realize recognizable gains in the first couple of years. continue to offer a broad MFP product line and printers to The molds must be reshaped and retooled in order to swim in satisfy the needs of that market. Manufacturer development these lanes and be successful. We must constantly challenge program rebates and other incentives allow us the flexibility the business and the think tank to move beyond our tradi- to be price competitive and profitable. tional mentalities and become more and more agile and cusStrategies: Our strategy at A-Z continues to be customtomer-focused. Once we have created that culture, then we er focused, with exceptional sales and service, along with must all be in alignment and get after it. We saw some good prompt responses to all requests. steps for us in 2018 and the overall results were pretty good.

Bill Sanders, office machine marketing/sales We hope to push the envelope even further in 2019. We have a A-Z Office Resource Inc., Morristown, Tennessee pretty solid technology stack and have created consistency in our offerings and our support elements. Consistency creates Opportunities: As we continue to keep an eye on the efficiency and better experiences for everyone. core MFP business, again this year the areas I believe will Strategies: Ensure that the tools you have in your stack provide the greatest opportunities are centered around are solid. Ensure the people accountable to the business un- MNS and capturing prints with a true MPS strategy. You derstand the importance of execution and are committed to still see manufacturers looking to drive the whole smart the process. Target the right customers. Continue to chal- office environment with new and cool technology, but the lenge traditional mindsets and methods. Constantly evolve core will still rule the day, in my opinion, for the near future. with the technology.

Strategies: The strategies are not what you would call ulRon Hulett, project manager tra-exciting; they are, however, fairly effective. Focus first on U.S. Business Systems Inc., Elkhart, Indiana the basics of having a solutions set that gives you the right to 14 | ­w w w. o f f ic et ec hno lo g y m a g.c om | F e b r ua r y 2 0 1 9

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you say you are going to do. As indepenassess any work environment and then “The main reason dents, we can maneuver more quickly reach out and look for problems to solve. and more on target than any of the diOur approach is fairly simple. If we find customers will stay rect dealerships can, because we can a problem and we have a solution to that with you is if you are a make decisions on a local level that they problem as it relates to workflow and person of your word and are not able to do. We should always reoutput or back-end support, we then look don’t overpromise, but member to take care of customers. The at the current cost to own and operate. If you do the right thing. main reason customers will stay with we can solve the problem and sometimes you is if you are a person of your word reduce the cost to own and operate, then It’s called integrity.” and don’t overpromise, but you do the that is a fairly good value proposition. right thing. It’s called integrity.

Keep in mind that while looking at the Strategies: The best strategy for success will be to have a whole workflow picture, you must capture all hard and soft costs. With all of this effort, we are not looking to play the vendor that is going to be a true partner with you and your price game and give away our services. Our process is almost business. If you are to maintain your word and your reputation, you need a vendor that is like-minded and will support always an eye-opener for the customer or prospect. you in your endeavors.

John Eckstrom, president & CEO Laverne Schultz, owner Carolina Business Equipment Inc., Columbia, South Carolina PLS Services, Rockingham, North Carolina Opportunities: I think one of the best opportunities for Opportunities: Managed services will provide contindealers in 2019 will continue to be what it has always been, especially for the independent dealer: service. Just do what ued growth opportunities for dealers willing to navigate

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NBS / BTA | February 2019

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into unfamiliar territory if they are growth opportunity for us is office supcurrently only selling boxes. If a dealer plies and office furniture. We see oppor“Get good in a vertical is already offering managed services, tunity in office furnishings, including market and run with it. then broadening to additional managed the sit-to-stand and more ergonomic Once you add three services will provide an opportunity to office chairs and desks. or four clients in a expand your talk track at the C-level enStrategies: Continuing to strengthvertical, your referrals gagement and add additional recurring en the sales team is always a good stratrevenue lines to your business. egy for pursuing opportunities. Both from the vertical are Strategies: Focusing on engagements internal and external salespeople can more easily closed.” large enough to move the needle is imbe supported through strong marketing portant. Get good in a vertical market and community activities, including and run with it. Once you add three or four clients in a verti- email blasts, social media, PR and other tactics that help cal, your referrals from the vertical are more easily closed. position a business positively and favorably. We additionally Tom Minuti, president continue to refine our involvement in business associations Copy Products, Upper Darby, Pennsylvania and business groups.

Chip Miceli, president Opportunities: I think that selling A4 products, rather Pulse Technology, Elk Grove Village, Illinois than A3, is one of the greatest opportunities we still have.

