June 2014 Office Technology by Business Technology Association

01OT0614.indd 1

5/30/14 3:54 PM

West14Spread.indd 1

6/3/14 9:12 AM

West14Spread.indd 2

6/3/14 9:12 AM

CONTENTS Volume 20 • No. 12

FEATURE ARTICLES 10

Remote Monitoring Boosting profitability & competitive advantage

SELLING SOLUTIONS Closing the Deal Understand what your customer is buying

by Melissa D. Whitaker Melissa Whitaker International

by Brent Hoskins Office Technology Magazine

Are you hitting a lull in your sales and feeling frustrated? It is amazing how many salespeople wonder why they are struggling with closing more deals. Closing the deal does not have to be so frustrating when you follow a good method throughout the entire sales process.

In recent years, for a growing number of dealers, earning customer loyalty, improving workflow efficiencies and helping everyone involved save money has depended, in part, on utilization of solutions that provide for the remote monitoring of MFPs and printers.

Cruise to Success BTA Mid-America hosts district event in Chicago by Brent Hoskins Office Technology Magazine

P R I N C I PA L I S S U E S Reaching Peak Performance DocuWare hosts annual conference May 7-9

by Elizabeth Marvel Office Technology Magazine

Focusing on the critical steps to business transformation, BTA Mid-America hosted its annual Cruise to Success district event May 15-16 at the InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile in Chicago. The event featured a keynote session presented by Michael George of Continuum Managed Services LLC.

Sales Manager Compensation A few factors to consider when building a plan by Luis Gonzalez SalesScoreKeeper.com

With a primary focus on its newest software release, DocuWare hosted its annual DocuWorld 2014 conference May 7-9 in Las Vegas. The meeting’s theme highlighted the ability of ADPs to use the new version of DocuWare to expand their revenue opportunities.

Hold On, Dig Deep Inspire, train & mentor your new employee

by Steven Branstetter Crawford Thomas Recruiting

The sales manager is the most important player in your sales department. Building the right compensation plan for your sales manager can be difficult, but it is very important. You want to make sure you have the right manager doing the right things, and that he (or she) is fairly compensated.

It has been four months since you hired your new employee and he (or she) is just not living up to the expectations you set for him. Do you let this new employee go because he is not able to keep up? Or, do you continue investing in him, hoping for a successful return?

COURTS & CAPITOLS 25

The Final Paycheck What is required when an employee is terminated? by Robert C. Goldberg BTA General Counsel

Terminating an employee is usually not a sign of good employment relations. Since the individual will no longer be with the company, generosity is often not a consideration in the termination process. Why invest in someone who will no longer contribute to the future of the company?

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

• BTA Calendar • BTA Highlights

Executive Director’s Page

BTA President’s Message

Advertiser Index

4 | w w w. o f f ic et ec hno lo g ym ag.c om | June 2 0 1 4

04OT0614.indd 1

6/2/14 11:58 AM

Get in the game! Sell document management solutions

Partner with DocuWare and receive a proven business plan, sales tools, training and field support. Achieve the business results you‘ve been looking for. You’ll have our support before, during and after every sale. Join the team, contact us today at (888) 564-5907 or dwsales@docuware.com. 2013

Executive Leadership Council

www.docuware.com

Take control of your customer relationships by being their single source provider – offer document management solutions.

This 90 second video can change your business.

DocuWare ad June 14.indd 1

4/28/14 4:42 PM

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S PAGE

Join Us in Las Vegas to Embrace the New

s it time for your dealership to embrace all that is new in our industry? If you are ready to move your business forward, join BTA West Aug. 7-8 at the Bellagio in Las Vegas for Capture the Magic. This year’s event is all about providing you the insight, guidance and tools you need to embrace the new — new team members, a new business plan, a new sales strategy, a new service strategy, new opportunities and a new future. The event will kick off at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 7, with three-on-one dealer/vendor meetings. These meetings will give dealers the opportunity to meet in small groups with vendors and earn up to $120 cash back ($30 for each meeting attended). At 3:45 p.m., keynote speaker Jaynie Smith, president and CEO of Smart Advantage, will present the keynote workshop, “Why Should I Buy From You and Not Your Competition?” Smith, who has appeared in television interviews on ABC World News This Morning, FOX and MSNBC, will teach attendees how to create messaging that truly articulates the value their companies offer. Each attendee will receive a copy of Smith’s book, “Creating Competitive Advantage,” and will walk away with the backbone of a new marketing and sales message that will help attract prospects and retain customers by effectively answering the question: “Why buy from us instead of our competition?” Following the keynote workshop, attendees will gather for the welcoming reception, which will give them time to network with peers and exhibiting sponsors. On Friday, Aug. 8, industry leaders will present six educational sessions. The first session, “The New Business Plan,” will be presented by John Hey of Strategic Business

Associates. This session will focus on creating a business plan for 2015 using an easier way to approach the process. Sally Brause of GreatAmerica Financial Services Corp. will present the second session, “The New Team.” She will focus on recruiting and hiring in today’s world. Chris Ryne of Growth Achievement Partners will present “The New Sales Strategy,” which will help you understand the selling skills that are most ideal in today’s marketplace, how to take advantage of the relevance and importance of technology, and the sales strategies that are proving to be the most successful. Jerry Newberry and Jeff Kelly of PROs Elite Group will present “The New Service Strategy.” The session will address current best practices in managing your dealership’s service performance. Keith Kmetz of International Data Corp. (IDC) will present “The New Opportunities.” He will focus on three important opportunities for dealers to consider: 3D printing, business inkjet and IT services. Finally, Frank Cannata of Marketing Research Consultants will present “The New Future.” He will look at the strategic objectives of the office technology industry’s MFP/printer manufacturers. During the day, lunch and breaks will give attendees time to visit with peers and exhibiting sponsors. The event will wrap up Friday evening with a trip to The Mirage where attendees will enjoy the Cirque du Soleil Beatles LOVE show. BTA dealer member registration for Capture the Magic, including the LOVE show, is only $179; member dealer registrants receive a second employee registration at no charge. For more information, see the ad on pages 2 and 3. To register, visit www.bta. org/BTAWestEvent. 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 Steven Branstetter, Crawford Thomas Recruiting www.crawfordthomas.com Robert C. Goldberg, General Counsel Business Technology Association Luis Gonzalez, SalesScoreKeeper.com www.salesscorekeeper.com Melissa D. Whitaker, Melissa Whitaker International www.melissawhitakerintl.com

Business Technology Association 12411 Wornall Road Kansas City, MO 64145 (816) 941-3100 www.bta.org Member Services: (800) 505-2821 BTA Legal Hotline: (800) 869-6688 Valerie Briseno Membership Marketing Manager valerie@bta.org Mary Hopkins Database Administrator mary@bta.org Teresa Leerar Bookkeeper teresa@bta.org Brian Smith Membership Sales Representative brian@bta.org Photo Credits: Andrey Popov, Arne Trautmann, Robert Churchill, tetmc, Yuriy Tsirkunov. Cover created by Bruce Quade, Brand X Studio. ©2014 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.

