September 2023 Office Technology

CONTENTS

FEATURE ARTICLES

10

Managed IT Services

Three dealers share their successes & advice

by Elizabeth Marvel

Office Technology Magazine

Managed IT services is becoming an ever-more-popular offering in office technology dealerships today, with the hope that it will increase revenue and reduce reliance on print. Has your dealership ventured into the realm of managed IT?

16

Ride the Environmental Wave Market eco-friendly products & promote ecolabels

by Tricia Judge

International Imaging Technology Council

Although lip service has been paid to the need to purchase environmentally friendly products in the past, consumers and businesses are now demanding them. Copier/MFP and imaging supplies dealers can capitalize on these trends by marketing environmental products and promoting ecolabels.

Q&A: Brian Suerth TAG president addresses managed IT opportunity

Compiled by Brent Hoskins

Office Technology Magazine

Recently, Office Technology magazine

interviewed Brian Suerth, president of Technology Assurance Group, an organization of managed technology services providers. TAG joined BTA with the goal of helping dealers achieve optimal success in pursuit of today’s managed IT services opportunity.

COURTS & CAPITOLS

23

Navigating a New Landscape

I look forward to working with BTA & its members

by Greg Goldberg

Incoming BTA General Counsel

BTA members know that Bob Goldberg is a giant in the office technology industry — in fact, he has written in this space, without fail, for the last 46 years. So it should come as no surprise that I jumped at the chance to learn from him, and to take on this enormous honor and responsibility.

DEALERS HELPING DEALERS

26

IT Services How are profit margins & your vendor partners?

Compiled by Brent Hoskins

Office Technology Magazine

This article includes two related questions submitted by a dealer member as part of BTA’s Dealers Helping Dealers resource and many of the answers received. These answers and many others can be found in the members-only section of the BTA website.

PRINCIPAL ISSUES

27

The Health-Care Vertical Capture net-new business & revamp patient experience

by Rich Piper Channel DevTek

When engaging with health-care customers, confidently share your story and establish a strong foundation for your relationship. Transition smoothly into a conversation about how your products are at the forefront of progress, overcoming obstacles and empowering patients.

SELLING SOLUTIONS

29

The Top Four Trends Collectively, they will drive sales into the future

by Troy Harrison

Troy Harrison & Associates

The sales profession is at a turning point. I’ve been saying for years that sales is changing more quickly than ever before. The reasons are technological, generational and even cultural. Essentially, there are four big trends that will drive sales into the future.

24

Questions Addressed Regarding Managed IT

On occasion, an Office Technology advertiser will ask me if there is a “theme” for a particular upcoming issue of the magazine. My answer has always been the same: “We don’t have themes but, rather, all of our articles are on different industry topics.” Until now. As we’ve been preparing this issue, a theme has emerged. There are three articles in this issue that focus on managed IT services: The cover story starting on page 10, the Q&A with Technology Assurance Group’s (TAG’s) Brian Suerth starting on page 20 and the Dealers Helping Dealers feature on page 26.

In fact, there is also a mini-theme within the larger managed IT theme. That is, there are several references to the fact that managed IT can be a nonprofit endeavor. In the cover story, interviewee Mike Ardry states, in part: “We went from an IT department that was not profitable ... ” In the Q&A with Brian, he states, in part: “ ... The majority of BTA members selling IT services lose money at it.” And in the Dealers Helping Dealers feature, one dealer states: “We booted managed IT after one year. It’s not our core [business], is time consuming and a profit drain.”

It’s important for me to emphasize that the primary focus of these articles is that you can make money at IT — if you do things correctly. In proofreading the articles, I thought of how I have heard Todd Johnson, a partner in Strategic Business Associates (SBA), discuss the challenges that are inherent to managed IT. That led me to think of a few questions for Todd. Following are my questions and his responses. I know you will find them of interest.

OT: Generally speaking, is it your observation that most dealerships that have pursued

managed IT are losing money or only making a small amount of profit?

Todd: Yes, SBA sees few imaging dealerships that are profitable in their IT divisions, in general. Our annual survey from 2022, which reflects more than $3.2 billion in dealership revenues, shows that twothirds of dealerships have some flavor of an IT division, heavily weighted toward the larger dealerships ($25 million-plus). The combined operating profit was positive for the first time in our 10-plus years measuring it, at 1.3%; 54% of these dealerships lost money in IT. Only 25% of dealerships were above 7% operating profit (averaging 10.1% operating profit as a subgroup).

OT: Why do you think that is the case? Why do dealerships struggle in managed IT?

Todd: We believe there are numerous factors as to why dealerships struggle, the biggest being that they approach it like imaging. That includes trying to sell everything to everyone, discounting prices until they get the deal and focusing on products. There are also industry-specific challenges like achieving proper scale of revenue to head count, high demand for the talent pool, and ever-changing technologies and customer needs. This long learning curve also requires significant capital and focus.

OT: What can/should dealers be doing to make their IT operations more profitable?

Todd: We have gleaned several “best practices” from the IT consultants in the industry that dealers should consider in order to succeed and maximize their outcomes, including: (1) Commit or don’t bother; (2) Hire talented leaders with experience; (3) Decide on your “swim lanes” and pricing and then be hyperdisciplined; (4) Develop the stack of products you will support and require customer compliance; and (5) Have your core business performing before starting. 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

Greg Goldberg, Incoming General Counsel Business Technology Association

Troy Harrison, Troy Harrison & Associates www.troyharrison.com

Tricia Judge, International Imaging Technology Council https://i-itc.org

Rich Piper, Channel DevTek rich.piper@cox.net

Business Technology Association 12411 Wornall Road

Kansas City, MO 64145 (816) 941-3100 www.bta.org

Member Services: (800) 505-2821

BTA Legal Hotline: (312) 648-2300

Valerie Briseno Marketing Director valerie@bta.org

Brian Smith Membership Sales Representative brian@bta.org

Photo Credits: Adobe Stock. Cover created by Bruce Quade, Brand X Studio. ©2023 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.

FLASHBACK

The association’s magazine cover 40 years ago this month — the NOMDA Spokesman, September 1983.

DLL is a global finance partner for equipment and technology assets — committed to keeping your workplace up to date with the latest technology. We deliver sustainable and effective solutions to move assets to market throughout the entire asset life cycle: commercial finance, retail finance and used equipment finance.

We understand the unique needs of our partners and have the right digital tools to simplify your sales processes and allow you to close deals from anywhere at any time.

BTA PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Have You Attended BTA’s ProFinance 3.0?

The following testimonial from Mike Fair of BTA member Pulse Technology in Schaumburg, Illinois, captures the thoughts of many attendees of the Business Technology Association’s (BTA’s) ProFinance 3.0 workshop: “The [ProFinance 3.0] model was extremely helpful to crossreference what we’re doing today and how it stacks up. The timing of the training was perfect. You can tell both gentlemen have been doing this for years. Having them be part of our industry helps tremendously. Bravo!”

Since 2001, the principles of ProFinance (the association’s longest-running educational workshop) have dramatically improved the performance of hundreds of dealerships. Are you one of the many who have benefited from this workshop? If not — or if you’re looking to attend again and get the updated model (those who’ve been to ProFinance before can attend again for 50% off) — the last ProFinance 3.0 for this year will be held Oct. 11-12 at BTA member dealership Imagine Technology Group in Chandler, Arizona (a Phoenix suburb).