Strategies: As a small dealership, we have had great sucOpportunities: I believe the greatest areas of opportucess selling Lexmark products where most dealers are still nity for office technology dealers in 2019 will definitely be IT pushing the larger A3 machines. Most business don’t ever work and managed print services. As the industry continues run 11-by-17. We are a Copystar dealership also, and when the to point in these directions, it is necessary for dealers to stay customer needs 11-by-17, we have it, but we always lead with informed and offer the best services available for their custhe A4 product. Profit-wise, it is the same and you can pick tomers in order to stay relevant in the industry. up more business from new accounts because of the lower Strategies: I believe that making sure that we, as dealprice. I do hear from my competitors in the field that the A4 ers, are technologically prepared by staying certified in the machines are not as reliable, but we found that is not true. We latest IT and managed print services as they develop, prehave some machines in schools that have millions of prints dicting what our customers will need in the future, and conon them. We hope to continue being successful in 2019 offer- stantly being willing to learn new things gives us the best ing A4 machines as an alternative to the larger, more expen- strategies for success as we work to offer top-of-the-line sersive A3 machines. 2018 was an awesome year for us in sales. vices for our valued customers.

Duffie Sams, owner Mitch Lester, owner Duffie’s Copier Consultants LLC American Business Equipment Inc., Knoxville, Tennessee Forest City, North Carolina Opportunities: Managed network services, including projOpportunities: Selling managed IT services is where I see ect work for onboarding customers and IT hardware sales. the greatest potential for growth and profitability in 2019.

Strategies: If you already have an IT person/team takStrategies: Working with our current client base and ing care of your copier installs, there is your starting point. trusted partners is how we plan to continue our rapid growth You will need a dedicated salesperson actively working your selling managed IT services. Our clients know we give great trusted customer base first to get experience with the opcustomer service, so moving them over to our managed IT ser- portunity. It can grow from there and you will need to hire vices offering has been very successful. as you grow. In a flat to declining traditional copier market, Dan Detrick, vice president & CFO you must have alternate revenue streams.

CopyLady Inc., Fort Myers, Florida Jay Fletcher, president & general manager Rumble’s Document Solutions Opportunities: Video walls and interactive boards are Thomasville, Georgia n growing in popularity as office technology dealers continBrent Hoskins, executive director of the ue to support the needs of business owners who see these Business Technology Association, is editor technological tools as effective substitutes for traveling to of Office Technology magazine. distant locations. For us specifically, we see strong growth He can be reached at (816) 303-4040 in the IT sector as a big part of our 2019 strategy. Another or brent@bta.org.

18 | ­w w w. o f f ic et ec hno lo g y m a g.c om | F e b r ua r y 2 0 1 9

Cover Story Feb 19.indd 6

1/30/19 1:31 PM

Service 2025 Massive disruptors are looming on the horizon by: Ken Edmonds, Service Management Coach

I

want you to imagine walking into your service department on Jan. 2, 2025. In your mind, look around the office and focus on what is different from today. What are the technicians like? What products do you support? How have your customers’ expectations changed? What has changed in the way you generate revenue and profit?

Staff Differences When you look at the department, you see that your staff members are younger. Many of your older technicians have either retired or moved on because they lacked the skills to survive in your new department. It seems like all of the technicians are actively using their handheld devices. Some are interfacing with clients using messaging apps while others are remotely addressing client issues.

You check the schedule and see that several technicians are working from home today, handling help-desk duties and monitoring client networks. When you check your desktop, you can see their screens, observe what they are working on and what their queues look like.

You glance at your communication devices and see that your messaging queue is starting to fill up with messages from technicians and customers. It is time to get started resolving the challenges of the day. Some of your staff members are working with new clients, upgrading their network equipment to a standard configuration that is easy to support. Others are working on refurbishing printers for the hot-swap program that is in place with another client.

The metrics that you managed to in the past are not applicable in your new business model. Now, you work with vendors that can provide live data to see where you can continually improve technician effectiveness. The struggle for efficiency is ongoing and more important than ever. You manage based on the information that streams across your desktop. The system automatically alerts you to pending issues in real time.

The rush of technology has increased training demands exponentially, but it has also changed the training delivery

model. The days of sending a technician to class for a week is over; most training is conducted online. When technicians need to access equipment, VR headsets let them explore the equipment in a virtual world.

Equipment Mix Differences As you look at the day’s open calls, you notice a different product mix from 2019.

The market has forced you into brand-new products and services. At least you were fortunate — many dealerships that tried clinging to the old imaging dealership model are gone, either collapsed or purchased.

Your company now supports everything from phone systems and scanning solutions to networks and imaging devices. A significant part of the equipment mix is now inkjet printers, since that is what most customers now have. There is still a small percentage of the mix that is toner-based, but it is rare. The transition to ink has significantly reduced the support printers and copier/MFPs need. A great number of the components are user-replaceable, so on-site calls are rare.

Your company has expanded the products it sells and supports so it can do a better job addressing customer needs.

Competition is still very stiff and even some of the big-box electronics companies are starting to go after your clients.

