april 2012 office technology

01OT0412.indd 1 3/29/12 1:29 PM

BTAMA12Spread.indd 1 3/30/12 2:46 PM

BTAMA12Spread.indd 2 3/30/12 12:19 PM

A Brie� ng: LexmarkManufacturer hosts media day Feb. 28by Brent HoskinsOffi ce Technology MagazineExecutives at Lexmark International Inc. met with industry analysts and editors on Feb. 28 at the com-pany’s Lexington, Ky., headquarters.

Volume 18 • No. 10

F E A T U R E A R T I C L E S

10Vertical MarketsA growing area of focus for manufacturers & dealersby Brent HoskinsOffi ce Technology MagazineDealers concerned about declining margins or losing customers may want to develop a vertical market selling strategy.

16

D E PA R T M E N T S

24 Business Technology Association• BTA Highlights

Executive Director’s Page

BTA President’s Message

Advertiser Index

6

8

38

4 | w w w. o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g. c o m | A p r i l 2 0 1 2

CONTENTS

20� e Case for Social MediaLooking to connect with new customers, right?by Corey SmithDealer Marketing SystemsYou may have contemplated adding social media to your marketing e� orts. Is there value in running social media campaigns?

MPS: � e Right PathYour approach, model & partners are keyby Jennie FisherGreatAmerica Leasing Corp.When it comes to implementing MPS, dealerships are � nding opportunity in moving � rst to a “service-and-supply-only” model.

S E L L I N G S O L U T I O N S

37Selling With StyleRemember, all customersare not alikeby Larry BreedPrecision Hiring & DevelopmentA salesperson who understands basic behavioral (buying) styles, and learns to use this knowledge in his (or her) sales calls will close more sales.

P R I N C I PA L I S S U E S

C O U R T S & C A P I T O L S

22Social Media AttacksYou must respondin the proper wayby Robert C. GoldbergBTA General CounselCustomers have a new weapon to use when they do not like something about your company — posting nega-tive comments on social media sites.

28Sales Compensation PlansFocus on rewarding a job well doneby Luis GonzalezSalesScoreKeeper LLCWhen creating a compensation plan, it is important to review exactly what you would like it to do for your company and your sales professionals.

32FutureVision 2012Growth AchievementPartners hosts dealer eventby Brent HoskinsOffi ce Technology MagazineGrowth Achievement Partners hosted its invitation-only FutureVision 2012 event on March 1 in Kansas City, Mo. � irty-� ve owners and managers attended.

34Leadership StylesPulling employees to higher performance levelsby David M. FellmanDavid Fellman & AssociatesReal leadership in business is the act of pulling your employees forward to a desired level of perfor-mance. � e most important word here is “pulling.”

P R I N C I PA L I S S U E S

26

04OT0412.indd 1 3/30/12 3:00 PM

ww

w.do

cuw

are.

com

Maximize margins and hardware pull-through Generate professional services and a recurring revenue stream Extend the customer relationship beyond the life of the lease

How? Enter the profi table world of selling document management solutions.

Learn how to build your own successful professional services team Benefit from one-of-a-kind proven training and go-to-market programs Outstanding certification program and technical support Onsite sales representatives working with your sales team

Contact us today at (888) 565-5907 or [email protected]

and start realizing the benefits of a lasting Partnership.

Put More Green in Your Bottom Line

DocuWare ad Mar 12.indd 1 2/14/12 1:10 PM


EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S PAGE Executive Director/BTAEditor/Offi ce Technology

Brent [email protected]

(816) 303-4040

Associate EditorElizabeth Marvel

[email protected](816) 303-4060

Contributing WritersLarry Breed, Precision Hiring & Development

www.precisionhiring.com

David M. Fellman, David Fellman & Associateswww.davefellman.com

Jennie Fisher, GreatAmerica Leasing Corp.www.greatamerica.com

Robert C. Goldberg, General Counsel Business Technology Association

Luis Gonzalez, SalesScoreKeeper LLCwww.salesscorekeeper.com

Corey Smith, Dealer Marketing Systemswww.dealermarketingsystems.com

Business Technology Association12411 Wornall Road

Kansas City, MO 64145(816) 941-3100

www.bta.org

Member Services: (800) 505-2821BTA Legal Hotline: (800) 869-6688

Valerie BrisenoMembership & Marketing Manager

[email protected]

Mary HopkinsDatabase Administrator

[email protected]

Teresa LeerarBookkeeper

[email protected]

Brian SmithMembership Sales Representative

[email protected]

Photo Credits: Comstock Images, Hemera Technology, Photo-disc, Stockbyte. Cover created by Bruce Quade, Brand X Studio. ©2012 by the Business Technology Association. All Rights Re-served. 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.

Marketplace OffersBTA Member Specials

While BTA is — and will always be — a

dealer-driven, dealer-fo-cused organization, there are a number of hard-ware, software and sup-plies providers that are also members of the asso-ciation. As members, they have demonstrat-ed their support of the dealer channel and many have supported BTA through district event sponsorships, advertising, etc. � eir commitment to BTA is greatly appreciated.

Several years ago, seeking a means to connect our dealer members with these sup-portive vendor members, we launched the BTA Marketplace (www.bta.org/BTAMar-ketplace). Have you looked at this member bene� t? � ere you will � nd a list of partici-pating vendors, each o� ering a BTA dealer member discount or value-added o� ering.

Below is a sampling of the special o� ers from several of the current vendor partici-pants. If any are of interest to you, visit the BTA Marketplace online. � e process is simple. Click on the vendor listing, which leads to the contact information and nec-essary discount code. You will need your username and password to access the code. CAPSYS, providers of a Web-based

capture solution, allows member dealers to receive a 100 percent margin on the � rst 60 days of a 36-month SaaS sale, if they sign up by June 30, 2012. Color Imaging, a manufacturer of

OEM and aftermarket copier and printer toners, o� ers new member dealers and those who have not ordered in the last 12 months an iPod Shu� e with their � rst or-der totaling $200 or more. DocuWare, a document management

software company, will waive the annual Partner Support Fee for the � rst year when

a member dealer signs up as an Authorized DocuWare Partner. ESP Energy Intelligence, a manufac-

turer of power protection technology, o� ers member dealers preferential pricing on ESP’s full range of power protection products. Image Star, a wholesaler of IT consum-

ables, o� ers member dealers the opportu-nity to create a custom website through Im-age Star at no charge for the � rst six months. InkCycle, specializing in aftermarket

inkjet and toner cartridges, o� ers member dealers who are new, current or have not ordered from InkCycle recently 20 percent o� their � rst order. With their � rst order, dealers will also be o� ered a 30-minute consultation with InkCycle’s vice presi-dent, Carl Little. With a new Miracle Service dealership

management software system, member dealers will receive one free module of their choice (valued at up to $640), plus special payment terms. Nano Paci� c, specializing in the dis-

tribution of aftermarket imaging supplies, o� ers member dealers a 10-percent dis-count on their � rst invoice, free shipping on U.S. orders of more than $300 and a $25 gift card of their choice (Amazon, Starbucks, etc.) on orders of more than $500. Square 9, a developer of business-

centric software solutions, such as its £ ag-ship product, the SmartSearch Enterprise Content Management Suite, o� ers member dealers free direct connectivity to Smart-Search through the O¤ ce Work£ ow module. (SmartSearch o� ers direct touch-panel inte-gration with the Kyocera and Sharp lines.)

To see the full list of BTA Marketplace participants and their special o� ers to BTA member dealers, visit www.bta.org/BTA-Marketplace. � is is just one more way that BTA membership pays.

— Brent Hoskins

06OT0412.indd 1 4/2/12 8:51 AM

CLIENT: TOSHIBA JOB#: TOSH_0782_C NAME: Gamechanger_Adobe Lean Print AdPUBS: SPECS: 4C

BLEED: 8.75 x 11.625 TRIM: 8.5 x 10.8125 LIVE: GUTTER: N/A

ART DIRECTOR: JONATHAN BROWNCOURTNEY BETLEYCOPYWRITER:

PRODUCTION: JULIE ESLERACCOUNT EXEC: STEPHANIE MOORESTUDIO: DAVID AGOSTON

READER 2FPO HI-RES

PRODUCTION NOTES:

APPROVED CHANGES

AE: AD: CP: PM: ST: PR:

©2012 Toshiba America Business Solutions, Inc. and Toshiba Business Solutions. All rights reserved.

This is a game-changer: Toshiba and Adobe introduce LeanPrint.It’s the greatest leap forward in printing technology in It’s the greatest leap forward in printing technology in a generation. It’s LeanPrint, and Toshiba collaborated with a generation. It’s LeanPrint, and Toshiba collaborated with Adobe to bring it to you. Much more than just shrink-to-�t, Adobe to bring it to you. Much more than just shrink-to-�t, LeanPrint reads and intelligently reformats documents, LeanPrint reads and intelligently reformats documents, optimizing toner, paper, and readability. A 12-page optimizing toner, paper, and readability. A 12-page document prints out in 4 pages with a single click.document prints out in 4 pages with a single click.

To view a demo of LeanPrint in action, visit: business.toshiba.com

before after

Toshiba ad Apr 12.indd 1 3/23/12 11:19 AM


BTA PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

2011-2012 Board of Directors

President Tom Ouellette

Budget Document Technology251 Goddard Road

Lewiston, ME [email protected]

President-Elect Terence Chapman

Business Electronics Corp.219 Oxmoor Circle

Birmingham, AL [email protected]

Vice President Todd J. Fitzsimons

Network Imaging LLC122 Spring St.

Southington, CT 06489 tjfi [email protected]

BTA East Rob Richardson

Allied Document Solutions & Services Inc.200 Church St.

Swedesboro, NJ [email protected]

BTA Mid-America Ron Hulett

U.S. Business Systems Inc.3221 Southview Drive

Elkhart, IN [email protected]

BTA Southeast Jerry Jackson

All South Copiers Inc.3610 Kennesaw N. Industrial Parkway., Ste. D

Kennesaw, GA [email protected]

BTA WestRonelle Ingram

Steven Enterprises Inc.17952 Sky Park Circle, Ste. E

Irvine, CA [email protected]

Ex-Offi cio/ImmediatePast President

Rock JanecekBurtronics Business Systems Inc.

