March 2018 Office Technology

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CONTENTS Volume 24 • No. 9

FEATURE ARTICLES 10

Imaging Security Is it a primary focus at your dealership?

DEALERSHIP SPOTLIGHT Modern Office Methods An Ohio powerhouse celebrating 60-plus years

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by Brent Hoskins Office Technology Magazine

by Brent Hoskins Office Technology Magazine

The heritage of Modern Office Methods, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, is not unlike that of many office technology dealerships. It started small back in 1957 and has remained a family business for 60-plus years.

The security capabilities of imaging devices are seen as relatively mainstream within the office technology industry. Are your sales reps regularly discussing the security capabilities of the products you offer?

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Reboot Your ‘Selling Mind’ Strategies focused on the customer decision process

by Kim D. Ward Learning Outsource Group

P R I N C I PA L I S S U E S One Canon Manufacturer hosts media event Feb. 12-14

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Although the new business environment can cause selling struggles when using traditional selling methods, consistent, high-performance sellers are thriving using a slightly different approach.

by Brent Hoskins Office Technology Magazine

With the goal of providing industry editors and analysts a look at the company’s latest advancements, Canon U.S.A. Inc. hosted the 2018 One Canon event Feb. 12-14 at The Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, Florida.

COURTS & CAPITOLS 20

Selling Your Business Things to consider when handing over the keys

Digital Transformation A road map with five essential phases

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by Hedy Belttary Laserfiche

by Robert C. Goldberg BTA General Counsel

By now, you have probably heard the term “digital transformation.”

It is a technology buzzword that has become ubiquitous in the media, at conferences and in various analyst reports and predictions.

In the past 40 years I have been involved in countless dealership sales and purchases. In most instances, the sellers walked away with nice sums of money. So, what have I learned from these transactions that you should consider?

AIMED VIEWPOINT 22

Strategic Partners AIMED president reflects on BTA merger & industry

by Brent Hoskins Office Technology Magazine

On February 1, the Business Technology Association and the Association of Independent Mailing Equipment Dealers merged.

Recently, Office Technology had the opportunity to speak to AIMED President Vernon Stevens II.

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

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• BTA Education Calendar • BTA Highlights • BTA Member Benefits

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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

BTA Scholarships Can Defray Tuition Costs

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s tuition costs continue to rise, many parents and students are concerned about their ability to pay for higher education expenses. To help ease this burden, each year, the Business Technology Association (BTA) awards a number of $1,000 and $1,500 scholarships — as well as one $3,000 scholarship — to the sons and daughters of full-time employees of BTA member dealerships. The scholarship application deadline is May 1, so I encourage you to download a scholarship application today.

Since the 1984-85 school year, BTA has awarded 1,422 scholarships to deserving students, for a total of $1,606,500. For the 2017-18 school year, the association awarded $28,500 in scholarships to 24 students.

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

BTA scholarships may be used for tuition, books, school supplies and lab fees.

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

Below are excerpts from thank-you notes received from some of our 2017-18 school year scholarship recipients. n “Thank you so much for awarding me with the BTA scholarship again this year. It will help me to further my education with the hopes of going to medical school. I hope

to apply for the scholarship again next year.

Thanks again for the opportunity.” — Morgan Shipley, Lincoln, Nebraska n “I am writing to express my gratitude to you for making the BTA scholarship possible. I was honored to learn of my selection for this award and I am deeply appreciative of your support ... The financial assistance BTA has provided will be of great help to me in paying educational expenses and it will allow me to pursue more life-changing opportunities. Thank you again for your generosity and support. I promise you I will work very hard to continue my academic success.” — Evan Mikos, Geneva, Illinois n “Thank you for your generosity and commitment to assisting me in paying for a college education. I am grateful that the Business Technology Association recognizes financial need and chooses to support students in their endeavors.” — Abigail Hamvas, Princeton, Minnesota n “I would like to thank you sincerely for offering me a scholarship from BTA. Securing scholarships can be one of the hardest parts of the college process and I really appreciate all the support I can get. I can’t wait for the next stage of my life ... Thank you again for your investment in my education.”

— Grace Fletcher, Thomasville, Georgia Again, applications must be postmarked

by May 1, 2018. To obtain a scholarship application, download it from the BTA website at www.bta.org/Scholarships (you will need your username and password) or contact info@bta.org or (800) 505-2821.

BTA greatly appreciates the many contributors to the BTA Scholarship Foundation. If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to the foundation, mail your check to: Business Technology Association, 12411 Wornall Road, Ste. 200, Kansas City, MO 64145. 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 Hedy Belttary, Laserfiche www.laserfiche.com Robert C. Goldberg, General Counsel Business Technology Association Kim Ward, Learning Outsource Group www.learningoutsourcegroup.com

Business Technology Association 12411 Wornall Road Kansas City, MO 64145 (816) 941-3100 www.bta.org Member Services: (800) 505-2821 BTA Legal Hotline: (800) 869-6688 Valerie Briseno Marketing Director valerie@bta.org Brian Smith Membership Sales Representative brian@bta.org Photo Credits: Bigstockphoto. Cover created by Bruce Quade, Brand X Studio. ©2018 by the Business Technology Association. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means without the written permission of the publisher. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of published material. However, the publisher assumes no liability for errors in articles nor are opinions expressed necessarily those of the publisher.

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BTA PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Download the 2018 Compensation Report

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re you looking to compare your dealership’s compensation plans to those of other dealerships like yours? If so, I encourage you to take a look at the Business Technology Association’s (BTA’s) recently released 2018 Compensation Report, one of three reports included in the BTA Benchmarking Series. This report compiles the results of a survey of office technology dealers asking about their compensation plans. Compiled by Survey Advantage, the 2018 Compensation Report is based on responses from 74 dealers.

Free to BTA members, the report provides detailed salary information on a wide variety of positions, from the executive level to administration to sales. Results are available based on dealership size (in revenue) and geographic area. Note that the data represents median figures — the midpoint between the highest and lowest values reported — which provides a more realistic view of each category by eliminating uncharacteristically high or low numbers.

The first part of the report shows results based on the revenue of responding dealerships. There are five categories: less than $1 million; $1 million to $3 million; $3 million to $5 million; $5 million to $10 million; and more than $10 million. For each size of dealership, the report shows the number of employees in each position; minimum, maximum and average base salaries for each position; and each position’s minimum, maximum and average commission/overtime/ bonus/other compensation.