Differences in Customer Needs Your customers have changed as well. The new generation of clients is so technology focused that your dispatch position is not needed. Clients open calls on an app your company developed and the system automatically routes each call to an appropriate support person, who often resolves issues online.

If the support person cannot do that, then he (or she) uses an instant-messaging app to help the client resolve the issue.

Your customers demanded a single-vendor solution for their equipment needs and that has been a significant reason why your company has widened its product offerings. Being a “copier dealership” would have left your company as one of the extinct dinosaurs some of your competition became. www.offi cetechnol ogymag.com | F e b ru a ry 2019 | 19

Edmonds Feb 19.indd 1

1/30/19 8:26 AM

We do not want to fall into the same trap.

Financial Model Differences Every manager should be looking at his While the minutiae The way the company generates its department and planning for the future. revenue has changed as well. The old of the daily grind While the minutiae of the daily grind days of the majority of revenue coming may seem more may seem more important, planning for from CPC agreements are over. Clients important, planning the future is what enables prosperity.

It is are now demanding flat-rate pricing no for the future is like the difference between driving a car matter the volume. This change has been and watching the lane markers as they what enables beneficial for the company since no one pass, or looking out the windshield to see has to worry about meters now. prosperity. the cliff in the distance. n The business world has changed and For nearly 16 years, Edmonds served at customers want to pay for all of your Sharp Electronics Corp. and then at Konica Minolta Business services in a single monthly payment. Think of this as “evSolutions as a problem solver for both technical and service erything as a service.” These changes have required a modimanagement issues.

In early 2018, he retired from Konica fication in strategy when creating service agreements but, Minolta.

Before that, Edmonds had an overall, the result has been positive for the company. extensive background in the imaging business, having owned a dealership and Now is the Time to Prepare serving as a service manager. In total, he has While the vision of the future I presented may not be premore than 40 years of experience in the cise, I am confident that massive disruptors are looming technical and computer fields. Edmonds can on the horizon. We can look at the typewriter dealers who be reached at ken@kedmonds.biz. thought copiers were a fad; their companies no longer exist.

MAY 2016

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20 | ­w w w. o f f ic et ec hno lo g y m a g.c om | F e b r ua r y 2 0 1 9

Edmonds Feb 19.indd 2

1/30/19 8:27 AM

EDUCATION CALENDAR March 1

FIX: Cost Management for Service 2.0

Austin, Texas FIX, BTA’s popular service workshop taught by Ronelle Ingram, teaches attendees how to determine the actual cost of the service hour (burden rate) and improve overall service department profitability. Visit www.bta.org/FIX to register.

14

BTA Building My Business Webinar: “Selling Cybersecurity-as-a-Service to Your Customers” During this webinar, led by Brian Suerth of Technology Assurance Group, you will learn the layers of cybersecurity, the type of solutions that must be offered in your portfolio and how to present their value to the customer to maximize your profitability on a recurring revenue model.

Visit www.bta.org/BMB to register.

22-23 2019 BTA National Conference - Hosted by BTA Southeast Orlando, Florida The 2019 BTA National Conference, hosted by BTA Southeast, will feature: a keynote address presented by retired 1st Sgt. Matt Eversmann, the hero of Black Hawk Down and the Battle of Mogadishu; four additional educational sessions led by industry leaders; two dealer panel discussions; time to network with peers and exhibiting sponsors, including during a welcoming reception and breaks; an evening at Epcot for the IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth laser and fireworks show; and a ticket to a Disney theme park of your choice. BTA member dealers receive 2-for-1 registration and can use their $150 or $250 discount codes received with membership. Visit www.bta.org/BTAOrlando to register.

26-27 ProFinance 3.0

Duluth, Georgia (an Atlanta suburb) Taught by John Hey and Todd Johnson of Strategic Business Associates, ProFinance 3.0 incorporates industry changes into the industry model. With more than 30 key benchmarks, this management tool will help you and your team achieve double-digit operating income. Visit www. bta.org/ProFinance to register.

April 2

BTA Service Success Training Taught by veteran service manager Ken Edmonds, BTA Service Success Training is the first training program that addresses the fundamentals of supervision and management. Those who take this 15-week (30 sessions) online course will have a better understanding of their service departments, and the actions they can take to increase productivity and profitability while boosting their teams’ morale and competence. Visit www.bta.org/ServiceSuccess to register.

For more information, visit www.bta.org/Education or call (800) 843-5059.

www.offi cetechnol ogymag.com | F e b ru a ry 2019 | 21

Calendar Feb 19.indd 1

1/30/19 8:28 AM

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

Dealer Members Allfax Specialties Inc., St. Rose, LA Creative Office Solutions, Marietta, GA Cunningham Business Systems LLC, Alexandria, LA DEX Imaging, Tampa, FL General Copiers, Rahway, NJ Smart Document Solutions, Phoenix, AZ Tri-Copy Office Equipment, Fayetteville, GA Vendor Members OPEX Corp., Moorestown, NJ Precision Hiring & Development, Forsyth, GA Print-Rite Unicorn Image Products Co. Ltd. of Zhuhai, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China 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 members in this space.