Taught by John Hey and Todd Johnson of Strategic Business Associates, ProFinance teaches attendees the industry model (which includes 30 key benchmarks), that can help them and their teams achieve double-digit operating income. During the workshop, John and Todd will share their knowledge from more than 25 years of building some of the largest dealerships in North America and their experience advising many of the most successful companies in our industry.

The first day of the workshop will begin with an overview of the financial model. Attendees will learn the history of the model, its principles and application. After a break,

John and Todd will introduce the MFP and MPS benchmark model and its components. At noon, attendees will break for lunch.

After lunch, attendees will learn the details behind the benchmarks and how to apply them to their businesses. A problemsolving session will follow, giving attendees sample problems and solutions. To wrap up the first day, John and Todd will review the information shared and answer questions.

The second day will begin with a review of the previous day and general discussion. Next, John and Todd will share sales compensation strategies. After a break, managed network services and imaging dealer strategies will be discussed, and then John and Todd will share their thoughts on leadership and company culture. The workshop will conclude with a review of all the information covered and a Q&A session.

Dealers consistently praise ProFinance as one of the best industry workshops they’ve attended. Some additional feedback from dealer attendees:

n “[The most helpful information] was the model and the percentages shown on what the most successful businesses are achieving. I can’t wait to get back and input our actual numbers into the model to see how we compare.” — Matt Hansen, River Bend Business Products, Mankato, Minnesota

n “The exercises were fun for me, but I’m in finance. Everyone around me appreciated accounting for once! I loved getting the spreadsheets; [learning how to] use the numbers to drive the business [was helpful]. It takes out the guesswork.” — Julie Toth, Plus Inc., Greenville, South Carolina

If you’re looking to improve the performance of your dealership and get the competitive edge that is so vital in today’s marketplace, register for ProFinance today. Visit www.bta.org/ProFinance. n

— Don Risser

2023-2024 Board of Directors

President

Don Risser DCS Technologies Corp. Franklin, Ohio don.risser@dcs-tech.com

President-Elect

Adam Gregory Advanced Business Solutions LLC St. Augustine, Florida adam@goabsinc.com

Vice President

Debra Dennis CopyPro Inc. Greenville, North Carolina ddennis@copypro.net

Immediate Past President David Polimeni RITE Technology Sarasota, Florida dpolimeni@ritefl.com

BTA East Mike Boyle BASE Technologies Inc. Bethel, Connecticut mboyle@baseinc.com

Joe Dellaposta Doing Better Business Hagerstown, Maryland jvd@doingbetterbusiness.com

BTA Mid-America

Brantly Fowler Zeno Office Solutions Inc. Midland, Texas bfowler@zenotx.com

Greg Quirk JQ Office Equipment Omaha, Nebraska gquirk@jqoffice.com

BTA Southeast Jim Buck Carolina Business Equipment Inc. Columbia, South Carolina jimb@cbesc.com

Mike Hicks Electronic Business Machines Inc. Lexington, Kentucky mhicks@ebmky.com

BTA West Mike McGuirk ProCopy Office Solutions Inc. Mesa, Arizona mmcguirk@procopyoffice.com

Kevin Marshall Copy Link Inc. Chula Vista, California kevin@copylink.net

Ex-Officio/General Counsel

Robert C. Goldberg Schoenberg Finkel Beederman Bell & Glazer LLC Chicago, Illinois robert.goldberg@sfbbg.com

Managed IT Services

Three dealers share their successes & advice

by: Elizabeth Marvel, Office Technology Magazine

Managed IT services is becoming an ever-more-popular offering in office technology dealerships today, with the hope that it will increase revenue and reduce reliance on print. Has your dealership ventured into the realm of managed IT? Below are profiles of three dealerships focused on their managed IT offerings. Their stories and advice may be of assistance as you consider adding your own managed IT offering, or help to improve one you may have already.

Automated Business Solutions

Automated Business Solutions (ABS), headquartered in Warwick, Rhode Island, has been offering some form of IT services since 2000. The company, which has seven offices in four states and about 90 employees, offers an array of products and services in addition to IT — Canon, Formax, HP, Lexmark, KIP, Kodak Alaris, Kyocera and Sharp products; managed print; and Zultys VoIP phones.

The dealership started its IT business with break/fix service and, in 2015, it expanded into fully managed IT. “We entered into IT at the beginning of the digital age when copy machines were being connected to the network and customers needed some kind of IT presence,” explains Mike Ardry, president of ABS. “We started with IT in 2000 doing break/ fix and building PCs for customers, and it grew from there.”

Today, ABS’s IT offerings include firewall security, cybersecurity, email security and more. “There’s a lot of focus on security and uptime for our customers’ networks, but I can’t really think of anything [IT related] that we don’t do,” Ardry says. “When we launched IT originally, we would tell customers, ‘You know, we do IT.’ But now we market it as, ‘If you’re happy with your current IT company, please stay with them because everyone has to trust their IT company unconditionally. But if you’re not happy, let’s sit down and talk and we’ll put a package together for you.’”

The company’s IT department includes seven techs, one admin and one salesperson who work out of three ABS offices.

When it comes to hiring IT staff members, Ardry stresses the importance of finding the right people. “There are different levels of techs, so the requirements really depend on what we’re hiring for,” Ardry says. “A Level 1 help-desk person may not have that much experience or some certifications ... but we believe in promoting from within, so we’re not afraid to hire that green person, put them on the help desk, train them and, eventually, they can become an on-site engineer.

“It’s difficult to hire IT people right now, especially quality people,” Ardry continues, explaining his view of the IT job market. “I think the industry has grown so much that the market calls for more people and they’re just not there. But my outlook on it is that you hire the best person and you find a role for them. So, we’ve done that within the IT department where we’ve looked and said, ‘Well, this person doesn’t fit exactly what we’re looking for, but we can train them to that.’”

Ardry stresses the importance of partnerships for a successful managed IT business. ABS works with Technology Assurance Group (TAG) and its consultants to help with many aspects of its IT department. “We started with TAG about five years ago when we met them at a BTA event in Orlando,” Ardry says of ABS’s history with TAG. “We looked at the stack they offered and decided it was the right move. We take advantage of most everything they offer, we partner with most of their partners, and we follow their processes for both sales and hiring. It’s helped us tremendously. We went from an IT department that was not profitable to building a very profitable IT division, and I credit TAG with 75% of that. We probably have increased 20% to 30% in overall revenue, but the most important thing I have seen is that, by following their process, we’ve become more profitable.

“They immerse themselves into your IT department,” Ardry continues, explaining that TAG helps interview potential staff members, plans marketing campaigns, runs sales programs, holds monthly operations strategy calls and does biweekly operations calls with his technical staff members.

“They are totally involved with what you’re doing — and it’s not just IT; they’ll help you in any aspect of the business. My advice to any dealer is: If you’re going to get into IT today, hire a consultant, whether it be TAG or someone else. Don’t try to go it alone.

“You have to be 100% in,” Ardry adds, giving additional advice to dealers looking to get into managed IT. “You can’t stick your finger into the pond. You have to jump in. If you are not all in, it’s just going to linger and it’s not going to grow. You have to be 100% devoted to making it work.”

— Mike Ardry Automated

we are today without his guidance and mentorship.”

