July 2013 Office Technology

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Contents Volume 20 • No. 1

Feature Articles 10

2013 MPS Guide Helping you locate the right industry resources

p r i n c i pa l i s s u e s A Quality Employer Attracting the right talent requires purposive action

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by Joanne L. Smikle SmikleSpeaks.com

Compiled by Brent Hoskins Office Technology Magazine

There are laws of attraction that get and keep talented people engaged in their work, loyal to their employers and committed to the industry. Quality employers have figured out how to maximize their attractiveness to top talent. This article identifies the seven strategies required to successfully recruit and retain value-added employees.

As a resource to its readers, Office Technology magazine invited a number of vendors to submit brief overviews of how they can assist dealers in maintaining successful managed print services (MPS) programs in their dealerships.

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Meet Todd J. Fitzsimons BTA’s new president assumes office on July 1

Bridge Beyond Lexmark hosts 2013 dealer meeting May 20-22

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by Brent Hoskins Office Technology Magazine

by Brent Hoskins Office Technology Magazine

On July 1, Todd J. Fitzsimons became the 79th national president of the Business Technology Association (BTA). Fitzsimons is director of business development for Automated Business Solutions (ABS; doing business as Network Imaging) in Southington, Conn.

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Impacting the Outcome Like in the movies, the close is not everything

by Tibor Shanto Renbor Sales Solutions

Encouraging its dealers to embrace the opportunities provided by the company’s smart MFPs and business process improvement software, Lexmark International hosted its 2013 dealer meeting May 20-22 in Lexington, Ky. The meeting drew approximately 175 attendees, including representatives of 125 of the company’s authorized dealerships.

Social Media Misconceptions Understanding its nature is integral to your success

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by Robert Abbott

Some will tell you that closing is what sales is all about. And while it may be difficult to argue against this notion based on all the material devoted to it, studies and experience show that closing is not as important as some make it out to be.

This is the second in a series of articles about how to harness the power of social media to help your business profit. In this article, the focus is on overcoming your misconceptions about social media. Your understanding of this tool may be suffering more from misinformation than from a lack of information.

Courts & capitols 33

Performance Reviews They are essential & must be done honestly

by Robert C. Goldberg BTA General Counsel

How do you approach performance reviews? Are they low on your to-do list, performed irregularly or do they seem to have no purpose other than to discuss compensation? With proper preparation and format, performance reviews can be a beneficial tool for employment relations.

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

West or East? BTA Has You Covered!

W

hether you are in the West or the East, the Business Technology Association (BTA) has you covered! In the coming two months, both BTA West and BTA East will host educational and networking events designed for the dealer channel. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn from experts, network with fellow dealers, and gather new ideas and strategies.

First up is Capture the Magic, the BTA West-hosted event scheduled for Aug. 1-2 at the Mandarin Oriental in Las Vegas. The agenda begins late afternoon on Aug. 1 with the keynote session, “Business Model Strategies for Growth,” to be presented by Kurt Schmelz, president of North American Resellers, Channel Partner Organization, Xerox Corp. The session will be followed by a welcoming reception and the opportunity to visit with 30-plus exhibiting sponsors.

The next day, Aug. 2, the event continues with five educational sessions: “If I Were You,” with Ed McLaughlin, Valderus LLC; “Business Model for Managed Services,” with Mitch Morgan, Growth Achievement Partners; “Changing Market Dynamics & Exploding Opportunities in Document Management,” with John F. Mancini, AIIM; “Proactive Prospecting,” with Tibor Shanto, Renbor Sales Solutions; and “Service & Operational Opportunities to Improve Your Profitability,” with Ken Staubitz, BEI Services.

There will be plenty of time between sessions to visit with exhibitors. Following the full day of education, attendees will enjoy Cirque Du Soleil’s O performance at the Bellagio.

Those who attend either the front-runner educational workshop, the “BTA Field Service Foundations Workshop” (July 30-Aug. 1), or the post-event workshop, “How to Sell

Document Management Solutions” (Aug. 3), receive free registration to Capture the Magic. Register for either course or Capture the Magic at www.bta.org/BTAWestEvent.

Next is Grand Slam, the BTA East-hosted event scheduled for Sept. 26-27 at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore in Baltimore, Md. The agenda begins late afternoon on Sept.

26 with the keynote session, “Embracing Change: The Future of the BTA Dealer,” to be presented by Tod Pike, senior vice president, Enterprise Business Division, Samsung Electronics America Inc. A welcoming reception will follow, along with the opportunity to visit with 30 exhibiting sponsors.

The next day, Sept. 27, attendees will have the opportunity to attend six educational sessions: “Our Industry is Changing! Where Do We Go From Here?,” a dealer panel moderated by Frank Cannata, Marketing Research Consultants; “All Hits & No Errors = Dealer Success,” with Bob Goldberg, BTA general counsel; “Leadership vs. Management: Which is More Important?,” with John Hey, Strategic Business Associates; “Strategies for Success in Managed IT Services,” with Milton Bartley, ImageQuest; “The Evolving Dealership — Developing a Message That Integrates Hardware, Services & Solutions,” with Darrell Amy, Dealer Marketing Systems; and “Building the 21st-Century Sales Force,” with Troy Harrison, SalesForce Solutions. Breaks between sessions will allow attendees to visit with exhibitors.

Grand Slam will wrap up with an evening at Oriole Park at Camden Yards where attendees will enjoy a Boston Red Sox vs. Baltimore Orioles game. Register for the Grand Slam event at www.bta.org/BTAEastEvent.

Take a look at the ads in this issue (on pages 2-3 and pages 20-21) for more information. Visit the BTA website to register for one or both of these district events. 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 Robert Abbott robertabbottonline@gmail.com Robert C. Goldberg, General Counsel Business Technology Association Tibor Shanto, Renbor Sales Solutions www.sellbetter.ca Joanne L. Smikle, SmikleSpeaks.com www.smiklespeaks.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 Photo Credits: iStockphoto, Jupiterimages, Wavebreak Media.

Cover created by Bruce Quade, Brand X Studio. ©2013 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 2013-2014 Board of Directors

Meet BTA’s 2013-14 Volunteer Leaders

I

t is an honor for me to assume the national presidency of the Business Technology Association (BTA). I am looking forward to helping guide our association in the coming 12 months.

Of course, I am not alone as a BTA volunteer. In fact, for the July 1, 2013 - June 30, 2014, fiscal year, we have 23 other dealer members who have stepped forward to give back to their association. I am pleased to introduce them to you. They are: National President-Elect and Board Member Ron Hulett, president and CEO of U.S. Business Systems Inc., Elkhart, Ind. National Vice President and Board Member Dave Quint, president and CEO of Advanced Systems Inc., Waterloo, Iowa.

National Immediate Past President, ExOfficio National Board Member and BTA Southeast Board Member Terry Chapman, president of Business Electronics Corp., Birmingham, Ala. BTA East President Mike Boyle, president of Base Technologies, Bethel, Conn.

BTA East President-Elect Greg Gondek, president of Advanced Copy Technologies Inc., Cromwell, Conn.

BTA East Vice President Jim Donnellon, president and owner of ABS Business Products Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio.

BTA East Secretary/Treasurer Tim Seeley Jr., vice president of sales at Seeley Office Systems, Glens Falls, N.Y. BTA East Board Member Don Risser, vice president and partner at Advanced Laser Printer Service & Supplies Inc., Emigsville, Pa. BTA East Immediate Past President and National Board Member Rob Richardson, owner and founder of Allied Document Solutions & Services, Swedesboro, N.J.

BTA Mid-America President and National Board Member Dan Castaneda, general manager of International Copy Machine Center, El Paso, Texas.

BTA Mid-America President-Elect Bob Evans, a partner at DigiTec Office Solutions Inc., Sugar Land, Texas.

BTA Mid-America Vice President Erik Crane, president of Copy Products Inc., Springfield, Mo. BTA Southeast President Gerry Purvis, owner and president of Purvis Business Machines, Meridian, Miss.

BTA Southeast President-Elect John Eckstrom, president and CEO of Carolina Business Equipment (CBE), Columbia, S.C. BTA Southeast Secretary/Treasurer Bill James, (retired) systems support manager, WJS Enterprises, Metairie, La. BTA Southeast Board Member Bob Christensen, president of Danwood America Inc., Orlando, Fla. BTA Southeast Board Member Brian Snow, president of Advanced Business Systems, Tallahassee, Fla. BTA Southeast Immediate Past President and National Board Member Linda Hayes, president of Purcell’s Business Products, Campbellsville, Ky. BTA West President and National Board Member Mike Ehlers, president of Yost Business Systems, Idaho Falls, Idaho.

BTA West President-Elect Cathy Dimon, president of Northern Business Systems, Fairbanks, Alaska.

BTA West Vice President John Hines, CFO of Copiers Northwest Inc., Seattle, Wash.

BTA West Secretary/Treasurer Mike Brandon, president and CEO, ABC Office Equipment, Spokane, Wash.

BTA West Board Member Joe Escamilla, CEO and COO of Document Systems, Oxnard, Calif. n — Todd J. Fitzsimons

President Todd J. Fitzsimons Automated Business Solutions DBA Network Imaging 122 Spring St., Ste. B3 Southington, CT 06489 tjfitzsimons@ni-ct.com President-Elect Ron Hulett U.S. Business Systems Inc. 3221 Southview Drive Elkhart, IN 46514 ron.hulett@usbus.com Vice President Dave Quint Advanced Systems Inc. 2945 Airport Blvd.