Precision Hiring & Development is an employee assessment service helping employers make more informed hiring and development decisions by taking the guesswork out of the selection and development process. The company’s assessments — for workplace attitudes, behaviors and motivators — are easy to use, accurate, affordable and emailed to you within minutes.

Precision Hiring & Development also offers complimentary assessments to evaluate, as well as a money-back guarantee so you have nothing to lose — and everything to gain. https://precisionhiring.com

Visit www.bta.org/Shipping for more information.

For more than four decades, OPEX Corp. has delivered forward-focused solutions for customers ranging from businesses aspiring to e-commerce success to organizations striving for agility and profitability in a world that values speed and rewards service. OPEX customers can now turn to the company for equipment that delivers a wide array of process improvements designed to enhance material handling, document imaging, and mail opening and sorting.

From the mailroom to the warehouse, OPEX can improve your workflow by putting into motion a solution that is right for you. www.opex.com

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

A full list of BTA vendor members can be found online at www.bta.org.

Shipping & Freight Discounts

As a BTA member, you are eligible to receive exclusive discounts and preferred pricing with the leading transportation providers in the industry. BTA has partnered with UPS and YRC (formerly Yellow Transportation & Roadway Express) so you can improve your bottom line with competitive shipping rates. Whether you ship envelopes, packages, crates or pallets, these carriers can provide solutions.

For more information, visit www.bta.org.

22 | ­w w w. o f f ic et ec hno lo g y m a g.c om | F e b r ua r y 2 0 1 9

Highlights Feb 19.indd 1

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www.offi cetechnol ogymag.com | F e b ru a ry 2019 | 23

1/18/19 12:07 PM

COURTS & CAPITOLS

Website Rankings Improve your company’s position in searches by: Robert C. Goldberg, general counsel for the Business Technology Association

C

ompetition has changed drastically in the digital age.

End users are educating themselves regarding products and services long before speaking to providers. The internet is a vast resource for information that can also be used to identify potential suppliers. In the January issue of Office Technology, I discussed the need to monitor online reviews to ensure that prospective customers are not misled about your company by a disgruntled end user. In this issue, I will tackle two questions: (1) When an end user searches the internet for a product your company sells, how do you improve your company’s position in the search results? (2) Is it legally possible to use a competitor’s trademark as one of your search terms?

The main source of Google’s revenue comes from Google Ads. Google Ads helps sellers create advertisements and display them prominently when certain words are used in a search. A seller only pays Google if the searching party clicks on the ad.

Google Ads uses cookies and keywords to direct searches to a seller’s site. Google also sells keywords at set prices and, at times, through auctions. These keywords may include a company trademark that is not the trademark of the advertiser/seller.

So, a dealership is an authorized seller of “XYZ” copier/ MFPs and printers. “XYZ” is the registered trademark of the XYZ USA company. Is it possible for a dealer to purchase the keyword “XYZ” and, thus, all search engine searches for that brand would go to the dealership in a higher ranking than others? The quick answer is “yes.” But does such use constitute trademark infringement?

The law is reluctant to make any use of a trademark by a competitor illegal. The law allows fair, comparative advertising. If an authorized “XYZ” dealership were to state that “‘XYZ’ copier/MFPs are superior to ‘ABC’ copier/MFPs” there would be no violation. “ABC” is being used fairly and an opinion is permitted. However, if the dealership states “‘XYZ’ copier/ MFPs run six times faster and at a lower cost then ‘ABC’ copier/MFPs,” there would have to be independent testing to prove the claim. The dealership’s use of a competitive trademark is permitted where a competitor’s trademark is clear and no more prominent than the dealership’s authorized trademark.

How does the law view the use of a competitor’s trademark where it is not used clearly and prominently, but used as a keyword to divert traffic to the dealership’s website? Most courts hold that this is not trademark infringement. Keywords or AdWords are normally never seen by the public. They are auctioned off by search engine providers. When an individual

places a trademark into a search request, the owner of the purchased AdWords increases his (or her) chance for priority placement in the search results. Most courts fail to find any likelihood that potential end users would be confused by this result. Courts have said that, in the internet world, individuals expect that search results may bring up sites not sought — and competitive sites as well. End users often need to dig further to find what they are looking for.

1-800 CONTACTS bought the AdWords of its competitor Lens.com and Lens.com sued for trademark infringement.

1-800 CONTACTS was able to show that only 1.5 percent of the individuals seeking Lens.com actually clicked through to 1-800 CONTACTS. Lens.com lost, as there was insufficient evidence to show meaningful damage through the use of the registered trademark.