216 S. Arrowhead Ave.San Bernardino, CA [email protected]

Ex-Offi cio/General CounselRobert C. Goldberg

Schoenberg Finkel Newman & Rosenberg LLC222 S. Riverside Plaza, Ste. 2100

Chicago, IL [email protected]

Have You VisitedBTA Online Lately?

If you are like me, then I know you have little extra time in the day.

But have you taken the time to visit BTA’s web-site, www.bta.org, lately? We have made a number of signi� cant changes in recent months, starting with the launch of a new look and platform in August 2011. I believe that after a few minutes on the site, you will � nd yourself saying: “I didn’t know BTA o� ered that.”

Today, our website is our primary means of providing information to our current and prospective dealers. Recognizing that, the BTA sta� in Kansas City, Mo., works hard to keep the site up to date. In fact, up-dates are made every week, if not daily. So, ours is not a static, outdated website col-lecting dust, so to speak. Instead, it is a dy-namic site that is designed to be a valuable industry resource for your use every day.

Since, at the moment, you are looking at BTA’s printed magazine (unless, of course, you are reading this column online), allow me to provide you a sense of some of the things you will � nd at www.bta.org. And, when you have some extra time, be sure to visit the site. (Note: In many cases, you will need your username and password to ac-cess members-only pages.) O� ce Technology (www.bta.org/

OT) — I mentioned that you could be read-ing this column online, but you could ac-tually be thumbing through the pages of a virtual copy of any issue of this magazine produced since January 2006. Verizon Wireless Discount Pro-

gram (www.bta.org/Verizon) — � ere is a very good chance that you have not seen this member bene� t. It is the latest to be added to the site. BTA District Events (www.bta.org/

DistrictEvents) — You have either been to one of BTA’s � ve annual district educa-tion/networking events or you are wanting to learn more about the lineup. � is page provides the dates and locations of the re-maining 2012 events, plus testimonials and photos from past district events. BTA Legal Services (www.bta.org/

Legal) — � is is one of the most frequently visited pages on the site, given that many would agree that legal services is at or near the top of the list of BTA’s many valuable bene� ts. While on this page, take a look at the many sample dealer agreements that are available for download. BTA Scholarships (www.bta.org/

Scholarships) — Did you know that BTA has awarded more than $1.3 million in $1,000 and $1,500 scholarships to the children of quali� ed dealer members since 1984? Visit this page for details on how to receive an ap-plication. � ere is even a downloadable PDF for display in your employee break room. BTA Education (www.bta.org/Edu-

cation) — Here you will � nd the details of BTA’s many education workshops, includ-ing dates and locations, and other third-party training programs. Plus, you will � nd registration information for BTA’s monthly Building My Business Webinar Series. BTA Ask the Analyst (www.bta.org/

Ask� eAnalyst) — Have you ever found yourself looking for some industry data to help with a sales presentation? If so, this member bene� t will likely be of help. � rough our relationship with the market research � rm InfoTrends, you can ask ques-tions directly of leading industry analysts.

� is list represents only a small portion of what you will � nd on the BTA website, but you get the idea. Save www.bta.org as a favorite in your browser and visit often to see how BTA can help you.

— Tom Ouellette

08OT0412.indd 1 3/30/12 3:41 PM

Expect More OPPORTUNITY

© 2012 Oki Data Americas, Inc. OKI, Reg. T.M., Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd., Reg. T.M., Total Managed Print, Reg. T.M., Oki Data Corporation.Agiliant, the Agiliant logo, Agiliant Affi liate Network, the Agiliant Affi liate Network logo, MITOS and visibilIT vitalIT manageabilIT for business are trademarks of Agiliant, Inc.

Protect existing business and gain new business with the fi rst combined MNS/MPS offering

OKI and Agiliant have joined forces to revolutionize the way dealers do business. This partnership brings Managed Network Services (MNS) and Managed Print Services (MPS) together, allowing you the opportunity to optimize the management of a client’s entire IT infrastructure—and ultimately own their total business.

It’s no longer about one or the other. Bringing these two disciplines together means you can protect your existing hardware business while generating new revenue streams through MNS. And you can do it with the backing of Agiliant’s MITOS™ (Managed Information Technology & Output Services) offering combined with OKI’s turnkey Total Managed Print™ solution.

This comprehensive suite of services will allow you to:

• Become the single source for your customers’ technology needs• Shorten your sales cycles• Lock in customers with multi-year contracts

• Generate recurring revenue

Join the Agiliant Affi liate Network™ today! Visit www.agiliant.com/revolution or call 425-250-7214.

OFF

ICE

TECH

NO

LOG

Y - J

AN 2

012

- DO

MU

S, IN

C. 2

15-7

72-2

800

Announcing a partnership that will forever change the dealer business model

OKIE-9737-11 AgiliantPartnerAd OTech.indd 1 12/16/11 3:59 PMOKI ad Jan 12.indd 1 12/16/11 3:30 PM

Vertical MarketsA growing area of focus for manufacturers & dealers

by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine

Those dealers who are focused on down-the-street selling, but con-cerned about declining margins or

the increasing risk of losing customers to competitors, may want to give more thought to developing a vertical market selling strat-egy. That is not to say that the historic, hori-zontal approach should be abandoned. In-stead, it would be augmented by a new focus that can help boost margins, strengthen ex-isting relationships and win new customers.

Today’s customers are eager to hear how they can optimize document workflow and management. This interest and ex-pectation was born, in part, out of the success of dealers and others who have embraced the managed print services (MPS) opportunity, says Sam Errigo, senior vice president of Konica Minolta Business Solutions.

“Early adopters of MPS focused on initial cost savings as the primary benefit and are now looking for the next level of thought leadership related to print management,” Errigo says. “Customers are now asking, ‘Do you really know my business beyond meter reads and alerts? What is your strategy to drive less print, introduce workflow enhancement and drive deeper cost savings across the enterprise over the next three to five years?’ If you cannot address these questions, then you are just a cost consolidator.”

Going forward, a key strategy to ensure such questions can be properly answered on a regular basis is to excel in cer-tain vertical markets. “The next wave of salespeople in our industry need a higher level of competency around specific customer business requirements and enabling technology that ties to vertical markets,” Errigo says. “Sales associates will need to lead with a compelling value proposition to a real business problem that customers are trying to solve.”

Similarly, Peter Davey, director of professional services and advanced technical support for Toshiba America Busi-ness Solutions Inc., says he believes a vertical market strategy makes perfect sense. “We have evolved to become services-led instead of hardware-led,” he explains. “I think the next,

natural evolution of being services-led is to focus on customer outcomes and develop more expertise in vertical markets.”

Toshiba has been making this transition. A look at the company’s website reveals downloadable PDFs focused specifically on the manufacturer’s solutions for such verti-cals as the health-care, legal, education and financial markets. “We have thoughtfully looked at how we have been successful in certain verticals,” Davey says. “Increasing-

ly, we are changing how we present ourselves and how we interface with customers by describing the services offer-ings and the business processes we can help them enhance, focusing on the objectives they have and how we can help them meet those objectives.”

Konica Minolta is making a similar transition. In January, the company announced EnvisionIT, a new brand position that encompasses solutions and services for the education, legal and health-care markets. “Over the last 18 months, we examined our vertical markets and developed the Envision-IT strategy,” Errigo explains. “We describe it as an ‘umbrella strategy’ that clearly explains our value proposition to key vertical markets and how we deliver services and solutions relative to managed IT services, managed print services and integrated software solutions that impact workflow.”

The “IT” in EnvisionIT, says Errigo, is a reference to the desired strategic print management direction of a custom-er in one of the target verticals going forward. “If you can envision it, we can help you craft the right solution set to improve your overall business operations,” he says. “So, we align our business strategy to the very specific outcomes that are important to our customers.”

While there appears to be a new, growing emphasis on vertical market opportunities among manufacturers, at least one manufacturer points to a long history of a verti-cal-market focus. “Lexmark has a history of understanding vertical markets and focusing our sales and development ef-forts on those markets,” says Sean Endicott, senior manager


Cover Story Apr 12.indd 1 3/30/12 12:43 PM

End-User Facing DVD

The MSE Brand is backed by the market’s most comprehensive marketing tools in the Industry!

Private Labeling

555-555-1212

www.yourlogo123.com

555-555-1212

www.yourlogo123.com

Yield:

STANDARDHP and other names and logos not listed are registered trademarks of their

respective owners. All model designations are for compatibility purposes only.

HP has not sponsored or approved this product. NOT AN HP PRODUCT.

Product is remanufactured using new and recycled domestic and foreign components.

02-21-450114

Replacement for:

Machine Compatibility:

Printer Model

Replacement for:

V-st

d02

QUALITY MADE IN THE USA

Printer ModelCE261A

83010 07154 5

6

HP CP4025/CP4525HP CP4025/CP4525

HP Color LaserJet CP4025dn, CP4025n, CP4520

Series, CP4525dn, CP4525n, CP4525xh,

and all compatible engines

Yield:

STANDARDCYAN C

CYANCE261A

Customized Marketing MaterialsFeaturing Your Logo

Corporate Multi-Lingual DVD

4-Color Customized label:Featuring Your Logo

Call today to learn more about MSE’s packaging and marketing programs and see how MSE can increase your bottom line with award winning product.

800.418.4968 (US-East Coast ) | 888 .561.4541 (Canada) | +31 .36 .522.2601 (MSE Europe)

Corporate Headquarters 800 .673.4968 | 818 .407.7500 | 8201 Woodley Ave. Van Nuys, CA 91406© Copyright 2012 Micro Solutions Enterprises. All rights reserved. All trademarks referenced are registered trademarks of their respective owners. All model designations are for compatibility purposes only.