P.O. Box 57 Waterloo, IA 50704 dquint@asiowa.com BTA East Rob Richardson Allied Document Solutions & Services Inc. 200 Church St. Swedesboro, NJ 08085 robr@ads-s.com BTA Mid-America Dan Castaneda International Copy Machine Center 1515 Lee Trevino, Ste. EE El Paso, TX 79936 dan@icmc-elp.com BTA Southeast Linda Hayes Purcell’s Business Products 222 E. 1st St. Campbellsville, KY 42718 linda@purcells.com BTA West Mike Ehlers Yost Business Systems 685 E. Anderson Idaho Falls, ID 83401 mike@yostonline.com Ex-Officio/Immediate Past President Terry Chapman Business Electronics Corp.

219 Oxmoor Circle, P.O. Box 531066 Birmingham, AL 35253 tchapman@businesselectronics.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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2013 MPS Guide Helping you locate the right industry resources Compiled by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine

A

s a resource to its readers, Office Technology magazine invited a number of vendors to submit brief overviews of how they can assist dealers in maintaining successful managed print services (MPS) programs in their dealerships. Following are the submissions received.

Accram Inc. www.accram.com Accram is a provider of nationwide service with an emphasis on copier/MFPs, wide-format printers, laser printers and thermal bar-code devices. We know that many dealers are taking on diverse multi-vendor fleets of print devices, especially in the MPS environment, and there is a significant need to provide “one-stop” service nationwide. With more than 445 highly trained service engineers in 50 states, Accram is that “go- to” company. We have also made a niche by helping dealers understand how to identify thermal printer service and supply opportunities in existing accounts and create incremental revenue streams while maintaining absolute account control.

Barrister www.barrister.com Barrister is a partner-centric, multi-vendor IT support firm.

We provide break/fix, deployment and other project-based services on printers, MFPs, desktops, notebooks, POS, kiosks, servers and related peripherals. We have a coverage area in the United States that is second to none, supporting every ZIP code, as well as Canada, Puerto Rico and some European and Pacific Rim countries. Since Barrister does not sell products to the end user, we complement rather than compete with the dealers we support. In essence, Barrister is the outsourcer to the outsourcer. Primary printer lines we support with flexible programs include, but are not limited to: HP, Lexmark, Kyocera, Samsung, Brother, Dell, OKI Data and Xerox.

Collaborative Consultant Group

www.collaborativeconsultantgroup.com Collaborative Consultant Group (CCG) is a management

consulting and training practice concentrating on MPS. With more than 32 years experience in the office equipment space and nine years of practical experience in MPS, we have the unique ability to take theoretical knowledge and transfer it to practical application.

Mike Lecak, president of CCG, has been on all sides of the MPS channel — at the dealer, OEM and distributor levels. Having gained a wide breadth of experience in both sales and execution, we can show you how to get engaged in more MPS opportunities and stay engaged, driving bottom-line results.

Compass Sales Solutions www.compasscontact.net Since 2001, Compass Sales Solutions has been a leading sales force automation provider for the office technology industry. Compass Sherpa provides a comprehensive suite that automates all disparate sales processes and allows your sales professionals to utilize one tool to completely manage the sales process, including prospect/client identification, Outlook integration, product configuration, proposal generation, MPS analysis and mapping, ERP integration, and mobile access via smartphones and tablets.

Concurrent Management Solutions www.concurrentmanagement.com Delivering a managed services business requires many components to be successful, and most companies do not have all of these components in-house. And, your business is unique. That means “one-size-fits-all” vendor programs simply do not work. As a Concurrent Management Solutions member, you get access to products and services that allow you to deliver a complete, competitive and profitable managed print or IT services offering. We picked the most common missing pieces and built a portfolio of services that you can use to deliver a complete managed services offering.

Our mission is to support the profitable managed services revenue growth of our members with best-in-class solutions.

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Members can choose from a menu of services that can fill gaps or strengthen their programs. Concurrent Management Solutions is operated by industry experts who have real-world experience running successful managed services businesses. As a CMS member, you are always in control.

Digital Gateway www.digitalgateway.com Digital Gateway offers a robust set of MPS tools: Digital Quote Manager, which automates proposal generation and the profitability/TCO analysis process for CPC, CPP and MPS contracts with real-time pricing and automated invoice processing connections to key MPS vendors; and PO Processor (POP), benefiting dealers who purchase parts and supplies for customers as part of their day-to-day business. POP relieves dealers of the labor-intensive aspects of purchasing, receiving, invoice matching and maintaining real-time equipment, parts and supply pricing through tight integrations with Canon, Toshiba, Supplies Network, West Point Products, Azerty,

Katun, Parts Now, MSE, TechData, Synnex and many more.

EverBank Commercial Finance www.everbankcommercialfinance.com EverBank Commercial Finance’s MPS-certified team helps dealers meet their clients’ current financing needs and capture incremental revenue with impactful training opportunities and profit-enhancing products. EverBank Commercial Finance specializes in cost-per-copy, managed print services, software-only financing and document management. The company’s easy-to-use sales tools, detailed reporting, straightforward documentation and policies all contribute to dealers’ MPS success.

FMAudit www.fmaudit.com FMAudit is a leader in the development of software solutions for managed print. Its software provides advanced technology for network and local device data assessment, TCO

Partnering for Success A

s I read through the list of companies in the 2013 MPS Guide, I am reminded how important the selection of partners and providers is in any company’s long-term success. The days of vertically integrated companies are long behind us, and this is particularly true with more complex business models like MPS. Chances are that most of you are well aware of the importance of key partners today. As a dealer, you likely did not write your own ERP system to run your business, you do not remanufacture your own toner and you certainly are not building the hardware you place in your end-users’ environments. However, as you look at your MPS business model, have you knowingly and intentionally selected partners that enable and accelerate your MPS business model success, or have you simply attempted to adapt your legacy partnerships and providers from your “pre-MPS” days?

Before you can determine which partners and providers can help increase your business success with MPS, it is important to first identify all of the assets and competencies that are required to successfully sell and manage MPS engagements. At each step in the MPS client engagement and management process, there are specific assets and competencies needed — from CRM/sales-funnel management tools early in the cycle, to deal implementation competencies after the contract is signed, to ongoing customer management and business review competencies to keep the customer for the long run.

So, what is the best way to identify the necessary assets and competencies to enable you to make purposeful and thoughtful decisions about the right partnerships and providers?

It starts with your customer. At each step of the MPS process, what is the experience you want your customer to have with your company? To deliver that experience, what assets (tools, resources) and competencies (knowledge, skills) are needed? Thoroughly documenting those assets and competencies will give you the road map for the next step. Which of these assets and competencies do you believe you need to “own” internally in the long term? Of them, which are “best-in-class” in your organization today? Of those you

by: Doug Johnson, Supplies Network

need to truly own, but are not at the level you need them to be, who can help you increase them to the desired level? Are there others who can “bridge” you with competencies and assets until you can get yours to the right level for long-term success?

Regarding those competencies and assets you do not need to own, but are critical to the delivery of the customer experience: Who are the potential partners and providers? How rigorous and proven are the assets they bring to bear for your solution? How deep are their competencies? How well can they integrate with your existing capabilities to ensure a seamless solution? Can they expand your solution set and enhance your customer experience?

And, do not forget about the “secondary” competencies and assets — those requirements that do not directly affect the customer experience, but certainly influence it; for example, hiring the right sales personnel for MPS, building an MPS-focused sales compensation model or finding the right project management tool for deal implementation. These are important assets and competencies as well.

Once you have completed your analysis, you now have the road map to intentionally and purposefully build the MPS business model that delivers your desired customer experience. The process takes a bit of time, but can be the difference between surviving or thriving in managed print. Make it a priority this year and you will look at the 2013 MPS Guide through a different set of lenses. n With more than 30 years of industry experience, Johnson was with Hewlett-Packard for 20 years. He later joined Print Inc. as a startup in 2001. Johnson served as senior vice president and COO of Print Inc., and was president of its subsidiary, PrintValue Solutions Inc. In 2006, Print Inc. was sold to Pitney Bowes. After leaving Print Inc., he had a three-year engagement as an MPS consultant, founding RedSage Consulting and RedSage Partners. In 2010, he joined Supplies Network where he currently serves as senior vice president. He is also the instructor for the BTA MPS Survival Guide Workshop. Visit www.bta.org/MPSSurvivalGuide.

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Leasing Program | Sales Tools System Analysis | Print Management Supplies | Service and Support

OPTIMIZE PERFORMANCE. REDUCE COSTS. The Samsung Print Plus™ Managed Print Services (MPS) program provides you with a complete suite of tools to optimize and manage your customers’ printer, MFP and copier fleets, while helping lower their operating costs and providing you with opportunities for enhanced revenue and profits. Our full range of products, solutions and services empowers you to better serve your customers in a comprehensive, integrated way.

The Samsung products that power the New Business Experience.

© 2013 Samsung Electronics America, Inc. All rights reserved. Samsung is a registered trademark of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. All products, logos and brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Screen images simulated.

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analysis, automated meter billing, ERP integration and supply and service alert filtering and workflows. FMAudit offers remote meter reading solutions and print management assessment tools in addition to unique solutions to help a dealership reduce overhead, automate service and increase sales. Its data collection software can be remotely installed, maintained and updated. This innovative solution provides everything needed to assess, analyze, propose, monitor and market an MPS strategy.

FocusMPS www.focusmps.com FocusMPS can help your organization to begin doing 100-percent tools-based assessments using leading asset/ mapping and data-gathering tools available today. Toolsbased assessment methodologies have the following benefits: dramatically increase win rates; decrease the amount of time taken to conduct an assessment by nearly 60 percent; decrease the cost/assessment ratio; and improve accuracy

and ease of proposal development. If your business is just beginning to conduct print studies and assessments, or if you are looking to improve your current process, FocusMPS has the expertise and experience to help. Put away the pens, highlighters and sticky notes — it is time to raise your print assessment game to a winning level.