Kelley Connect

Four-and-a-half years ago, Scott Anderson’s MSP, CORE Business Services, was acquired by Kelley Connect, headquartered in Kent, Washington. Today, Anderson is senior vice president at Kelley and in charge of the company’s managed IT services business. “About 13 years ago, Kelley’s CEO started evolving the company from a technology solution standpoint, adding mailing and document management solutions,” Anderson says. “When my company was acquired, Kelley was doing a little bit of IT services, but its biggest client was itself and it had a handful of other clients. So, it acquired my company to really grow the IT portion of the business and, over the last four-and-a-half years, that’s really been the focus of the company — transitioning from an office equipment company to a technology services company.”

The company’s IT business is “pure play,” focusing on management services as its core offering. “We become a customer’s IT department,” Anderson says, noting that the company partners with ConnectWise, Sophos, Datto, Rhombus and others. “It has evolved over time, with security definitely being the biggest evolution. We have a lot of security-only offerings now — providing the security operations center, the 24/7 monitoring and real-time response.”

Kelley also partners with Chris Ryne and his company, Growth Achievement Partners (GAP), which assisted with the CORE Business Services acquisition. “I met Chris when he brought me to Kelley,” Anderson says. “He runs a great peer group that brings copier dealers that have gotten into IT together, which means there is a ton of information and bestpractice sharing, particularly on sales and vCIO development. I’m also on the phone with him a couple of times a week, bouncing ideas off of him. I don’t think we would be as successful as

Kelley Connect has more than 60 employees in its IT services department, which is divided into three groups: service delivery/service desk; engineering; and network/ security operations. The service delivery/service desk group is divided into dedicated support teams of four employees. “As we grew, we realized that when our partner clients call us and they’re talking to a different person every time, it’s not good for the client,” Anderson says. “[Creating the support teams] has been game-changing for us in that ... [the teams] know their clients — they know their networks, they know the people, they know how they use technology, they know their business goals and they know the outcomes we’re trying to drive.”

Anderson estimates that, by the end of the year, IT will be about 15% to 20% of Kelley Connect’s business — up from less than 1% in 2018. “Even through COVID, it’s been a hockey-stick trajectory,” he says of the company’s IT growth, noting that there is room to improve, but that not all imaging customers are a great fit for the IT business. “I think office technology dealers need to understand that IT is different from imaging. Not every customer meets the ideal client profile. And really figuring out what that profile is and sticking closely to it is important. You can go outside of that [client profile] a bit, but at least figure out what that profile is and know where you can play and be successful.”

What other advice does Anderson suggest for dealers looking at the IT opportunity? “Delivering IT is different than delivering copier service, and trying to deliver IT with the same function, support model or people that you deliver copier service with is probably not going to be that successful,” he says, further adding that, “When a rep just sells a copier to a client, it typically doesn’t open as many future opportunities. If we sell IT to the client first, we now have a 90% chance of getting the copier, getting the document management, getting the mailing machine. So IT — even IT hardware and procurement — leads to much more future business.”

Knight Office Solutions

Managed IT also has a long history at Knight Office Solutions, headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. The dealership opened in 1990 as Knight Laser Recharge, then changed its name as it moved into selling printers, copier/MFPs, managed print services and document management (today it

“You have to be 100% in. You can’t stick your finger into the pond. You have to jump in. If you are not all in, it’s just going to linger and it’s not going to grow. You have to be 100% devoted to making it work.”

Business Solutions

carries products from Ricoh, Sharp, HP, Lexmark and Canon, as well as VoIP solutions from Intermedia). In 2010, the company took on managed IT. Today, about 5% of its customers are IT customers and 20% of its rev enue comes from the IT side of the business.

“We belong to BPCA [the Business Products Council Association] and there was a lot of discussion in their meetings about managed IT services and how our industry is set up well to be able to provide IT,” says Mitch Huffman, co-president. “We felt like it was a good opportunity for us to not only add services, but they say paper is going away at a rate of 5% per year, so it felt like being in managed IT was a good hedge to ensure our company’s health.”

The company delivers a full range of IT services, including

network infrastructure and security. “We do that via active administration and ongoing remote support, and we do on-premise and hosted cloud solutions,” Huffman says, noting that the company partners with Dell, Microsoft,

“If we sell IT to the client first, we now have a 90% chance of getting the copier, getting the document management, getting the mailing machine. So IT ... leads to much more

over the years, says John Cheney, co-president. “Our focus is on the small to medium-sized business,” he says. “Twenty-five to 100 seats is our target client. However, we have some clients that are considerably larger and we have a few small ones. The size of the customer has changed — they are typically larger today — and the offerings have changed. When we got started, a primary offering was managing on-premise Microsoft Exchange servers and hardware. Today, it’s hosted cloud and cloud support. All of our email is managed in the cloud through the Office 365 platform. That’s been a big change.”

Knight’s entire IT staff works from the company’s main office, which Huffman says is an important differentiator from other IT companies. “Everything related to managing our relationship with customers is handled here, in one office — from sales to billing to support to service to the help desk,” he says. “We’re not outsourcing any of those service roles, such as the help desk or engineering, for a number of reasons. We like to have control of that. It’s just difficult for a client to feel like they’re getting the white-glove treatment when you’re outsourcing your help desk.”

What advice does Huffman have for dealers who are apprehensive about getting into managed IT? “There’s good reason for apprehension — it’s not easy,” he says. “There are some entry points that aren’t so absorbing in terms of cost and risk. If a dealer isn’t in UCaaS [unified communications as a service] or VoIP, so many of those are now done through an [online] network. So, those might be really nice entry points for them to start getting a feel for doing something other than copy/print. There are also some really solid security offerings that really don’t require you to have a house full of engineers ... Through [adding smallerscale offerings], a dealer could really develop a strategy to migrate toward managed IT without diving in head first.” n

Elizabeth Marvel is associate editor of Office Technology magazine. She can be reached at elizabeth@bta.org or (816) 303-4060.

“There’s good reason for apprehension — it’s not easy ... Through [adding smallerscale offerings], a dealer could really develop a strategy to migrate toward managed IT without diving in head first.“

— Mitch Huffman Knight Office Solutions

Ride the Environmental Wave

Market eco-friendly products & promote ecolabels

by: Tricia Judge, International Imaging Technology Council

This summer, the heat was on, fires raged and climate change was repeatedly cited as the cause. Although lip service has been paid to the need to purchase environmentally friendly products in the past, consumers and businesses are now demanding them. Copier/MFP and imaging supplies dealers can capitalize on these trends by marketing environmental products and promoting ecolabels like EPEAT.

On Aug. 14-16, the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC) held its summit in Atlanta, Georgia. Formed in 2013, the SPLC is a nonprofit organization that focuses on advancing sustainable purchasing and supply-chain practices. It brings together professionals, organizations and experts from various sectors to collaborate on promoting sustainability through procurement processes.

The SPLC is an example of a growing trend. There is a significant body of research that suggests consumers, businesses and institutional buyers prefer environmentally friendly products. This preference is driven by a combination of factors, including growing environmental awareness, concerns about climate change, health considerations and ethical concerns. Here are some key reasons and evidence:

(1) Consumer Surveys & Studies — Numerous surveys and studies have been conducted to assess consumer preferences for environmentally friendly products. These studies consistently show a trend toward higher demand for products that are perceived as more environmentally friendly. For example, surveys by organizations like Nielsen, Deloitte and Pew Research Center have indicated that a majority of consumers express a preference for sustainable and eco-friendly products.

(2) Purchase Intent & Behavior — Consumer purchasing behavior also reflects a preference for environmentally friendly products. Research has shown that consumers are more likely to choose products with eco-friendly labels, even if they come at a higher cost. A study published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology found consumers are willing to pay a premium for products with environmentally friendly attributes.