IntroducingMSE’s new brand packaging

BTA Officetech April 12 ad.pdf 1 3/5/12 3:47 PM

MSE ad Apr 12.indd 1 3/6/12 3:14 PM

of North America Channel business development at Lexmark, noting that the vertical focus dates back to the early 1990s. “So, we thor-oughly understand the prob-lems that customers face as it pertains to output.”

Endicott cites the example of how one of the company’s many solutions — Downtime Reports — can address a problem in a particular verti-cal, in this case, the health-care market. “This helps to solve a problem that physicians and nurses run into when they need critical patient data dur-ing a planned or unplanned network outage,” he explains. “Oftentimes, they are printing pages and pages of backup data to have on hand, just in case there is a network outage. That is costly. Instead, with our Downtime Reports solution, that data can also be stored on and retrieved from the MFP. So, as IT generates updated information, it is sent to the MFP as well, so that patient data can be retrieved from the device.”

With such solutions available and with the growing focus among manufacturers on vertical markets, are dealers tak-ing advantage of the selling strategy? “I have the sense that it is all over the board,” Davey says. “This is highly subjective, but my sense is that the ability of sales reps to be successful is somewhat predicated on the flexibility that local manage-ment gives them in how they go out and attack the market.”

Endicott shares a similar perspective. “They are certainly getting there,” he says. “In talking to our dealers, one thing that comes through loud and clear is that solutions, partic-ularly of the vertical variety, are a high priority for nearly all of them. However, they would like to be able to sell them with more frequency than perhaps they are doing today.”

While manufacturers have the tools, resources and per-sonnel to assist their dealer partners in pursuing vertical market opportunities, perhaps the first step for any dealer just ramping up is to assess his (or her) dealership’s current sales team. For many, that assessment likely leads to the question: Does vertical market selling require specialists?

Davey answers “yes,” noting that selling into vertical mar-kets can be difficult for general line reps. “When they get into complex technology conversations, that’s when they struggle,” he says. “Typically, you have to support them with professional services personnel or other types of specialists who can manage those conversations for them. So, the most expeditious thing to do is to put teams of account reps to-gether that include one or two application specialists.”

Errigo offers a similar view, but cites the example of the

dealership that has already found some success in pur-suing verticals, but where there are plans to ramp up selling efforts. “I would wager to say that there are probably one or two reps who have ‘found their way’ and 60 to 70 percent of what they do is vertically focused,” he explains, noting that as the dealership ramps up its efforts to focus, for example, on the health-care vertical,

so, too, will the sales reps. “Dealers will need to make a con-scious effort to train and develop the right solutions set to address the verticals they serve. The transformation of the sales team will take place over time as they [team members] focus on their target markets and gain share as a percentage of their installed base. Over time, the percentage of their non-vertical revenue will become lower and sales associates will become vertical-market pure instead of generalists.”

Beyond the question about the need for specialists, the dealer’s next couple of questions are likely: Where do we be-gin in boosting our vertical selling efforts? How many verti-cal markets should we focus on at our dealership?

“As a dealer, I would look at my existing base of customers to figure out, ‘Who do I serve today and how do I retain them long term as a first step?’” Errigo advises. “I would break out my customer base by vertical and create a strategy to expand services that align with meaningful business outcomes. I would also evaluate my top three verticals and ask, ‘What am I doing well? How do I replicate or commercialize the offering? What can my hardware provider offer for these verticals from a go-to-market strategy?’ From there, you start to build out your next couple of verticals.”

The dealership should not look to become an “expert re-source” in too many verticals, Endicott says, recommending a conservative approach. “My advice would be to start by ze-roing in on a narrow range of one or two, rather than a wider range of five or six,” he says. “If there are a couple of different verticals where you can become a specialist, that’s where you are going to start to build credibility. As you develop profi-ciency, you can broaden your opportunities some, but we try to focus our dealers on no more than about three verticals.”

Of course, there are many dealerships that have already developed successful vertical selling strategies. What are some of their predominant traits?n From Errigo: “The ones who are accelerating their

businesses are taking full advantage of the toolsets and the training that companies like Konica Minolta are providing.

“In talking to our dealers, one thing that comes through ... is that solutions, particularly of the vertical variety, are a high priority for nearly all of them. However, they would like to be able to sell them with more frequency ... ”

— Sean EndicottLexmark International Inc.



Compass ad Mar 12.indd 1 2/15/12 8:42 AM


They are investing in the training and development of their people.”n From Davey: “The lead-

ership has a short-, medi-um- and long-term strategy in terms of revenue attain-ment. They plan for a certain amount of their business to come from protecting their machines-in-field (MIF) with conventional sales in order to balance with vertical-market sales. Plus, the right compensation models are in place to influence the right be-havior throughout the dealership, from general line reps to break/fix service to professional services.”n From Endicott: “The solutions priority resonates across

the dealership, within management and among sales reps, specialists and service techs. Dealerships with employees who have a full understanding of how vertical workflow so-lutions can drive this new footprint, both in the short term and the long term, see the most success.”

The payoff and value of a solutions-based vertical market strategy is clear, En-dicott adds. “For those who are just looking at devices coming off lease, when you ask questions and don’t get the answers you want, you have to move on to the next customer,” he explains. “If you are focused on selling solutions, the conversation doesn’t have to end there. You are no longer talking

about a device; you are talking about solving a problem. That’s a different conversation. You will have new oppor-tunities you haven’t had before. Eventually, that will lead to higher-margin opportuni-ties in longer-term engagements.” n

Brent Hoskins, executive director of the Business Technology Association, is editor of Office Technology magazine. He can be

reached at [email protected] or (816) 303-4040.

“The ones who are accelerating their businesses are taking full advantage of the toolsets and training that companies like Konica Minolta are providing. They are investing in the training and development of their people.”

— Sam ErrigoKonica Minolta Business Solutions

© 2012 CIT Group Inc. CIT and the CIT logo are registered service marks of CIT Group Inc.

Hardware Financing • SoFtware and ServiceS Financing • coSt Per/USage Billing

Joint ventUre ProgramS • Private laBel ProgramS

Visit cit.com/vendorfinance or call 800-245-0506

Equipmentise[ih-kwip-muhn-teez]definition: Expertise employed by CIT to design tailored

leasing and financing programs for small and middle

market companies for office equipment.

CIT Vendor Finance has a deep commitment to helping

companies grow. We are a global leader in creating

leasing and financing solutions that can drive

incremental revenues for manufacturers, distributors

and resellers. These solutions also help their small and

middle market customers obtain the equipment they

need while preserving cash flow for growth.


Tap for access to your network � les. Touch and instantly edit your documents. Swipe to drag and rearrange pages. With the intuitive Sharp 10.1" color LCD control panel, there’s no end to what you can get done. And it’s all available on Sharp color MFP models that print from 26 ppm to 70 ppm. Feel the power of our advanced touch-screen copiers in your business. Visit sharpusa.com/touchpanel

WORK WITHOUT LIMITS

Design and specifi cation subject to change. Screen images simulated. User interface of LCD panel shown available on select models only. Sharp and Sharp OSA are registered trademarks of Sharp Corporation. © 2012 Sharp Electronics Corporation. All rights reserved.

PUT A MORE PRODUCTIVE OFFICE RIGHT AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

Scan to learn more

Office Technology Sharp Swipe Ad.indd 1 3/15/12 10:42 AMSharp ad Apr 12.indd 1 3/21/12 10:43 AM

MPS: The Right PathYour approach, model & partners are key

by: Jennie Fisher, GreatAmerica Leasing Corp.

With the expansion of the distribution model, the decline of MFP placements and the migration of clicks from the

MFP to the printer, many dealers are forced to evaluate their go-to-market strategies. When it comes to implementing managed print services (MPS), o� ce technology dealerships are � nding opportunity in moving � rst to a “service-and-supply-only” model, with the intent to add new hardware three to nine months down the road. � is seems to be a more viable option for many in today’s changing environment.

Today, dealers need to seize the opportu-nity to protect their current customers and focus on the total output in the environ-ment rather than new equipment place-ments. � is takes a more consultative approach to understanding their cus-tomers’ environments. Now is the time for dealerships to position themselves as business advisors to help custom-ers realize the cost savings and value that comes with an MPS solution.

Some may argue that MPS is becoming a commoditized product that will run its course. Increasing competition and pressure on margins are creating this mindset. Some are wondering: “Is there a pro� t to be made and is this a vi-able strategy?” Our recent Annual Dealer Study indicates that yes, it is. Fifty-nine percent of respondents have imple-mented an MPS strategy within their businesses (up nearly 10 percent from last year). Fifty percent of those who have not say they are planning to in the next 12 months. MPS was, hands down, the most highly mentioned “most signi� -cant opportunity” for the coming year among our dealer re-spondents. � is tells me that MPS is still very much a strong initiative in the marketplace — and a viable strategy. Deal-ers just need to � nd the right formula for success in their marketplaces. Many of those who have implemented MPS are still trying to � gure out that formula.

Dealers who have been successful in growing their organizations by adding MPS are typically providing service and supplies under a separate contract. Kevin DeYoung, president of QualPath in Pompano Beach, Fla., has done this for several years and is experiencing success in counseling his customers to optimize their environments. He demonstrates his value by allowing his cus-tomers to add pro� ts to their bottom lines. He states: “MPS allows companies to reduce em-ployee burdens, save money on service and sup-

plies and foster any sustainable initiatives they might be working on.”

With all of this “upside” why are so many dealers struggling to make MPS a success?

Change, in general, can be overwhelming for many dealership owners and their

employees. Determining what their MPS strategies will look like, hiring

solutions specialists who are experts in the � eld of MPS, training and edu-cating their teams, pricing, opera-

tions and administration — all of these challenges are real. Once a dealer moves beyond the initial MPS challenge

and lands on a strategy to implement, he (or she) still needs to consider his strategy for approaching customers. Many in the industry have embraced Photizo Group’s Expanded Customer Adoption Model, which consists of four stages: (1) control the print environment; (2) optimize it; (3) enhance it; and (4) converge other managed services into the equation.