GreatAmerica Financial Services Corp.

www.greatamerica.com GreatAmerica has been helping its customers develop and grow their MPS initiatives for nearly a decade. Beginning with the enhancement of its billing and invoicing capabilities to handle complex MPS contracts, GreatAmerica has considered MPS a significant opportunity for its dealers and has invested accordingly in its ability to assist them.

Today, GreatAmerica helps office equipment dealers monitor, implement, finance, bill and grow their MPS programs to deeper levels. This includes products and services like the

Chasing the MPS Rainbow A

s a dealer in your community, you have worked hard to build your reputation. When it comes to your MPS offering, you use the best software platform and you have the best service department. You partner with only the best manufacturers. You understand your customer base, which you have cultivated over many years.

You are a “trusted advisor” to your customers. You have all the right things in place. So, why isn’t your MPS program taking off? What’s holding you back?

I typically find that if an MPS program is stalled, there are several factors at play. One certainly has to do with your salespeople. Do they understand the MPS space? Do they understand what benefit MPS will have for the customer? Do they know how to sell consultatively or are they more comfortable selling on a transactional level? Do they really even know what they are looking for? A sales force is often a mixed bag and this is what causes the most stress among managers.

I also find that MPS programs usually do not align with the strategic initiatives of the company. Compensation plans do not incent MPS sales properly. Sales departments are gauged and paid on a 30-day sales cycle. MPS, if sold correctly (which is what will drive your margins up) is rarely — if ever — a 30-day process. It makes sense that if reps are paid and success is gauged on monthly production, most of their efforts will be put toward “getting the business now.” A good MPS client engagement requires an assessment of the client’s current state. So, too, does your MPS strategy. Do you know where you are today?

As a dealership principal, it becomes necessary to make sure that your message is clear and supported by your process, your strategy, your compensation plans and your overall commitment. Would your best rep execute your MPS program to his (or her) biggest, most profitable customer? Or would he wait for the other “guinea pigs” to work out the kinks? This should tell you all you need to know about how your MPS offering is positioned and how you have executed on your plan.

The larger issue is that your competitors want to take your customers as much as your salespeople want to keep them. Good, bad or

by: Mike Lecak, Collaborative Consultant Group

indifferent, most companies have MPS programs, but fewer have an MPS strategy. The bottom line is: Your customers are hearing about MPS and they should be hearing about it from you.

As MPS progresses and more and more dealers look at managed services, it is becoming clear that these strategies, while solid, must be supported internally. Throwing another program at your sales team members without supporting it with clear objectives and an understanding of what is ahead is counterproductive. Failing to arm them with the right tools and education to be successful is the quickest way for them to disconnect and go back to the “old way.” Unfortunately, too many dealers do just that; they sit back and wonder why it does not work or doubt that it ever could have worked in the first place.

However, it has been forecasted that more than half of all printer revenue will be under an MPS contract by the end of 2014. All of your customers have printers, and most, if not all of your customers will be approached about MPS. Will you be the one to approach them? Embrace this challenge. Remember, if you want to see the rainbow, you have to see the rain. n Lecak has been in the industry since 1983, starting with ComDoc in Pittsburgh, Pa., then the largest independent dealership of both Ricoh and Lanier copier/MFPs in the East. After a successful 15-year career, he joined Toshiba as a district sales manager.

After a period of running his own consulting practice, Lecak joined Print Inc. in 2004 to manage sales for the company’s channel-focused PrintValue Solutions program. His team was responsible for all facets of bringing MPS practices to Print Inc.’s channel partners, including sales, service, training and sales compensation models. In 2009, Lecak joined Konica Minolta to manage its West Region for managed print. He currently serves as president of Collaborative Consultant Group.

Lecak is also the instructor for the BTA MPS Client Engagement Training Series.

Visit www.bta.org/MPSClientEngagement.

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Encompass™ keeps you plugged in and ready for business.

Toshiba’s Encompass puts control of your print environment back into your hands, helping you cut costs, secure documents and reduce waste, all from a single system. The game is fixed, and it’s in your favor.

To learn more, visit business.toshiba.com

©2013 Toshiba America Business Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.

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company’s comprehensive MPS documentation solution, PathShare® HR Services, technology integration with all major ERPs and FleetView remote monitoring.

Hewlett-Packard www.hp.com Hewlett-Packard (HP) helps the channel create more value for customers with programs and support for partner managed print services and solutions. For partners who do not have their own infrastructure, HP offers access to industry-leading MPS via the Managed Print Specialist Resell Program. For partners with established MPS practices, HP offers benefits such as discounts, compensation and MPS training via the Managed Print Advanced Specialist Program. The Document Solutions Specialist Program trains, certifies and supports partners to sell and deliver workflow, mobility and security solutions. HP offers marketing and sales support, diagnostic and analytic tools, products and solutions to help gain customer insight, optimize environments, reduce costs and tighten security.

Katun Corp. www.katun.com Katun invests in strategically focused programs designed to make dealerships more efficient and profitable.

The company’s programs provide customers discounts, along with access to, and reimbursement for, industryrelated software, including MPS. This support helps keep dealers in control of devices while maximizing profitability.

Along with a remanufactured printer line and printer parts, Katun’s toner products and competitive prices enable dealers to maintain profitability throughout the life of MPS contracts. Its flexible programs can be customized to ensure a dealer’s business needs align with specific organizational goals and objectives.

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A.

www.konicaminolta.com Konica Minolta’s Optimized Print Services (OPS) program combines consulting, hardware, software implementation and workflow management to deliver print efficiencies while driving lower document spend. The OPS concept is comprised of three focus areas: consult, implement and manage. A full array of toolsets are available to assist customers with fleet assessments, device mapping and reporting to manage their print environments. Konica Minolta’s OPS program is available via authorized dealers and through the direct sales channel.

KYOCERA Document Solutions America Inc.

www.kyoceradocumentsolutions.com/us Kyocera supports its North and South American dealer channels with a powerful program that takes their MDS

capabilities to a whole new level: the Kyocera Certified Total Document Solutions Provider Program (TDS). TDS is an extensive training program designed to educate dealers’ sales, pre-sales and post-sales teams via online courses, webinars and instructor-led classes. The comprehensive curriculum provides dealers with a complete understanding of the Kyocera portfolio of products and services. Topics include: Understanding Kyocera’s Device Technology; An Overview of Kyocera-Developed Business Applications; Principles of Sales Execution; and Providing Resolution to Customers’ Business Challenges. The TDS approach is holistic, evaluating every aspect of a customer’s workflow, from document management to costs, from inefficiencies to opportunities. Dealers develop the skills necessary to design a total document solution that delivers a customized combination of hardware, business applications and service offerings unique to every customer.

Lexmark International www.lexmark.com In building an MPS program for office technology dealers, Lexmark relies on its unique position as both a leading hardware manufacturer as well as an MPS provider to thousands of enterprise customers. Lexmark’s MPS toolset — Lexmark Fleet Manager — is designed specifically to boost dealers’ profitability and the value they bring to their customers through accurate and robust service ticketing and meter collection, ERP integration and a thorough understanding of the customer’s fleet (including toner consumption and coverage rates).

LMI www.lmisolutions.com Join more than 2,000 MPS sales professionals now generating more leads and winning more pages under contract with LMI’s exclusive combination of sales training and marketing tools designed to grow your business and your profits.

Now a staple for many of the top MPS providers throughout North America, LMI’s Peak Performance System includes an online, video-based MPS Sales Boot Camp, prospecting brochures, vertical flyers, lead generation videos and a Clevel site seller. Popular offerings also include on-site MPS prospecting workshops, business execution coaching, zero landfill sales kits and an MPS mobile pitch kit.

Managed Print Marketing

www.managedprintmarketing.com Managed Print Marketing (MPM) creates customized sales offense systems that combine sales training and contemporary marketing services that drive MPS sales leads and deliver measurable ROI to a dealer’s bottom line. Clients include many of North America’s top MPS resellers, IT VARs and OEMs. To date, more than 5,000 sales professionals have been trained both live and online to find and win more pages

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under contract using field-proven best practices and tools right across the MPS sales cycle.

Managed Print Services Association

www.yourmpsa.org The Managed Print Services Association (MPSA) is a global, nonprofit organization that provides independent communications, collaboration, education, standards and success to MPS professionals. The mission of the MPSA and its members is to address and optimize businesses’ office document management while enhancing the growth, efficiency and profitability of the MPS segment through advocacy, marketing, education, research, standards and a general community of interest.

Melissa Whitaker International www.melissawhitakerintl.com Melissa Whitaker International offers dealers a wide range of support, training and ongoing coaching (in the field) for MPS. This includes anything from consulting on infrastructure, to MPS beginner training, to MPS specialist training.

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Whitaker has specialized in MPS for more than eight years and her real-life successes in the field bring tangible results, not just theory.

Micro Solutions Enterprises www.mse.com Micro Solutions Enterprises (MSE) offers its dealers market-leading extended-life cartridges. These products are ideal for MPS engagements and can increase yield by up to 100 percent over the OEM. Included in these offerings are the market’s only 40,000-page versions for use in the M4555mfp, M602/603 and 4515 printers. MSE supports its products and brand through an array of marketing support and sales resources.

Mps&it Sales Consulting www.mpsandit.com Mps&it Sales Consulting is dedicated to improving the BTA dealer’s current MPS sales results to their highest level of success. We begin with a deep dive of discovery into all aspects of your MPS sales execution and create a new market strategy and transformation plan that simply drives more closed contracts. We do not just throw notebooks and

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ideas at you and leave; we ensure your success by helping you manage the entire transformation execution.

MPSConnect www.mpsconnect.com MPSConnect provides a centralized, collaborative, noncompetitive forum for the MPS industry. Its Web portal, newsletters, industry-specific search engine and related tools are free of charge. The MPSConnect audience is comprised of business managers, senior technical decision makers, print service providers, dealers, consultants and hardware/software vendors. The mission of MPSConnect is to provide free and easy access to the fullest array of industry research and information in order to simplify and accelerate solution acquisition and implementation. It does this by providing centralized access to all identified industry resource providers around the world via its free, convenient, one-stop portal.