Let’s take a look at an example of account executives at $3 million to $5 million dealerships. The minimum base salary for this position is $32,500, the maximum is

$39,582 and the average is $33,750. This position’s minimum commission/overtime/ bonus/other is $19,500, the maximum is $87,500 and the average is $35,000.

The second part of the report shows results according to geographic regions — East, Midwest, Southeast and West. Compensation varies with the cost of living in each region and you can see this in the compensation for an IT sales rep, for example. In the West, the average base salary for an IT sales rep is $64,000, while in the Midwest, the average base salary is $46,000.

The Compensation Report covers a wide range of positions in office technology dealerships. For example, in administration: accounting manager; AP manager; CFO; COO; controller; director of marketing; general manager; and warehouse manager.

Examples of sales department positions: branch sales manager; major account rep; managed IT sales rep; managed print services rep; sales manager; sales rep (I, II and III); sales trainer; and solution sales rep. In the service department, some of the positions include: branch service manager; driver; parts clerk; production engineer; senior technician; service manager; service technician (I, II and III); solutions engineer; and warehouse technician.

The 2018 Compensation Report also includes information about the benefits dealerships offer their employees, including flex time; telecommuting; medical, dental and vision plans; life and disability insurance; retirement plans; vacation/holiday/ personal time; and more.

Visit www.bta.org/BenchmarkingReports to download the report and see how your compensation plans compare to those of other dealerships like yours. You will need your BTA username and password to access the report. n — Dan Castaneda

2017-2018 Board of Directors President Dan Castaneda International Copy Machine Center El Paso, Texas dan@icmc-elp.com President-Elect John Eckstrom Carolina Business Equipment Inc. Columbia, South Carolina johne@cbesc.com Vice President Bob Evans Function4 Sugar Land, Texas bobevans@function-4.com BTA East Jim Donnellon Donnellon McCarthy Enterprises Cincinnati, Ohio j.donnellon@dme.us.com Tim Seeley Jr. Seeley Office Systems Inc. Glens Falls, NY tseeleyjr@seeleyoffice.com BTA Mid-America Erik Crane Copy Products Inc. Springfield, Missouri ecrane@copyproductsinc.net Greg Quirk JQ Office Equipment of Omaha Inc. Omaha, Nebraska gquirk@jqoffice.com BTA Southeast Tim Renegar Kelly Office Solutions Winston-Salem, North Carolina trenegar@kellyofficesolutions.com David Polimeni Rite Technology Sarasota, Florida dpolimeni@ritefl.com BTA West John Hines Copiers Northwest Inc. Seattle, Washington jhines@copiersnw.com Mike Brandon ABC Office Equipment Co. Inc. Spokane, Washington mbrandon@abcoe.com Immediate Past President Rob Richardson Allied Document Solutions & Services Inc. Swedesboro, New Jersey robr@ads-s.com Ex-Officio/General Counsel Robert C. Goldberg Schoenberg Finkel Newman & Rosenberg LLC Chicago, Illinois robert.goldberg@sfnr.com

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Imaging Security Is it a primary focus at your dealership? by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine

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t is a bit dizzying. In recent years, the news regularly includes reports of hackers who have found ways to breach company databases, stealing individuals’ personal information, such as social security numbers or credit card numbers. Meanwhile, it appears that the number of individuals with nefarious intent, who take pleasure in infiltrating PCs and networks with viruses, is on the rise.

Of course, there is more. There has also been the growing problem of those seeking to extort money from others via ransomware, designed to block access to a company’s data until a certain sum is paid. In addition, there are reports of processor vulnerabilities, such as the flaws recently uncovered by Google. Named Meltdown and Spectre, the flaws could allow attackers to steal sensitive data from computers, smartphones, tablets, etc.

“Today, you can’t read the news on the web or anywhere else without reading about breaches,” says Bob Burnett, director of B2B solutions deployment and planning at Brother International. “So, it is top of mind for any security professional responsible for securing a company’s infrastructure and data. It is a top priority for these individuals to make sure they are keeping their businesses safe. They are asking the questions and looking at every device. They want to understand what the risk is of having that device on the network.”

Eric McCann, manager of software product marketing for Lexmark International, offers a similar perspective. “We are seeing a trend where more and more end users realize just how important it is to protect not only their personal information, but information correlating to their workplaces as well,” he says. “So, interest in security is at an all-time high. Conversations with customers around these capabilities are happening much more than they have in the past.”

The imaging industry is not without notable, publicly

revealed data security breaches. Many will remember the 2010 CBS News report regarding the risks associated with the vulnerability of MFP hard drives (YouTube: “Copiers Contain Secrets”). The report detailed the data found on MFPs purchased from a wholesaler of off-lease MFPs, including one that was found to have 300 pages of individuals’ medical records on its hard drive. Of course, the industry reacted swiftly, educating end users about the importance of erasing MFP hard drives while also promoting the security capabilities they offer.

“As a result of the CBS report, many of our clients, both from the indirect and the direct side, asked us, as a manufacturer, what we do to protect their assets from disclosing PII [personally identifiable information] once the MFPs leave their buildings — even if they are inside their buildings,” says Chris Bilello, director of business development for Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. Inc., noting that Konica Minolta offers various “pretty strong hard-drive protection functions,” such as overwrite and encryption. “That investigative report kind of put fear into the general public and among those who have to deal with MFPs on a daily basis.”

Eight years later, the security capabilities of imaging devices are seen as relatively mainstream within the office technology industry. Discussions of at least basic functions, such as secure print release, are standard fare. Or are they?

That is, are your sales reps regularly discussing the security capabilities of the products you offer? After all, as established, regardless of whether imaging devices are the target, the public is acutely aware of and concerned about the threat of security breaches in the IT realm. Plus, of course, at the very least, in any workplace, unsecured imaging devices present the risk of sensitive information getting into the wrong hands. Consider the potential problems of an

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employee seeing a page of confinot shy away from them,” dential salary information in an he says. “They should “More and more, customers output tray. be quite upfront, askare asking the vendor that Given the increased interest ing: ‘What are you dois responding to their RFP, in and awareness of IT security ing for securing devices ‘What is your internal in the workplace, it appears that on your network? How security policy like?’ ... sales reps should be making sure are you securing your Those dealers ... need to be security is a part of their talk workflow? What do your prepared to answer questions tracks, if they have not done so document management already. It will help the dealerprocesses look like from about their own IT infrastructures ... ” ship build stronger relationships, a security perspective?