When looking at this model, you can see that a dif-ferent mentality is required of dealers to be successful today. Rather than approaching with equipment place-ments as a major part of the equation, many are start-ing to think more holistically about their customers’ or-ganizations and engaging with them at a more strategic level. One of the major challenges is realizing that MPS requires a di¤ erent mentality. It requires a more con-sultative and strategic approach with a longer selling


ith the expansion of the distribution model, the decline of MFP placements and the migration of clicks from the

MFP to the printer, many dealers are forced to evaluate their go-to-market strategies. When it comes to implementing managed print services (MPS), o� ce technology dealerships are � nding opportunity in moving � rst to a “service-and-supply-only” model, with the intent to add new hardware three to nine months down the road. � is seems to be a more viable option for many

Today, dealers need to seize the opportu-nity to protect their current customers and focus on the total output in the environ-ment rather than new equipment place-ments. � is takes a more consultative approach to understanding their cus-tomers’ environments. Now is the time

Dealers who have been successful in growing their organizations by adding MPS are typically providing service and supplies under a separate contract. Kevin DeYoung, president of QualPath in Pompano Beach, Fla., has done this for several years and is experiencing success in counseling his customers to optimize their environments. He demonstrates his value by allowing his cus-tomers to add pro� ts to their bottom lines. He states: “MPS allows companies to reduce em-ployee burdens, save money on service and sup-

plies and foster any sustainable initiatives they might be working on.”

With all of this “upside” why are so many dealers struggling to make MPS a success?

Change, in general, can be overwhelming for many dealership owners and their

employees. Determining what their MPS strategies will look like, hiring

Fisher Apr 12.indd 1 4/2/12 12:12 PM

M093-FP-Ad-OTM.indd 1 11-11-29 2:49 PMNexent ad Dec 11.indd 1 11/29/11 4:35 PM

cycle. Dealership sales teams need to be retrained (and sometimes restruc-tured) in order for this to work.

It is also important to consider that businesses must do what they can to protect their market share in these changing and challenging times. Under ideal circumstances, when selling MPS, you would simply go in and refresh a customer’s � eet from the start. Today, with so many other companies calling on your base (paper companies, toner companies, VARs, etc.), it is not that simple. It may now make more sense to go in and apply the “land-grab” approach be-fore someone else does. However, a “land grab” (� rst protect-ing your customer relationship by executing a contract for service and supplies) requires a consultative sell.

Teri Dunn, a sales consultant with Print Management Solutions Group, is a big believer in the Photizo four-stage model and helps dealers sell MPS following a process that � ts well with the overall concept.

“In my opinion, having had expe-rience in MPS since 1999, the model that should be followed is the Photizo four-stage model,” Dunn says. “Deal-ers can no longer subscribe to the vi-sion of going in and refreshing equip-ment right away. � e economic factors make starting with that � rst phase so important. Dealers need to deeply un-derstand the customer’s environment so that they can actually manage the print and then do the right thing for

the customer in the refresh and optimization stage.”When dealers are able to change their mindsets and

strategically focus on their customers’ businesses, new challenges will occur. � ey will get a few customers under service and supply contracts and understand that the ad-ministration piece can be di� cult to manage. Once they secure multiple accounts with multiple machines, the mounting number of details associated with capturing, collecting and billing the clicks can be overwhelming.

According to DeYoung, one of the � rst challenges a dealer has is monitoring his � eet. “You need to know what these printers and copiers are doing,” he says. “� ere are several � eet monitoring services [GreatAmerica’s Fleet-View among them], that allow the dealer and client to grab the volume of printing in an e� cient way.”

However, he says, many dealers are not using the moni-toring software and some monitoring systems do not inte-grate with their ERP systems. � is creates more complexity, hands-on administration and potential for errors, he says.

It is easy to imagine the headache that collecting data on a growing number of devices could cause. If you think about it, dealers have gone from an environment where they are monitoring a handful of copiers, to monitoring 20 to 100-plus output devices. Automation and integrationare critical to increase e� ciencies and the e� ectiveness of the administration.

“It is critical for dealers to take advantage of the technol-ogy and services o� ered in the marketplace,” DeYoung says. “For anyone out there doing MPS, they should be availing themselves of the administrative e� ciencies available to-day — from software tools to billing services.”

Dunn agrees that the challenges with billing and col-lecting are seldom recognized before they become issues for dealers and, oftentimes, for their customers. “Dealers don’t always understand the headaches that can be asso-ciated with billing and collecting their service and supply contracts,” she says. “� ey (dealers) need a program that can grow with them throughout all of the Photizo stages.”

Rather than acknowledging these challenges when

“It is critical for dealers to take advantage of the technology and services offered ... they should be availing themselves of the administrativeeffi ciencies available ... “



considering MPS, dealers at first may think: “We’ve been in leasing and cost per page (CPP) for -ever. We are all over this and we can build out our own systems to accommodate ourapproach.” One of thereasons they have been successful at administering CPP is the backbone and infrastructure that has allowed them to do this.

Steven Power, owner of Sales and Marketing Solutions, and the facilitator of GreatAmerica’s MPS Navigator Business Planning Program, says that MPS is different. “Managed print is not like CPP on a copier lease,” he says. “That’s easy stuff. MPS is more complex. There’s the printer fleet portability, the variety of contracts and tech refreshes that have to occur within the term of the contract — new printers coming and others going — there are just a lot more moving parts.”

Powers has witnessed dealers making costly mistakes. “By mismanaging the administrative backend of an MPS contract, you can go from a 50 percent profit margin down to a 30 percent margin really quickly and you don’t even know where it went,” he says. “One question everyone has is: ‘How do I make money in MPS?’ The other question is: ‘And how do I know I’m making money?’ This is because the ad-ministration can be complex.

If you’re not using the right systems, it’s easy to miss me -ter reads or transposed numbers or mistakes made by man -ual intervention. That can lead to the cost of chasing down information that may have been missed, not to mention the cost of having people on the payroll. Anything they can do to streamline their operations saves them costs.”

At the end of the day, MPS remains an exciting oppor -tunity for dealers to grow their businesses. That growth potential is far greater if the right planning, training and utilization of available technology, programs and systems are fully leveraged. n

Jennie Fisher is senior vice president and general manager for GreatAmerica Leasing Corp.’s Office Equipment Group. She is responsible for the sales, marketing, operations and financial performance of the business unit.

GreatAmerica offers a variety of support services, such as GreatAmerica Fleet Billing, for dealers pursuing the MPS

opportunity. Fisher can be reached at [email protected] or (319) 261-4044.

Visit www.greatamerica.com.

“Managed print is not like CPP on a copier lease. That’s easy stuff. MPS is more complex ... there are just a lot more moving parts.”

w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | A p r i l 2 0 1 2 | 19


The Case for Social MediaLooking to connect with new customers, right?

by: Corey Smith, Dealer Marketing Solutions

In your office technology dealership, you may have contemplated adding social media to your marketing efforts. Most small and medium-sized

business owners do not know where to start and wonder if there is even value in running social media campaigns for their businesses. Social media’s pri-mary purpose is about being social and it is through that social aspect that word-of-mouth is empowered.

Too often, I hear business owners complain about social media. I have heard all the reasons why social media is bad:n “I do not want people to know what I am doing.”n “I cannot mix my personal and business lives.”n “I do not understand why anyone would want

to hear what I have to say.”n “None of my contacts are on social media sites.”I have heard plenty of other reasons, too. In fact,

the list is as long as the day. I think that these rea-sons for not wanting to participate in social media show a level of shortsightedness because it means that the people making these excuses are not willing to look at social media from an objective or realistic point of view.

First, let’s look at some social media statistics so we can put a framework around the reasons why you should use social media. Certainly, we could write many more data points, but I think you will get the idea from these four.n 46 million Americans check social media profiles daily.

(Edison Research)n 50 percent of SMB owners report gaining new custom-

ers through social media. (Mediabistro)n 51 percent of Facebook users and 64 percent of Twitter

users are more likely to buy from the brands they follow on social media sites. (Mediabistro)n Of SMB decision-makers who use social media, 86 per-

cent use Facebook, 41 percent use LinkedIn and 33 percent use Twitter. (Zoomerang)

Even with these statistics, the reality is there are three primary reasons why businesses need to seriously consider social media as part of their overall marketing strategies.

Failing to understand these three critical aspects will cause you to miss out on spectacular marketing opportunities for your business.

Search Engine OptimizationWhen other websites link to your website, you get a vote

for your credibility and relevance. It has been a long-stand-ing tactic for search engine optimizers to generate inbound links to their websites to help build search engine credibility. In fact, spammers love this tactic, as they can often get many links in comments on other people’s blogs and websites.

When you post a link in your social media channels, your link becomes another inbound link to your website. If those in your network share that link, it means that you have even more inbound links.

However, link building is not the only benefit. Social media posts (profiles, articles, etc.) are indexed in search engines (assuming your privacy settings do not prevent it). Many times, your social media profiles and status up-dates/tweets will even appear above your website in search


Smith Apr 12.indd 1 4/2/12 12:13 PM

engines, which will have a chance of driving tra c to you. But do not forget — search engine optimization does not mean you will get tra c.

Traffi c GenerationWhen I started my latest blog, I had

no rankings in search engines. In the be-ginning, Google had no idea that my new blog even existed. Long before search en-gines took notice, I was able to garner a fair amount of tra c, which I was able to gain through posts to my social networks.

Even now, after my personal blog’s rankings have grown and people are seeing my blog more often in search engine re-sults, I can look back and analyze my tra c and see a direct correlation of tra c due to posts on social media sites. When I post a link to my blog (depending on the time of day and how compelling my message is), I can see a reasonably consistent amount of new tra c. If the post on my blog is particularly compelling, then I can see that number double (or even triple) thanks to people within my network sharing the post.

Remember that just because you get tra c, it does not mean you are going to make a sale.

Relationship BuildingAs I mentioned before, social media’s primary purpose is

to be social. However, there is more than just the social as-pect. Social media is about actively fostering relationships with new people.