Although it is currently possible to use competitors’ trademarks as keywords and AdWords, the first step should be to protect your own keywords. If someone is searching for your company, your website should receive top priority. If someone is searching for the products you represent, you may wish to secure those keywords as well.

The internet is becoming a more important marketplace each and every day, and dealership owners who ignore this reality will be ignored digitally as well. n Robert C. Goldberg is general counsel for the Business Technology Association.

He can be reached at robert.goldberg@sfnr.com.

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DEALERS HELPING DEALERS

Supplies Fulfillment Dealers share advice for managing toner Compiled by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine

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ollowing is another of the questions submitted by a dealer member as part of BTA’s new Dealers Helping Dealers resource, and many of the answers received. These answers and others can be found in the members-only section of the BTA website. Visit www.bta.org/Dealers HelpingDealers. You will need your username and password to access this member resource.

“CEO Juice provides an email on ID315 excessive toner usage. FMAudit can also measure usage and email based on certain ‘triggers.’ FMAudit can be configured to be proactive, but CEO Juice may not tell you usage was excessive until you have already shipped.”

Mike Brandon, president & CEO ABC Office Equipment Co., Spokane, Washington

How do you manage supplies fulfillment for your contracted customers so you aren’t sending too much toner, thus affecting your profitability?

“We have supplies management software that we just recently started using. We are also working with vendors that have predictive software for supplies and service.”

Dean Boring, president & CEO Boring Business Systems, Lakeland, Florida

“A lot more carefully than we did in the past. Konica Minolta’s vCare really helps us manage on-site toner.”

George Peckham, president Office Systems of Texas, Houston, Texas “We have a very good person in charge of that. She is always checking last deliveries and meters prior to sending more toners. If a customer is insistent on needing the toner, the delivery person is notified to check the unit prior to leaving any unnecessary toner.”

Dan Castaneda, general manager International Copy Machine Center, El Paso, Texas “We are positioning everything we can to a distributor (Supplies Network) under a guaranteed-yield CPI plan to eliminate exposure and inventory.”

Ray Fuentes, president Edwards Business Systems/Virginia Business Systems Wyomissing, Pennsylvania “We utilize our collect agent, but we ask about stock from time to time via email to see what the customer has on hand.”

Adam Gregory, president Advanced Business Solutions LLC, Jacksonville, Florida “This has been an ongoing issue for us, however we are in the process of setting up fulfillment options in Print Audit as we speak.”

Daniel Bombard, owner/general manager Yuma Office Equipment, Yuma, Arizona

“We watch closely and have our techs deliver toner if we suspect abuse. The tech is instructed to put it in FMAudit and check the client’s toner supply.”

Dan Detrick, vice president CopyLady Inc., Fort Myers, Florida “Through automatic shipment alerts and warehouse staff monitoring previous supply shipments.”

Bob Evans, partner Function4, Sugar Land, Texas “We monitor what we have supplied, what they have installed and what they have printed. If any area is out of alignment, we have to make an adjustment. If the customer is using very little toner, we keep their rate increases lower.

If they have used too much toner, their rate increases are adjusted accordingly.”

Greg Quirk, owner & CEO JQ Office Equipment of Omaha Inc., Omaha, Nebraska Do you have a question to ask your fellow dealers? Email it to brent@bta.org with the subject line: “Dealers Helping Dealers.” Office Technology will share your question with the full dealer membership with a request for guidance from your fellow dealers. n Brent Hoskins, executive director of the Business Technology Association, is editor of Office Technology magazine.

He can be reached at brent@bta.org or (816) 303-4040. www.offi cetechnol ogymag.com | F e b ru a ry 2019 | 25

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DEALERSHIP SPOTLIGHT

Here’s Johnny!

Dustin Office Machines owner reflects on 65 years by: Sarah Einselen, The Gainesville Daily Register

Editor’s Note: The following was published in the holiday 2018 edition of Gainesville Living, a publication of the Gainesville (Texas) Daily Register, reprinted here with permission. Johnny Leftwich is owner/manager of Dustin Office Machines, located in Gainesville. The dealership has been a member of BTA since 1970. rom floor sweeper to company owner, Johnny Leftwich has spent his whole career at Dustin Office Machines. It all started 65 years ago in his father’s barbershop.

“I shined shoes for his barbershop,” Leftwich recalls while sitting in the Dustin Office Machines shop on California Street.

“Frank Dustin’s office supply was across the street. Mr. Dustin would come over and my father would cut his hair — in those days they’d shave people — he’d cut his hair and shave him, and I would shine his shoes. So, we began somewhat of a little rapport.”

Dustin moved to Gainesville in the 1930s and launched what Leftwich describes as “a mom-and-pop general office-supply store” downtown. It opened briefly on the site of the current Dustin Office Machines location before moving in the 1930s to the lot where Prosperity Bank stands now.