6 | w w w. o f f ic et ec hno lo g y m a g.c om | June 2 0 1 4

06OT0614.indd 1

6/3/14 8:14 AM

ARE YOU GOING TO BAT WITH THE WRONG TOOLS? ECi e-automate has the solutions service providers need to achieve homerun profits! From initial quote to accurate profitability reporting, e-automate helps manage your business-critical processes with greater ease and efficiency, allowing you to focus less on day-to-day tasks and more on growing your business. SALES

•

866-342-8392

CONTRACTS

•

SERVICE

www.e-automate.com

•

PURCHASING

•

INVENTORY

ACCOUNTING

•

& MORE

e-automate@ecisolutions.com

ECi Digital Gateway ad Jun 14.indd 1

5/27/14 8:10 AM

BTA PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 2013-2014 Board of Directors

It Has Been a Great Year — Thank You!

t has been my pleasure to serve as national BTA president this past year. On June 30, my year of service in this position comes to an end. I have been on many boards for different organizations during my career. Without question, serving on the BTA Board of Directors has been the most enjoyable and rewarding. BTA has been blessed through the years to have so many member dealers who have stepped up to volunteer their time and give back to this industry that we all love, leading the association to help others achieve greater levels of success. I have met countless wonderful people and have made many great friends along the way. My fellow BTA board members are firstclass individuals. Together, we have accomplished many things in service to the dealer community throughout the United States, including playing a role in bringing five district events to educate you, our members, with the latest changes and new product offerings that can help your businesses grow, separating you from the competition. These events have been very successful for our dealer members, many of them continuing to attend year after year. Our district event sponsors deserve a special “thank you.” It is because of their investment in BTA and their generosity that we are able to offer registration at such a low price. They also help make it possible for us to end our district events with a fun activity that everyone will remember — from Major League Baseball games at beautiful stadiums, to shows in Las Vegas, such as David Copperfield or a Cirque de Soleil performance, to the amazing Disney theme parks in Orlando, Fla. Most recently, at the

May 15-16 BTA Mid-America Cruise to Success event, we enjoyed a dinner cruise on Lake Michigan with a spectacular view of downtown Chicago. As members, many take advantage of the benefit of the best and most knowledgeable legal resource known to the industry, our general counsel, Bob Goldberg. Bob is highly respected by dealers and every manufacturer in the industry, and has always been there when challenges came up that needed attention. You will recall how he led an industry-wide initiative several years ago to address the data security issue, when end users were very concerned about the content of data when leased machines were ultimately removed from their offices. There were also the unethical patent trolls who were scamming people into sending them money. Bob led the industry to effectively address this problem as well. Bob, you were very deserving of the BTA President’s Award presented to you at this year’s BTA Mid-America event. You have helped dealers and manufacturers in so many ways. Finally, I want to recognize the leadership of Brent Hoskins, our executive director, and the superior staff that he has supporting him. Brent is the most humble man I have every met; he has truly played a major role in making BTA what it is today. He made it so easy to serve on the board of directors of this organization that I love. He wears many hats and represents BTA and the industry so well. Thank you Brent, and the BTA staff, for all that you do. I encourage you to consider volunteering some of your time to BTA. If you are like me, you will enjoy every minute of it — helping others and making new friends. Thank you for all of your support and encouragement this past year. May God bless each of you. 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

8 | w w w. o f f ic et ec hno lo g y m a g.c om | June 2 0 1 4

08OT0614.indd 1

6/3/14 8:15 AM

ibpi_OT_full_14.indd 1 IBPI ad Mar 14.indd 1

2/10/14 5:04 PM 2/18/14 4:54 PM

Remote Monitoring Boosting profitability & competitive advantage by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine

he office technology industry’s level of competitiveness seems to progress at the same pace as societal changes, end-user demands and technological advancements. Unfortunately, this reality provides plenty of opportunities to lag behind. Are you staying ahead of the competition? Today, many would contend that staying ahead of the competition is largely associated with earning customer loyalty, improving workflow efficiencies and helping everyone involved save money. In recent years, for a growing number of dealers, accomplishing these tasks has depended, in part, on the utilization of solutions that provide for the remote monitoring of MFPs and printers, by accessing the standard MIB and private MIB of each device. You already know the leading players in this solution category, working closely with BTA Channel dealers — FMAudit, MWA Intelligence, Print Audit and PrintFleet. You also know that these companies provide far more than automated meter billing. In addition, to cite a few examples, they provide assessment tools, supplies management, service alert monitoring and a host of report-generation capabilities. David Morrow, chief commercial officer for PrintFleet, offers an overview of his company that illustrates the scope and value offered by this segment of the industry’s solution providers. “PrintFleet offers a time-tested and proven platform that enables data-driven solutions that increase competitiveness, improve service delivery levels and, most importantly, improve profitability,” he says. “We support assessment and contract management, analytics and other solutions for OEMs, distributors and dealers worldwide.” Many dealers would likely assert that the use of the tools offered by PrintFleet and the other companies cited (as well as similar tools offered by MFP manufacturers) is so commonplace that they have become a staple for today’s office technology dealerships. “If you are not using some type of monitoring tool, you are at risk of being out of the game, so to speak,” says Rob Thiessen, vice president of sales at Print

Audit, supporting the assertion. “Monitoring and proactive management of supplies and service on devices is ‘table stakes’ nowadays.” Despite the near-commodity status of remote monitoring tools, there are at least two notable observations worthy of attention. First, a closer look at the solution category reveals a common viewpoint among providers: There is a big difference between using such tools and using them to their full potential. Second, there are, in fact, dealerships that have yet to embrace such solutions, even at the foundational level. That is, they have not automated their meter collection and billing processes. “There are a number of small dealerships, even some midsized dealerships, that have not implemented automated data collection,” observes Kevin Tetu, president of FMAudit. “They are still sending requests via email, fax or phone, or even having their service technicians collect meter reads when they are onsite at customer locations.” Morrow shares the same observation. “Yes, it is difficult to imagine,” he says, referencing non-automated meter collection and billing. “There are still some dealerships doing it that way. I wouldn’t hazard a guess as to how many dealerships exactly, because it almost seems implausible to think about these days.” If your dealership is among those that have not yet automated the meter collection and billing process, consider the key benefit that Tetu cites. “Through our surveys and dealer feedback, we have learned that the dealership that automates its fleet of devices just for meter purposes could experience a cost reduction of up to 85 percent in the billing process,” he says. “So, there is a huge profit margin just by automating the process. That dealership would also increase efficiencies and customer satisfaction.” Of course, as suggested, many, if not most, office technology dealerships are remotely monitoring the MFPs and printers within their customer locations, collecting meter reads and other information. A recent milestone at FMAudit serves

10 | w w w. o f f ic et ec hno log y m a g.c om | June 2 0 1 4

Cover Story Jun 14.indd 1

6/2/14 2:00 PM

A Serverless Print Solution Samsung Business Core Printing Solutions provides an ease to use suite of serverless products to create a seamless experience for small and medium businesses. Our document workflow and output management platforms can help provide heightened productivity, cost-eﬃciency, security and simplified maintenance, all tailored to your needs. Learn how we can help increase your printing eﬃciency at samsung.com/printersolutions or by calling 1-866-SAM4BIZ Output Management Print Tracking

Secure Printing

Document Management Content Distribution

User Authentication

Cloud Service Connection

© 2014 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.