— Chris Bilello Burnett says. “What are they Have you experienced Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. Inc. [customers and prospects] doany data breaches?’ Reps ing today for their security?” he asking these types of asks. “If they already have policies, we can show them how our questions are going to absolutely drive greater discussions devices fit into those policies very well and give them strong with the customer.” solutions. ‘We can show you how you are going to strengthen Increasingly, the imaging security discussion is becoming a your infrastructure by also strengthening your printers.’ The necessity in order to make the sale. “It is top of mind, for sure,” dealer then becomes a trusted advisor, which makes the re- Contreras says. “We see it in RFPs. It has become more and lationship with that account even stronger. The likelihood of more prevalent in bids just because of the news about compaend users walking away from a dealership after it helped them nies like Equifax. Putting it in the spotlight has really drawn a strengthen their infrastructures drops dramatically, because lot of attention to it. I would say that 95 percent or more of the now the dealership is a strong partner for them.”

RFPs and bids we see require security measures to be in place.”

Joe Contreras, vice president of product and solutions While he similarly notes that “at least 90 percent of the marketing at Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc., like- RFPs that come across our bid desk contain a section on wise emphasizes the importance of reps making sure secu- security,” Bilello notes another reality that dealers must rity is a part of the conversation with customers. “It helps now consider. “More and more, customers are asking the position the dealership as not just an office equipment pro- vendor that is responding to their RFP, ‘What is your invider, but also as a trusted advisor and consultant,” he says. ternal security policy like?’” he says, explaining that a “So, I think from a dealer’s standpoint, one of the responsi- dealership may be asked to demonstrate to a prospective bilities they have to their customers is to make them aware customer that its internal infrastructure is not vulnerable of trends that are taking place in the market. Obviously, the to a breach that could potentially expose a customer’s conlarger customers with IT departments and CIOs are going to fidential information. “I know that some dealers are thinkbe aware of security issues, but SMB customers may not be ing about this because they have seen those RFPs. Howas aware of the threats that could impact their businesses. ever, those dealers who are not thinking about this — who So, it comes down to that relationship — establishing trust want to participate in mid- to large-sized RFPs — need to and demonstrating to the client that ‘I am really looking out be prepared to answer questions about their own IT infrafor the best interests of your business.’” structures and how they are protecting documents and PII Within some SMBs there may not be an awareness of secu- within their own organizations.” rity threats related to imaging devices. However, within othThere are, of course, some industries that have a greater ers, employees are now proactively asking relevant questions interest in imaging security than others. “All industries are when meeting with dealership sales reps, says Dan Walding- expressing some focus on security for a variety of reasons,” er, senior director of B2B marketing at Brother. “In smaller McCann says. “However, the industries we are seeing movorganizations that maybe don’t have IT professionals on staff, ing more into focus are those that have oversight through they are looking to the dealer to help them in this area,” he regulation, compliance and top-down requirements. If I had says. “‘How do I make sure that I have the proper passwords to pick the top three, they would be financial, retail and any set? How do I make sure the printer is not facing out to the federal government agency, or contractors or state agencies internet? How do I lock down the printer behind the firewall?’ that report up to the government.”

So, those are the kinds of discussions they are having.”

Contreras cites two additional industries on his list of the In larger organizations, Burnett recommends that sales top three. “When we talk about the industries that are most reps strive to get in front of IT professionals. “They should affected or most aware of this, we primarily look at financial 12 | ­w w w. o f f ic et ec hno lo g y m a g.c om | Ma r c h 2 0 1 8

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their side and help them in services, health care and “One of the messages that this journey, strengthening education,” he says. “Those their security programs.” three industries in particuwe want to communicate McCann offers similar aslar have strict rules and to both the end user and surance.

“For every customcompliance measures in the channel is they are not er that comes through our place that mandate how clion their own. Brother is briefing center in Lexington ent data is handled.” here to be at their side and [Kentucky], we carve out at Whatever industries are help them in this journey, least 20 minutes, regardless actually in the top three, strengthening their security programs.” of industry, size or complexawareness of the need for ity, and talk about security; security within a company’s

— Bob Burnett it’s important enough that IT infrastructure, includBrother International they should know what we ing within imaging devicoffer,” he says, noting that es, continues to gain momentum, driven, in part, by the frequency of reports of IT security features have been core to Lexbreaches. Meanwhile, MFP and printer manufacturers are mark’s products for many years. “That is just ready to assuage concerns with their ever-broadening offer- part of who we are and what we do.” n Brent Hoskins, executive director of the ings of security-focused capabilities to protect documents Business Technology Association, is editor and information. “One of the messages that we want to of Office Technology magazine. He can be communicate to both the end user and the channel is they reached at brent@bta.org or (816) 303-4040. are not on their own,” Burnett says. “Brother is here to be at

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Reboot Your ‘Selling Mind’ Strategies focused on the customer decision process by: Kim D. Ward, Learning Outsource Group

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ne of the most significant challenges for B2B sellers is the fact that buyers do not rely on them the same way they have in the past. Prospects once needed education on emerging technologies and valued advice on how to connect complex combinations of products and services.

Because of this, sellers became very proficient at identifying needs, explaining technology applications and proposing solutions.

Today, things are vastly different. With increasingly sophisticated buying teams educated by easily accessed and readily available information, many company decision makers have become very comfortable completing most of their purchase decision process without seller involvement. In fact, recent research suggests that today, on average, nearly 60 percent of the purchase decision is already complete before the customer ever engages with a seller. The good news is that modern sellers create more substantial value in new ways.

Although the new business environment can cause selling struggles when using traditional selling methods, consistent, high-performance sellers are thriving using a slightly different approach. By rebooting their selling minds and adopting a more “customer decision process”-focused selling method, these sellers now: n Use their business acumen to assess the selling landscape for possible disruption and differentiation opportunities; n Identify and approach skeptical change influencers rather than the traditional friendly informants and company contacts; n Use different prospect evaluation criteria to identify changing and transitioning organizations rather than focusing on previously gathered information about customer needs; n Leverage decision support higher, deeper and wider with decision influence groups rather than selling to or through one or two influencers or decision makers; n Coach and guide decision makers and influencers on

how to buy using their “natural” buying processes rather than challenging their decision-making abilities.

Learning Outsource Group has supported businesses with sales education and sales management leadership development for the past 25 years. Following are the four strategies we see as key in rebooting and creating the modern selling mind.