Muratec America Inc. www.muratec.com Muratec America Inc. supports dealers with their managed services initiatives by offering turnkey IT asset monitoring, management and remediation, OEM-compatible imaging supplies, nationwide break/fix service for almost any imaging device, A4 MFP solutions, refurbished HP printers and cost-effective, easy-to-support document management solutions. Muratec’s support team can create dealer-branded deliverables (IT services dashboards, IT messaging tools, imaging supply packaging, etc.) and alleviate the burden and risk associated with managed services contracts by enabling dealers to outsource break/fix service, IT help desk and printer supply fulfillment without sacrificing significant margins.

MWA Intelligence Inc. www.mwaintel.com MWA Intelligence Inc., a SAP Business One Gold Partner, delivers enterprise-class and leading-edge machine-to-machine (M2M) and machine-to-people (M2P) solutions to better serve the imaging industry. MWAi’s intelligent service, workforce, assets and GPS solution suites deliver missioncritical information in real time to the hands of customerfacing employees and to dealers’ back-end ERP systems, including the powerful SAP Business One solution. Utilizing patented device-management technology, MWAi automates all business intelligence management, meter collection, consumables and service alerts, and also offers integrated pre-sale MPS tools for easy auditing of end-user networks.

MWAi literally connects the people who service and sell the assets with the actual machines and ERP systems.

NER Data Corp. www.nerdata.com NER Data’s Print4™ Managed Print Services creates unmatched efficiencies, making significant hard- and softdollar cost savings possible. Benefit from fleet optimization,

automation/standardization in supplies replenishment, and improved printer-related processes. This “CustomerFit” solution incorporates essential components, including software, supplies, parts, service, help-desk support, robust reporting and any required hardware. We provide that ultimate “single pane of glass” to manage any print environment. Print4 helps establish and maintain best practices across any organization while reducing the burden of fleet and program management. Print4 seamlessly integrates into any business model and includes the components to build or augment any MPS program.

Office Document Consulting Inc.

www.officedocumentconsulting.com Office Document Consulting Inc. is a firm dedicated to helping organizations develop, implement and transition into MPS. The firm’s unique MPS programs can be customized to include: remote management software in the cloud; a sales/assessment TCO tool — DOCassess in the cloud; MPS sales training; and an MPS webinar series. New for 2013 is ODC’s latest software release called MPS in a Tablet. The tablet solution brings all the necessary elements of MPS into a common platform, including remote management software, DOCassess mapping, MPS customer presentations, MPS documents, e-Learning and a robust CRM to manage all of it.

OKI Data Americas www.okidata.com Total Managed Print (TMP), OKI’s end-to-end MPS solution, is a turnkey fleet management platform that equips partners with all of the systems, tools and resources required to cost-effectively offer the widest array of managed print services and solutions to their clients. Getting started is a quick, six-step process: (1) Register to become an MPS Partner via the OKI website; (2) Once approved and assigned an OKI customer number, you can access the TMP portal and set up your dealership information; (3) Our TMP specialist will contact you to initiate your on-boarding and training; (4) Upon completion, you identify those accounts you would like to start monitoring utilizing the system assessment tools; (5) Within 30 days, the initial assessment report will be generated along with strategic recommendations for fleet optimization and operational savings; and (6) Your OKI sales manager will then work with you to present all findings and recommendations to your client.

Photizo Group www.photizogroup.com A transformation firm, Photizo Group assists clients in transforming their businesses from product-centric to services-centric companies. We provide clients with innovative and practical market intelligence, consulting and education services based on our deep industry insight and objective

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analysis. Photizo is a trusted advisor and provides clients, as well as the entire imaging market, with the visionary guidance they need to make successful business decisions.

Pinnacle Sales Inc. www.psi-ohio.com With more than 30 years experience and partnerships in two major dealerships, PSI understands supply fulfillment and logistics. Our Pinnacle Premier Partner Program enhances your efficiency and customer service while increasing profitability. Offerings include: purchase order and invoice integration with dealer ERP systems; a unique fulfillment business model with customization; warehouse and distribution facilities in California, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Ohio, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia; OEM, compatible and remanufactured copier/MFP, printer and duplicator parts and supplies; and Lexmark-compliant remanufactured products.

Print Audit www.printaudit.com Print Audit Premier is a new subscription plan that helps office technology dealers win new customers, keep current

customers and make a lot of money by providing virtually unlimited use of all of Print Audit’s products for one low monthly price. Premier provides a full array of MPS tools that can be used to uncover more sales opportunities, truly manage printing in any environment, lower print costs and add value to the dealer’s machines in field.

Printer Essentials www.printeressentials.com Printer Essentials offers MPS platform support, consultation and hosting to BTA dealers. Our objectives are to be “platform-neutral” and provide dealers assistance and support in launching, building and managing a successful MPS program.

We currently work with the leading MPS platforms offered.

Recognizing the barriers, risks and costs involved in a successful program are critical to a dealer’s success. We provide specific steps for a dealership to analyze its market, customer base, and sales, marketing and compensation programs to accelerate the growth and profitability of its MPS program.

PrintFleet www.printfleet.com PrintFleet’s family of print management solutions range

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from simple rapid assessment to advanced managed services offering unparalleled agnostic data collection, data integrity and back-end support. Available in multiple languages, PrintFleet solutions empower OEMs, dealers and distributors in more than 100 countries to sustain rich customer relationships through creating exceptional value for their clients.

Print Management Solutions Group

www.printmanagementsolutionsgroup.com The Print Management Solutions Group (PMSG) supports and accelerates print management training initiatives within the document imaging industry. The company’s consulting and MPS training solutions help dealers build and sustain a competitive advantage. By leveraging talent, experience and extensive resources, PMSG provides a seamless solution to improve sales and sales management effectiveness, operational efficiencies and profitability. It has built its value proposition and reputation as a dynamic organization with the ability to provide measurable returns.

Print Tracker www.printtracker.net Print Tracker provides simple-to-install and intuitiveto-use MPS solutions for the imaging industry. Easily installed (often in under three minutes), Print Tracker offers low-impact, highly secure print management software that quickly gathers information from both networked and locally connected devices. Print Tracker Admin offers a host of management tools, including alert generation, customized reporting, service and meter viewers, a fully customizable TCO estimator, automated supply fulfillment and meter integration with most ERP software. Print Tracker services customers worldwide from its Boise, Idaho, headquarters with development, support and sales.

experience, SD’s suite of offerings includes planning, finance and sales operations. Increase revenue per account with SD’s MPS sales consulting engagement and attain great profits with SD’s finance and planning workshops. SD University offerings include: Fundamentals and Advanced MPS Sales Workshops; Advanced Enterprise Selling Skills; Sales Management Workshop; Business Planning Workshop; and Finance Model Workshop, which teaches dealers how to implement the industry model in an MPS practice.

Supplies Network www.suppliesnetwork.com As one of the largest distributors of IT supplies and hardware in the United States, Supplies Network is known in the industry for its comprehensive MPS offering and best-inclass solutions and support. We offer the flexibility to choose the services that best fit your needs and business model. In addition, we offer comprehensive dealer and end-user support tools to ensure success in managed print. The company leverages top industry talent, an experienced IT development team with expertise in packaging SaaS, and relationships with all segments of the print-provider value chain.

The Imaging Channel www.theimagingchannel.com The Imaging Channel is an integrated resource for the print and imaging industry that brings together leading market information, business concepts, strategies and people in managed print through a quarterly print publication, semimonthly e-bulletin and the annual Managed Print Summit. The Imaging Channel’s goal is to leverage the knowledge of experts and peers in the managed print industry and, by doing so, provide a centralized organization where dealers and resellers can find the best information, partners and products for their programs.

Ricoh Americas Corp. www.ricoh-usa.com Through the ChaMPS Program for dealers, Ricoh delivers best-in-class managed document services tools, methodologies and training, and a selection of its managed services portfolio that includes: commercial imaging services for scanning, conversion and archiving; professional services for solution design, architecture and project management; and IT services to proactively monitor and safeguard network infrastructures. This convergence of managed services and hardware elevates the dealership well above merely selling commoditized devices and entrenches the dealership deeply within its customers’ processes and strategic planning as a true partner.

TonerCycle/InkCycle www.tonercycleinkcycle.com TonerCycle/InkCycle is a leader in providing reliable, high-yield jumbo cartridges perfect for use in managed print and CPP programs. As a U.S.-based remanufacturer of inkjet and toner cartridges, we provide you the tools for traction you need for success. This includes maintenance kits and fusers for HP and Lexmark printers, and access to one of the most respected industry professionals. Carl Little, vice president, has more than 30 years experience in sales and is the former owner of a successful copier/MFP dealership that had more than 30,000 printers and 10,000 copier/ MFPs locked-up in MPS programs.

Strategy Development www.strategydevelopment.com Strategy Development (SD) is a management consulting and training firm that offers solutions to understand how to grow a profitable MPS program. With eight years of

Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc.

www.business.toshiba.com Toshiba’s Encompass Managed Print Services program provides dealers with an easy means to optimize and manage

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their customers’ printer fleets and print environments, regardless of brand. Dealers are able to offer toner, nationwide service, parts and labor in one low cost-per-page price. They can manage accounts with an easy-to-use online procurement and support site, available 24/7. To help dealers succeed in their MPS efforts, Toshiba offers Lean MPS for Sales Professionals. This certification program teaches the philosophy and strategic approach of MPS, the programs available from Toshiba, pricing strategies and more.