Core Printing Ad.indd 1 Samsung ad Apr 14.indd 1

3/17/2014 8:55:20 AM 3/26/14 12:32 PM

to illustrate today’s broad utilia remote monitoring zation of remote monitoring. “In solution is also about “If you are not proactive in May, we exceeded 5 million MFPs monitoring competitive understanding what is and printers worldwide that are devices. At FMAudit, going on with the MFPs and actively monitored by FMAuthis provides for what printers in your customer’s dit’s solutions,” Tetu says, noting the company refers to environment, somebody else that the number does not include as “Supply Triggered who is more proactive is those devices monitored through Marketing,” Tetu says. the licensed, embedded use of “Our data collectors, going to come in and use FMAudit solutions by manufaclike our Onsite product, that notion against you.” turers. “Over the last year, we are not only monitoring — Rob Thiessen have added more than 1 million the dealership’s devices, Print Audit devices worldwide, with 95 perbut also the customercent of that increase in North owned devices and those America. So, our growth rate is trending upward as more deal- that are serviced by another provider. So, for example, a ers continue to increase the remote monitoring of devices in dealership can detect low supply levels in a device outside of their fleets and as we continue to add additional dealers.” its MIF. The FMAudit product then notifies the dealership’s Aside from any look at the use of remote monitoring solu- sales team, via email, or can generate an email sent directly tions for meter collection and billing, some would argue that to the customer who can OK a supply purchase for the dethe bigger issue is the level at which dealers are using such so- vice. This provides the dealer another source of revenue and lutions. “It is certainly my impression that the vast majority increases overall customer satisfaction.” of dealers are not utilizing data — and the automation-drivThere is also, of course, the reverse perspective. That is, en efficiency that data enables — anywhere close to its po- other providers may be monitoring the devices within the tential,” Morrow says. “I think the dealer community is still MIF of a dealership that has no remote monitoring solution a long, long way from really taking advantage of PrintFleet’s in place. “If you are not proactive in understanding what is core capability and the core capabilities of our competitors.” going on with the MFPs and printers in your customer’s enThiessen offers a similar perspective. “If all you are do- vironment, somebody else who is more proactive is going to ing is collecting meters for the purpose of billing, you are come in and use that notion against you,” Thiessen explains. certainly not getting the full benefit out of the tools that are “For example, if you have to rely on your customer to tell you available,” he says, citing “proactive supplies and service” when your printer is broken in their environment, you are at as the next level beyond basic meter collection. “So, being a disadvantage. In contrast, you could be using this business made aware when the printer you are supplying or servicing intelligence approach to outcompete your fellow dealer.” is out of toner or experiencing a malfunction — and havThiessen cites a few examples of what business intelliing your service technicians know what is going on in that gence regarding competitive devices in a customer location environment before the customer has the presence of mind could reveal: whether the competitive supplier is allowing to call your dealership — is critically important. Further, toner cartridges to be empty before replacing them, rathbeing able to respond to or diagnose these issues without er than offering just-in-time shipping, so that a device is having to be onsite is a cost-saving measure.” never out of service; any critical errors that are occurring The use of remote monitoring provides a direct, positive regularly on a device; and the length of time before the other impact on the dealership’s bottom line, Morrow says. “If you supplier responds to any trouble with a device. “With that have people phoning in toner orders versus an automated business intelligence, the dealer could go to the customer fulfillment process, you are wasting money,” he says. “And, and say, for example, ‘Did you know the other supplier takes if you have service techs showing up at customer locations an average of 28 hours to respond to issues? We can do that with the wrong parts or showing up at locations only to find in four hours,’” he explains. “So, the dealer is mining data that the trip was unnecessary, you are wasting money. The and making use of the information in order to position its difference between a tech having to go back to a customer program favorably. Device monitoring can also be used by location for a second visit, rather than resolving a problem dealers to back up the assertions of their SLAs [service-level in one call, is everything. Getting it right the first time is agreements], allowing them to demonstrate to the customall information driven; that information can be collected er that the dealership is doing its job on time and efficiently.” through a remote monitoring solution.” If the use of a remote monitoring solution can save a dealAs many dealers have undoubtedly discovered, utilizing ership money, facilitate more efficient processes and provide 12 | w w w. o f f ic et ec hno log y m a g.c om | June 2 0 1 4

Cover Story Jun 14.indd 2

6/3/14 9:42 AM

The TOTAL

Managed Print Software SOLUTION FMAudit is the most utilized MPS software in the world!

Using FMAudit managed print solutions you will: • Remotely install, maintain and update software with limited IT staff involvement • Maintain 100% control of your data—no third party has access to your data • Reduce overhead, automate processes and increase sales

Schedule a DEMO with FMAudit TODAY! Visit www.ECiSolutions.com/MPS or call 573-632-2461 573-632-2461 • fmaudit@ECiSolutions.com • www.fmaudit.com ECi, FMAudit and the ECi Red Box logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of eCommerce Industries, Inc. All rights reserved.

ECi FMAudit ad Feb 13.indd 1

1/17/13 4:05 PM

supplies and service capacbusiness intelligence to help ity, Morrow summarizes strengthen a dealership’s re“Knowledge is power. With the key benefit of today’s relationship with customers, reliable device data, dealers mote monitoring solutions. why are some dealerships can create real value for their “Knowledge is power,” he still wary of such solutions? customers. For instance, any says. “With reliable device Tetu offers one theory. “I time a dealership can reduce data, dealers can create think part of it is the culture supply inventory requirements real value for their customof the company,” he says, not... its competitiveness and ers. For instance, any time a ing that a traditional culture dealership can reduce supoften begets traditional busiprofitability will improve ... ” ply inventory requirements ness processes. “In contrast, — David Morrow or improve first-service-call newer generations tend to PrintFleet resolution results, its comutilize and maximize the petitiveness and profitabileffectiveness of technology. ity will improve, and its customer satisfaction will too. This There is less fear.” Morrow offers a similar perspective, asserting that it is will lead to the sustainability of the dealerstill challenging for some dealers to embrace the sale and ship’s competitiveness in the marketplace use of software and cloud-based solutions. “It is difficult to and the retention of its customer base.” n Brent Hoskins, executive director of the transform your company into a solutions provider when you Business Technology Association, is editor have been moving boxes for 20 to 30 years.” of Office Technology magazine. He can be Urging dealerships to move away from manual meter collection processes and “old-school” techniques for managing reached at brent@bta.org or (816) 303-4040.

THE

discover

difference

Premier Wholesaler of Pre-Owned Copiers • Over 5000 copiers located in • • • •

our state-of-the-art warehouses Inventory includes all major brands All copiers tested by technicians Specializing in dealer sales Low meter and recent model copiers

Call 1-866-866-MARS (6277) New Jersey • Illinois • California phone: 973-777-5886 fax: 973-777-5889 email: sales@marsintl.com

www.marsintl.com

14 | w w w. o f f ic et ec hno log y m a g.c om | June 2 0 1 4

Cover Story Jun 14.indd 3

6/2/14 2:00 PM

AVG ad Jun 14.indd 1

6/3/14 11:01 AM

Cruise to Success BTA Mid-America hosts district event in Chicago by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine

ocusing on the critical steps to business transformation, BTA Mid-America recently hosted Cruise to Success. The annual district event took place May 15-16 at the InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile in Chicago. The event featured a keynote session presented by Michael George, CEO of Continuum Managed Services LLC. There were also five additional educational sessions and a dealer panel. The educational sessions represented the “Five Critical Steps to Transformation.” They were: “Step One: Understanding Market Dynamics,” led by Jon Reardon of InfoTrends; “Step Two: Embracing Change in a Changing World,” led by Lindsay Dick of Collabrance LLC, Bryan Dancer of Allegiant Technology and Harry Kaminsky of DirectCloud WebTop; “Step Three: Developing Your Business Plan,” led by Jim Heffernan of Insights53 LLC; “Step Four: Transitioning Your Image,” led by Darrell Amy of Dealer Marketing; and “Step Five: Selling to Today’s Buyer,” led by Mitch Morgan of Growth Achievement Partners. The dealer panel, “Driving Your Dealership’s Transformation,” continued the theme. The schedule also included a welcoming reception and a scenic dinner cruise on Lake Michigan. The exhibiting sponsors: Autotask, AVG, BEI Services, Buyers Lab, Continuum (May 16 Lunch Sponsor), Crawford Thomas, Densi, DirectCloud, ECi e-automate, ECi FMAudit, EDA, ESP/SurgeX, EverBank, Evolved Office, Fonality, Frontier Imaging, GE Capital Office Imaging, Global Printer Services, GreatAmerica Financial Services, Hytec, Image Star, Impression Solutions, Katun (May 15-16 Breaks Sponsor), LEAF, Lease Corp. of America, LMI Solutions, Muratec, NA Trading and Technology, OKI Data (May 16 Dinner Cruise Sponsor), OnePak Logistics Systems, PHSI, Polek & Polek, Print Audit, Prosperity Plus, RPT Toner, Smart Power Systems, Square 9, Supplies Wholesalers (May 16 Breakfast Sponsor), SYNNEX, Toshiba and Xerox. BTA West will host the next district event, Capture the Magic, Aug. 7-8 in Las Vegas. See the ad on pages 2-3 or visit www.bta.org/BTAWestEvent for more information. n Brent Hoskins, executive director of the Business Technology Association, is editor of Office Technology magazine.

Clockwise from top: BTA MidAmerica’s Cruise to Success featured six educational sessions and a panel discussion focused on dealership transformation; David Sansenbach (left) of ESP visits with Tom Wykowski, service manager, University Office Technologies, Ann Arbor, Mich., during a break; Jon Reardon of InfoTrends presents his session, “Step One: Understanding Market Dynamics”; Michael George of Continuum Managed Services LLC presents the keynote session, “Sea Change: How the Cloud is Reshaping the Convergence of Office Equipment & Managed IT Services.”

16 | w w w. o f f ic et ec hno log y m a g.c om | June 2 0 1 4

BTA MA Jun 14.indd 1

6/3/14 8:22 AM

BTA presented several awards at Cruise to Success, including the 2014 Channel’s Choice Awards. Clockwise from top left: 2013-14 BTA Mid-America President Dan Castaneda (left) and 2013-14 BTA National President Todd J. Fitzsimons (right), present BTA Channel’s Choice awards to Bob Burke (center), vice president of sales at Copystar, who accepted the awards on behalf of Kyocera. Kyocera received awards for Superior Performance as a Primary Product Line Provider, Inventory and Product Line; Castaneda and Fitzsimons present the award for Outstanding Performance as a Secondary Product Line Provider to Mark Albert, regional sales director, OKI Data Americas; Castaneda and Fitzsimons present the awards for Corporate Support and Distribution to Jim Van De Veire, director of sales for the Midwest Region, Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc.; Castaneda and Fitzsimons present the award for Third-Party Leasing to Jennie Fisher, senior vice president and general manager for the Office Equipment Group, GreatAmerica Financial Services Corp.; and Castaneda and Fitzsimons present the award for Remanufactured Cartridges to Darren Shapiro, account manager, Micro Solutions Enterprises (MSE).

Above left: Fitzsimons and Castaneda present the association’s President’s Award to Bob Goldberg, BTA general counsel. Above right: Castaneda and Fitzsimons present the 2014 BTA Volunteer of the Year award to Dave Quint, BTA vice president, and president and CEO, Advanced Systems Inc., Waterloo, Iowa.

Above: Mark Albert (left), regional sales director, OKI Data Americas, visits with Darriel Mathis (center), vice president of sales, Discount Imaging, Fort Smith, Ark., and Paul Moreau (right), partner, Cartridge on Wheels, Monroe, La., during a break between sessions. Far left: Rick Oppman, vice president of sales, Advanced Imaging Solutions, South Bend, Ind., asks a question during the keynote. Left: Fitzsimons and Debbie Sheldon, major account manager copier market, Smart Power Systems, draw a name from a fishbowl during the prize drawings at the conclusion of the event. www.offi cetechnol ogymag. c om | J u n e 2014 | 17

BTA MA Jun 14.indd 2

6/3/14 8:26 AM

The Next Frontier W

Clockwise from top: Jon Reardon ( far left) moderates the dealer panel. Panelists included ( from left to right) Jeff Gau, CEO, Marco Inc., St. Cloud, Minn., Steve Klatt, president, Advanced Imaging Solutions Inc., South Bend, Ind., and Douglas Horne, technology services director, Center for Business Innovation (CBI), Lansing, Mich.; Lindsay Dick of Collabrance LLC presents “Step Two: Embracing Change in a Changing World — Managed IT Services”; Bryan Dancer of Allegiant Technology presents “Step Two: Embracing Change in a Changing World — Telecom Services”; Harry Kaminsky of DirectCloud WebTop presents “Step Two: Embracing Change in a Changing World — Cloud Services”; Jim Heffernan of Insights53 LLC presents “Step Three: Developing Your Business Plan”; Darrell Amy of Dealer Marketing presents “Step Four: Transitioning Your Image”; and Mitch Morgan of Growth Achievement Partners presents “Step Five: Selling to Today’s Buyer.”

ith the dialog regarding managed IT services continuing to gain momentum within the office technology industry, Michael George, CEO of Continuum Managed Services, encouraged dealers to give careful consideration to the opportunity as they look to the future growth of their businesses. He shared his comments in the Cruise to Success keynote presentation, “Sea Change: How the Cloud is Reshaping the Convergence of Office Equipment & Managed IT Services.” Continuum is among those companies that has identified BTA dealers as particularly well-suited for managed services. That became clear, George said, with the 2011 acquisition of the IT business of Zenith Infotech, which resulted in the formation of Continuum. “During that acquisition, we discovered this channel of distribution,” he said, noting that Zenith had “made its mark” transitioning VARs into managed services companies. “We believe this channel is really the next frontier as to how IT managed services will make its way into small and medium businesses.” Positioned as a managed services partner for dealers, Continuum, headquartered in Boston, Mass., with more than 750 employees worldwide, offers management with intelligent monitoring, a network operations center (NOC) and a 24/7 service desk with a SaaS-based management portal. Today, George said, the company provides IT support services and technical expertise to more than 3,300 IT and managed services provider partners — including a growing number of partners that are also in the print services space. George said Continuum and BTA Channel dealers are eyeing the same primary target — small businesses that employ 250 or fewer workers. “There are 5.8 million of them in the United States,” he said. “In fact, half of the U.S. payroll, about 33 million employees, work for small businesses.” Today, George said, given the current technology trends, it has become clear that “within the next three to five years, the way IT is provisioned and supported in small businesses is going to change exponentially.” He noted that among the primary trends are the rise of mobile devices in the workplace and the related easily and affordably accessible cloud-based business applications. George advised dealers to keep an eye on the growing number of end-user devices, such as iPhones, iPads and PCs. “Today, there are 2.6 devices for every employed worker in small businesses, each an access point for data,” he said. “By 2017, they are going to have 3.7 devices. You could say, ‘That is only one more device.’ Well, that is one more device times 33 million people, or 33 million devices — and they all need to be managed.” Today, George said, whether it is “the dentist office, small law office — whatever it might be — they are all saying, ‘Take me to the cloud; I want to go to the cloud.’” The growing interest and accessibility to the cloud is the key for dealers, he said. “This is the entry point for the channel. The cloud is the perfect place for the BTA community — for the office equipment market — to enter into the field of managed services.” George emphasized that the BTA dealership entering the managed services domain now has “another point of differentiation” to separate itself from more traditional competitors. “The fact that you now have the breadth of IT services, as well as your core business, is a differentiator and gives you an opportunity to go steal customers from your biggest competitor,” he said. “And, of course, the revenue and growth opportunities are terrific.” n —Brent Hoskins

18 | w w w. o f f ic et ec hno log y m a g.c om | June 2 0 1 4

BTA MA Jun 14.indd 3

6/3/14 8:23 AM

Managing your oﬃce equipment business doesn’t need to be complicated.

+ Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t manage your ofﬁce equipment business without switching to an industry built accounting system. Join the over 5,000 users that have Miracle Service’s service management software integrated with their accounting package.

Our modular approach allows you to start with the service management features you require today and easily add on as your company grows. • Technician Scheduling • Meter Module (Collection, Contracts & Billing) • Inventory and Parts Management • Customer Self-Service Portal • Mobile Field Technician Console iPhone, Blackberry, iPad, Android & Windows Mobile

Request a Demo Today

1-866-463-9368 info@miracleservice.com www.MiracleService.com

Miracle Service ad May 14.indd 1

4/21/14 2:01 PM

Sales Manager Compensation A few factors to consider when building a plan by: Luis Gonzalez, SalesScoreKeeper.com

he sales manager is the most important player in your sales department. A good sales manager should be able to recruit, hire, train, manage and motivate. None of these tasks are easy; combine them with the daily grind of meeting revenue and gross profit numbers for the dealership, and it becomes a handful. Building the right compensation plan for your sales manager can be difficult, but it is very important. You want to make sure you have the right manager doing the right things, and that he (or she) is fairly compensated — and maybe even compensated slightly higher for overachieving these tasks. Following are some factors to consider when building a compensation plan for your sales manager. Managing the Investment Your sales manager is a very important part of your business. When you look at the financial responsibility he carries from the expense and opportunity sides, there is no doubt he can have a big impact on your company’s revenue and gross profit. If you look at the example of a sales manager who manages six sales reps with salaries of $30,000 per year, and average commissions and bonus of another $50,000, the manager now manages a payroll of almost $500,000 per year. Add the fringe benefits, training and turnover, and the number easily increases by 25 percent. Next, figure a quota of $40,000 or $50,000 per sales rep (and sometimes even more) and you have added more than $3 million in financial responsibility to the sales manager. Having a clear picture of the financial impact is crucial when selecting a manager and also when making a decision on how to pay him. Compensation Synchronization Sales managers and sales reps work in the trenches day in and day out, prospecting, demoing and trying to close deals. It is very important that they have the same direction and same goals when creating strategies to close transactions.

You cannot have sales rep compensation based on revenue and the manager’s compensation based on gross profit. It is very important that they both paddle in the same direction. Closing business is tough enough without creating internal conflict between sales team members on how they are compensated. Once a manager and sales rep sit down to prepare pricing, it is very important that they are both trying to achieve the same financial goal for the company. Paying the sales rep on revenue and paying the sales manager on gross profit may seem to be a way to get the best of both worlds, but it can definitely cause dysfunction between the two parties. Sales Professional Participation As a person responsible for the overall financial well-being of the company, it is very important that you get a full return on all of your investments, not just a partial return. A sales manager should not only be compensated for the total that the team achieves in sales revenue or gross profit, but it is also very important to add a component that pays the manager when he gets a return for all reps, not just the top 20 percent. Many times managers will make their numbers with just a few of their reps and the rest will underperform, but the manager still makes the bonus. The ideal manager should be managing your investment and each individual to maximize that investment. For this, he should be getting paid, but should not receive compensation when this does not occur. Having 80 percent of the manager’s compensation coming from 20 percent of his team is not a good investment for the company. If this does take place in your organization, your manager will never strive to make the other 80 percent produce the return the company requires with the sales growth that you are looking to achieve. Managing the Financial We are all familiar with the industry model that says we pay 14-percent sales compensation to the sales reps, 5

20 | w w w. o f f ic et ec hno lo g y m a g.c om | June 2 0 1 4

Gonzalez Jun 14.indd 1

6/2/14 11:31 AM

PROS Elite ad May 14.indd 1

4/28/14 9:22 AM

and staff directly, as well as make a mapercent to the manager and 6 percent in jor impact on sales revenue and profits. other expenses. These numbers are great The sales manager ... is Compensation plays a major role in the guidelines on how to design a sales comone of the few employees recruitment and long-term success of pensation plan, but what we are really who will interact with the manager and, in return, the overall looking for is the gross profit contribucustomers and staff well-being of your company. Find a mantion of your sales team. directly, as well as make ager who performs to the standards you John Hey of Strategic Business Associset and pay him for his results. n ates says: “Dealers sometimes get hung up a major impact on sales Luis Gonzalez founded SalesScoreKeeper, on the 14 percent. More important is ‘conrevenue and profits. a sales commission automation tribution’ from the sales organization and processing Web application that helps that number is 10 percent.” Why bring this up? What better way to compensate a manager than to dealers increase efficiency and accuracy during the processing of sales commissions. He spends much of his time analyzing compensate for company growth and profitability. Build your compensation plans to provide the best possible way to sales manager compensation around this model and you will automate the commission process while get the best of all worlds. The sales manager is now managproviding instant access to online analytics ing a business model and not just monthly transactions. He will then understand the impact that unproductive reps, bad and reporting for senior management. For more information or for compensation hires or low-margin business have on the company overall, consulting, call (954) 703-4095 or email because now it will affect the money he earns. luis@salesscorekeeper.com. The sales manager is an important part of your business. He Visit www.salesscorekeeper.com. is one of the few employees who will interact with customers

22 | w w w. o f f ic et ec hno lo gy m a g.c om | June 2 0 1 4

Gonzalez Jun 14.indd 2

6/2/14 11:31 AM

EDUCATION CALENDAR June 17-18 BTA Strategic Sales Workshop Hartford, Conn. Today’s sales professionals not only need an updated sales approach to be successful, but also a repeatable sales process that provides a consistent framework for all that they sell. This workshop, taught by Mitch Morgan and Chris Ryne of Growth Achievement Partners, provides a time-tested strategic sales process that works. Visit www.bta.org/StrategicSales to register. 18

Building My Business Webinar - “Your Dealership’s ‘Checkup:’ What’s Next?” Many of us understand the need to move our business models toward solution-based models. Areas such as recruiting, sales structure, compensation and management philosophy need to constantly be addressed in these fluid times. When is the last time you had a “checkup”? What did you find? What will you do? In this webinar, Mike Lecak of Collaborative Consultant Group will show you how to give your dealership a checkup. Visit www.bta.org/BuildingMyBusiness to register.

July 2

BTA MPS Client Engagement Training Series The BTA MPS Client Engagement Training Series, led by Mike Lecak of Collaborative Consultant Group, consists of six one-hour, Web-based courses designed to assist participants in the following: getting the appointment; MPS value propositions; conducting the appointment; the assessment; the proposal; deal implementation; and client management. The series also includes three one-on-one coaching sessions. Visit www.bta.org/MPSClientEngagement to register.