I think it is laughable when I hear the comment: “None of my friends are on social media sites.” To presuppose that people you know are the only people you should connect with on social media sites is a common mistake in the way people view the intent of social media. Virtually all social networks that have been built — including Facebook, Twit-ter and LinkedIn — were founded on the idea that you can connect with people you have never met before.

� e hallmark of social media for business is that you can create and build new relationships. Whether it is LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook, you have an opportunity to build new relationships with people you do not already know.

The Catch?� ere is a catch to all this. While it is great that you can

gain a stronger presence in search engines and you can gar-ner new tra c on your website, there is a requirement.

� at requirement is that you have strong relationships. Google, Bing, etc., understand the in� uence of your net-work. � e stronger your in� uence, the more weight they will give to your posts. � e more people you in� uence, the more

tra c you will generate.You can also destroy your in� uence

by only posting links to your website, but never providing any value to your readers. No matter how many people follow or friend you, if you are always asking them to do something (clicking on a link) but never return anything (information, engagement, humor, etc.) they will begin to ignore you. � at will negatively impact your search engine

optimization and tra c.So, the moral of the story is: Be social.

Corey Smith is the author of “Do It Right: A CEO’s Guide to Web Strategy” and is chief Web architect for

Dealer Marketing Systems, a marketing company dedicated to assisting dealerships

with Web, print and direct mail strategies. You can connect with Smith at

http://www.coreysmith.ws.Visit www.dealermarketingsystems.com.

Whether it is LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook, you have an opportunity to build new relationships with people you do not already know.

w w w. o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g. c o m | A p r i l 2 0 1 2 | 21

Smith Apr 12.indd 2 4/2/12 12:13 PM

Customers now have a new weapon to use when they do not like your equipment,

service, charges and/or policies. Posting negative comments on so-cial media sites has become a tool to disparage your business.

Often, an end user uses these postings to elicit concessions from the reseller. Monitoring social me-dia sites and knowing how to re-spond to postings is becoming a new skill set for all dealers. In fact, it may not even be a customer, but a former employee, competitor or disgruntled employee who is post-ing negative messages.

It is essential to monitor social media sites so you know when postings regarding your business are being made and what they are about. An initial step, however, is to make it easy to commu-nicate with you and your company. It has often been suggested that a follow-up call should be made after every installation and service call. If that call establishes any dissatisfaction, it can be addressed before it becomes a war of words. Often, complaints are not justified, but by satisfying the end user promptly, the cost in dollars and reputation can be minimized.

First, accept all phone calls. Avoiding irate customers only flames their displeasure. Your website should have an easy way to contact your company and these messages must be monitored and acknowledged on a daily basis.

After establishing an easy means to communicate with your company, begin to monitor social media sites. Establish Google Alerts with keywords to notify you when a message is posted. Look at your Facebook page at least once per day. Monitor Twitter and read reviews on Yelp. Read through fo-rums and communities where end users may gather. By ad-dressing negative comments, you may be able to curtail any growth of negative feelings.

When you find a negative comment, determine if a response is appropriate or if ignoring the comment may be best. Be objec-tive. If the statement would appear outrageous to anyone read-ing it, then your response may only lend credibility to the com-plaint. On the other hand, a credible posting must be addressed immediately. The easiest first response is to acknowledge the

issue, advise it is being investigated and provide a time frame for re-sponse. Be yourself when respond-ing. Boilerplate responses and ex-cuses will not let the matter rest.

Direct the discussion from the company to yourself. It is easy to rant about a company, but much more difficult to attack a person. If a mistake was made, apologize and offer a solution. Readers will note you corrected the situation and made it right.

Try not to let anger escalate. State your position as humanly as possible. If the end user rejects your position, let him (or her) know

you are sorry he feels that way and reoffer your solution. Re-member, you are not attempting to win an argument, but are trying to find a solution for a dissatisfied customer. Keep the communication public so everyone can note your reasonable-ness and desire to rectify the situation. By moving the conver-sation to the telephone or private email, the public is no longer privy to the efforts being made to satisfy the complainer.

Sometimes it may be helpful to enlist satisfied customers in the discussion. If someone is degrading a specific machine, technician or salesperson, having a satisfied customer com-ment on the same discussion may add perspective to the com-plaint. Of course, there may be some risk in notifying satisfied customers of a negative experience. However, they may find the discussion on their own and contact you. Never ask em-ployees to post as if they are customers. If discovered, your reputation will be severally tarnished.

Finally, the old saying of making the complainer part of the solution, rather than the problem, is a good approach. Often, the complainer will be looking for less than you anticipated. If his demands are outrageous, that will be posted for all to see.

Social media provides a stream of viral gos-sip. It is time to start following social media, using it to your advantage and learning how to respond properly. n

Robert C. Goldberg is general counsel for the Business Technology Association.

He can be reached at [email protected].

Social Media AttacksYou must respond in the proper way

by: Robert C. Goldberg, General Counsel for the Business Technology Association

COURTS & CAPITOLS


Goldberg Apr 12.indd 1 3/22/12 12:49 PM

Parts Now will move your businessforwardParts Now is the industry’s only all-in-one imaging source. Through a new partnership with Densi we now stock parts and supplies for nearly any imaging device: printer, copier, or MFP.

Largest inventory of laser printer parts in North America

Only authorized HP, Lexmark and Oki distributor

Complete lines of remanufactured and OEM laser printer toner

Industry leading R4 MPS program

MPS Ready® remanufactured hardware

Superior logistics with six locations across the US and Canada

And now a full line of copier parts and supplies

Ready to move your business forward? We are ready to help:

800-886-6688www.partsnow.com

Parts Now ad Apr 12.indd 1 3/20/12 1:10 PM

BTA HIGHLIGHTS

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

Dealer MembersComplete Business Systems, Longview, TXDocument Systems, Oxnard, CAiTECH, San Diego, CAValley Offi ce Systems, Idaho Falls, IDWilson Offi ce Supply, Paducah, KY

Service Associate MemberBalboa Capital Corp., Irvine, CA

Vendor Associate MemberS.P. Richards Co., Smyrna, GA

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

Verizon Wireless Discount Program BTA members can receive the following dis-counts when they sign up for the Verizon Wireless Discount Program:

• 8 to 22 Percent Corporate Account Discount — You must have a corporate account with fi ve or more lines paid for under the same business tax ID number to qualify.• 25 Percent Corporate Accessory Discount• 8 to 22 Percent Data Feature Discount• Consumer or business pricing on equipment — you receive the best pricing of the two• Corporate activation fees waived for new two-year agreements The percentage discount received depends upon the number of participating employees.

www.bta.org/Verizon

For information on BTA member benefi ts, visit www.bta.org/MemberBenefi ts.

For the benefi t of its dealer members, each month BTA features two of its Vendor or Service Associate members in this space.

BTA Vendor Associ-ate member Compass Sales Solutions is a premier sales force automation and print management software

developer. Compass clients are dealerships looking to increase their bottom lines. Whether it’s contact management, cost analysis tools, proposal generation, order process manage-ment, managed print services or fl eet man-agement consulting, Compass Sales Solutions provides everything needed to sell copier/MFPs, services, MPS and solution applications as individual deals or bundled into a fl eet solu-tion in one easy-to-use, integrated application.

www.compasscontact.net

BTA Service Associ-ate member Balboa Capital was estab-lished in 1988 and is one of the largest independent fi nanc-ing companies in

the United States. Balboa offers a dedicated offi ce products support team and a full range of lease and fi nance programs to meet your customers’ needs. Balboa’s innovative Web-based system provides you with real-time access to your applications, reporting and customer information.

www.balboacapital.com

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


Highlights Apr 12.indd 1 3/30/12 3:29 PM

Digital Gateway ad Apr 12.indd 1 3/9/12 1:30 PM

A Briefing: LexmarkManufacturer hosts media day Feb. 28


Executives at Lexmark International Inc. met with six office technology in-dustry analysts and editors on Feb. 28

at the company’s Lexington, Ky., headquar-ters. The meeting focused on the changing market, an advancing product line and Lex-mark’s commitment to the dealer channel.

Among the various presenters were Paul Rooke, chairman and CEO, and Phil Boatman, manager of North America channel business development. Rooke opened the meeting. “Let me start with 2011,” he said. “It was a challenging year. We had economies that were rather stag-nant by most indicators, particularly in North America and in Europe.”

However, Rooke reported, Lexmark ex-perienced an overall decline in business for the year of less than 1 percent, despite the economic challeng-es. Much of the decline was attributable, he said, to the com-pany’s legacy business — the supplies business associated with Lexmark’s now discontinued consumer inkjet printer line. In contrast, he added, the company’s core business — laser and business inkjet devices, managed print services and software solutions — grew 7 percent in 2011. “To be growing our core business at 7 percent in a market that is declining was very en-couraging for us,” he said. “This is an indicator for us that our [value] propositions are working with our customers.”

Looking at 2012 and beyond, “it is about growing our core hardware business, particularly our laser business,” Rooke said. “We also have a growing business inkjet business, our new OfficeEdge line. It’s a high-performance inkjet in an en-terprise wrapper, if you will — a robust, networked, MPS-ca-pable inkjet. It is nothing like our past inkjets. This is a new breed of inkjets that we plan to grow.”

Rooke said the OfficeEdge line, now available through Lexmark’s retail “volume” channel, may ultimately be avail-able for resale through the company’s dealer “value” channel. “There is nothing that keeps us from providing that class of product to the value channel,” he said, emphasizing the re-cent strides in inkjet, a technology that “I think will continue to get even better.”

As noted, the meeting presented an opportunity for Lex-mark officials to emphasize the company’s commitment to

the dealer channel. Today, said Boatman, Lexmark has ap-proximately 250 dealer partners in North America and nearly 750 globally. These include Toshiba dealers selling Lexmark products, resulting from the partnership the company has with Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc.