(3) Corporate Sustainability Reports — Many companies

release sustainability reports that highlight their efforts to reduce environmental impacts and offer environmentally friendly products. These reports often emphasize the company’s commitment to sustainability as a response to consumer demand.

(4) Market Trends — Over the past few years, there has been a noticeable shift in the market toward more sustainable and eco-friendly products. This trend is evident across various industries, including fashion, food, personal care and electronics, including copier/MFPs and printers. Companies that position themselves as environmentally conscious often experience increased brand loyalty and positive public perception.

(5) Social Media & Online Discussions — Environmental issues have gained significant traction on social media platforms and online discussions. Consumers are more informed and engaged regarding environmental concerns, and they use these platforms to advocate for and share information about environmentally friendly products.

(6) Legislation & Government Initiatives — Governments in various countries are implementing regulations and initiatives to promote environmentally friendly products and practices. This often comes as a response to consumer demand for more sustainable options.

(7) Generational Shift — Younger generations, such as millennials and Generation Z, are often more attuned to environmental issues and show a stronger preference for sustainable products. As these generations become a larger portion of the consumer market, their preferences are likely to shape market dynamics even further.

(8) Rise of Ecocertifications — The proliferation of ecocertifications and labels such as Energy Star, USDA Organic and Fair Trade, reflect both consumer demand for environmentally friendly products and efforts by companies to meet that demand. These certifications provide consumers with a way to identify products that meet specific environmental standards. The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) is one such environmental certification.

EPEAT is a global program that evaluates and certifies the environmental performance of electronic products and their associated manufacturing processes. It was developed to help consumers, businesses and governments make more informed purchasing decisions by identifying electronics that have reduced environmental impact throughout their life cycles.

EPEAT assesses a variety of criteria related to the design, production, energy efficiency, recyclability and other environmental aspects of electronic products. These criteria are divided into multiple tiers, such as Bronze, Silver and Gold, which reflect different levels of environmental performance. Products are evaluated in the following key categories:

(1) Reduction/elimination of environmentally sensitive materials — This category evaluates whether products contain hazardous materials or substances that can be harmful to the environment or human health. It encourages the use of safer alternatives and the reduction of harmful materials.

(2) Product longevity and life-cycle extension — EPEAT assesses whether products are designed to last longer, reducing the need for frequent replacements. This can include factors like durability, ease of repair and availability of spare parts. (The Right to Repair is also a movement with a lot of momentum behind it right now.)

(3) Energy efficiency — Like another ecolabel, Energy Star, energy consumption during product use and manufacturing is considered for EPEAT certification. Products that meet stringent energy efficiency standards are given higher ratings.

(4) End-of-life management — This category evaluates how well a product can be disassembled and recycled at the end of its life. It also considers the ease of separating components for proper disposal.

EPEAT also assesses the environmental impact of a product’s packaging materials and design. The manufacturers that submit products to EPEAT are also evaluated for their environmental performance, including their commitment to sustainability and responsible practices.

To achieve EPEAT certification, manufacturers must provide evidence that their products meet the relevant criteria in each category. Independent third-party auditors review the submitted information to verify compliance. If a product meets the required criteria, it receives the corresponding EPEAT certification level (Bronze, Silver or Gold).

EPEAT criteria come up for review every decade or so. This year, the criteria for imaging equipment and consumables came up for review. The criterion committee included representatives from OEMs, the aftermarket and interested

institutional users. The following manufacturers sent representatives to the committee: Brother, Canon, Epson, Fujifilm, HP, Konica Minolta, Kyocera, Ricoh, Sharp, Toshiba and Xerox. The aftermarket was represented by Clover Imaging and the International Imaging Technology Council (Int’l ITC). The members started working in January and only recently finalized several proposed criteria.

EPEAT benefits consumers and organizations by providing a standardized way to identify products with reduced environmental impacts. The program also encourages manufacturers to design products that are environmentally friendly, energy-efficient and longer-lasting. Recommending and highlighting EPEAT-certified products is an easy way to meet a customer’s desire to buy an environmentally friendly imaging device and consumables.

Another obvious way to appease a customer’s appetite for “green products” is to promote the use of remanufactured copier/MFPs, printers and cartridges. The remanufactured printer cartridge market has been growing steadily over the years, driven by factors such as cost savings, environmental concerns and advancements in remanufacturing technologies. Remanufactured cartridges are cartridges that have been collected, cleaned, refurbished and refilled with ink or toner. They once were the only alternative to brand-new OEM cartridges.

However, new-built Chinese cartridges have infiltrated the market and overtaken a large share of the lower-end market. Many of these cartridges have recently become part of a U.S. ban because some manufacturers employ slave labor, among many other issues that they present. The Int’l ITC encourages dealers to avoid these products entirely.

Selling environmental products and employing environmental marketing is not just a good idea, it may become essential. The prevailing trend has led an increasing number of companies to set sustainable goals and make achieving them requirements in their corporate cultures.

This shift is driven by various factors, including increasing consumer demand for eco-friendly products and services, growing awareness of environmental issues, regulatory pressures and the recognition of long-term business benefits associated with sustainability. Overall, the trend of companies setting sustainable goals and making them a requirement is a positive development that contributes to both environmental well-being and business success. n

Tricia Judge, an attorney, has served as the executive director of the International Imaging Technology Council for the past 23 years. She can be reached at tricia@i-itc.org. Visit https://i-itc.org.

... Companies setting sustainable goals and making them a requirement is a positive development that contributes to both environmental well-being and business succcess.

Q&A: Brian Suerth

TAG president addresses managed IT opportunity

Compiled by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine

Recently, Office Technology magazine interviewed Brian Suerth, president of Technology Assurance Group (TAG), an organization of managed technology services providers (MTSPs). TAG joined BTA around five years ago with the goal of helping dealers achieve optimal success in pursuit of today’s managed IT services opportunity.

Suerth is responsible for directing TAG’s executive team in the company’s focus on providing advice, support and counsel within the technology arena. He also directs the expansion of TAG’s membership and strategic partnerships. In addition, Suerth is a partner at i-NETT, TAG’s MTSP, based in San Diego, California. Collectively, TAG’s members do $800 million per year in IT, cybersecurity, telecommunications, video surveillance/ access control, copier/MFPs and managed print. They are located in 148 cities across the United States and Canada, and are presently serving more than 780,000 SMBs.

Following are the questions asked of Suerth and his responses.

OT: Tell us about Technology Assurance Group (TAG) in terms of how it helps traditional BTA office technology dealers effectively pursue, in particular, the managed IT services opportunity?

Suerth: We help two groups within the BTA Channel. There are BTA members that are currently selling and offering managed IT services or break/fix IT. Then there are the BTA members that are not in IT whatsoever.

We joined BTA just over five years ago. We found that the majority of BTA members selling IT services lose money at it. They are subsidizing their IT businesses with their copier businesses. We’ve been able to impact a lot of organizations within BTA by making them profitable and increasing their sales.

We also help organizations make the transition into IT if they’re not already in IT. If they are in IT, we turn their businesses around and make IT profitable relatively quickly.

We also put them on a path to increasing their sales.

For a dealership that is already in IT, we do an analysis of its existing business. We take a look at everything from its tech stack to the processes that it has to its pricing and so on. From there we make recommendations and work with the dealership to implement the right way to sell managed IT, price managed IT, market IT, deploy IT and ensure a great customer experience.