(1) Restructure selling situations where the only avenue is competing in a price war over unchallenged customer decision criteria.

Buyers do not want to make mistakes with their purchase decisions. Even though clients may believe they are well down their decision paths, modern sellers identify prospects who have emerging needs or are in organizational flux because of external or internal change forces. These clients often have greater appreciation for decision guidance when recognizing previously unidentified and critical decision criteria. Modern sellers guide clients to better decisions by becoming innovative influencers on the customers’ decision criteria development and decision processes.

Example: Late-entry engagements, such as responding to RFPs or pitching presentations to prospects who have predetermined decision criteria that have historically produced low closing percentages and reduced profit margins.

This situation commonly occurs because the decision criteria is based on incomplete information that was gathered early or based on recommendations from incumbent competitors. Modern sellers consult and assist in reviewing decision criteria, organizational changes and client improvement plans. This decision guidance causes many clients to remodel their decision criteria to produce a higher quality and more satisfying purchase decision. Sellers who practice this strategy are more appreciated and create much longer and more profitable partnerships.

(2) Guide customer decision making with new and potentially disruptive questions and insights.

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Traditional sellers lead with presentaExample: Today’s great sellers undertions they hope will fulfill all known cusstand the true purposes of questioning: When sellers create tomer decision criteria. Modern sellers n To determine where their custom“added value” by simply assume they can fulfill these comers are on their decision paths so they uncovering unrecognized monly known or “predetermined” criteria can effectively connect and guide them improvement ... ideas, and instead lead with disruptive questions through their natural decision processes. clients become more that challenge prospects’ perceptions of n To uncover the possibilities of addwhat their best decision options truly are. ing competitive differentiators to cusmotivated to partner This frequently leads to uncovering additomers’ decision criteria lists. with them. tional value-enhancing and competitively n To determine customers’ current differentiated decision criteria. business situations and desired future Example: Customers value product and service insights states so they can be of greatest assistance to them now and they have not previously considered. When sellers create in the future. “added value” by uncovering unrecognized improvement n To guide their customers to their best possible puror implementation ideas, clients become more motivated to chase decisions. partner with them. Plus, new decision goals and competiAt Learning Outsource Group, we have learned from suctively differentiating decision criteria significantly increase cessful sellers that there are still many useful components the odds of competitive wins, trusted advisor status and of traditional selling. Some of these components are: larger profits. n The importance of continuously working to improve (3) Target contacts who have a personal stake in both selling competencies; change and purchase decision outcomes. n The value of data/information collection and analysis; Crucial decision makers and influencers who believe n And providing true service to clients during and after their personal and business goals will be reached with the the buying decision process. purchase are much more receptive to the decision guidance However, we have also learned that today’s most compeprovided by a rebooted, modern selling approach. People al- tent selling professionals have rebooted their selling minds ways care more about things that will improve their chances with the added dimension of using selling strategies focused of becoming personally successful at work. Modern sellers on cooperative partnering and guiding customers through search for these people in client organizations and leverage their natural decision processes. them into the decision process.

Consider beginning the reboot of your selling mind by Example: Buying motivation and value perception is adding these selling strategies and I am sure you will quickbased on what a person believes he (or she) may not receive ly recognize the selling and relationship benefits of modern if he passes on seller recommendations. A salesperson’s re- “customer decision process”-focused selling. n booted selling mind knows that its products or services are Kim Ward is the director of training and education for more valuable when they productively serve client goals for Learning Outsource Group and shares the same transition and improvement. Identifying target contacts responsibilities for Print Management Solutions Group. and decision influence group members who individually He has been involved in the training and consulting believe they have a personal stake in the purchase deciindustry in a variety of capacities since 1990 and, most sion aids sellers in creating more positive “critical decision recently, authored the company’s newest advanced mass” and, ultimately, more likely sales. consultative selling program, Cooperation Selling.

(4) Commit to understanding and guiding customers Ward is a nationally recognized speaker, facilitator, and their organizations through their natural decisionconsultant and coach to the office technology industry, making processes. and has personally worked with more than 20,000 Traditional selling focuses on the selling process, cusindustry professionals. During the past 20 years, tomer presentations, overcoming objections and closing he has worked extensively with a large number of techniques. These are obviously still important and useful industry OEMs as well as hundreds of skills when properly applied. And, yet, successful modern office technology dealers. Ward will be selling focuses on the customer’s decision process and dispresenting the BTA Sales Management ruptive questioning to uncover differentiation opportuniWorkshop April 9-11 at Centric Business ties. This more modern selling method creates increased Systems in Owings Mills, Maryland. To learn cooperative partnering, more sales and lasting “trusted admore, visit www.bta.org/SalesManagement. visor” relationships.

Visit www.learningoutsourcegroup.com.

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Ward Mar 18.indd 2

2/27/18 4:43 PM

Taylor ad Mar 18.indd 1

2/21/18 10:54 AM

COURTS & CAPITOLS

Selling Your Business Things to consider when handing over the keys by: Robert C. Goldberg, general counsel for the Business Technology Association

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n the past 40 years I have been involved in countless dealership sales and purchases. In most instances, the sellers walked away with nice sums of money for the effort made in building their businesses. In a few instances, the owners were happy to depart with all debt paid and personal guarantees cancelled. So, what have I learned from these transactions that you should consider?

(1) The business is no longer yours once it is sold. Many sellers who remain employed by the company have difficulty accepting changes to the business. Sellers continue to think of the business, its customers and employees as theirs. They are not. Your input may be sought, but if it is not, refrain from criticizing, undermining and complaining about the changes.

(2) Earnouts are not guaranteed. A seller who is not comfortable with the payout at the closing and is depending on the earnout for satisfaction should rethink the sale.

(3) Inventory is not worth what you thought it was. A common dispute in valuing a business is the inventory. Those mopiers are not worth the price you paid.

(4) Accounts receivable may be best collected if the seller retains them at the time of sale. The seller knows the customers and will most likely be calling on them as part of an earnout or transition. If accounts receivable are part of the sale, then the seller should assist in their collection. Failure to collect an account will likely be subject to a post-closing adjustment.

(5) Prefunding maintenance is bad for a business. In most sales, unearned maintenance liability is only assumed for a maximum of 12 months. Anything beyond 12 months will be deducted from the purchase price.