West Point Products www.westpointproducts.com West Point Products, a leader in providing premium replacement imaging supplies, offers the Axess MPS program as part of its portfolio of products and services intended to add value for independent dealers. Axess is a comprehensive suite of MPS solutions that offers dealers best-in-class remote monitoring software, a TCO calculator and proposal generator, national service support and dispatch, MPS SalesPro sales training and a full turnkey MPS program model via Axess Express. Axess MPS is scalable and

customizable, helping customers to grow their MPS programs to suit their business models.

Xerox Corp. www.office.xerox.com/resellers Xerox pioneered the MPS concept more than a decade ago, and continues to set the bar for strategy and execution.

MPS is more than just managing output. It is a business strategy that helps channel partners deliver a wide range of benefits to their customers around their most pressing concerns, including: cost control and management, productivity, security/compliance and sustainability. With the Xerox Partner Print Services Program, partners have access to a fully integrated MPS platform, marketing tools, sales support, technical support and best-in-class training to help them establish or extend successful MPS practices and clear paths to sustainable, profitable growth. 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.

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Meet Todd J. Fitzsimons BTA’s new president assumes office on July 1 by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine

O

n July 1, Todd J. Fitzsimons became the 79th national president of the Business Technology Association (BTA). Fitzsimons is director of business development for Automated Business Solutions (ABS; doing business as Network Imaging) in Southington, Conn.

Fitzsimons began his career in the office technology industry in 1989, working for a local Canon dealership. In 1991, he joined Hallet and Co. as sales manager. In 1997, he purchased the dealership and shortly thereafter changed the name to Network Imaging LLC. Earlier this year, he merged Network Imaging with ABS in Rhode Island. Fitzsimons, who was named BTA’s Volunteer of the Year in 2011, served as BTA’s national president-elect during the 2012-13 year.

Recently, Office Technology magazine had the opportunity to visit with Fitzsimons. He was asked about his role as a BTA volunteer and the association. Following are his responses.

OT: What led you to first join BTA? When did you first step forward as a volunteer?

Fitzsimons: Years ago, when I purchased Hallet and Co., I was trying to get things off the ground and get more familiar with what was going on in the industry. A manufacturer’s rep suggested that I join BTA; he said there were a lot of benefits that would come from that. So, I took his advice and became a member.

In 2008, after many years as a member, I attended the first BTA East event in White Plains, N.Y. To be honest, I was initially interested in the New York Yankees game ticket that was included in the registration fee. I found it unbelievable that you could actually go to an event and a Yankees game for the low registration fee. I attended the event and, as it turns out, I was amazed by the speakers who were there and the opportunities to engage with other dealers, having

conversations with them about their experiences, technology and how they were advancing their dealerships.

Shortly after the BTA East event, at a Kyocera dealer meeting, I got acquainted with the district’s president at the time, Tom Ouellette. I was telling him how much I enjoyed going to the East event. He said, “You know, we are looking for people to get involved in the district. Would you be interested?” I felt it would be a great opportunity and agreed to volunteer. I have been actively involved ever since.

OT: How has serving as a BTA volunteer benefited you?

Fitzsimons: As a volunteer, it has been particularly enjoyable to see the strides BTA has made in recent years and to play a part in helping other dealers receive the education and guidance they need to grow their dealerships. I have also greatly benefitted from the friendships I’ve developed with other members of the BTA Board of Directors. It has been a privilege to work with them.

Of course, volunteering has also provided the opportunity to meet many others in our industry at BTA’s district events; not just other dealers, but many vendors as well — our exhibiting sponsors. From my perspective as a volunteer, I have enjoyed seeing how our sponsors benefit from our district events. They have made the investment in our events in recent years and have been able to grow their businesses through the resulting new relationships with dealers.

OT: Looking to the year ahead, what will be among your primary goals as BTA president?

Fitzsimons: To answer the question, I first need to look to the past. During the 25 years that I’ve been in this business, I have seen digital technology go from not even being known to a day when everything revolves around it. Back

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We are uniquely positioned to do this when I started selling equipment in this “ ... As BTA’s national through our educational workshops, business, a copier was a copier; the fax district events and, editorially, in Office machine had just been introduced and president, one of my Technology magazine. Not only can we we were using roll paper. And, back primary goals will be bring the expertise of industry leaders then, dealers were not spending a lot of to do whatever I can to to our member dealers, but we can also time selling printers. Obviously, since ensure BTA continues to draw on the strong relationships that then, there have been a lot of changes in be the leading resource BTA has developed with manufacturers the technology that we have had to emof hardware and software products in brace and learn. in educating dealers ... “ recent years.

Today, dealers know the importance of transitioning to become a total office solution provider, where they provide much more for the OT: From the perspective of a long-time memworkplace than in the past. So, dealers are not just provid- ber and as a volunteer, what is it about BTA that ing end users copying equipment, but the software to run you see as the reason it remains the office techtheir operations. Dealers are also now supporting printer nology industry’s premier source of guidance fleets through managed print services and, more recently, and support to dealers?

Fitzsimons: My initial thought is that BTA has become a embracing managed network services. My feeling has always been, if you can be one point of contact and a trusted “household name” in our industry. People know: “If I am goresource for the equipment in the customer’s office, why not ing to be educated about the opportunities in this industry and best practices for ongoing business success, I go to BTA.” support everything that they need in the office?

With these thoughts in mind, as BTA’s national presi- The association’s Building My Business webinar series, for exdent, one of my primary goals will be to do whatever I can ample, comes to mind. Free to members, our total attendance to ensure BTA continues to be the leading resource in edu- since we launched the series in January 2008 has surpassed cating dealers on new and emerging market opportunities 2,500. Plus, to cite another example, our five annual district — to help them boost revenues and build their businesses. events are second to none. People are lining up to attend

BTA 2013-14 President-Elect Ron Hulett BTA’s 2013-14 president-elect, Ron Hulett, is president and CEO of U.S. Business Systems Inc., located in Elkhart, Ind. After working for an IKON branch and at another independent dealership for a short time, he founded the company in 1992 with three business partners. Since then, the dealership has grown into a two-facility business with 30 employees. The $4 million-plus dealership serves northern Indiana and southern Michigan, and sells and supports many different office technology products, as well as workflow and document management software.

This is Hulett’s fifth year serving on the BTA Board of Directors.

During the 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 fiscal years, he served as BTA Mid-America’s president, and during the 2012-13 fiscal year, he served as BTA’s national vice president. Hulett was named BTA’s Volunteer of the Year in 2012.

He chose to volunteer for the association after his dealership had reaped the benefits of BTA membership for many years. “I felt it was important to give back,” Hulett says. “It is a volunteer-driven organization and if no one volunteers, there is no association. I also wanted to see more focus on the Mid-America region, as that is where I am from and I felt that I might be able to help in that area.”

As president-elect, Hulett hopes to support the president, board of directors and BTA’s employees in their efforts to maintain the association’s industry relevance. He also hopes to continue to improve

BTA’s educational training and offerings to the dealer community.

“The future of BTA looks very bright,” Hulett says. “The leadership provided by current and past board members, our executive director and staff have elevated the association to the highest of any in our industry. BTA is held in very high regard by the dealer community thanks to its people and the countless hours they have spent working to improve the association and provide the best services and training available for dealers. I can only see this continuing over the coming years as BTA provides guidance and opportunities for dealers to keep up with the pace of change.”

In that regard, Hulett sees several industry changes BTA dealer members should be keeping their eyes on. “Obviously, the industry has evolved a great deal over the years and this will certainly continue as products and services evolve to become more IT-centric,” he says. “The face of the dealer will continue to change as he [or she] moves toward this business model. As cloud-based services and software, mobile workforce apps, and document systems that host more and more of these tools become commonplace, BTA must look to lead the charge with training, information and vendor partners that can assist dealers in making the transition.”

Hulett is confident that BTA is ready to lead this charge forward.

“I believe BTA is poised to continue to deliver value to dealers through this metamorphosis of the industry,” he says. “We continue to look to the future and bring on partners with the right tools and training to help dealers succeed.”

— Elizabeth Marvel

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business opportunities, just has it has these events because they know that they been since the association was founded are the place for the dealer who wants to “ ... BTA will continue to in 1926. Today, we are talking about get educated on our changing industry. be the leading resource things like managed print services and Of course, we have so many benefits for information and managed network services, but largely that we offer our members. I think anyguidance for dealers as they relate to our industry’s tradione in the industry who spends time on as it relates to new tional hardware and software vendors. our website [www.bta.org] is surprised Looking to the future, I see BTA also by the scope and breadth of our member technology and business facilitating business connections bebenefits. Certainly, some are particuopportunities ... ” tween BTA dealers and companies like larly prominent. Consider Bob Goldberg.

ConnectWise, Autotask or even Dell, Bob has been general counsel for BTA since 1977. When a legal matter comes up, whether it be an with the goal of providing new avenues for dealers to grow acquisition, personnel issues, business contracts or any of their businesses. Likewise, I see us working to introduce a number of difficult situations that arise, Bob is there to manufacturers of 3D printers to BTA dealers, perhaps at our counsel our members through the BTA Legal Hotline. When district events. This is an opportunity that seems about to you consider how many dealers call on Bob each month, he explode right now. Who knows what other technologies are has no doubt offered legal counsel to thousands of dealers going to emerge in the next 10 years or so. We have no idea. through these many years, free of charge. Where else can However, I can assure you, BTA is going to be on the leading edge to make sure that it is providing all of its dealer memyou get that in our industry but through BTA? bers every resource available to embrace these future technologies to advance their dealerships. n OT: What is your vision for BTA as you look to Brent Hoskins, executive director of the the years ahead?

Business Technology Association, is editor of Fitzsimons: There is no doubt that in the years to come, Office Technology magazine.