We understand the underlying economics of how to make money in IT, as well as in such areas as telephony, physical security and cybersecurity. Because we run our own managed IT services provider in Southern California, we have experience across the board. So, we help BTA members that are not in IT get into it without making the same mistakes as MSPs or their BTA member peers.

We begin with the tech stack. What are they going to sell that protects their customers while at the same time increases their customers’ profitability and gives them a competitive advantage through technology? We make sure the tech stack is the best thing for the end user, while also being the best thing for the dealership, making it the most profitable stack with the right solutions within that stack.

From there we teach the dealer how to price managed IT correctly. That’s one of the biggest mistakes dealers make; why so many fail in IT. The lowest pricing we’ve seen in IT has come from office technology dealerships. So, we make sure they are charging the right prices.

Then, we follow up with a multistep sales process to ensure they close 85% of the time. Plus, we offer marketing so that it looks like the dealership has been selling IT since the inception of the organization. So, we have marketing processes and campaigns for them.

We work closely with dealers to ensure they have the right salespeople to sell IT and the right technical team members to deploy IT. We mentor dealers through TAG’s proven IT

sales process, as well as our operational processes, so they can onboard new IT accounts successfully and deliver a great customer experience. From there, we accelerate their sales and profitability, and continue to work hand in hand with them in deploying IT in order to drive their technician productivity. In addition to all those things, we have resources for their managed IT agreements, E&O [errors & omissions] and cybersecurity insurances they need, etc.

OT: What are the primary challenges that dealers face when pursuing managed IT on their own that TAG can help them address?

Suerth: First and foremost, what we’ve seen among BTA dealers is what they essentially do is hire “IT guys” to help them build their managed services. Those individuals are not business-savvy or business-centric, but, rather, are technology-centric. So, many dealers start off out of the gate with the wrong individuals leading the charge. From there, we’ve seen dealerships with the wrong salespeople selling IT, combined with the wrong compensation plans. Many BTA dealers have tried to use the same compensation plans used with copier reps and it just doesn’t work.

So, they have the wrong salespeople, the wrong comp plans and the wrong technology stacks. They don’t know how to bundle their professional services with the right technologies. In many cases, they have holes within their stacks; a lot of that has to do with cybersecurity. So, they don’t have the right, well-rounded offerings to bring to their customers. We help them with that.

As I mentioned — and it’s a huge issue in the industry itself — most BTA dealers selling IT don’t know how to price their solutions or get what they should for their solutions. In addition, they have the wrong appointment setting and sales processes. They’re not leveraging a “proven” sales process with the right steps and the right information gathering to build a successful IT business. They have too many technicians. They aren’t tracking the labor hours of their technicians properly.

These are just some of the inherent challenges BTA dealers have in growing their IT businesses and doing it profitably. We help them in all of these areas.

OT: TAG promotes that it can help its members achieve 37% EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization). How does that compare to what dealerships may have experienced to date? Have many of your partners, in fact, achieved 37% EBITDA? How long does that

journey usually take for one of your partners?

Suerth: One of the core strengths that TAG has is our insight into the industry and the underlying economic drivers. We’ve had the privilege of analyzing more than $8 billion of financials in this industry over the last 25 years. This year alone, TAG members’ combined products and services will be $1 billion in sales.

The industry average for IT profitability is five to seven points EBITDA after the owner’s salary. It’s even worse for BTA dealers because the majority of them lose money at it. Our objective is to take a company that’s either losing money or doing five to seven points EBITDA to 10 to 15 points, and then to 20, because 20 is extraordinary; if the EBITDA is in the 30s, it’s phenomenal. It’s hitting a grand slam. Our top performers are well into the 30s.

In terms of the length of time to get to the 20s from five to seven points, it takes about two to three years. Everything that we do is based on bringing a member into the 20s. In order to get to the 30s, that’s a minimum of a three- to fiveyear process. The only way to achieve the 30s is to have your monthly nut for your business covered through recurring revenue. We call that “nirvana.” So, nirvana is when your monthly costs are covered through your recurring revenue. That’s our goal for every TAG member.

OT: What are the characteristics of the office technology dealership that is best suited for managed IT services? What size does the dealership need to be for managed IT to make sense?

Suerth: IT makes sense for every BTA dealership — big and small. If your dealership is smaller, a $2-million to $3-million company, that’s just fine. You’re not too small. We can help you get into the business easily. The first step is hiring a Level 2 technician and then we work with a salesperson and go through the process — all the things I mentioned earlier.

If you prefer the acquisition path to get into IT, we can help with that, too. TAG has been providing M&A services for our members for 25 years and, most recently, for BTA dealers. We have completed successful acquisitions of traditional managed IT service providers by BTA members. We make sure it’s the best transaction for the BTA member.

If you are going to be successful in managed IT, ownership needs to be committed and involved. That’s the key. And it doesn’t matter if you are a $5-million copier company or a $25-million copier company; ownership has to be committed and involved. When owners have no idea what’s going on in their IT businesses, that’s a recipe for disaster.

In addition, they have to be open to listening to an

If you are going to be successful in managed IT, ownership needs to be committed and involved ... When owners have no idea what’s going on ... that’s a recipe for disaster.

organization like TAG. Plus, they have to have a strong sales focus, a strong operational presence and a strong technical staff. We can help them hire and mentor. With that Level 2 technician on board, they can grow into the business with our help. They don’t have to hire very expensive IT directors to start off. TAG incorporates the business mindset and the guidance for dealership owners as we help grow their IT businesses.

OT: Tell us about TAG’s strategic vendor partners and the co-op purchasing opportunities they provide for your dealer members?

Suerth: We call it cooperative purchasing. We’ve offered this for 25 years. Suppliers to the industry want to partner with TAG and offer their products and services through our channel. We’re very particular in selecting our partners. It goes back to the underlying economics of the industry, where we’ve analyzed $8 billion of financials. That gives us an advantage in how to package and sell solutions the right way to the end user.

For example, it could be something as simple as a firewall. How do you create a package for the firewall that’s great for the end user, but that’s extraordinarily profitable for the BTA member or the TAG member bringing that solution? We know how to package solutions surrounded by professional services to maximize profitability.

With that insight, we have established partnerships with suppliers in the industry. Some of them are technology manufacturers or software application providers, while others provide professional services. A lot of these relationships go back 20 years. They give TAG members what’s called the “TAG advantage.” So, greater rebates, discounts, commissions or special advantages, such as free training.

OT: What is your message to dealers who are apprehensive about pursuing IT services?

Suerth: I think somebody’s got to get the message out there to stop listening to your peers. The reason for that is, again, if the majority of your peers are losing money in IT, stop listening to them; they’re losing money. Again, the industry average is only five to seven points EBITDA.

For the past 20 years, TAG has had significant experience transitioning organizations into successful managed IT services providers — selling IT for the right price, deploying IT in the right fashion, having productive and efficient operational departments, and having a sales process that is designed to get an 85% close. Stop being afraid of IT.

Part of the reason dealers need to stop listening to their peers is that their peers have hired IT guys to run their IT

businesses. IT guys have never made more than five to seven points. So why would you do that?

OT: How might managed IT continue to evolve in the years ahead?