As a testament to the “success and power” of the dealer channel, Boatman noted that while Lexmark has hundreds of sales representatives, increasingly, there has been coop-eration between the direct and dealer channels. “Because of the growth of the dealer program, there is a concerted effort to drive synergy between the two groups and to leverage the dealer network to drive as much business as possible,” he said. “This is an obvious recognition of the value that independent dealers bring to the table — their ability to service accounts top to bottom, their local relationships, their flexibility and just their overall care for the customer.”

Since the establishment of Lexmark’s dealer channel in 2007, the company has continuously made strides to further strengthen its relationship with its dealers, Boatman said. “Every year,” he said, “we look very closely at our program, looking at how we can improve it.”

Boatman cited a recent improvement that he said is be-ing well received by dealers. “A change we made for 2012 was to add in some growth incentives for dealers,” he said. “We sort of had a one-size-fits-all within different levels of com-mitment over the last several years. In 2012, we have decided to provide additional incentives for our dealers who want to grow beyond what they did last year. It is not a novel concept, but something that we made a conscious decision not to do up until this year. We sought some maturity in our program before moving to this sort of growth-oriented component.”

Lexmark continues to actively recruit new dealers, Boat-man said, offering a profile of the type of dealers the company seeks. “We want committed, proactive dealers who under-stand that it is not just about the box,” he explained. “While we want to place as many products as possible, we are very interested in the dealer who understands the importance of having a balanced A4 versus A3 attack, who understands that managed print services is here to stay, who understands the power of solutions and who is changing the conversation with customers, moving that conversation to a different level.” n

Brent Hoskins, executive director of the Business Technology Association, is editor of Office Technology

magazine. He can be reached at [email protected].

PRINCIPAL ISSUES


Paul Rooke

Phil Boatman

Lexmark Apr 12.indd 1 3/30/12 3:43 PM

513

Using FMAudit managed print solutions you will:•Remotelyinstall,maintainandupdatesoftwarewithlimitedITstaffinvolvement•Maintain100%controlofyourdata—nothirdpartyhasaccesstoyourdata•Reduceoverhead,automateprocessesandincreasesales

Schedule a demo with FMAudit TODAY!www.ecisolutions.com/MPS or 800-440-8664 ext. 89172

800-440-8664 Ext. 89172 • [email protected] • www.fmaudit.comECi, FMAudit and the ECi Red Box logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of eCommerce Industries, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Total Managed Print Software Solution

FMAudit is the most utilized MPS software in the world!

FMAudit ad Apr 12.indd 1 3/27/12 11:06 AM

Sales Compensation PlansFocus on rewarding a job well done

by: Luis Gonzalez, SalesScoreKeeper LLC

When creating a new compensation (comp) plan for your sales depart-ment, it is important to first review

exactly what you would like the comp plan to do for your company and your sales profes-sionals. Following are some ideas you may want to consider when creating a new comp plan or restructuring the one you have.n Career Path — You want to build a

comp plan that allows a sales professional to grow within the organization. This is very important when hiring sales professionals who are new to the industry or are new to sales. The ability of the sales professional to progress in salary, commissions and benefits — along with larger budgets — is part of a strong compensation plan.n Incent Transaction Structure —

When building your comp plan, you want to set benchmarks as to what a good transac-tion looks like in your organization. Whether you are looking for managed print services (MPS), managed network services (MNS) or just to bundle cost-per-copy (CPC) leases, make sure your comp plan drives the transactions you want. Par should be set where you want your transaction to be and the optimum commission should be set for closing those types of deals. n Flexibility — Always allow room in your comp plan to

be flexible in what and how you pay your sales professionals. Allow room within your financial benchmarks to run promo-tional programs during the year, each quarter or each month to drive the results you are targeting during that time period. Whether it is an increase in service, revenue or special ser-vices, you can achieve higher sales by offering an additional incentive above and beyond the standard comp plan.n No Mysteries — Nothing slows down sales profession-

als like not knowing what they are getting paid. A good comp plan should have provisions for unplanned transactions be-low your standard sales costs, ship-ins, ship-outs or any of the crazy things you may do to get a deal. Make sure that the sales professional is always aware of what he (or she) is getting paid up front. If nothing else, this will avoid disputes and unhappy sales professionals at the end of the deal.n Pay Both — A good comp plan should pay on both top-

line revenue and bottom-line gross profit, while being flexible enough to pay on either the top

or bottom line as the circumstances dictate. Paying on only one or the other will influ-ence the way your team approaches tar-geting new business, maintaining current clients and will have a major influence on your gross profits. You want to allow the occasional deviation from your “standard” deal to secure new clients without discour-aging your sales professionals by not paying adequately for those deals. n Service First — Always pay service first.

Build your comp plan so that it pays your sales professional after all services have been made whole. The equipment sales revenue and gross profit calculations should always come after all service revenues have been satisfied. Make sure that it is clearly spelled out in the comp plan, as you will find that sales reps are able to maintain margins on hardware and solution

sales when they know they must first pay service.n Manage ROI — When structuring comp plans for your

sales managers, make sure that all their time is contributing to your sales efforts. Many times, sales managers can make their monthly budgets with only part of their sales team con-tributing. While everyone feels good about hitting budget, the company is either spending money on or missing opportuni-ties due to underperforming sales professionals; this is not the best situation for your sales department. Build in metrics that ensure the manager is developing all his reps and is driv-ing sales contributions from all team members.n Sales Contests — When building your comp plan, you

should also include planned sales contests that may not pay the rep in commission dollars, but will affect your sales ex-penses. Sales contests in your comp plan achieve excitement, retention and long-term sales planning. Make sure that the goals — whether they are revenue targets or a percentage of budgets — are obtainable to keep your sales professionals en-gaged during the entire contest period. You should have both smaller, short-term contests and more extravagant, long-term contests. In every case, make sure you take full advan-tage of these contests to drive sales and make sure they are accounted for as part of the sales comp plan.

PRINCIPAL ISSUES


Gonzalez Apr 12.indd 1 3/30/12 4:16 PM

www.SUPPLIESNETWORK.com

everything you need and everything you

NEED TO KNOWSarah CusterMPS Solutions Team Leader

DATA COLLECTION SERVICESERVICE MONITORING

SUPPLY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMSERVICE DESK

SUPPLY ROUTING LABELPRINTELLIGENCE™ MPS

COST PER IMAGE SERVICE

MPS ForumWednesday, April 18 at 10:00 AM – 10:50 AMSpeaker: Barney KisterMPS4: Integration of User and Device Data to Achieve Best Results in Managed Print Engagements

See us at ITEX Booth #905 and plan to attend our below sessions:

MS ForumThursday, April 19 at 2:00 PM – 2:50 PMSpeakers: Sarah Custer & David ConcorsMS4: A Practical Approach for Selecting the "Right" Managed Services for Your Business

Supplies Network ad Apr 12.indd 1 3/28/12 4:09 PM

Manufacturer Spi� s — Today, al-most all manufacturers are reaching over and paying your sales reps some kind of spi� s on unit types. It is important that you capture this information and make sure that your team members are aware that this is part of their compensation. Be-cause these programs are often adminis-tered with some type of credit card, too of-ten they are not viewed as compensation. When reviewing compensation with your sales professionals, make sure you include these programs in their overall compensation. � ese numbers can be substan-tial and are often overlooked when comparing income against other industries or sales employment opportunities. Overcompensate Overachievers — Always make sure

sales professionals who overachieve their budgets and transac-tion structure targets are overcompensated. � e minimal dif-ference that you may pay for overachievement is an excellent investment compared to paying underachievers. � e payback will come not only from the overachievers, but from the reps striving to reach those advanced sales levels. � is manner of overcompensation for overachievement is a smart investment and a strong motivator for all. When building your comp plan, you should establish a low, high and average compensation tar-get percentage against sales revenue; always make sure your

comp plan is paying accordingly.� e most important thing when work-

ing on your company’s sales comp plan is taking the necessary time to plan. Make sure you involve all the people in your or-ganization who will be a� ected by your sales professionals’ actions. � is may in-clude deal processors, lease administra-tors, service managers, etc. Take the time to understand how you want your sales professionals to structure their deals so

you can properly communicate what “good” looks like and then compensate accordingly for a job well done.

Luis Gonzalez founded Miami O� ce Supplies (MOS) in south Florida in 1986. MOS specialized in the o� ce equipment space for

25 years as an independent dealership. It was acquired by Sharp Electronics in 2007. From 2007 to 2011, Gonzalez was branch

president and director of sales and marketing for Sharp Business Systems. He was most recently senior vice president for Sharp’s Business Solutions Group. In 2011, he founded

SalesScoreKeeper, a software design and development company specializing in automation of the commission process for business-to-business

sales companies. Gonzalez can be reached at (888) 786-7270 or [email protected].

Visit www.salesscorekeeper.com.

Take the time to understand how you want your sales professionals to structure their deals so you can properly communicate what “good” looks like ...


Gonzalez Apr 12.indd 2 3/30/12 4:16 PM

The Pros Elite GroupIntroduces the Industry’s First Execution Based Executive Training

May 7th-11th, 2012Tampa, FL

The Pros Elite Group has partnered with Strategic Business

Associates (John Hanson, John Hey, and Todd Johnson) to deliver

the Of� ce Product’s Industry’s � rst training program designed for

Dealer Principals, Company President’s and General Managers. The

Independent Dealer Executive Academy (IDEA) has been designed

by former executives of Global Imaging Systems, IKON, Xerox

and large Independent Dealers to teach executives how to insure

that all functions of their business, Sales, Service, Finance and

Administration, execute to the 100+ benchmarks in the Industry

Model. IDEA also prepares dealer executives how to execute to

new paradigms such as Managed Network Services and the 4th

phase of MPS. These are the same skills that are applied every day

in the Elite Of� ce Products organizations.

Key areas covered in this 4.5 day extensive and all encompassing training program:

• Accounting & Finance – areas of focus

relative to the MFP/MPS � nancial benchmarking

model, Balance Sheet / Income Statements,

Cash Flows and Key Financial Ratios.

• President’s Report – Financial Components

- what should you look at, how often should

you review, and what level of drill down should

occur based on the results of the data.