BTA will continue to be the leading resource for information He can be reached at brent@bta.org. and guidance for dealers as it relates to new technology and

BTA 2013-14 Vice President Dave Quint BTA’s 2013-14 vice president, Dave Quint, is president and CEO of Advanced Systems Inc., a 56-year-old dealership based in Waterloo, Iowa. Quint started his career with Advanced Systems Inc. in 1989 as a territory sales associate. After 10 years, he was promoted to digital product supervisor and major account sales. Starting in 2002, Quint served in various management roles throughout the company, including team sales manager, branch manager, document management manager and, eventually, vice president and general sales manager in 2009. In January 2012, he was named president. He served as president of BTA Mid-America during the 2012-13 fiscal year.

Over the past 15 years, Advanced Systems Inc. has grown from three locations to eight, and its territory covers a large part of northern and eastern Iowa, overlapping into Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and South Dakota. The dealership’s primary manufacturers are Canon and Lexmark, and the company also offers document management and managed print solutions.

Quint became a BTA volunteer after asking his former CEO how he could be more involved in the industry. “He suggested BTA and contacted the national office to get me started,” he says. “Although I was hesitant at first, the staff of BTA and the existing dealer member volunteers involved at our district level made the experience very enjoyable. It has been, and continues to be, a great opportunity and experience. I highly encourage dealers to get involved.”

In his role as vice president, Quint is looking to learn even more about BTA and its benefits, and to further increase membership.

“One area I feel like I can offer some immediate contribution to is membership,” Quint says. “I’m a firm believer that BTA has so much to offer its members. I have a difficult time understanding why any dealer would not see value in joining BTA.” Quint sees several industry changes on the horizon for dealers, and he expects BTA to adapt to these important shifts. “The industry changes that we are facing currently include: the effects of the X and Y generations, both as employees, as well as customers and prospects; the effects of mobile technologies and the mobile workforce; changes in the products and services dealers offer, such as MPS and MNS; and the impact of social media on dealers’ marketing programs, customer and employee relations, and general communications,” Quint says. “BTA must be proactive and modify its benefits and educational offerings to fit future needs and/or create new ones. We just need to continue to always be looking to the future and be ready to modify and adjust to meet our dealers’ ever-changing needs.”

He cites the association’s reaction to the patent troll issue as one of BTA’s most important successes in the past year. “The work BTA did on behalf of dealers regarding the patent troll issue was a huge success,” Quint says. “The results of this effort were a great benefit to our member dealers, as well as to their customers, but it was also advantageous to BTA, as it demonstrated the significant impact BTA can bring to the dealer channel.”

— Elizabeth Marvel

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Impacting the Outcome Like in the movies, the close is not everything by: Tibor Shanto, Renbor Sales Solutions

S

ome will tell you that closing is what sales is all about. And while it may be difficult to argue against this notion based on all the material devoted to it, studies and experience show that closing is not as important as some make it out to be. Often, the choices and actions you make along the way impact the outcome a lot more than the moment it actually happens.

Although the ending is important, just like in a movie, it is the plot and the themes that are really what determine the quality of the ending; in this case, the entire sale. While a sale can fall apart due to a bad close, the close itself can be a disappointing experience if the plot fails to involve and satisfy the requirements of the audience. In film, it all rests in the hands of the director, while in sales it is up to the sales professional. A strong conclusion in film starts with the first frame of a movie; in sales, a mutually meaningful close starts early in the process too — usually before the first contact.

Long before the sale starts, spend time segmenting and prioritizing the market with the aim of pursuing the best opportunities first. “Best” means the greatest likely fit, greatest likely acceptance by the buyer and the greatest likelihood of the sale happening.

The basis for this likelihood is determined by your understanding of where you have had similar success in the past.

Looking at where, when, how, why and with whom you have had success in the past, you can begin to model the future and lay out a predictable road to success.

Very much like a storyboard in the movies, visualize what a sale looks like in terms of the people involved, number of meetings, length of the cycle and the desired outcome for each encounter with the buyer.

By laying out his (or her) scenes, a director can build the plot and create the emotional involvement needed to capture the audience, while understanding and managing the interaction between the characters and the plot. A sales professional can do the same by preplanning meetings, questions and actions to discover the maximum amount of knowledge about the buyer, while at the same time allowing the prospect to discover how the seller and the offering can tangibly impact his objectives. The seller is not only qualifying the individuals and the company, but he is also quantifying impact.

This process allows the seller to create drama and an emotional connection that becomes so important at the close. By getting buy-in to the full scope of the impact, the seller is able to fully leverage this later when the inevitable emotional conflict arises.

In the movies, emotions are elevated through conflict, only to be resolved by the ending. In sales, the drama is internal for the buyer, then externalized in the form of objections toward the end of the cycle. This is where some salespeople run the risk of trying to overcome the objections rather than dealing with them. They should again take their cues from films. Good directors know that for strong and meaningful endings, they need to resolve issues.

Sales professionals need to deal with buyers’ objections by resolving the conflict buyers feel. Buyers feel conflict because they know that making the purchase is the right thing to do, but it represents change, which is difficult. The status quo is a strong force. While the new offering may be better, people learn to live with the status quo’s shortcomings. The change the seller represents brings with it new and visible risk. Buyers try to reconcile this by vocalizing their concerns in the form of questions and objections. www.offi cetechnol ogym a g. c om | J u l y 2013 | 29

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a movie. But the fundamentals happen Rather than getting defensive, a seller based on work that takes place much must help the buyer resolve the conflict.

The close of a sale is a earlier in the flow. Done right, however, Draw on the elements qualified and catharsis, much like a it does ensure that the initial close and quantified with the buyer during the eargood ending to a movie. subsequent sequels will be continuous lier discovery phase. Let the excitement But the fundamentals and profitable. n and acceptance of this phase be the resohappen based on work Tibor Shanto is a recognized speaker, lution for his concerns. sought-after trainer and author of the Here again, quantification is key, espethat takes place much award-winning book, “Shift! Harness cially when you face price-related objecearlier in the flow.

The Trigger Events That Turn Prospects tions, and more so when you do not have a Into Customers.” A 25-year veteran lower-cost alternative to what is currently of B2B sales, he has helped companies like Ricoh, in place. By being able to draw on the agreed quantified difIKON and Pitney Bowes sell better through execution. ferences, price can be put into context and focus is placed on Shanto will be among the presenters at BTA’s Aug. 1-2 the potential gains, not the additional cost of the offering.

Capture the Magic district event, hosted by This is not an easy process, but it is straightforward as BTA West in Las Vegas, where he will long as the work is done early and the elements of the plot present “Proactive Prospecting.” are developed. Address the conflict, resolve it and make sure Register at www.bta.org/BTAWestEvent. the buyer acknowledges that the conflict has been resolved He can be reached at (855) 25-SALES or it may resurface again. At this point, the buyer can now or tibor.shanto@sellbetter.ca. be drawn in to close.

Visit www.sellbetter.ca.

The close of a sale is a catharsis, much like a good ending to

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30 | w­ w w. o f f ic et ec hno log y m a g.c om | July 2 0 1 3

Shanto July 13.indd 2

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Education Calendar July

BTA Field Service Foundations Workshop Las Vegas, Nev. 30Aug.1 The BTA Field Service Foundations Workshop, taught by John Hamilton of Service Strategies Corp., is designed for service professionals looking to improve their industry-related management skills. The course provides a solid foundation of skills needed to successfully manage a field service operation and includes two full days of university-level instruction. Field service managers must have a high quotient of skills and insights into the specific demands of their customers, team members and the service business environment. The course includes 10 modules, which cover topics such as leadership, coaching and facilitating the activities of a field service team toward the accomplishment of the evolving technical services mission. Module topics include: Leading the Knowledge-Based Organization; Understanding the Service Product; Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty; Performance Coaching and Retention; and more. Workshop attendees receive free registration to Capture the Magic. Visit www.bta.org/FieldServiceFoundations to register.

August 1-2

Capture the Magic - A BTA district event hosted by BTA West Las Vegas, Nev. BTA West will host its annual district event, open to BTA members and non-members from across the country, on Aug. 1-2, 2013, at the Mandarin Oriental in Las Vegas. This event will be a great setting to learn from industry leaders, gather new ideas and network with your peers. The event will feature a keynote presentation by Kurt Schmelz, president of North American Resellers (NARS) of the Channel Partner Organization at Xerox Corp., and five additional educational sessions presented by industry leaders. In addition, there will be time to visit with 30-plus exhibiting sponsors, many of which will hold drawings for great prizes during the event. Dealer attendees can also enter on-site for a chance to win one of five $100 American Express gift cards and be entered into the BTA District Event Sweepstakes. To wrap up the event, attendees will enjoy the Cirque du Soleil O performance at the Bellagio. Visit www.bta.org/BTAWestEvent to register.

3

How to Sell Document Management Solutions

Las Vegas, Nev. This AIIM workshop, taught by Bob Larrivee, director of the AIIM Learning Center, teaches sales professionals and channel partners how to: engage document management solution prospects before the requirements have been set; educate customers about their needs; tailor their messages; and take control of the buying cycle. Attendees will learn how to identify opportunities, engage customers, demonstrate importance, educate customers and propose solutions. Workshop attendees receive free registration to Capture the Magic. Visit www.bta.org/AIIMDMS to register.

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

www.offi cetechnol ogyma g. c om | J u l y 2013 | 31

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

Dealer Members Arizona Business Systems (ABS), Fountain Hills, AZ Bratton’s Office Equipment, Greeley, CO G-Five, Greenville, SC Kirbo’s Office Systems, Brownwood, TX Nauticon Imaging Systems, Gaithersburg, MD Proven Business Systems, Tinley Park, IL Zeno Imaging, Houston, TX For full contact information of these new members, visit www.bta.org.