The Leftwich family barbershop stood steps away, at what is now a grassy lot east of Dustin Office Machines on California Street. But the family sold the barbershop after Leftwich’s father died of a heart attack at 49 years old. Leftwich was still in high school and needed part-time work until he could graduate.

But first, the teenager needed a haircut. So, he traveled from his family home in Era, Texas, to downtown Gainesville to get his locks chopped off at the barbershop his family formerly owned.

“I said, ‘I’ve got to have a job,’” he recalls. He asked the barbershop employees if they knew somewhere he might find work.

They told him: “Go across the street,” he says. “Mr. Dustin’s young boy who worked after school and Saturdays just quit.”

So, on May 25, 1953, he headed over. “I walked upstairs,” Leftwich recalls. “Of course, he knew me. I said I needed a job and he said ‘fine.’ He knew I lived in Era and he asked, ‘What time do you think you can be here?’ In those days, we practiced football during school hours so we could ride the bus home. We’d be through about 3:30. I said, ‘I can be here by 4 o’clock.’ That was 65 years ago.”

When Leftwich was about 15, the business moved into a Dixon Street building that Frank Dustin owned, and the company expanded its offerings to include office furniture and business machines. As a high-schooler, and then as a full-time employee after graduation, Leftwich’s job was to sweep floors and make some deliveries in Dustin’s green Pontiac station wagon.

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Johnny Leftwich stands in front of a collection of typewriters on display at Dustin Office Machines. Photo courtesy of Sarah Einselen, The Gainesville Daily Register.

“We had old pine floors and there was such a thing as floor sweeping,” Leftwich recalls. “What it was, was sawdust. They put oil in it so it would keep the dust down. And I had to do that.”

He was still sweeping floors and making deliveries into his early 20s. “I thought: ‘Maybe I need to consider going out there, getting a desk job,’” he says. “And I went to college and took a night course in accounting to think about pursuing that.”

He attended Gainesville College until 1958, but that experience actually confirmed his future at Dustin’s store.

“When I got my first test back,” Leftwich says of his accounting course, “it looked like the instructor had shot a bottle of ketchup on it, it had so much red. With that in mind, I think that led to my decision: ‘I’m going to stay where I am.’”

He went ahead and finished his community-college stint while taking on more duties at Dustin. He became a service technician, which at the time was called a “typewriter man.”

He passed his college English course “with a C-double-minus” thanks to his technician skills. “I wouldn’t have passed that but I serviced [the instructor’s] typewriter for her,” he says.

The office machines Dustin sold were just part of the business at the time. It was just before electric machines — when manual typewriters and hand-adding machines were in widespread use. Some remain on display in Dustin Office Machines today.

“See those two manuals on the end?” Leftwich asks as he points to two machines in the display. “I sold those brand-new.”

As his time with the shop increased, so did his duties, and he became a sales representative as well as a service technician.

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from a Valentine’s Day fire downtown.

He loved the work — getting to talk to peoIn 2001, Leftwich accepted an offer to sell ple regularly and never having to sit down He loved the work — the Hallmark business and the office supply for more than a few minutes at a time. And getting to talk to and furniture lines, shifting the business to the job allowed him to stay in Gainesville people regularly concentrate on office machines. with his family. and never having “Really, the term is multipurpose maLeftwich worked for Dustin for nine to sit down chines, but nine out of 10 people call them years before the business-owner’s death. copy machines,” Leftwich says. Unlike the “As I kept working, I realized where I was, for more than a few single-purpose typewriters he started out where he was,” he says. “As far as I was conminutes at a time. selling, today’s machines copy, fax, scan cerned, it was a nice, clean business.” and print documents, and sometimes carDustin’s daughters and their husbands were uninterested in working in the family business, so upon ry out other functions too. Though Leftwich has owned the Dustin’s death, his wife, Elvis, offered Leftwich part owner- business for decades, much of his job remains in sales.

And the 81-year-old does not intend to quit anytime soon. ship in the business. They continued working side by side until Elvis’ retirement in 1985. “As time went by, it worked out pretty Retirement, he says, is something he might think about when he is 90. “I really enjoy what I’m doing,” he says, noting that he good for me,” Leftwich says.

The Dustin business purchased other buildings, expand- trusts the employees of Dustin Office Machines. ed its furniture line and added a Hallmark store over the “I’m very fortunate in that respect.” n Sarah Einselen is editor and general manager years. Some years were hard, though. Leftwich recalls hardof The Gainesville Daily Register, Gainesville, ships during the 1980s after oil prices took a dive and the Texas. She can be reached at business consolidated its locations into one at 105 E. California St., where the business is located today. The shop also editor@gainesvilleregister.com.