• Service Operations - Primary Drivers of

Operational and Financial Performance in

Service, How to Quantify Your Inef� ciencies

in Service, Primary Service MUST DO’s that

require successful Execution, 5 Things Your

Service Manager Should be Expected To

Provide You Each Week, and Tactics to achieve

MFP/MPS service benchmarks.

• Admin Operations – Inventory Management /

Best Practices, Achieving Receivables portfolio

Management benchmarks, Warehousing

Best Practices, Effective Payroll practices

and controls, Internal I.T. considerations

and safeguards.

• Sales Operations – Utilize the Pros Sales

Playbook for documenting the Expectations of

a Sales Professional, Developing quanti� able

Sales Assignments, Creating a Sales Culture

throughout the organization, Achieving Sales

Activity Benchmarks, Effective Prospecting

tools, Qualifying and Rapport building

practices and questions for MPS, Sales Activity

Tracking / Data Base Management, Productive

Compensation Structure, and Leasing

considerations for the future.

• MPS phase 2&3 Managed Network Services

– Selling Managed Networks Services as part of

an MPS strategy, Organizing your dealership for

Managed Network Services, Managed Network

Services Benchmarks, and Effective Network

operations center Management.

To Register go to www.ProsEliteGroup.com and click on the IDEA registration link at the top of our home page.

IDEA

(Independent Dealer Executive Academy) Training “Eligible for

Ricoh America’s Co-Op Program

(chaMPS portal)”

• Acquisition Considerations – Explore the strategies behind successful acquisitions, Learn the detail of the steps involved in a thorough acquisition process, Acquisition best practices, Protecting yourself, and Integrating the acquisition.

• Strategic Planning / Leadership – Appropriate Utilization of the three leadership styles in the day to day operations of a dealership, Identifying and developing future leaders, Setting and achieving appropriate personal and business goals, Developing a situation analysis and identifying quality starting points for planning, Creating SMART Action Plans, and Critical Performance measurements that drive performance.

For more info contact • Jerry Newberry [email protected] or call Jerry at 813-713-3592

• Ryan Smythe [email protected] or call Ryan at 773-275-1200

Pros Elite Apr 12.indd 1 3/20/12 8:33 AM

FutureVision 2012Growth Achievement Partners hosts dealer event


Striving to address the best strategies successful dealer-ships should implement today

and in the future, Growth Achieve-ment Partners (GAP), a strategic sales and operational consulting firm led by Mitch Morgan and Chris Ryne, hosted its invitation-only Fu-tureVision 2012 event on March 1 in Kansas City, Mo. Thirty-five own-ers and managers, representing 22 dealerships, attended the leader-ship conference.

The FutureVision 2012 schedule included eight interac-tive education sessions. In addition to Morgan and Ryne, the speaker lineup included: Mike Stramaglio, MWAi; Bret Cos-telow, Intel Corp.; Steve Rolla, PROs Elite Group; and Todd Johnson, Strategic Business Associates. Each speaker present-ed his perspective on the steps dealers need to take to prosper in the changing market. In addition, the conference featured a round-table discussion on the topic of managed services with panelists Alan Bean, Southeastern Business Machines, Hunts-ville, Ala.; Milton Bartley, ImageQuest, Nashville, Tenn.; and Chris Black and Ron Vaughn, R.K. Black, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Managed services remained at the heart of the discussion throughout the day. GAP defines managed services as: “Op-erational support of network systems and technologies using remote capabilities delivered in the appropriate way.” GAP lists the methods of providing support as: remote monitor-ing; system management; remote remediation; end-user help desk; and on-site service (as required).

One of the three sessions presented by Morgan and Ryne was “Managed Network Services: Getting Closer to the Core.” In that session, Morgan emphasized the necessity for deal-ers to focus on helping customers develop and implement a technology road map — using managed services as a starting point — not only for on-premise hardware and software, but, increasingly, for cloud-based computing as well.

As he began the session, Morgan looked back at the indus-try’s transitions, recalling, for example, the 1980s as the decade of the PC and the 1990s as the decade of the local area network. Today, he said, dealers are in the decade of the cloud. “The cloud is it,” he said. “There is no debate. It is the prevailing technology.”

The dealer’s ideal point of entry into the burgeoning cloud

opportunity is via managed servic-es (a cloud-delivered service), with managed print services (MPS) hav-ing paved the way. “The best thing that MPS has done for our industry is it has caused us to begin engaging with our customers on a quarterly basis,” Morgan explained. “Now, we can get to a place where we are hav-ing frank discussions [about technol-ogy] in that quarterly review process with our customers, providing them a whole new level of support and us a

whole new set of opportunities.”Noting that managed services is not simply an operational

task, but “needs to be incorporated into a bigger picture around a technology road map,” Morgan said dealerships will need to have a virtual CIO (vCIO) on staff. A position that Mor-gan described as “the most important person in this whole equation,” the vCIO can ensure the dealership is positioned to serve a growing, unmet need. “Fortune 100 companies have hired Accenture to prepare their technology road maps,” he explained. “Small businesses don’t have that option and they don’t know where to go.”

Small and mid-sized business managers are seeking a source they can trust and they prefer local companies that are already in place as respected service providers “to come in and help them with their road map that will take them into the future,” Morgan said. “This is not an IT sell. This is a C-level call. We have a lot of technology-savvy C-level people in our customer base today, and they see this [cloud] technology and want to build a plan around it.”

During the event, Morgan and Ryne announced the launch of Virtual IT Solutions, a technology-as-a-service aggregator program dedicated to the unique requirements of the office technology dealer channel. The initiative, which provides par-ticipants preferred programs, pricing and terms from hardware and cloud computing providers, offers guidance to participants through use of such sales tools as the Cloud Maturity Model and the Technology Road Map. The target is to have 25 non-compet-ing dealer participants in 35 markets by February 2013. n

Brent Hoskins, executive director of the Business Technology Association, is editor of Office Technology

magazine. He can be reached at [email protected].

PRINCIPAL ISSUES


Attendees participate in a round-table discussion, one of eight sessions held during FutureVision 2012.

Future Vision Apr 12.indd 1 3/30/12 4:21 PM

Print Audit ad Apr 12.indd 1 3/23/12 11:05 AM

Leadership StylesPulling employees to higher performance levels

by: David M. Fellman, David Fellman & Associates

The dictionary on my desk defines leadership as: (1) the position or function of a leader; (2) the ability to lead; or (3) an act or instance of leading. I would like to offer

you a more practical definition of leadership in the business world: Real leadership in business is the act of pulling your employees forward to a desired level of performance.

The most important word in that definition is “pulling.” There is an old saying: “You cannot push a rope.” I think the key to understanding real leadership lies in understanding that your employees — individually and collectively — are very much like that rope. Each one has a different personality and different attitude; each one has different job responsibilities; and each one may have a different view of what is important and what is not important in the operation of your business. They are bound together to some degree by a common work-place, but that does not make it any easier to “push” them along.

Now, imagine a piece of rope and envision pulling on it. Do you see how pulling it makes it a lot easier to get it to go where you want it to go?

Management Versus LeadershipThere is another old saying: “Anyone can be a manager, but

it takes something special to be a leader.” If there is truth in that statement (and I bet you agree that there is), what is the difference between management and leadership?

I think it is simply that “manager” is a title, while “leader” is an attitude. But the two categories are definitely interrelated. The most effective managers are also leaders. And the leaders who ultimately enjoy the greatest success have strong man-agement skills to support their leadership qualities.

A lot has been written about various management and leadership styles. My feeling is that “leadership” simply rep-resents the best possible management style. But how about leadership styles?

Let’s start with the understanding that leaders are made, not born. You do not have to come from some specific gene pool to be an effective leader. You do not need any special training, either. There are a number of ways to adopt a leader-ship attitude and add “leadership” to your management skills.

The Quiet Leader The most comfortable leadership style for many people is

that of the “quiet leader.” At the other end of the spectrum is the “cheerleader.” We will talk about that style in a moment.

The quiet leader is the one who leads purely by example. He (or she) may not have the confidence to take on a “rah-rah” leadership personality.

The most important consideration for a quiet leader is con-sistency in the example he provides. A quiet leader in busi-ness is always pleasant to customers, fair with employees and suppliers, and respectful of the customer’s concerns. A quiet leader always takes care of the little details. He never says anything derogatory about a customer — or a supplier or an employee — in the presence of an employee. The leader-ship message projected is: “I want you to watch the way I work and deal with customers, suppliers and other employees, and I want you to measure up to my standards.”

The quiet leadership style works best with a well-docu-mented management structure: written job descriptions, an emphasis on training, and defined standards of behavior and performance. The strategy of placing the “rules of the game” in writing and then constantly reinforcing those rules by the owner’s example, has proven to be a very effective combina-tion of management and leadership.

The Visionary LeaderAnother common leadership style among entrepreneurial

PRINCIPAL ISSUES


Fellman Apr 12.indd 1 4/2/12 8:34 AM

BEI Services ad Apr 12.indd 1 3/8/12 9:12 AM

businesspeople is that of the “visionary leader.” is type of leader is always fo-cused on what he wants the company to be. at may involve sales growth, produc-tivity improvement and pro� t growth, or even a major transitional change like the ones so many companies are faced with as signi� cant changes occur within their industries and markets. A visionary leader rewards performance that supports his vi-sion — and sits down for a serious conver-sation with any employee whose performance does not. e leadership message projected is: “I know where we are going and I want you to go there with me, but you have to help.”

A visionary leader gains support from employees by explain-ing the “why” behind his instructions. It is never: “Do this!” or “Do not do that!” It is: “Do this (or do not do that) because … ”

e visionary leadership style works best when the vision is clearly understood by both the leader and his employees. Rules and procedures can be less formal because the vision provides the overall framework for making on-the-spot decisions.