17-18 BTA Field Service Foundations Workshop Irvine, Calif. The BTA Field Service Foundations Workshop, led 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. Visit www.bta.org/FieldServiceFoundations to register. 23

Building My Business Webinar - “LinkedIn — More Than a Networking Tool” LinkedIn is a powerful tool that, when utilized correctly, is the world’s largest free résumé database and CRM system. Understanding how to utilize LinkedIn correctly can benefit and grow your dealership tremendously. This webinar, led by R. Thomas Bruguiere of Crawford Thomas Recruiting, will address and show you how to utilize LinkedIn as a recruiting resource and a sales prospecting tool. It will also show participants how to maximize their current LinkedIn profiles or create one for the first time. Visit www.bta.org/BuildingMyBusiness to register. For more information, visit www.bta.org/Education or call (800) 843-5059.

www.offi cetechnol ogymag. c om | J u n e 2014 | 23

Calendar Jun 14.indd 1

6/3/14 9:12 AM

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

Dealer Members Braden Business Systems, Indianapolis, IN Copy Concepts Inc., Ft. Meyers, FL Creative Office Solutions, Marietta, GA Johnnie’s Office Systems, Temple, TX Vendor Associate Members Elatec RFID Systems, Palm City, FL Service Associate Members All-Tech Agency, Bay Shore, NY For full contact information of these new members, visit www.bta.org.

For the benefit of its dealer members, each month BTA features two of its Vendor or Service Associate members in this space. BTA Vendor Associate Member Elatec RFID Systems supports manufacturers, system developers and integrators working with radio frequency identification. Elatec solutions include: situation-specific consulting; software and hardware development for the entire spectrum of RFID; development of internationally certified RFID products; developer kits and multi-format interrogators able to communicate with a comprehensive range of standard and non-standard RFID protocols; reader customization; and RFID reader and device production according to client specifications www.elatic-rfid.com

Don’t just monitor, manage. GreatAmerica’s FleetView, powered by Print Audit Premier, has the ability to manage users and user behavior with a rules-based environment. This comprehensive tool can significantly increase a customer’s workflow, strengthen the customer relationship, and grow your recurring revenue and volume. Special Offer for BTA Members: Receive a $1,000 Visa gift card when you sign up for a 12-month contract of FleetView powered by Print Audit Premier (Visa gift cards will be issued after the third month of service). For more information, visit www.bta.org/FleetView.

BTA Service Associate Member GetVoIP is a comprehensive VoIP shopper’s guide featuring service provider comparisons, reviews and an insightful blog aimed at offering unique guidance and insights to all VoIP shoppers. In doing so, GetVoIP covers VoIP and other related topics such as cloud communications, unified communications, mobile VoIP and more. GetVoIP is not affiliated with any provider, service or product. The company’s goal is to help VoIP shoppers make the best decisions for their telephony needs. www.getvoip.com

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

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

24 | w w w. o f f ic et ec hno log y m a g.c om | June 2 0 1 4

Highlights Jun 14.indd 1

6/2/14 11:36 AM

COURTS & CAPITOLS

The Final Paycheck What is required when an employee is terminated? by: Robert C. Goldberg, General Counsel for the Business Technology Association

erminating an employee is usually not a sign of good employment relations. An employee has often committed an act that violated company policy and is being terminated as a result. Since the individual will no longer be with the company, generosity is often not a consideration in the termination process. Why invest in someone who will no longer contribute to the future of the company? The most common questions to the BTA Legal Hotline are: Can one deduct sums for advances or lost equipment? What payment requirements are there for vacation, sick leave or personal time off? When must that final payment be made? There are no federal regulations on these issues, however, each and every state has requirements and those requirements vary. Tendering a final check is not an opportunity to get property or funds back, or to insist on the completion of paperwork. The majority of states recognize an obligation to pay for work performed, regardless of offsetting claims. With proper documentation and the consent of the employee in place, it is possible to deduct the value of any equipment not returned from the final check. The key is the consent of the employee. This is typically obtained when the equipment is provided. The BTA website contains a template that may be used in conjunction with the issuing of equipment to employees and the requirement that it be returned or paid for. A similar situation exists with draws and advances. Here, it must be clear that the funds provided are against future earnings and are not a guaranteed base salary. If the individual agrees to the compensation plan and your right to deduct any excess advances from a final payment, then the deduction can be made. If no such agreement is in place at the time of the exit interview, an exchange of checks can be requested. However, if the employee refuses to tender his (or her) share, final compensation cannot be withheld. Although there is no legal requirement to provide vacation time, if it is part of the compensation package for an employee, most states require that any unused time must be paid for. Termination cannot be used as a means to avoid payment or the ability of an individual to take unused vacation time. Most states prohibit a “use-it-or-lose-it” policy, although a maximum accrual provision may be imposed. There is no state that

requires payment for unused vacation time while an individual remains on the payroll. If an individual is terminated, the unused time should be included with the final check. The majority of states have final paycheck statutes that establish when the check must be delivered after an individual is terminated. These statutes vary from the day of termination to the next regularly scheduled payday. In some states, employers who fail to pay employees as required are subject to criminal penalties. There are also a number of states that allow employees who sue for unpaid wages to collect damages — sometimes double the amount due — along with costs and attorney fees in addition to the actual wages lost. Some states impose a penalty of the daily earnings of the employee for each day the final amount is unpaid. State statutes with final paycheck requirements often are less restrictive in the event of a resignation. It is important that you know the requirements for your state and follow them. Emotions have no place during the termination process. Termination is not an opportunity to settle a score, but an opportunity to end the obligations of both parties in a timely manner. n Robert C. Goldberg is general counsel for the Business Technology Association. He can be reached at robert.goldberg@sfnr.com. www.offi cetechnol ogymag. c om | J u n e 2014 | 25

Goldberg Jun 14.indd 1

6/2/14 11:37 AM

SELLING SOLUTIONS

Closing the Deal Understand what your customer is buying by: Melissa D. Whitaker, Melissa Whitaker International

re you hitting a lull in your sales and feeling frustrated? It is amazing how many salespeople, especially tenured sales reps, reach out to me when hitting a lull in their sales success and wonder why they are struggling with closing more deals. Closing the deal does not have to be so frustrating when you follow a good method throughout the entire sales process and know who it is you are talking to. Closing, of course, is the ultimate goal of the sale. Traditional sales methods emphasize closing as something that is done at the end of the process. The focus is on “setting up for the close.” This approach creates a lot of anxiety for the customer and for you. No one likes to be backed into a corner. The “old-school” process of closing was to ask questions that the customer could not say “no” to. For example: “You do want to work with the best company around, don’t you?” and “Isn’t finding the right person more important than saving a few dollars?” The idea with these types of questions was that the customer would have to say “yes” so he (or she) would not look foolish. It is easy to see why salespeople were thought of as pushy and deceptive. In the long run, this process would backfire because the customer would say “yes” just to get out of the uncomfortable situation, and then either make up a variety of reasons why he could not make the purchase, return the product or refuse the service later. Today, we work in an evolved and sophisticated environment where these tactics simply do not work. In today’s society, there must be enough space for the customer to say “no” in order to get to a “yes.” Your client knows whatever answer he gives you — “yes,” “no” or “I do not know” — is going to be OK because your role is that of a consultant, which gives you the right to close the process. Let’s look at closing from a different perspective — coming to an agreement on a subject or an issue, or bringing a situation to close before moving forward. Closing can then mean agreeing to go ahead with the next step in the process or even deciding not to do business together at this time. This is the “move-forward commitment.” Your role as a salesperson is to help the client recognize and verbalize the value he sees in doing business with your

company. With this underlying philosophy, you create a non-threatening atmosphere in which the customer can comfortably make a decision. It is the difference between working with your customer toward a goal versus convincing him to buy your product or service. People like to buy, but they do not like to be sold. So, take time early in the process to understand what kind of buyer you are working with. The question is: What is the customer buying — confidence, value or control? The type of buyer you are dealing with will determine how you interact with that buyer. This will determine the level of detail you put into your proposal and the level of detail you go over in your presentation, not to mention how you handle that prospect/client along the way. Different buyer types require different approaches. Understanding and acting appropriately will bring you a higher return on your time in a faster time frame. So let’s take a look at what the differentiators are with these diverse styles: n Confidence Buyer — A confidence buyer is confident in your ability to address his problems. He expects you to be the expert. He knows he can rest well at night since you are finding solutions for him; ultimately, he is your most profitable customer. Focus your time on finding more buyers like