Suerth: I would say the change is already occurring and it’s going to intensify even more. That change has to do with AI, which is revolutionizing the IT industry right now. Most companies are not taking advantage of AI. At TAG, our mission is to essentially look into the future and see what new and emerging technology we should be adopting and deploying. We’ve been bringing AI-embedded solutions to our members over the last several years. Now, AI is truly reshaping the IT space, and whatever is impacting the IT industry is impacting BTA members. What the IT industry looks like today will be extraordinarily different in a year, two years or three years from now.

OT: How is AI being used in IT to increase profitability?

Suerth: We recently launched a new AI knowledge management solution. Our strategic partner is a company called CrushBank. This AI solution impacts office technology dealers’ copier service technicians just as much as their IT technicians, because AI is bringing information in a knowledge management database to all of their technicians more quickly. At TAG, information is being shared with all our members. So, let’s just say that somebody — a technician at XYZ Company in the Northeast — is working on a Sharp product issue. The information the tech needs has already been put into this knowledge management system by a dealer on the West Coast to help the tech solve that problem even more quickly. Best of all, TAG members receive CrushBank’s best pricing.

CrushBank enables dealers to reduce technician head count. So, you can either eliminate technicians today or just not backfill their positions once those technicians leave the company. That’s the perfect example of how AI is increasing the top line while decreasing operational costs. AI has already brought — and will bring at a faster rate — solutions and services to office technology dealers and traditional MSPs so everyone can service, protect and elevate their customers’ businesses. The end result is a greater customer experience and customer satisfaction, and happier employees because they have more information at their fingertips more quickly than ever before to resolve issues. 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.

... Stop listening to your peers ... If the majority of your peers are losing money in IT, stop listening to them; they’re losing money.

Navigating a New Landscape

I look forward to working with BTA & its members

by: Greg Goldberg, incoming BTA General Counsel

To say that I have big shoes to fill as I transition into the role of general counsel for the Business Technology Association (BTA) is probably an insult to shoes ... and feet. BTA members know that Bob Goldberg is a giant in the office technology industry — in fact, he has written in this space, without fail, for the last 46 years. So it should come as no surprise that I jumped at the chance to learn from him, and to take on this enormous honor and responsibility. Over this next transition year — and for many more to come — I look forward to getting to know BTA and its members, and to providing the same level of judgment, expertise and advocacy that Bob has delivered for nearly five decades.

My own legal experience is extensive. For nearly 20 years, my law practice has focused primarily on litigation matters. I have appeared in courtrooms across the United States, from Pennsylvania to Wyoming, and many places in between, including both federal and state courts, as well as private arbitrations and mediations. I have represented entities large and small, from top Fortune 500 companies, to small businesses, not-for-profit organizations and individuals. Broadly speaking, although litigation is an important tool for adjudicating legal controversies, I strongly believe in resolving claims fairly, equitably and efficiently whenever possible. Over the years, clients have consistently described me as thoughtful, strategic and reliable. I have a meticulous attention to detail and a deft hand at negotiation.

After spending the last 17 years based in Chicago, Illinois, I recently relocated to Los Angeles, California, where I am getting married this fall. In February, I passed the California bar examination and I recently joined a small law firm, Barta Tate, as a partner — soon to be rebranded as Barta Goldberg in the coming months.

Previously, I worked as litigation services counsel at the flagship office of Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, a leading global law firm based in Chicago, providing key legal advice to other attorneys regarding all aspects of litigation and courtroom procedure. Prior to my time at Katten, I was a partner at Stamos & Trucco LLP, a medium-sized Chicago-based law firm, where our practice concentrated on commercial litigation and professional liability defense. Chances are, if you have a litigation-related question, I can answer it. I am currently licensed to practice law in California, Illinois and Missouri, and I will be seeking admission to practice in New York soon.

Growing up around Bob has not only helped me to prepare for a promising legal career, but it has also taught me invaluable

lessons about hard work, dedication and client service. Some of my early memories include tagging along to BTA (back then, the National Office Machine Dealers Association [NOMDA]) events, riding the roller coasters at Worlds of Fun and whitewater rafting down the Rogue River. I have seen firsthand as Bob has crisscrossed the country (and sometimes the world) in service of this great organization and its members. I have also seen how much Bob treasures the relationships he has forged through BTA, and how much he has expanded the general counsel function beyond strictly legal affairs. Though I can never truly replace him, I could not have asked for a better mentor or role model.

Looking ahead, I am thrilled to take on new legal challenges and opportunities for BTA and its members. Over the last three-and-a-half years, it is safe to say the traditional notion of the “office” has changed dramatically. For some, the differences are subtle. For others, going into “work” now means a desk in a spare room or a laptop on the sofa. These paradigmshifting changes have brought about both intended and unintended consequences that will shape the future of office technology and define a new era of legal jurisprudence.

Navigating this landscape will require resilience, creativity and adaptability. I look forward to working through these issues with BTA and its members, and to becoming a prominent voice in a new generation of industry leaders. Moving forward together, we will honor Bob’s storied legacy and continue boldly down the path he has been carving his entire career. n

Greg Goldberg, partner at Barta Tate, is incoming general counsel for the Business Technology Association. He can be reached at ggoldberg@bartatate.com or (310) 479-1454.

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

Dealer Members

Copy King Office Solutions Inc., St. Charles, IL

Dowling Douglas Co., Jacksonville, FL

Northern Business Machines Inc., Burlington, MA

Supreme Office Technology, North Haven, CT

Consultant Member

Quantum Business Solutions, Sioux Falls, SD

Publishing Associate Member

The End Of The Day With Ray!, Peoria, IL

Vendor Members

Fujifilm Business Innovations International Operations Corp., Hanover Park, IL

PaperCut Software, Camberwell, Victoria, Australia

For full contact information of these new members, visit www.bta.org.

GreatAmerica PathShare HR Services

Exceptional customer service is no coincidence. Every role within your organization impacts the overall experience you create for your customers, helping or hindering your ability to retain their business. Maintaining exceptional customer service requires a strategic and purposeful approach, and PathShare HR Services can help with this exclusive offer.

BTA members qualify for a FREE Customer Service Training consultation, in addition to a 10% discount on an on-site session. For more information, visit www.bta.org/PathShare.

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

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

Are you offering the office of the future? Become a Digitech Systems reseller, dealer or referral partner to increase your revenue by selling solutions rather than just products. By offering the company’s full information management suite, you can help organizations more effectively and securely store, manage and retrieve digitized documents using PaperVision Enterprise, PaperVision.com or ImageSilo. Additional products support virtually any capture or automation need with workflow, RPA and AI-enabled forms processing that extracts data from documents as they are being scanned.

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Around the world, people continue to wrestle with printing costs and complexity — and PaperCut is solving both one workplace at a time. Since 1998, PaperCut has helped more than 115 million users in 195 countries save more than 1 billion pages of paper. Its print management software inspires earth- and dollar-saving behavior by giving you powerful visibility and control over who prints what (and how much). Today, thanks to PaperCut, businesses of all shapes and sizes enjoy unbeatable control, security and savings in their printing.

www.papercut.com

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

For more information, visit www.bta.org.

Shipping Services

Members

on additional services.

Shipping Insurance

One of the biggest frustrations with shipping is when a shipment gets damaged or doesn’t arrive at all. You have access to Flexible Parcel Insurance for your UPS® shipments. It’s real insurance and not standard carrier liability.

Freight

IT Services

How are profit margins & your vendor partners?

Compiled by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine

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

Based on results reported by other dealers, the profit margin for IT service is mostly negative to single-digit profit. Is that changing? Are you happy with your current IT services vendor partners?