Buyers Lab’s Winning Combination

Buyers Lab’s (BLI) Winning Combination includes: bliQ, a comprehensive and trusted resource of competitive intelligence and sales tools for the hardware imaging industry; Solutions Center helps improve the way you research, position and pitch software solutions to customers and prospects; Mobile Access allows you to meet with customers and prospects anywhere and have access to valuable information from your smartphone or tablet; Flexible Access allows enterprise accounts to assign an account administrator to add/remove users and run usage reports; and BLI’s Superior Customer Service will help you save time, increase productivity and enhance proposals.

BTA members receive a 20-percent discount on new BLI subscriptions. Visit www. bta.org/BLI for more information.

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

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 Autotask Corp. provides hosted IT business management software to streamline and optimize business processes. The software integrates a broad range of critical business systems, including customer relationship management (CRM), service desk, contracts, tech scheduling, project management, billing and reporting, and provides real-time service delivery intelligence to help users understand the factors that drive their business and their profitability. Autotask is accessible from virtually any computing or mobile device connected to the Internet and features an API that seamlessly integrates with the other systems and tools. www.autotask.com BTA Service Associate Member International Imaging Technology Council is a not-for-profit trade association that represents the interests of the world’s imaging supplies industry, including: office machine retail and repair; office supply retail and remanufacturing; computer retail, repair and networking; and all related industry suppliers. Founded in 2000, the association seeks to unify the disparate elements of the office technology industry as members of one organization with common business objectives. www.i-itc.org A full list of BTA Vendor and Service Associate members can be found online at www.bta.org.

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COURTS & CAPITOLS

Performance Reviews They are essential & must be done honestly by: Robert C. Goldberg, General Counsel for the Business Technology Association

H

ow do you approach reviewing your employees’ performance? Are performance reviews low on your todo list, performed irregularly or do they seem to have no purpose other than to discuss compensation? With proper preparation and format, performance reviews can be a beneficial tool for employment relations.

Many employers lack knowledge regarding the best approach for performance reviews and make several common errors. It is only human nature to avoid conflict, but a wellprepared performance review will address both the good and bad traits of an individual. In order to soften the negatives, the bad traits are often sandwiched between compliments and praise. The net effect is that the individual hears the compliments and disregards the criticisms.

A critical review should not open with pleasantries about life and family, but rather: “We need to discuss your performance and unacceptable performance in certain areas. I believe we can elevate your performance if you are willing to make the choice to do so.” From that point, begin to discuss the low performance areas. The stage has been set and it is clear the individual is not being terminated. At this point, he (or she) can move forward with adjustments.

If the employee takes exception to the appraisal, the employer should listen and allow the employee to fully vent. At the completion of his rebuttal, the employer should summarize the employee’s position and explain any disagreement. If the review gets heated, take a break or continue the process another day. At the subsequent meeting, have another manager present to confirm the company’s opinions of the individual’s performance.

There are several approaches to the review process that can make the task much more pleasant and manageable. The review should be a conversation between two adults, not like a conversation between a parent and a child. It is not a lecture, but an opportunity to review performance and agree on improvements.

There are three facets to a performance review: (1) compensation; (2) past performance; and (3) future goals.

It is best to address compensation first. Addressing this first allows the individual to focus on his performance issues rather than wondering what monetary adjustment will be made. Yes, a disappointing adjustment may fill the employee’s mind, but a good employee will concentrate on future goals to improve.

It is also suggested that you review high and middle performers first. These reviews are easier and often motivating.

They can begin with pleasantries, as the news is likely good.

High performers will leave the session with a positive attitude that will hopefully spread throughout the organization.

Low performers are likely to come out of their reviews with negative attitudes, but that is not the mood to create. Once it is determined that low performers are reviewed last, the expectations change and the motivation to improve increases.

It also allows a low performer to be better prepared for the review both substantively and emotionally.

Remember to thank individuals for their contributions to the company. Avoid comparing the organization to a “family,” as we all know how difficult it is to get rid of family.

Employee self-evaluations are also a good means to prepare for a performance review. These evaluations could be as simple as requesting the 10 most significant contributions an employee has made during the past year, or how he feels he has contributed to the overall success of the company. Often, employees are more critical of themselves than you may be.

A particularly difficult review is the one for an individual who performs well, but has a poor attitude. In this instance, it is important to be able to demonstrate why an improved attitude will bring even bigger rewards.

Performance reviews are essential, must be done honestly and each review should be maintained in the employee’s file. A poor employee will basically fire himself if he is reviewed, given goals and fails to reach the standards set. n Robert C. Goldberg is general counsel for the Business Technology Association.

He can be reached at robert.goldberg@sfnr.com. www.offi cetechnol ogym a g. c om | J u l y 2013 | 33

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PRINCIPAL ISSUES

A Quality Employer Attracting the right talent requires purposive action by: Joanne L. Smikle, SmikleSpeaks.com

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here are laws of attraction that get and keep the most talented people engaged in their work, loyal to their employers and committed to the industry. Quality employers have figured out how to maximize their attractiveness to the industry’s top talent.

This article identifies the seven strategies required to successfully recruit and retain value-added employees.

The Seven Strategies The first strategy requires you to conduct an honest assessment of the structures in your dealership. Do you operate with a lot of arcane rules, bureaucratic structures or meaningless red tape? Or, are you so fast and furious that you lack sound policies and procedures? Are you missing sufficient structure to have a viable business model? Either extreme takes you out of the running for becoming a quality employer.

After you have assessed your structure, take the data gathered and begin fine-tuning your operations. Get input from the people doing the work on how structures can be redesigned to make workflow better. Ask people throughout your dealership for their insights. They have experience that can benefit the entire organization. If you engage them in process and structure redesign, you are giving them a vote of confidence and an opportunity to commit more deeply.

The second strategy is reflected in the first — to build collaboration and communication. The best and the brightest want to work in environments characterized by fluid communication up and down the chain of command, among peers, and with customers and suppliers. They want to know that they will be heard and that their input will be sought.

But, it does not stop with building good communication in the dealership. Leaders must also create environments where silos and fiefs are abandoned in favor of flat organizations that rely on cross-functional collaboration. This requires that sales and service share their unique perspectives with each other. It requires that even the most senior managers be approachable and accessible to all levels of employees. This collaboration extends to the relationships that are built with vendors and customers. Rather than viewing them as expendable, they must rise to a level of prominence. The competitive intelligence that they possess can spark significant enhancements in the dealership.

The third strategy is competitive compensation. Compensation extends beyond salaries and benefits. It includes perks like liberal leave to allow employees to volunteer in the community, tuition reimbursement for ongoing professional development and free lunches. Yes, free lunches. Employers who are generous enough to occasionally provide free meals reflect a concern for basic human needs. While this sounds like a trivial thing to offer, it is a subtle sign of how much your dealership values its employees.

Take the time to evaluate your bonus and incentive plans to be certain that they are meaningful to the intended recipients. If you find that they are not, invite a team of employees to redesign the structure of these plans. While you may fear that they will gouge the dealership and eliminate any profit margin, most people are reasonable and realistic. Even if what your employees propose is more than you can realistically offer, this is an opportunity to negotiate and compromise.

The fourth strategy is to build a learning environment that focuses on endless education. Investing in the education of individual employees is investing in the education of the entire organization. Knowledgeable employees at all levels give you a competitive edge. Turning your dealership into a learning organization demonstrates your commitment to growing people. This is a definite attractor for the kind of employees you want to hire and retain. They want to be in a workplace that focuses on their growth.

Think creatively as you begin to build a learning culture. All of the education need not be about products. Some of it should be about basic business skills like communication, negotiation and, of course, sales. Other education should focus on issues and trends in the office technology industry. Certainly, there will also be a need for training on teamwork, collaboration and conflict management.

Use a variety of tools to create this learning culture. There are options like webinars, TEDTalks, video-based learning and customized education designed specifically for your dealership. If you are short on dollars for this type of investment, forge a relationship with another similarly sized dealership and share the costs of combined education. While this may look like a bad move because it puts you in close contact with

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be Mardi Gras, but rather that people want a competitor, it actually benefits the entire to work in places where colleagues get industry to have skilled, knowledgeable The best and brightest along, support and encourage each other. employees as the norm. employees look for Engage the people throughout your dealRevising your performance management employers that look at ership by encouraging social activities that system is the fifth strategy. Prospective emperformance from a connect employees. “Fun Committees” ployees want to be in an equitable environpositive perspective ... are wonderful tools that allow employees ment. In fact, your existing employees want to determine what kind of activities they the same thing. You can ensure equity by They want to be would like to launch and maintain. having a comprehensive performance manevaluated fairly.

There are simple strategies that you can agement system that includes consistent use to build celebrations into the fabric of coaching, regular evaluation and clear dethe dealership. Sending birthday, annivervelopment goals for each employee.

The best and brightest employees look for employers that sary and other cards to acknowledge events in employees’ look at performance from a positive perspective. They do not lives is a basic, easy step. Having birthday parties and other want to wait for an annual evaluation that only reflects what formal or informal celebrations creates a culture of merrithe manager remembers from the last few weeks. They want ment. Hosting occasional potluck luncheons is another way to to be evaluated fairly. They also want substantive informa- create a culture that focuses on the people in the dealership.

The seventh and final strategy is to eliminate any practiction delivered in a timely manner upon which to build perfores that are even remotely discriminatory. While reasonable mance improvement.

The sixth strategy requires the creation of a social, celebra- leaders do not intentionally uphold discriminatory practices, tory environment. This is not to suggest that every day should there are often accepted practices that have an exclusionary effect. Be willing to look at how you conduct all aspects of your business. Do you tolerate off-color jokes? Do you have salary practices that favor one gender over the other? Do you have occupational areas populated by specific ethnic groups? Any or all of these practices often exist without being noticed. Raise your level of consciousness to become aware of any practices that are not equitable. Abolish those practices as soon as they are revealed.