Visit www.gainesvilleregister.com. closed for a few weeks in 1985 after suffering smoke damage

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AIMED VIEWPOINT

Millennials’ Mail USPS representative reports on recent study by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine

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ontrary to what many may expect, millennials do welcome receiving physical mail. In fact, reported Steven Monteith, vice president of marketing for the United States Postal Service (USPS), during the 2018 AIMED Conference, “millennials get fewer pieces, but they spend more time sorting their mail.” He was citing the results of a recent USPS Mail Moments study revealing that millennials spend an Steven Monteith average of 13.1 minutes each time they sort mail, as compared to 9.5 minutes for Gen Xers and 7.8 minutes for baby boomers.

In his presentation, “Postal Service & Mailing Industry Trends,” Monteith shared a comprehensive overview of industry trends and the most recent strides at the USPS, but focused, in part, on millennials and their perceptions of mail. He was among seven speakers and panelists presenting at the conference, held Dec. 5-6, 2018, at the Palazzo in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The conference was held just prior to the Dec. 6-7 Capture the Magic educational and networking event, hosted by BTA West.

“The number-one goal that I have in terms of marketing for the postal service is the value of the mailbox and keeping mail relevant,” Monteith said. “The key is customers and consumers going to the mailbox on a regular basis.”

Supporting that “number-one goal,” the mail in millennials’ mailboxes is “targeted and relevant” Monteith said. “The mail pieces they’re getting are from companies that they’re doing business with, or companies that have targeted them and have figured out that these are ‘things that this customer would like to look at’ … We’re starting to see this with millennials — that it’s not ‘everything is on the phone.’ They do respond to mail.”

The study reveals that 91 percent of millennials surveyed either “agree completely” or “agree somewhat” that they “take the time to look through my mail to make sure I am not discarding useful information,” Monteith reported. Similarly, he shared, 90 percent of millennials indicate that “receiving a handwritten letter, note or greeting card in the mail has a lot of value to me” — a higher percentage than for Gen Xers or baby boomers, both at 88 percent. Meanwhile, 60 percent of millennials indicate that “I typically find the information I receive by mail to be more useful than the information I

receive by email,” as compared to 56 percent for Gen Xers and 57 percent for baby boomers.

One other notable finding in the study, cited in Monteith’s PowerPoint: “Millennials are still more likely to receive bills through the mail than electronically.” The study reveals that 54 percent of bills sent to millennials arrive by mail, although that is less than the percentage of bills arriving in the mailboxes of the other generations — 58 percent for Gen Xers and 62 percent for baby boomers.

“The good news here, as we look at the demographics of each of the perceptions in the ‘mail attitudes,’ is that we actually see strength on the millennial side,” Monteith said. “We have continuing strength with Gen X and the boomers, but we see strength on the millennial side.”

Monteith also noted that “millennials love the Informed Delivery concept.” What is Informed Delivery? It is a new offering whereby the USPS captures images of all mail pieces for customers and notifies them via email regarding the mail they can expect to receive, he explained, noting that he personally uses the service. “I get an email that shows me the images of all the mail pieces that are coming to my mailbox that day.”

Informed Delivery “marries digital and physical” for those individuals who sign up for the notifications, Monteith explained, noting that “to date, we’ve signed up 13.9-million users,” with 150,000 to 200,000 additional users signing up for the service each week. (Currently, Informed Delivery is a business-to-consumer offering; a business-to-business offering is under development.)

“What’s really important for us, as we’ve moved forward, is we are allowing mailers to do what we call ‘rich-content campaigns’,” Monteith said. “So, rather than just seeing you [your company] in a mail piece, you have the ability to create a campaign that allows you to then create a click-through that can take that customer to an offer. Sometimes, it’s ‘buy now and get 10 percent off’; we’ve had charities say ‘sign up to support it, feed the child, donate,’ those sorts of things.”

At the time of Monteith’s presentation, it had only been a year since campaigns using Informed Delivery had been offered. “We’ve had more than 5,300 campaigns and more than 1,000 brands participate in it,” he said. “We currently have a 65.7-percent average email open rate, five days a week.” n Brent Hoskins, executive director of the Business Technology Association, is editor of Office Technology magazine.

He can be reached at (816) 303-4040 or brent@bta.org.

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SELLING SOLUTIONS

Building a Sales Culture Center it around a process of profitable growth by: Troy Harrison, Troy Harrison & Associates

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n my years of experience in working with (and for) companies large and small, I have discovered that there is a common element to the most successful businesses. The most successful companies have a sales culture. A “sales culture” is a philosophy that permeates the company, from the corner office to the loading dock, that says, essentially, “We are a sales organization, and everything else we are able to do is a product of our ability to sell our products or services to our customers.”