“It is getting better. The real problem is that the model allocates [IT] admin expense equal to imaging [admin expense] based on revenue and this has always been a subject that has some inaccuracy. It takes more admin time to bill and collect 300,000 clicks worth $3,600 per month than it does to bill and collect two IT services agreements for $1,800 per month each.”

Chap Breard, president MOEbiz, Monroe,

Louisiana

“This profit margin (negative or single digit) may be reported for traditional copier/MFP dealers, but I can assure you best-in-class MSPs have double-digit profit margins. Modern Office Method’s (MOM’s) OptimizedIT MSP continually provides double-digit financial returns.”

Ken Staubitz, COO Modern Office Methods, Cincinnati, Ohio

“Our profits in IT are considerably better than that, but that is only due to the fact that more than 22 years ago we purchased our first IT company and invested in our own internal NOC and all the software needed to run it. We rely very little on any other company other than ourselves.”

Rick Salcedo, president and CEO

KDI Office Technology, Aston, Pennsylvania

“Yes. We were not charging enough like most office technology dealers.”

Chip Miceli, CEO Pulse Technology,

Schaumburg, Illinois

“This has been a big investment for us the first two years but is now part of our long-term strategy and represents 25% of our revenues.”

Tony Sanchez, principal C3 Tech, Santa Ana, California

“Our margins were very small to nothing until we eclipsed $60,000 to $70,000 in monthly contract revenue. We are now at more than $110,000 a month in recurring [revenue], around 10% margin and growing.”

Chad Schwartz, president/founder

Imagine Technology Group, Chandler, Arizona

“We are new to managed services but are already profitable with the limited expenses we have right now. When we start growing at a large clip, that is when we will feel the pressure of hiring additional manpower.”

Mick Dean, president

SaraMana Business Products, Sarasota, Florida

“We are new to the space, but with the help of Chris Ryne we have positioned our program under the direction of GAP [Growth Achievement Partners] — double-digit profit margins to date.”

Mitchell Mawby, vice president of sales

Professional Business Systems Inc., Rogers, Arkansas

“I believe the best approach to IT services is to outsource it with a fixed margin.”

Todd Deluca, owner

Boston Business Technology, Plymouth, Massachusetts

“We booted managed IT after one year. It’s not our core [business], is time consuming and a profit drain.”

Evan Said, director of sales

Coastal Business Systems Inc., Eureka, California

Do you have a question for your fellow dealers? If so, email it to brent@bta.org with the subject line: “Dealers Helping Dealers.” BTA will then share your question with the full dealer membership with a request for guidance from your fellow dealers. n

Brent Hoskins, executive director of the Business Technology Association, is editor of Office Technology magazine. He can be reached at brent@bta.org or (816) 303-4040.

The Health-Care Vertical Capture net-new business & revamp patient experience

by: Rich Piper, Channel DevTek

Everyone has a personal health-care story. Embrace the power of your personal health-care story and share it confidently with your customers. Reflect on a health event that you or a loved one experienced and delve into the challenges you faced during your care journey.

Among these challenges, three common themes emerge. They’re all centered around the coordination of actions across multiple care settings. You undoubtedly had to repeatedly fill out the same medical information at each location, faced delays in receiving necessary care due to information-sharing issues and endured the fatigue of navigating multiple portals for access to each care setting.

Now, consider the intricate details of your story: The timelines, actions taken, frustrating delays, and the potential risks to privacy and accuracy. Envision a world where your health information seamlessly flows, ensuring accuracy and security at every step.

Today, office technology offers significant enhancements to address these challenges and it’s your offerings that pave the way for improvement. When engaging with health-care customers, confidently share your story and establish a strong foundation for your relationship. Transition smoothly into a conversation about how your products are at the forefront of progress, overcoming obstacles and empowering patients like your customers — the ultimate beneficiaries of these advancements.

By embracing the strength of your personal health-care story and aligning it with your offerings, you can lead the way in transforming health-care coordination and revolutionizing patient experiences. Your customers will appreciate your authoritative approach and dedication to improving the health-care landscape. Keep in mind that the health-care vertical market is like no other. While print volume is declining overall, it’s steady and even growing in health care. This is an opportunity for office technology dealers to leverage their current infrastructures and capture incremental growth.

Dispel the Myths About Health Care

It’s time to dispel the misconceptions that have deterred many office technology dealerships from competing effectively in this market. It’s unfortunate that these misconceptions persist when, in reality, you possess a distinct advantage that positions you for success.

One prevalent myth is the notion that health care solely

revolves around hospitals. Another myth suggests that having a few existing healthcare customers is sufficient reason for other health-care customers to choose your services. There is also the misconception that pursuing a verticalized approach in the health-care market requires excessive expenses. Furthermore, it is often believed that competing for health-care business is financially burdensome, with slim profit margins.

Let me clarify that I am not denying the partial truth behind these statements. It’s a matter of shifting your perspective and adopting a proven, profitable growth strategy to capture new business in the health-care sector.

To initiate this paradigm shift, divide the health-care industry into three primary categories: (1) acute (hospital); (2) ambulatory (outpatient, e.g., doctor’s office, specialist care and urgent care); (3) post-acute and extended care (e.g., skilled nursing facility, senior living, assisted living and memory care).

In any given geographical area, the post-acute and extended-care segment often presents a selling opportunity that is 500 times larger than all acute settings combined. This segment represents the path of least resistance, providing a gateway to secure net-new customers and establish a customer foundation that sets the stage for expanding your market share. Once you’ve gained net-new customers, leverage this strong base to gain a competitive edge in winning enterprise business, such as hospitals. In fact, it has been proven that this approach yields higher revenue and profit.

The beauty of this strategy lies in the fact that it requires no significant changes to your SG&A (selling, general and administrative) framework, reporting structure, coverage model or head count. Your sales force is already knocking on the doors of these potential customers. It’s simply a matter of knowing where to go and what to say.

By debunking these myths and adopting a confident, targeted approach, you can position your office technology dealership as a force to be reckoned with in the health-care industry.

What’s Happening in Health Care Today?

Embrace the undeniable confidence and authority surrounding the pressure exerted by legislative acts and programs to drive technology adoption and promote interoperability. The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health

(HITECH) Act and its meaningful use, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) and its Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and, more recently, the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) Act and its Qualified Health Information Network (QHIN), are all catalysts in this transformative journey.

Let’s debunk the misconception that interoperability is a burdensome and costly endeavor. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Unfortunately, some technology providers selfishly misrepresent interoperability in health care, hindering its adoption, creating confusion and negatively impacting everyone involved: taxpayers, care professionals, technology companies and, most importantly, the patients.

There is an undeniable desire for digital transformation within the health-care industry. Your role in fulfilling this desire is evident through the delivery of verticalized and branded offerings purposefully engineered for health-care workflows. These solutions empower customers to securely, efficiently,

accurately and predictably exchange patient information. However, it’s crucial to recognize that it’s not solely about obtaining technology — it’s about consuming technology. Health-care organizations must be connected to effectively utilize the technology at hand. By partnering with you, they gain the vital connectivity required. Through its utilization, they experience reduced time, decreased costs and mitigated risks. Again, it is the patient who emerges triumphant.

Connecting the Community of Care

Through the accomplishment of crosswalking data elements for business intelligence, a world of net-new targets unfolds before you, grounded in patient-care patterns. This strategic process unveils the care partners collaborating with your customers to coordinate patient care. It all begins with harnessing your proprietary data on existing health-care customers and identifying the care organizations they engage with, facilitating patient information exchange.