(6) The buyer’s rental of your building will not continue forever. If the seller owns the building in which the business operates, it is usually rented by the buyer for anywhere from one to five years. The buyer will investigate comparable rentals in the area and insist on a fair-market-value rental. Excess rental will simply be worked into lowering the purchase amount.

(7) Not all employees will be retained. Typically, the purchase agreement will state that the buyer will consider the employees for employment, but not guarantee the employment of all. If there is a key individual you would like retained, that should be negotiated as part of the transaction. Make certain

that the individual will actually want to continue with the new owner. Some of your key administrative employees may not be asked to continue. Part of an acquisition is economies of scale. The administrative area is one where reductions can be made.

(8) A seller’s noncompete will always be enforced. There are two categories for noncompete agreements.

One is the noncompete signed by an employee. Enforceability of an employee noncompete is never certain. The other is a noncompete in conjunction with the sale of a business. In that the seller has been paid for that business, the courts will always enforce that noncompete.

(9) In the past, there were several instances where a seller’s noncompete was concluded and the seller elected to start another business. Often customers welcomed the individual back due to the frustration experienced with a mega organization. If you plan to re-enter the market, do not start your plans until the noncompete has expired.

(10) If you get into a dispute with the buyer, do not involve customers. End users are the value of the company and involving them will not help the situation.

(11) Introduce the new owner to key customers when presenting the enhancements to the relationship. If the new owner does not know key suppliers, do the same with them.

(12) A seller should make certain that none of its agreements contain a right of first refusal. If there is one, after informing the potential buyer, follow the procedure outlined.

(13) Make certain that all your supplier agreements, noncompete agreements, maintenance and support agreements and leases are assignable.

Industry consolidation continues at a frantic pace. The good news is there is confidence in the future of the office technology industry. There is an abundance of experienced individuals who can help you through the process if selling or buying is in your plans. Of course, you can always call the BTA Legal Hotline at (800) 8696688 for advice as well. n Robert C. Goldberg is general counsel for the Business Technology Association.

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

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Goldberg Mar 18.indd 1

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2/13/18 1:26 PM

AIMED VIEWPOINT

Strategic Partners AIMED president reflects on BTA merger & industry by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine

O

n February 1, the Business Technology Association (BTA) and the Association of Independent Mailing Equipment Dealers (AIMED) merged.

Under the merger, all active AIMED dealer members became members of BTA. Vernon Stevens II, senior vice president, and enterprise and sales manager at Southern Business Machines, Evansville, Vernon Stevens II Indiana, is the current president of AIMED. Recently, Office Technology had the opportunity to ask Stevens about the merger, the industry and his family’s business.

Following are his responses.

OT: What do you see as the primary benefits of the AIMED/BTA merger to AIMED’s member dealers?

Stevens: I see two great groups of business leaders coming together to talk and strategize about best practices for their mutual success. AIMED saw BTA as the “partner across the room in this dance of office and mailing solutions,” so to speak. With the merger, we can slowly “get our groove on,” building on our successes as we work together.

OT: The office technology industry has been in transition in recent years. How has the mailing equipment industry likewise been in transition, providing compelling reasons for AIMED members to diversity their product and services offerings?

Stevens: The mailing equipment sales environment has been on a roller coaster of ups and downs in recent years as modes of communication have evolved thanks to regulations and social trends. Mailing industry manufacturers have had to invest in training for their dealers to help them address the changing needs of customers. Looking back at late 2015 and early 2016, for example, first-class mailing volumes were declining, while the shipping side was increasing twofold over a 12-month period. As a result, the mailing equipment manufacturers saw the need to move into this space, providing dealers the opportunity to grow their customer bases in the shipping arena.

OT: What changes have you made in your company in recent years, given the changing nature of the mailing equipment industry?

Stevens: The first change we embraced was changing our

approach to solution sales; not just learning about products, but creating environmental examples in our showroom. That allowed us to bring our customers and prospects in to help them better understand the problems they face related to our industry, while showing them the solutions we offer to better serve them. Next, we worked to bring back old-fashioned basics, such as making a simple phone call or stopping in at a company and asking: “How are you doing?” We had essentially forgotten the handshake that starts each B2B exchange; that type of interaction is often lost in email and voicemails. Making face-to-face contact is necessary for keeping industries like ours strong.

OT: In the coming months and years, how do you expect the mailing equipment industry will continue to transition and your company will continue to diversity its products and services offerings?

Stevens: We must learn how to provide a total solution process for existing and new customers, providing printing, data management, mailing processing and shipping, while tracking and reviewing those processes along the way. Some would call it the “one-stop-shopping experience,” but I think of it as providing a company or school the advantage of having a solution provider that can handle such processes from start to finish.

OT: What have been the key “lessons learned” within the industry during your career and in your leadership role within AIMED? Stevens: I came into the mailing industry 16 years ago with the guidance of my parents, Vernon and Jennifer Stevens, the founders of Southern Business Machines. I was encouraged to go on company trips and meet with others to gain industry experience. That provided me another family — a family of dealers and companies working to excel at their craft. So, I have learned that it is the people who have made AIMED and BTA strong.

I have also learned the importance of commitment. When I first started as a sales manager, my father told me to “build a legacy.” That really moved me, planting a seed of commitment to the industry and our company’s success. My wife Dawn shares in that commitment, also working in the business. We are both taking this journey as part of the second generation of Stevens working in the industry. 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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AIMED Mar 18.indd 1

2/28/18 8:14 AM

EDUCATION CALENDAR April

9-11 BTA Sales Management Workshop Owings Mills, Maryland The BTA Sales Management Workshop is a career development “must-have” for sales management at all levels, and provides the knowledge, skills, processes and tools to immediately increase effectiveness and achieve higher levels of success. Taught by well-known industry trainer and facilitator Kim Ward of Learning Outsource Group (LOG), the workshop focuses entirely on the “how-to” skills that will help each attendee reach his (or her) full potential as a great sales leader and coach, as well as best practices to build and sustain elite, high-performance sales teams. Visit www.bta.org/SalesManagement to register.

12

June 5-6

Building My Business Webinar: “Is Your Buy-Sell Agreement Up to Snuff?”

A buy-sell agreement is one of the most important documents you can have when there are partners in a business. However, many businesses do not have them, and many more have buysell agreements that are outdated or incomplete. There are some key areas that a strong buy-sell agreement addresses: What happens if a partner dies or is disabled? What happens if a partner wants to retire? What happens if you want to bring on new partners? The answers to these and other important questions could have significant financial, operational and emotional impacts on you and your business. This webinar, led by Jim Kahrs of Prosperity Plus Management Consulting Inc., will give you a list of areas to address now. Visit www.bta.org/BMB to register.