Summary Attracting and retaining the right talent to your dealership requires intentional, purposive action. Take each of these strategies one at a time. Pay close attention to the results that you get from making these changes. Publicize your results internally and externally. It is important to let employees know you are serious about enhancing the work environment. They can be your best recruiters.

The recruiting process is ongoing. It is more than slick ads and great bonuses. Employees are recruited daily by the environment that they experience in your dealership. Make every effort to stay focused on appreciating, rewarding and reinforcing your talent pool. n Joanne L. Smikle is an author, consultant and speaker specializing in leadership development, collaboration and customer satisfaction.

She serves leading corporations and associations. Read more of her insightful work at www.smiklespeaks.com.

Contact Smikle at (301) 596-3140 or info@smiklespeaks.com. www.offi cetechnol ogym a g. c om | J u l y 2013 | 35

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PRINCIPAL ISSUES

Bridge Beyond Lexmark hosts 2013 dealer meeting May 20-22 by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine

F

ocused on encouraging its dealers to embrace the opportunities provided by the company’s smart MFPs and business process improvement software, Lexmark International hosted its 2013 dealer meeting May 20-22 in Lexington, Ky. The meeting drew approximately 175 attendees, including representatives of 125 of the company’s authorized dealerships.

The theme of the meeting, “Bridge Paul Rooke Beyond,” emphasized the need for dealers to direct their attention beyond the traditional hardware space to opportunities that offer more value to customers. That message was a key focus of the various educational sessions during the meeting, including the “CEO Perspective.”

In his presentation, Paul Rooke, chairman and CEO, cited the problematic explosion of information in the workplace.

“It is growing in both volume and variety,” he explained, emphasizing that information drives all business processes.

“There are hundreds or thousands of these processes; some are straightforward, others are not.”

Rooke explained that there are two broad categories of information — structured and unstructured. The structured side is information managed by enterprise applications, known as ERP systems, such as electronic medical record systems in the health-care segment. However, he said, while ERP systems are commonplace, they are not enough to run a business. “That’s because most of the information used on a daily basis is unstructured,” he said. “It is the type of information that enterprise applications are not equipped to manage effectively.”

There are two types of unstructured information — digital and paper, Rooke said. He cited digital information as: “A variety of things like Word documents, spreadsheets, emails, chat messages, images, video and audio.” Regarding paper information, he said: “The trouble here is that information becomes trapped on paper, resulting in the need for manual search and retrieval of information, security gaps and painfully slow processes.”

Today, “people are disconnected from the information they need, where they need it and at the time they need it,” Rooke said. “So, a fundamental challenge is connecting people, processes and information.”

Noting that “this is a challenge that we at Lexmark are

attacking,” Rooke asked: “What if you could connect all of the [unstructured] information with the processes, applications and people that need it most?” That is the focus of Lexmark’s new brand proposition, he said. “It is a broader proposition, well beyond printing; Lexmark is rapidly moving from a provider of only printing solutions to a provider of unstructured information solutions that are a more complete response to the challenge.”

Rooke described Lexmark’s vision: “Digital content is instantly available at the time and place that it is needed; unstructured paper output is optimized at the time and place that it is needed; and unstructured manual processes are automated and integrated with the core processes.” He noted that the company’s brand proposition is unique in the industry in that it combines three important elements.

“First, we own the key collection of technologies required to solve this unstructured information challenge — content management for the unstructured digital information, output management for the unstructured paper information, and process management to connect the unstructured information processes with the people and applications needed,” Rooke explained. “Second, we bring deep industry experience, serving multiple industries — retail, manufacturing, banking and insurance, health care, education, government. Our people are knowledgeable in these industries and are familiar with their issues.”

The third element: “We listen,” he said. “We seek to understand customers’ specific challenges and work collaboratively with them in designing solutions to those challenges. We are more responsive because of our focus and because of our ownership of these key technologies. It’s not just an industry-specific solution, but a customer-specific solution as well.”

Rooke encouraged dealers to compare Lexmark to other traditional hardware partners and ask themselves such questions as: Is your partner a technology leader? Is your partner working with you to drive new ways to create differentiation to add value? Is your partner bringing ideas on how to apply the technology in new, industry-specific ways? While considering the questions, he said, “I challenge you to think about whether your partner is the right one for what lies ahead.” 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.

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PRINCIPAL ISSUES

Social Media Misconceptions Understanding its nature is integral to your success by: Robert Abbott

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his is the second in a series of articles about how to harness the power of social media to help your business profit. In the last article, we explored why businesses need to have the largest digital footprints they can and how social media efforts are poised to deliver a solid return on investment when properly deployed. In this article, the focus is on overcoming your misconceptions about social media. Your understanding of this tool may be suffering more from misinformation than from a lack of information. What are some areas of erroneous thinking that are hindering you from using the powerful tool that is social media?

You might believe that Twitter, Facebook, etc., are a part of a culture that is merely for teens and tweens. If you believe that, you would be wrong. Seventy-nine percent of adults use Facebook regularly. Dell sold $3 million worth of computers last year through the use of Facebook. What would it look like if your business had an extra $3 million in revenue this year?

Better yet, forget selling. What if your dealership had a better presence in the digital world your customers live in every day? What could that mean to your visibility and the power of social media? Plenty. Just ask your customers how they make decisions about whom they trust and who they choose to do business with.

What about five years from now? Those who are 25 years old will then be 30-year-old decision makers. They will most likely still be on Facebook, Twitter and whatever new avenues of social connection that open up between now and then.

So the first thing you do is go out and hire a latte-swilling, Mac-toting hipster to develop a social media campaign for your business, right? Wrong. Although I have nothing against these young developers, they do not have the correct skill set to design your social media campaign for maximum market impact. That skill set belongs to your marketing/sales team members. They know what motivates your customers. If they did not, you would not have hired them. This erroneous line of thinking — that the world of social media consists of computer nerds rather than marketing mavens — can cost you a lot in wasted dollars and time.

OK, so now you need to hire a marketer who specializes in social media campaigns. That is definitely your marketing plan for this year, right? Nope. That will not cut it. Just having a social media account, no matter how effective, will not

substitute for a marketing plan — it is merely a small, but important part of a larger plan. To increase the effectiveness of your social media marketing strategy, you should combine it with face-to-face networking as well as blogging, speaking at local functions and other selected places online that allow your company or dealership to contribute to the conversation, offer help and advice, occasionally offer some “freemium,” or promo some event, booklet, guide, etc. In this way, you show up, but you do not annoy by dumping irrelevant content on your hapless customer or prospect. You know the importance of having a marketing plan that leads to strategy that leads to implementation steps, so why would you change that in the “new-to-you” venue of social media?

The next misconception that could hinder you from getting the maximum benefit from social media is that your Facebook page or your Twitter feed should be filled with coupons and other promotional blasts. You will not make any friends by the obnoxious overuse of promotional feed. The whole point of social media is to make friends and build relationships in proper context in a culture where we have lost or abandoned face-toface contact. If you help more than you sell, your customers will sell for you.

A certain amount of transparency is necessary in this arena. Most of us over the age of 30 feel uncomfortable sharing information on the Internet or over a Twitter feed, but that transparency is what makes others feel as if they know you on a more personal level. You can observe this phenomenon in those who habitually watch the same shows on television. A whole generation grew up in the living room of Andy and Aunt Bee. Another generation spent a great deal of time with the Huxtables and the gang from Friends. They believed on some level that those people were their friends — even though they were merely actors.

In 1964 (yes, that long ago), Marshall McLuhan coined a phrase: “The medium is the message.” He proposed that understanding and mastering the particular vehicle of communication was every bit as important as understanding the actual content. Think of a light bulb. The light bulb has no real message content — at least not in the same way that a magazine article or news program has content. But the light bulb has social impact. It allows humans to create spaces that would www.offi cetechnol ogym a g. c om | J u l y 2013 | 37

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the picture of a burglar who carries a juicy otherwise be covered in darkness. The sopiece of meat to distract a watchdog. The cial impact of the first light bulb was enorThe final misconception watchdog is the guard that most of us emmous, though I am sure there were skeptics is that social media ploy called “sales resistance.” But the juicy who thought incandescent lighting was a may be here to stay, piece of meat is the medium of the mesfad and that it would never catch on. but it is impossible to sage. It is difficult for users to keep up their The final misconception is that social measure your return sales resistance while they are browsing media may be here to stay, but it is imposthrough everything from pictures of their sible to measure your return on investon investment in this sister’s new baby to videos of kittens and ment in this arena. Not true. There are soft arena. Not true. puppies. Use that fact to your advantage metrics within each social platform. Likes, whether you agree with the philosophiimpressions and shares can tell you about cal underpinnings of it or not. The train of viewer activity, but it takes a little bit of education to find out how to get the hard data that the analyst progress will go on whether you get on board or not. Do not inside you seeks. Certain dashboards like Hubspot and others let yourself become the next Blockbuster in a Netflix world. n Robert Abbott is a sales and marketing writer for the specialize in gathering those numbers and statistics that are business technology, software and application development integral to measuring your true return on investment. Simple communities. He combines 30 years of copier, MPS and transactions like redeeming printed coupons for goods or serprofessional services experience with his passion for vices can be used to track conversions to sales. integrating new technology to grow So understanding the nature of social media — that it is managed services revenue and profits likely the only way you may connect to some segments of sofor the 21st-century services dealership. ciety — is integral. It would be a mistake to allow your judgAbbott previously worked at Panasonic, ments about whether society is better off in this state or not to IKON and The Pater Group. influence your decisions about the use of social media. McLuHe can be reached at robertabbottonline@ han, in his book, “The Medium is the Massage: An Inventory gmail.com or (864) 313-0164. of Effects,” illustrated the power of the vehicle/medium with

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