The Cheerleader e most common stereotype of a

leader might be the person who leads through raw enthusiasm. is type of leader makes work fun, and his energy and enjoyment of the work is often strong enough to carry employees along for the ride. e “cheerleader” is focused on mo-rale, working on the assumption that happy employees will do good work, lead-ing to happy customers, and satisfactory

sales and pro� t levels. While things are going well, the “cheer-leader” might reward the entire sta� , or may overlook indi-vidual employee failings or problems. e leadership message projected is: “We are all in this together. Let’s all have fun and get the job done.”

e cheerleader style works best with a group of employees who are eager and enthusiastic. Rules and procedures can be fairly informal because the cheerleader is never far from the action and is always available to answer a “how-should-we-do-this?” question.

The Bottom Line ere are certainly other leadership style variations, but

the style you use — or choose — is not as important as sim-ply accepting the leadership role for your company. For some business owners and managers, that comes easily. For others, it is a struggle.

Unfortunately, too many business owners and managers seem to substitute one of the extreme management styles for true leadership. ey operate either with su� ocating, rigid rules and regulations, or with a complete absence of manage-ment control. In either case, it might be said that these people are attempting to lead from behind.

It does not — and cannot — work that way. The leader’s place is at the front, where he can be seen in action. Wheth-er a leader does it quietly, or with a “rah-rah” cheerleader style, the essence of leadership is leading by vision and ex-ample. If you do that well, others — your employees — will follow you. You will pull them along to the highest possible level of performance and your business will benefit from the results.

David M. Fellman is the president of David Fellman & Associates, a sales and marketing consulting � rm based in Cary, N.C. He is the author of “Listen To � e

Dinosaur,” which Selling Power magazine listed as one of its “10 Best Books to Read in 2010.”

Fellman can be reached at (800) 325-9634or by email at [email protected].

Visit www.davefellman.com and www.dinosaurwisdom.com.

Whether a leader does it quietly, or with a ... cheerleader style, the essence of leadership is leading by vision and example. If you do that well, others ... will follow ...


Fellman Apr 12.indd 2 4/2/12 8:39 AM

Selling With StyleRemember, all customers are not alike

by: Larry Breed, Precision Hiring & Development

Successful salespeople understand the value of uncovering customer needs and qualifying sales op-

portunities. Top sales performers also understand the value of understand-ing human behavior and adapting their selling styles to match their prospects’ buying styles.

Behavioral science has proven that people buy for different reasons. A salesperson who understands basic behavioral (buying) styles and learns to use this knowledge in his (or her) sales calls will close more sales.

Some buyers like to get right to the point and some want to visit before doing business. Some like new, innovative products and other prefer proven, reliable products. Some want time to think about your proposition while others make quick decisions. Some like to negotiate and others do not. If you do not know how to tell the difference and assume all prospects buy for the same reasons, then you could be losing sales without realizing it.

For decades, sales training has focused on generalized principles that supposedly apply to all customers. If the sales-person says the right words, at the right time, people will buy.

With today’s sophisticated buyers, and especially tech-nical buyers, just knowing your product and the prospects’ needs are no longer enough. You not only need to know what they need, but how they like to buy.

One unscientific way to assess a prospect’s buying style is to observe his behavior. Is he talkative or quiet? Is he people-oriented or task-oriented? It also helps to ask these questions about yourself, so you understand your selling style and can adapt to the different buying styles.

Here are a few general traits of four different buying styles:

Talkative, Task-OrientedTalkative, task-oriented people are interested in results; need

to be in control; tend to buy new, leading-edge products; do not like to waste time (just hit the high points and get to the “bot-tom line”); and do not want too much data. Ask questions so they can tell you about their operations; stress prestige, chal-lenge and efficiency; and emphasize results and the bottom line.

Talkative, People-OrientedThe second buying style is that of talkative, people-oriented

individuals. They are interested in relationships; need to be liked; tend to buy showy products; are friendly people who would rather talk and socialize than do detailed work; are very quick buyers (usually on the first visit); are easily stolen by your com-petition (so give plenty of follow-up); and do not dwell on details.

Quiet, People-OrientedThe third buying style is the quiet, people-oriented style.

These people are interested in stability and the status quo; need security; tend to buy traditional products; may be some-what shy individuals (but want to be your friend); like to talk about family and hobbies; and are very slow to make changes. They need to trust their salesperson and like to take it slow and easy. If you go too fast, you will lose the sale. You need to provide these people plenty of proof and statistics, and earn their trust and friendship.

Quiet, Task-OrientedThe fourth style is the quiet, task-oriented style. These

people are interested in quality; tend to buy proven products; may be suspicious of you and your products; do not like to change to new suppliers; are reluctant to try new, innovative technology; and do not waste time with small talk (get to the point with facts and figures and answer all of their ques-tions). Stress security if they buy now or the loss of security if they wait.

Just remember that all customers are not alike. Each cus-tomer buys in his own way, for his reasons — not yours. Each requires a different approach and responds in a different way. If you learn to interpret the different buying styles and their common tendencies, this will enable you to establish instant rapport and build better relationships that cause people to feel more at ease with you. n

Larry Breed is owner of Precision Hiring & Development, the company he founded in 1991 after working for Lanier Worldwide for 26 years

in sales, management and training. He can be reached at (800) 875-7599 or

[email protected]. Visit www.precisionhiring.com.

Selling SolutionS

w w w. o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g. c o m | A p r i l 2 0 1 2 | 37

Breed Apr 12.indd 1 4/2/12 8:42 AM


35 • BEI Services

(307) 587-8446 / www.beiservices.com

36 • BTA District Events

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

30 • BTA Marketplace

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

2-3 • BTA Mid-America District Event

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

18 • Building My Business Webinars

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

21 • Business Equipment Quota Index

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

14 • CIT Vendor Finance

(800) 245-0506 / www.cit.com/vendorfinance

13 • Compass Sales Solutions

(800) 295-0411 / www.compasscontact.net

25 • Digital Gateway

(866) 342-8392 / www.digitalgateway.com

5 • DocuWare

(888) 565-5907 / www.docuware.com

27 • ECi - FMAudit

(800) 440-8664 ext. 89172 / www.ecisolutions.com/MPS

40 • GreatAmerica Leasing Corp.

(800) 234-8787 / www.greatamerica.com

17 • Miracle Service/Nexent Innovations

(866) 639-3681 / www.miracleservice.com

11 • MSE

(800) 673-4968 / www.mse.com

9 • OKI Data

(425) 250-7214 / www.agiliant.com/revolution

23 • Parts Now

(800) 886-6688 / www.partsnow.com

33 • Print Audit

www.printaudit.com/ot

31 • Pros Elite Group

www.proselitegroup.com

15 • Sharp

www.sharpusa.com/touchpanel

29 • Supplies Network

www.suppliesnetwork.com

7 • Toshiba

www.business.toshiba.com

38 • Transform 2012

www.photizogroup.com/global2012

19 • Trendler USA

(866) 221-7397 / www.trendlerusa.com

39 • World Expo 2012

www.worldexposhow.com

Advertiser index

TRANSFORMYour Business • Your CustomerYour Industry • Your Thinking

2 0 1 2

... but do it before it’s too late.

ORLANDO, FLORIDAMAY 24-25

MEDIA SPONSOR

Register with Offi ce Technology and save 25%. Use code OT25.

With 50% of printing revenue projected to be under an MPS contract by 2014, the transformation from hardware to services is critical. Learn from the industry’s leading experts and takeaway the solutions you need to transform to a profi table service-centric business.

www.photizogroup.com/global2012

MPSConferenceIndex.indd 1 4/2/12 8:46 AM

Kick off World Expo by attending KKicck offf WWoorld Expoo bby attendding KKicck off WWoorld E poo bb attendding The ImagingThhe ImmaagingThhe ImmaagingChannel Managed Print Summit on July 17CChhannnel MManaagedd PPrintt SSummit onn JJuly 17Ch MM P .

Get insight into the future of business imagingg g ggGGeet inssight inntoo thhe fuutuuree of bbusinness immaaginggfrom some of the most prestigious technologyfrom somme of the mmost presstigioous tecchnoologyyfrom soomme of the mmost presstigioous ttecchnoologycompanies in the world, who will addresseverything from security and embedded technology to y IT automation and supply chain management.

At this event, hear how managed print servicesenable companies to focus on supplies, services and MFP growth. Additionally, you’lllearn how to apply new technologies incombination with new business models.s.elodmos mesneusbuw newh nwithwontionabimcoc

The future of imaging is here—is your company ready?

REGISTER EARLY FOR BIG SAVINGS

JULY

17World Expo 2012

JULY

18 19

Register for both events and SAVE 20%

MANDALAY BAY RESORT & CASINOLAS VEGAS

JULY 17

Registration Now Open!Scan the QR code to register and learn what World Expo &

The Imaging Channel Managed Print Summit are offering in 2012

worldexposhow.com@worldexpo

Managed Print Summit

&

The Imaging Channel Managed Print Summit

REC_WE12_full pg REV_MPS_Feb OT_r3.indd 1 2/9/12 12:34 PMImaging Channel ad Mar 12.indd 1 2/10/12 3:49 PM

HELPING YOU GET THERE. GREATAMERICA.

VISIT US AT BOOTH #705

www.greatamerica.com | 800.234.8787

VISIT US AT ITEX BOOTH #705 AND REGISTER TO WIN

FLY ON ANY MAJOR AIRLINE WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM GREATAMERICA!

GreatAmerica is committed to helping you get there. Visit our booth (#705) at ITEX and register to win two airline gift certifi cates*! Plus, learn a little bit about the innovative ways we’re helping dealers get there - from MPS fi nancing programs to our Collabrance™ Managed Network Services.

*Two $300 airline gift certifi cates will be purchased on the winner’s choice of major airline.

TicketTicket

Office Technology MagazineBusiness Technology Association 12411 Wornall RoadKansas City, MO 64145(816) 941-3100www.officetechnologymag.comwww.bta.org

PRSRT STDU.S. Postage PaidFulton, MO 65251

Permit #38

GreatAmerica ad Apr 12.indd 1 3/7/12 9:52 AM

april 2012 office technology

Documents