ProFinance 2.0 Bloomington, Minnesota ProFinance 2.0’s industry model, which includes more than 30 key benchmarks (including those for MPS), will help you and your team achieve double-digit operating income. John Hey and Todd Johnson of Strategic Business Associates will share their knowledge from 25-plus years of building some of the largest dealerships in North America and their experience advising many of the most successful companies in the industry. Visit www.bta.org/ProFinance to register.

14-15 Gateway to Success - Hosted by BTA Mid-America Fort Worth, Texas The 2018 Gateway to Success event, hosted by BTA Mid-America, is open to office technology dealers from across the country. The event will feature: a keynote address focused on selling in the new millennium with Steve Nudelberg; a featured educational session on how technology is changing the world; six additional educational sessions led by industry leaders; time to network with peers and exhibiting sponsors, including during a welcoming reception and breaks; and a Colorado Rockies versus Texas Rangers baseball game. Visit www.bta.org/BTAFortWorth to register.

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

www.offi cetechnol ogymag.c om | M a rc h 2018 | 23

Calendar Mar 18.indd 1

2/28/18 8:15 AM

BTA HIGHLIGHTS BTA would like to welcome the following new

Hytec Hard-Drive Solutions

For the benefit of its dealer members, each month BTA features two of its vendor members in this space.

MAX USA Corp., located in Long Island, New York, is the distribution arm in the Americas of MAX Co. Ltd., which is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

With its more than 70 years of manufacturing experience, MAX has earned a solid reputation for engineering and had a number-one market share in Japan for staplers. The company has now become one of the leading international manufacturers of office products.

MAX has been developing and offering innovative and high-quality products like the ring binder and electric staplers for finisher devices. www.maxusacorp.com

Need a secure hard-drive solution for your customers’ end-of-lease equipment? Hytec Drive Secure provides turnkey solutions for certified hard-disk-drive sanitization, destruction and replacement while minimizing potential dealership liability. Hytec has developed offerings for dealers to increase service revenue while protecting their customers’ data. Whether erasing, destroying or replacing hard drives, Hytec has several options for your customers’ needs. All of Hytec’s services are insured and come with a certificate of destruction or sanitization, and hard-shell cases are available for more secure transactions. BTA members receive a 15-percent discount.

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

For more than 20 years, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based Domus Inc. has been a marketing communications services and solutions agency serving clients throughout North America and the global marketplace. Domus’ distinctive business model combines core, in-house strategy and account teams together with a nationwide network of specialized talent across a broad spectrum of clients and categories, including: Merck, DuPont, AIG, The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton and OKI Data Americas; and technology, packaged goods, home furnishings, health-care marketing, hospitality, tourism and gaming. www.domusinc.com

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

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

members to the association:

Dealer Members BrightStar Enterprise Solutions Inc., Jacksonville, FL Copywrite of North MS Inc., New Albany, MS Interface Printers, Richardson, TX Northshore Office Equipment, Mandeville, LA Superior Office Systems Inc., Edison, NJ For full contact information of these new members, visit www.bta.org.

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Highlights Mar 18.indd 1

2/28/18 8:19 AM

MEMBER BENEFITS Included with $430 BTA dealer membership: Legal Services • Industry advice & guidance via the BTA Legal Hotline • Sample legal agreements & contracts customizable for your dealership • Contract reviews • Data security & patent troll guidance & brochures • National industry campaign against fraudulent telemarketing of copier/MFPs & computer supplies

Publications • Monthly Office Technology magazine • Weekly BTA Hotline e-newsletter

Channel Trends & Statistics

MEMBER BENEFITS

Business Support Services

• Ask the Analyst service • Monthly Building My Business webinars • Sample job descriptions • Sample compensation plans

Discount Promo Codes • $400 in discounts with a one-year membership or $950 in discounts with a two-year membership to apply toward education or BTA events

BTA Scholarships • The opportunity to apply for educational scholarships of $3,000, $1,500 & $1,000 awarded to children of BTA member dealers & the children of their full-time employees.

Applications due each year by May 1.

• Channel’s Choice Summary • Compensation Report • Financial Benchmarking Report • Service Productivity Report

BTA Navigator Program

Available to members at reduced fees:

Business Support Services

Channel Trends & Statistics • 2016 Business Equipment Quota Index (BEQI) • Buyers Lab bliQ — competitive intelligence & sales tools • InfoTrends reports

BTA Events & Educational Offerings • Registration to BTA’s district-hosted events & national conference • Classroom training programs covering all aspects of your business, including training for sales reps, sales managers and service managers, as well as a financial benchmarking workshop to help grow your business • Online workshops, including an in-depth sales workshop consisting of 13 modules for your entire sales team, a new sales rep training workshop, and one-to-one telesales training and coaching • CompTIA exam voucher discounts • IT University online courses • Logical Operations’ User Productivity Courseware & Axzo Crisp Series

Available to members at competitive rates: Insurance Programs

• Business executive life • Business liability • Disability, long- and short-term • Retirement programs

• OEM co-op reimbursement program for BTA dues & educational workshop tuition. Check with your supplier!

• Background checks • Business valuation services • Collection services • Credit card processing • Credit report & business information services • Employee assessment tools • On-hold messaging service • Payroll processing • Recruitment services • Relationship management/CRM • Telemarketing/lead generation

Discounted Programs • BTA Marketplace discounts & value-added offerings • BTA member rewards program • Car rental discounts • Device monitoring & management • Gas & electricity volume purchasing agreements • Hard drive security solutions • Marketing solutions • Mobile discount programs • Product evaluations & side-by-side comparisons • Shipping & freight discounts

• Health discount card providing medical, dental, vision, hearing, lab & prescription discounts • Medical, life, health, dental & vision plans through an insurance brokerage service • Section 125 cafeteria plans • Term life • Workers’ compensation

www.offi cetechnol ogymag.c om | M a rc h 2018 | 25

Benefits Mar 18.indd 1

2/28/18 8:22 AM

DEALERSHIP SPOTLIGHT

Modern Office Methods An Ohio powerhouse celebrating 60-plus years by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine

T

he heritage of Modern Office Methods (MOM), headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, is not unlike that of many office technology dealerships. It started small back in 1957 and has remained a family business for 60-plus years. Today, however, MOM is known nationwide within the industry as one of a relatively small number of powerhouse dealerships that has seen substantial growth.