26 | w w w. o f f ic et ec hno log y m a g.c om | June 2 0 1 4

Whitaker Jun 14.indd 1

6/2/14 12:38 PM

he can become a time waster. him since he truly appreciates the value So, whether you are a new sales rep or you bring to the table. Not everyone is your A control buyer “knows a tenured sales rep who has experienced ideal client, so understand what you are he is the expert” and the a lull, are you deciphering the different looking for and be selective. salesperson is just the buyer styles and understanding what your n Value Buyer — A value buyer is not vehicle to get him there; customers are truly buying? Slow down, necessarily cheap. However, he is looking or so he thinks. He will understand who you are dealing with, and for a good value. If he appears to be cheap, focus your time and energy on increasing then you are not doing a good enough job take your advice, but he your results. n showing value. Also, keep in mind that if he will make the decision. Melissa D. Whitaker is a sales and cannot see value, he will focus on price. He management expert, business consultant will tend to look for the biggest bang for the and published author who helps executives and their buck; he wants options versus price. teams achieve alignment and drive profitable sales. n Control Buyer — A control buyer “knows he is the exAfter 17-plus years of results with leading organizations — pert” and the salesperson is just the vehicle to get him there; Impact Networking, Toshiba America Business or so he thinks. He will take your advice, but he will make the Solutions and Chicago Office Technology decision. He typically wants a lot of details in the proposals Group — Whitaker founded Melissa you give him and is definitely a “price shopper.” By recognizing Whitaker International LLC. this type of buyer early on, you can play the game by helping She can be reached at (847) 845-4922 or guide the control buyer to the appropriate buying criteria, at melissa@melissawhitakerintl.com. the same time making him feel that it is always his idea. Be Visit www.melissawhitakerintl.com. careful on how much time you spend with this type of buyer;

www.offi cetechnol ogymag. c om | J u n e 2014 | 27

Whitaker Jun 14.indd 2

6/2/14 12:38 PM

PRINCIPAL ISSUES

Reaching Peak Performance DocuWare hosts annual conference May 7-9 by: Elizabeth Marvel, Office Technology Magazine

ith a primary focus on its newest software release, DocuWare hosted its annual DocuWorld 2014 conference May 7-9 in Las Vegas. The meeting’s theme, “Reaching New Peak Performances,” highlighted the ability of Authorized DocuWare Partners (ADPs) to use the new version of DocuWare to expand their revenue opportunities. During his opening comments in the General Session, DocuWare GmbH co-president Thomas Schneck highlighted the company’s 2013 successes. “We had a new revenue record [in 2013],” Schneck said. “Our license sales were actually up 20 percent, which is very good ... our extension sales were up 40 percent. What’s also a great number is that more than 1,000 new customers were added in 2013 ... thanks to your hard work.” Schneck also announced additions to its ADP program, which launched last year, emphasizing the importance of the program for DocuWare resellers. By the beginning of 2014, Schneck said, DocuWare had more than 90 Platinum partners, more than 250 Gold partners and more than 30 Silver partners. “2013 was also an important year because we introduced our new partner program,” Schneck said. “I think that the activity aspect of our partner program is very important, especially for new partners, as it ensures that you have maximum quality and efficiency in your sales process as you move forward and develop a DocuWare practice, while your management will really have maximum visibility of what’s going on in your DocuWare business.” In his presentation, Schneck highlighted three DocuWare “ingredients for success” that he predicts will lead to even greater wins for the company in 2014. The first is DocuWare 6.5, which has been revamped, both in its look and functionality behind the scenes; the software is now completely based on HTML5, which, Schneck said, will make it “absolutely future-proof going forward.” The second initiative is a new DocuWare marketing campaign called MySmartMFP. Steve Behm, vice president of sales for the Americas, introduced the campaign. “Our goal is to generate client presentations,” Behm said. “So you can start showing document management with your MFP, right in your showroom. What we really want to do is enable the general sales reps to start a lot of document management conversations.” Behm walked attendees through a short demo of the presentation aspect of the new campaign.

Attendees network in the Technology Pavilion during the welcome dinner on May 7. “All we want them to do is simply push the button,” Behm said. “What will happen next is the [sample] documents will be scanned by the MFP. Then, DocuWare Intelligent Indexing will run automatically. After that, you can show the results on virtually any device ... So, it’s just that simple.” The marketing campaign includes a how-to manual showing how to set up DocuWare Online and on mobile devices; talk tracks for live presentations; printed flyers that can be branded for a specific dealership; brochures; and a roll-up banner for the showroom. The third ingredient for success Schneck focused on in his General Session presentation was training. “We want to give you a chance to get even more successful with DocuWare — to hone new skills,” Schneck said. “And, actually, in 2014, we want to focus on [training in] those three areas that we know are absolutely crucial to long-term success in selling DocuWare. Number one is professional lead generation. Number two is the perfect solution presentation for the customer ... And the third one is the flawless implementation of the system.” Attendees chose one of four different training tracks for the remainder of the event, which were required for ADPs to maintain their DocuWare certification. n Elizabeth Marvel is associate editor of Office Technology magazine. She can be reached at elizabeth@bta.org or (816) 303-4060.

28 | w w w. o f f ic et ec hno log y m a g.c om | June 2 0 1 4

DocuWare Jun 14.indd 1

6/3/14 9:38 AM

PRINCIPAL ISSUES

Hold On, Dig Deep Inspire, train & mentor your new employee by: Steven Branstetter, Crawford Thomas Recruiting

t has been four months since you hired your new employee and he (or she) is just not living up to the expectations you set for him. You are faced with a decision that managers around the world face every day. Do you let this new employee go because he is not able to keep up within the first six months? Or, do you continue investing in him, hoping for a successful return? This is a common struggle for business leaders. The first thing we need to do is take a step back and look at what has happened during the first few months the employee has worked for your company. Let’s just say he is paid a base salary of $30,000. Within the first four months, you have already invested $10,000 in the employee’s salary. On top of that, let’s say you sent him to a training class, which, on average, will cost a company $5,000. Plus, there is the $5,000 recruiting fee you paid for the employee. So, with this example, at the fourmonth mark, we can safely say that nearly $20,000 has been invested thus far. This does not take into consideration the time the management team took to interview, hire and train him. Do you let the employee go? If you do, you have just lost a minimum of $20,000; this does not count any unemployment that you might have to pay. You are then at ground zero and have to start the interviewing process again. Depending on your business, you might be losing money every day that you do not have the employee’s position filled, not to mention the money you waste spending time interviewing new candidates yourself. Once you finally find a new employee, you will have to give him ramp-up time as well. Let’s take the same example as before and invest in four months of training, time and energy. That is another $20,000 you have spent to get back to the same place you started when the first new hire was terminated — an employee that is four months in at a new job. Of course, the new hire may be replacing a long-term employee at a lower salary. However, when you decide to release a new employee and try again, you are guaranteeing one thing: You will spend more money than you planned on spending as you hire that second new employee. So, faced with these rising costs, I encourage you to carefully consider the other option: Keep the first underperforming employee and continue to work with him until he is a profitable investment. I personally love investing in people because they have an unlimited return. A quick example is a senior recruiter we have at our company. Her first six months were very tough on her and she showed few signs of greatness. Our management team worked with her and she pulled through