Craft compelling customer-facing profiles that vividly depict the intricate challenges your customers encounter in managing patient logistics. Expose the multitude of care providers they collaborate with and the diverse technical exchange capabilities these entities possess. By opting to acquire your health-care workflow offerings, customers effortlessly gain access to the secure, accurate and interoperable exchange capabilities they urgently require.

With each triumph, accelerate your momentum by fashioning a geofenced, customer-facing logo slide, asserting your prowess and industry leadership. The next pinnacle of success lies in cultivating the seamless exchange of patient information among your valued current customers — a simple endeavor I aptly term “Connecting the Community of Care.”

Exude unwavering confidence as you navigate this transformative journey, revolutionizing the health-care landscape. Your strategic insights and cutting-edge solutions empower customers to break free from the constraints of fragmented information exchange, leading to enhanced patient outcomes and a revolutionized care ecosystem. n

Rich Piper leads Channel DevTek, a consulting company.

His career path has included positions at: Kno2 LLC, Quintiq, Ricoh USA, FMAudit, IKON Office Solutions, EFI and Canon.

Piper is recognized for his ability to deliver innovative solutions and effective go-to-market strategies.

His experience demonstrates a consistent record of success, particularly through expanding revenue streams and propelling companies to become leaders in the market.

Piper can be reached at (602) 684-5873 or rich.piper@cox.net.

Your strategic insights ... empower customers to break free from the constraints of fragmented information exchange, leading to enhanced patient outcomes ...

The Top Four Trends

Collectively, they will drive sales into the future

by: Troy Harrison, Troy Harrison & Associates

The sales profession is at a turning point. I’ve been saying for years that sales is changing more quickly than ever before, so pardon me if I sound repetitive, but sales is changing more quickly than ever before. In fact, it’s changing more quickly than it was last year or the year before. The reasons are technological, generational and even cultural. Essentially, there are four big trends that will drive sales into the future. I plan to be on the forefront of these trends, which means that if you are reading this article, you will be, too. Here they are:

AI: Transforming the Sales Landscape

Artificial intelligence (AI) will be a game-changer in the sales industry. AI-powered tools will allow you to streamline processes, enhance efficiency and do a far better job of communicating with your customers with a lower time investment. Don’t get me wrong — AI is not magic. It is not a cure-all. It is a tool. It is the most robust tool ever developed for improving sales communication, but it is still a tool and, as such, it is useless without people utilizing it properly. If it is used properly, the capabilities it can give you are things I couldn’t have even imagined a couple of years ago.

Younger Buyers: A Shift in Sales Dynamics

The rise of the digital generation has given birth to a new breed of buyers — younger, tech-savvy individuals who have grown up in a connected world. These buyers expect personalized experiences, instant access to information and seamless digital interactions. To succeed in this new era, salespeople must understand and adapt to the needs and preferences of younger buyers. This requires proficiently incorporating technology, embracing social selling and modifying your current ways of customer approach.

One refrain I hear about younger buyers is this: “Younger buyers don’t want to see salespeople.” Not true. They will see salespeople, but when they do, they expect more per-minute value for their time. They expect you to be on your game, informed and ready to help them do business. And if you aren’t, you probably won’t get a second shot. I actually empathize with this; as anyone who has ever sold to me can attest, these have been my habits. Maybe everyone else is catching up to me.

Younger Salespeople: Embracing Fresh Perspectives

Just as younger buyers are shaping the sales landscape, younger salespeople are bringing fresh perspectives and approaches to the profession. These digital natives possess an innate understanding of technology and are quick to adapt to new tools and platforms. Their agility, creativity and willingness to embrace change can help revolutionize the sales process.

However, you must invest in training and mentoring these younger salespeople, harnessing their energy and innovation. And you have to be flexible in how you convey that knowledge. In fact, if you do it right, you can cross-pollinate the tech-savviness of your younger salespeople with the wisdom and experience of seasoned veterans and make everyone better. Are there challenges? Absolutely! Sales managers need to up their games in the same way salespeople do. If you do, big wins await you.

Empowered Buyers: The Shift in Power

Here’s the one I’ve been talking about for the past few years. In the past, salespeople held the reins, guiding buyers through the purchasing journey. However, the tech and information revolution has flipped this dynamic. Today, your buyers have access to an abundance of information at their fingertips. They conduct extensive research, read reviews and seek recommendations from peers before engaging with a salesperson.

In fact, studies show that today’s buyer has completed 57% of his (or her) buying process before ever seeing a salesperson. Sales professionals must acknowledge this shift in power and adapt accordingly. You are no longer the star of the show — the customer is. And your “sales process” is worthless. What matters now is the buyer’s journey and your ability to help the customer navigate his journey.

You Must Embrace the Trends

Spoiler alert: If you want to succeed, you must embrace these four trends. When people converse with me at conferences about these four issues, they mainly complain:

n “That gosh-darned AI stuff is gonna replace us!”

n “Dang kids don’t even want to talk to salespeople!”

n “Young salespeople just won’t go make sales calls!”

n “My customers want to call all the shots!”

Look, you can get on board, move forward and succeed, or you can be the old guy yelling, “Get off my lawn!” As I noted before, each one of these four trends presents opportunities and challenges. How you handle the challenges will dictate whether you can capitalize on the opportunities.

...

This also doesn’t mean that every sales skill you have learned is worthless. Unless it’s one of those techniques that depends on manipulating uninformed customers, it probably has a place in your repertoire going forward. It just needs to be augmented with new skills and capabilities, refined to speak to new buyer preferences and, perhaps, rechanneled a bit. Here are some bullet points to think about:

n To succeed with AI, you need to start learning about it, get proficient with it, and use it to generate content and communications. Meanwhile, you need to be training your salespeople to be better at the human-centered skills in selling that AI can’t do (yet).

n Younger buyers want more per-minute value for their

time, but they have great attention spans for a good story. How good are your people at storytelling?

n Younger people are not loyal to companies anymore. The 40-year career, the gold watch and the pension are gone — and they know it. They are, however, loyal to people. How good are you at building relationships with your salespeople?

n To navigate the buyer’s journey, you must first understand it. Do you?

As I look forward, the future is bright for great salespeople and great sales leaders. In future articles, I’ll be helping you navigate the path forward. n

Troy Harrison is the author of “Sell Like You Mean It!” and “The Pocket Sales Manager,” and is a speaker, consultant and sales navigator. He helps companies build more profitable and productive sales forces. To schedule a free 45-minute Sales Strategy Review, call (913) 645-3603 or email troy@troyharrison.com. Visit www.troyharrison.com.

ADVERTISER INDEX

5 • Epson https://epson.com/business-inkjet-printers

2 • Fall Colors Retreat (800) 843-5059 / www.bta.org/BTAAsheville

32 • GreatAmerica Financial Services www.greatamerica.com/1nvoice

19 • In Time Tec www.intimetec.com

13 • Konica Minolta www.rethinkwork.com

31 • ProFinance 3.0 (800) 843-5059 / www.bta.org/ProFinance

17 • Technology Assurance Group (858) 946-2112 / www.tagnational.com

9 • Toshiba https://business.toshiba.com

25 • UPS (800) 636-2377 / https://1800members.com/bta

3 • Xerox www.xerox.com

• ENX Magazine

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

11 • PaperCut www.papercut.com

Each one of these four trends presents opportunities ... How you handle the challenges will dictate whether you can capitalize on the opportunities.