Actually, the dealership’s proclivity for growth started early.

Within 10 years of its founding by Robert McCarthy in Evansville, Indiana, the dealership had 11 locations across seven states. The markets served by the dealership have since evolved, but its reach remains expansive. Today, MOM operates in 66 counties in Ohio, northern Kentucky and southeastern Indiana.

Robert McCarthy’s son, Kevin McCarthy, is the second-generation president and CEO of MOM. He and his brother-in-law, Steve Bandy, senior vice president of sales and marketing, are co-owners of the company. MOM sells and services imaging products from Canon, HP, Lanier and Ricoh.

The quality of the dealership’s employees has ensured the ongoing strength and stature of the dealership, Kevin McCarthy says. “We have great people; that’s what sets us apart,” he says. “Our people are dedicated to the organization, do a really nice job and, hopefully, have fun while they’re at it. We are truly blessed to have them.”

Of course, with the growth of the company through the years, MOM regularly adds new team members. Currently employing approximately 215 people, one of the more recent staff surges at MOM came with the dealership’s 2017 acquisition of Full Service Networking (FSN). FSN, a managed IT services company, brought an additional 28 employees to MOM. Like other office technology dealerships, MOM has had a few false starts in the managed IT services business, McCarthy says. “We were just trying to tiptoe our way in,” he says.

“We have been at the ‘edge of the pool’ a half-dozen times and always returned to: ‘Let’s stick with what we know.’”

Those false starts included a failed acquisition. “Back in 1995, everybody was running out and buying managed IT businesses; that included us,” McCarthy says. “We bought one, it wasn’t a great fit for us, so we finally shut it down.”

With the benefit of the lessons from the past, McCarthy says the decision to acquire FSN has proven to be the right move for MOM. “We were the recipient of a great company with really talented employees,” he says. “We want to pass sales leads to them and then have them pass leads to us. They

Top: Modern Office Methods’ headquarters building in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Right: Steve Bandy (left) and Kevin McCarthy, co-owners of the familyowned dealership. have a nice IT culture and we want to keep it that way.”

The acquisition of FSN further reflects the family-based heritage of MOM. FSN was owned by McCarthy’s brother-inlaw Rick Maxwell. McCarthy expects to take FSN, now at “just over $5 million in annual revenues,” to new heights. “Nothing would make me happier than FSN becoming a $10-million business in five years or so, but we want controlled growth; in that industry, you cannot afford to be sloppy.”

McCarthy says he fully understands the expectations of IT services clients. “It is a tremendous responsibility for us to be able to manage someone’s network for them,” he says. “It’s not like when their copier goes down. When their network goes down, everything shuts down. So, we have got to make sure we are on top of it and are the absolute best at it.”

Even with its considerable growth through the years, MOM faces the same challenges as any dealership, including those inherent to hiring and training. “We must find and retain good employees, making sure that we can train them on the many different facets of our business, whether it’s sales training or technology training,” McCarthy says, noting that one of MOM’s most recent strides in this endeavor was the

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Dealership Spotlight Mar 18.indd 1

2/28/18 8:29 AM

opportunity to earn a living and give them promotion of an employee to the role of an opportunity to grow. They don’t want to director of professional development; she “If we give employees be up-and-down-the-street sales reps the is responsible for managing all MOM emthe tools and train rest of their lives.” ployee training. “I want to make sure our them on how to Beyond the changing workforce, what is people are really well-trained and welluse those tools McCarthy’s view of the ever-changing naversed, and that they can talk the talk, properly ... there ture of the office technology industry? “Evwalk the walk and get it done. ery single year my managers tell me ‘it is “If we give employees the tools and train is no reason they more difficult today than ever,’” McCarthy them on how to use those tools properly should not succeed.“ says. “It is always going to be difficult. If it and make sure they have the right opporwas easy, everybody would be doing it.” tunities, there is no reason they should not The changing industry necessitates the need for dealersucceed,” McCarthy continues. “They are still going to have to work hard, but we want to continually invest in our people. It ships to continually evolve, McCarthy advises. “It’s a matter of helps to start with good people. So, we are always searching changing enough to stay relevant, to grow your business and to keep your clients happy,” he says. “We have to take great for good people and making every effort to keep them.”

That search includes the “good challenge” of hiring millen- care of our clients, because there are 25 competitors in every nials. “They work differently and we want to create an envi- market who will if we don’t. It is more challenging every day, ronment at MOM for them to be successful,” McCarthy says. but it is more rewarding every day if we do it right.” n Brent Hoskins, executive director of the Business Technology “They don’t want to talk about making cold calls all day. So we Association, is editor of Office Technology magazine. have to arm them with other options for reaching out to prosHe can be reached at brent@bta.org or (816) 303-4040. pects. I think you have to make it fun. You have to give them an

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www.offi cetechnol ogymag.c om | M a rc h 2018 | 27

Dealership Spotlight Mar 18.indd 2

2/28/18 8:28 AM

PRINCIPAL ISSUES

One Canon Manufacturer hosts media event Feb. 12-14 by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine

W

ith the goal of providing office technology industry editors and analysts a look at the company’s latest advancements, Canon U.S.A. Inc. hosted the 2018 One Canon event Feb. 12-14 at The Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, Florida. It marked the third year for the One Canon concept, a commitment to offering more integrated solutions across Hiro Imamura Canon U.S.A. and its subsidiaries.

During the event, Canon announced its third-generation imageRUNNER ADVANCE second edition MFP lineup, a refresh of its platform. The new generation offers an emphasis on cloud connectivity and security, focusing on productivity to help businesses “simplify, control and evolve,” said Hiro Imamura, senior vice president and general Mason Olds manager of marketing for the Business Imaging Solutions Group (BISG). “It simplifies the workflow and its implementation, gives the power to control the security and the cost in document information management, and it continues to evolve as a customer’s or business’s needs evolve.”

The imageRUNNER ADVANCE was introduced in September 2009 “as a dramatically new, sophisticated, intuitive platform, compared to its predecessors or competitors, both as an MFP and as a solution platform,” Imamura said, noting that the platform has advanced, but has become easier to use.

“From generation two to generation three, the latest version, there are more than 530 advancements in the system.”