to become one of the top-producing employees we have to date. During a recent month at our company, she was 560 percent above her monthly quota, a number we never could have dreamed of for her. When a manager gives up on an employee, I really think he is giving up on himself. I love the quote: “People don’t leave companies, they leave leaders.” As a manager, this has to hit you in the chest and you should ask yourself, “What could I do differently to help this employee?” In the end, it is nearly impossible to determine what it costs to replace an underperforming employee, but with just one more month, the employee could be your best investment ever. Taking a macro look at this problem, you do not want your company to be considered to have a “turn-and-burn” atmosphere. As a leader, you are ultimately responsible for this decision and the results that come of it. I challenge you to hold on and dig deep; inspire, train and mentor your new employee until he will be your company’s next shining star. n Steven Branstetter is training and development manager at Crawford Thomas Recruiting, a nationwide executive recruiting firm based in Orlando, Fla., with offices in Houston, Dallas, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. He has extensive knowledge of recruiting in the office technology industry for both OEMs and independent dealerships. Branstetter can be reached at (321) 257-0811 or steven.b@crawfordthomas.com. Visit www.crawfordthomas.com. www.offi cetechnol ogym a g. c om | J u n e 2014 | 29

Branstetter Jun 14.indd 1

6/2/14 1:28 PM

Stay Connected

Connecting People, Ideas and Products in the Document Imaging Industry since 1994

n engage ‘n exchange Reaching Dealers, Resellers & Distributors In The USA

30,000 Copies Distributed Each Month!

Conn

ectin

g Peop

le, Ideas

1994 try since ing Indus Conn Imag ectin ment g Peop Docu la impresión desde 1994 de le, en la industria Conectando in the personas, ideas y productos Idea ucts s and Prod and Prod ucts in the Docu

& México hange ‘n exc Latin America

ment

Imag

engage

ing Indu

stry

since

Post Your Job Openings

1994

April

2012 Revista del Distribuidor - La Dealer SourceVolum e 19 No. 4

mber

Septe

2012

e 19 No.

Verano/Otoño 2012 Vol. 5 No. 2

Publicado por

Volum

Busines s Profile

rs t Deale enden sity of Indep Animo Acquisition it and OEM Lawsu Sparks Dealer

t: Spotligh

with John rsation A Conve Imaging of Applied

Profile:

Listens

logy ts Ma el wsui ‘s La e Chann Techno th oudChilling Effect on The Cl kes To Seller

Dealer

Show

Review

s, Inc. ter Supplie fied Compu Diversi

ENX Magaz ine is Proud a Media Spons or of

Profile:

y on the Compan

Bewar e

ve y Ha

Managed

Reporte Gap Intelligence

¿Brasil podrá adoptar el rellenado?

a Toshib

Sharp

xchange

A Conve Presid rsation with El Nombre Confiable en Mayoreo ent of Prior & Tony Nami, Jr., de Tecnología de Oficinas Nami Busine ss System Learni s ng Review How To Run of the Pros EliteA Successful Ventas y Mercadotecnia

Dealer fic Group ship & ’s IDEA Of Oportunidades de Crecimiento Tecnologías Class Nuevas It Better VendiendoDo Repor ting 9 Maneras de Romper es Escepticismo RSA Confer América en el Mercado de Latino from ence

Future Into the A Look ss busine of Your

Business

Peril de Negocios

Lowery

oms Sympt Printer s Laser on Cause and Comm

Product

ngage

engage ‘n exchange

Move:

ag, the Fuchsb

Airbag

ing Packag

Prin

Tips Técnicos

Remanufacturando los Cartuchos de Tóner a Color Samsung CLP-325

Services

Booth

332

Vista desde las Trincheras

Lecciones Aprendidas de mi Tiempo en Latinoamérica:

BeginnFor

e ENX Magazin Suite 729 40 USA Kevin De Young de QualPath 2240 91610-02 PO Box Lake, CA Toluca 0022 tel: 818-505- 9972 fax: 818-505- cbell.net enx@pa email: www.enxmag.com have de Latinoamérica Enfoque de Negocios ENX Magazin you who website: those of on. PO e Thank Una Conversación g.com Box 2240 con like to informati L RESOURCES Suite 729 www.enxma Toluca change We would Lake, de Seiton Jorge Benavides address CA 91610-0 tel: 818-505 VE NATURA from our sent us 240 USA fax: 818-505-0022 US CONSER your addressor email us. HELP or delete -9972 call, fax email: enx@pa To correction list please website: cbell.net subscript www.enx mag.com We would like to sent us Thank HELP address change those of you US who have To correct CONSERVE informat NATURAion. subscrip or delete your L RESOU tion list please address from RCES call, fax our or email us.

ers

The Largest Circulation

EMPLOYERS

in the Document Imaging Industry

List Your Job Opportunities FREE on the ENX website!

PERMIT ANAHEIM#288 , CA PAID

STANDARED D U.S. POSTAGE PRESORT

www.enxmag.com

www.enxm ag.com

STD PRSRT PAID U.S. POSTAGE K, IL BOLINGBROO NO. 467 PERMIT

México & Latin America La Revista del Distribuidor



Dealer Source

For More Information Visit

Reaching 16 Countries In Central & South Americas

www.enxmag.com

  

Position Available Job Description Employer Information

Phone: 818-505-0022 l Fax: 818-505-9972 l Email: enx@pacbell.net

ADVERTISER INDEX 15 • AVG Managed Workplace

5 • DocuWare

19 • Miracle Service

(855) 254-6987 / www.avg.com/managedworkplace

(888) 564-5907 / www.docuware.com

(866) 463-9368 / www.miracleservice.com

31 • BTA Field Service Foundations

7 • ECi e-automate

32 • PHSI

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

(866) 342-8392 / www.e-automate.com

(855) 600-4799 / www.pwtdealeropportunity.com

27 • BTA Membership

13 • ECi FMAudit

21 • PROs Elite Group

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

(573) 632-2461 / www.ecisolutions.com/MPS

(855) 776-7764 / www.proselitegroup.com/events

22 • BTA MPS Client Engagement

30 • ENX Magazine

11 • Samsung

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

(818) 505-0022 / www.enxmag.com

(866) SAM4BIZ / www.samsung.com/printersolutions

31 • BTA Strategic Sales Workshop

9 • IBPI

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

(480) 393-1694 / www.ibpi.net

2-3 • BTA West Event

14 • Mars International

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

(866) 866-6277 / www.marsintl.com

30 | w w w. o f f ic et ec hno log y m a g.c om | June 2 0 1 4

Ad Index Jun 14.indd 1

6/3/14 9:41 AM

FieldService-Strategic Sales ads Jun 14.indd 1

6/2/14 1:44 PM

PRSRT STD U.S. Postage Paid Fulton, MO 65251 Permit #38

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

Revive

Your Revenue. with

expand your product offering with

pure water technology

the best business choice!

What You Get:

How You Succeed:

• High Margins • Highest Quality Products • Flexible Programs • Captive Financing • Reoccurring Revenue • Effective Sales & Marketing Tools

Make the best opportunity choice and become a Pure Water Technology dealer today!

www.pwtdealeropportunity.com 1-855-600-4799 PHSI ad Jun 14.indd 1

5/28/14 2:49 PM