This flows from the top because it must. Despite the protestations of those who advocate bottom-up leadership, the reality is that any corporate culture is set not by the employees at the ground and field levels, but by the overriding philosophy of management. That is you, by the way. So, let us assume for the moment that you have decided that your company needs to accept and embrace a sales culture. How do you go about that?

Set the Mission: First of all, whatever your mission statement is, throw it away. I know, it is something that you have put a lot of thought into and it probably has some great phrasing. However, it is probably also something that your employees will never remember. Let’s replace it with something simple like this: “We are a sales organization, and we grow profitably by acquiring new customers, developing current customers to greater profitability and retaining profitable business.” Use this as the mantra that guides your company’s decision making.

Communicate: All good things in sales (and business) come from good communication, and most bad things happen because of insufficient communication. Knowing this, the next step is to communicate the message to your people, and to do so consistently. This is where a lot of companies fail, because the communication happens like this: The “Big Guy at the Top” will have a staff meeting where he (or she) communicates the “new mission” forcefully to his key managers and then expects the managers to communicate it downstream.

They do, but with varying degrees of emphasis and enthusiasm. The sales manager obviously embraces the mission, while the warehouse manager may be less enthusiastic, and so forth. If you really want to effect change, it has to be up to you.

First, have all-company meetings, all-department meetings or all-branch meetings. You need to have these meetings so every employee hears the message directly from your lips. If your people know the goals, they will act in accordance with them — if they believe the goals are real and permanent.

Align Goals: To accomplish your goal of profitable growth through acquiring, developing and retaining customers, you must align all your departments and goals. For instance, instead of budgeting in dollar terms, budget in percentages from the top line. This way, when departments need more resources for equipment and personnel, they know how to get those resources and help grow the company. Even with the best goal setting, however, you are going to see some internal conflict.

Remove Internal Conflict: Good sales forces, by their nature, create internal conflict. This is not because salespeople are bad people, obnoxious or difficult to work with (although those are separate issues), but because good salespeople push the frontiers. Because sales is all about growth, good sales forces are always creating extra work and pressure for the other departments, which must then function at higher levels to support the sales growth created. This creates conflict and pushback.

It is your job to mediate and handle these conflicts and pushbacks. It is a delicate issue because no department or department manager wants to feel subordinate or less important than sales. The reality is that, if you are truly embracing a sales culture, the other departments are exactly that — subordinate to sales. When conflicts arise, you should go back to your mission statement. What helps your company grow profitably through acquiring, developing and retaining customers?

Have a High-Performance Sales Force: Now it is time to turn up the heat on the people who are doing the selling. You www.offi cetechnol ogymag.com | F e b ru a ry 2019 | 29

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new shelving for the warehouse may be have the right to demand excellence from completely justified. Raises for admin staff your salespeople once you have molded the There are numerous members may be appropriate to reward culture of the company around them. benefits to aligning your them for their part in acquiring, developYou need a strong sales manager who company around a sales ing and retaining customers. It does mean actively works to strengthen and enhance culture ... Sales-focused that your company has one universal critethe abilities of his salespeople. Your sales companies tend to ria for spending, personnel allocations and manager must be a good coach and develany other key decision making. oper of people. He should be willing to adproduce excellence The Benefits: There are numerous benvocate for the needs of the sales force while in every department. efits to aligning your company around simultaneously demanding the highest efa sales culture, but the biggest is this: fort and achievement from them. He must be capable of surrounding himself with top talent — and then Sales-focused companies tend to produce excellence in every department. The reason is simple: Companies with strong making that talent even better.

The sales manager must understand the basic equation of sales departments cannot stay bad or mediocre in other areas; sales achievement, which is: quantity of activity x quality of if they do, those sales gains will quickly be lost through cusactivity = results. To this end, the sales manager should have tomer dissatisfaction and attrition. As noted earlier, good sales performance metrics in place to assess both quantity and departments tend to lift other departments through necessity. quality of sales activity, and be equipped to hold salespeople On the whole, organizations that center their cultures around accountable for those metrics and for the results. Struggling a process of profitable growth tend to achieve that growth, personnel must be either coached or changed, and top per- year after year. It is not easy, but the results are worth it. n Troy Harrison is the author of “Sell Like You Mean It!” and formers should be rewarded and coached to even higher levels.

Reinforce the Culture: As you have probably guessed, it is “The Pocket Sales Manager,” and is a speaker, consultant and sales navigator. He helps not enough to have some meetings, say “we are a sales organization” and call it good. Cultures happen because they are re- companies build more profitable and productive sales forces. To schedule a free 45-minute Sales inforced, directly or indirectly. For this to work, key decisions Strategy Review, call (913) 645-3603 or must be made based on the new mission statement: “Does email troy@troyharrison.com. this decision help us to acquire, develop or retain customers?”

Visit www.troyharrison.com.

This does not mean that non-sales departments starve; that

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