Among other strides, advancements have resulted in the “typical average service time” to be “reduced by 20 percent,” Imamura said. “So, this may sound like a very traditional copier topic, but I think it is more important than ever as it is directly related to the customer SLA [service-level agreement] on the MPS contract. Our dealers can spend more time on value-added services beyond traditional printing services, which I think is very important.”

Imamura added that the refreshed platform “is more secure than ever with enhanced software on the device, and also more standard feature sets around security.” He also touted the platform’s cloud readiness. “Out of the box, the

new engine will connect to various cloud services,” he said, noting that the advancement will give more opportunities for channel partners to expand into managed services. “This is just the beginning of further evolution in supporting our dealers and customers.”

Among the many other presenters at One Canon was Mason Olds, senior vice president and general manager of sales for BISG. He announced that Canon’s dealer channel, now at “almost $1 billion,” grew 3 percent last year in revenues overall, with hardware revenues through dealers increasing by 6 percent and aftermarket revenues remaining flat. He noted that this is the seventh year in a row for growth within the dealer channel, up 28 percent between 2011 and 2017.

“In the end, it’s about the people, right?” Olds said. “It’s about the people from the service department, from the sales department, from marketing, from product planning. We are good at the dealer business. We’ve been doing it a long time and we continue to lead in that area. I would challenge any of our competitors to show seven years in a row of growth in that channel.”

Olds also took the opportunity to comment on the “fascinating” changing landscape in the dealer channel. He referenced the “four or five” private equity firms that are “visibly gobbling up” independent office technology dealerships.

“These are not dumb people,” he said. “They are pretty smart, so they see great opportunity in investing in the independent copier dealers out there.”

In addition, there are “a lot of large dealerships,” including Canon-authorized dealerships DEX Imaging, RJ Young and Applied Imaging, that are currently “gobbling up the smaller dealerships,” Olds said. He noted, too, that owners of smaller dealerships who are not willing to invest in new technologies may just be seeking to “cash out” or do not have plans for their children “to go into the copier business.”

Meanwhile, “there is fierce competition,” Olds added. “Our competitors are out there. They’re trying to get their products into the independent dealer channel, into a lot of the bigger dealerships that we have been so successful with. We wish them luck at that, but not too much luck. We are trying very hard to differentiate our offerings to our dealers, to keep them very satisfied with doing business with Canon.” 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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Canon Mar 18.indd 1

2/28/18 9:13 AM

PRINCIPAL ISSUES

Digital Transformation A road map with five essential phases by: Hedy Belttary, Laserfiche

B

y now, you have probably heard the term “digital transformation.” It is a technology buzzword that has become ubiquitous in the media, at conferences and in various analyst reports and predictions. While it is true that digital transformation is everywhere, the term lacks a clear definition, leaving many business leaders struggling to understand it.

The ambiguity around digital transformation creates enormous opportunity for office technology dealerships that offer software solutions, particularly enterprise content management (ECM) systems. Organizations are looking for guidance, making it critical for dealers to understand digital transformation and what it means for their clients. Dealerships that become adept in anticipating clients’ digital transformation needs and create a vision for their digital businesses will not only be well positioned for growth, but also gain a competitive advantage for long-term success.

The Digital Journey While business leaders are still working to define what digital transformation is for their companies, industry surveys reveal that it is a top priority for executives. International Data Corp. (IDC) predicts worldwide spending on digital transformation will grow to reach $2 trillion in 2020. Meanwhile, Gartner reports that nearly half of CEOs have no success metrics for their digital transformation efforts.

It is up to office technology dealers to act as guiding lights, ensuring their customers are following the right paths and making the best use of their technology. To do so, they need to understand digital transformation themselves.

At Laserfiche, we break down digital transformation into a road map with five essential phases that lead to an innovative digital workplace: (1) Digitize: Convert paper into an electronic filing cabinet for digital archiving and retrieval.

(2) Organize: Categorize documents and manage information in a secure, central location.

(3) Automate: Digitize processes through electronic forms to improve accountability.

(4) Streamline: Gain visibility into operations and increase efficiency of processes across the organization.

(5) Transform: Drive innovation by leveraging analytics to align processes with business goals.

You may have customers that run the gamut of these phases; in addition, one customer may be partially in two or more

different phases. For example, one company’s human resources department may be automating new employee onboarding while its purchasing department still depends on paper forms for key processes.

The beauty of understanding the various phases, however, is that customers experience similar challenges in each phase.

Once you evaluate which phases your customer most closely identifies with, you become more aware of the next steps, allowing you to look into the future, see where your customer is headed and make the most relevant recommendations.

Repeating Success As shown in the various phases, going digital is more than getting rid of paper. It is a moment of change for an organization — the first step in its digital journey. Many organizations have already taken this first step and have systems in place for digitizing documents. But when a dealership can provide a vision for its customers that includes business process automation and data analytics that can help optimize and transform processes, the dealership can open customers’ minds to new possibilities. www.offi cetechnol ogymag.c om | M a rc h 2018 | 29

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your sales strategy with a digital transforWhether you are replacing a system or mation road map, you are not just working selling a new one, you can use a similar When you are on what is going on today, but you can forestrategy — take the small steps a customer working closely with cast what is coming and prepare for the is making, such as digitizing documents or a customer, leading next phase of the project — perhaps even implementing a records management polithe project and before the customer knows what it is. n cy, and tie them into a larger journey. This forging the path, Hedy Belttary is the senior vice president will help you clearly position the benefits of of sales at Laserfiche. Her extensive upgrades and enhancements, or onboardyour customer relies history includes working closely with ing new departments and expanding the on you for guidance. company founder Nien-Ling Wacker to use of the company’s system as part of its standardize and spread a marketing and journey to build a digital workplace. sales model that emphasizes in-person education, peer-to-peer As a result, the sales cycle is much shorter and the customtraining, vendor partnerships and a widespread reseller er will look to you for next steps in the future. When you are channel. In 2007, Belttary founded Incrementum, a Laserfiche working closely with a customer, leading the project and forgreseller based in California. There, she tailored ing the path, your customer relies on you for guidance. You solutions to meet the document management, have a crucial role in this process: To take the information records management and system integration from digital transformation and create a path for your cusneeds of local clients and deepened her tomer, planning upgrades and mapping out the future expanknowledge of the ECM market. Belttary can be sion of technology systems. reached at hedy.belttary@laserfiche.com.

I encourage you to think in a more nuanced way about beVisit www.laserfiche.com. coming an evangelist for digital transformation. By aligning

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