December 2023 Office Technology

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CONTENTS Volume 29 • No. 6

FEATURE ARTICLES 2024 Industry Forecast

10 Manufacturers look to the year ahead

DEALERS HELPING DEALERS Hiring Sales Reps

34 How dealers are finding

success with this challenge

Compiled by Brent Hoskins Office Technology Magazine

Compiled by Brent Hoskins Office Technology Magazine

What will be the greatest opportunities in the year ahead? To find the answers, Office Technology magazine asked 11 MFP and printer manufacturers to share their expectations for 2024. Perhaps the insight shared will help you better position your dealership for success.

Diversify Your Offerings

26 Talk to customers & discover new revenue sources

by Chip Miceli Pulse Technology

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

PRINCIPAL ISSUES IT Nation Connect 2023

36 ConnectWise hosts annual event Nov. 8-10 in Orlando

by Elizabeth Marvel Office Technology Magazine

We all understand that the economy goes through cycles and most of us are prepared to weather those storms. It’s the storms that we can’t see coming that we need to be prepared for, and it’s important not to “put all of our eggs in one basket,” so to speak.

Q&A: Larry Weiss

29 A look at leasing, diversification & the industry itself

by Brent Hoskins Office Technology Magazine

Recently, Office Technology magazine interviewed Larry Weiss, president and CEO of Atlantic Tomorrow’s Office (Atlantic), based in New York City. With 400-plus employees, Atlantic has three offices in New Jersey, three in New York, one in Pennsylvania and one in Texas.

With a focus on the future, artificial intelligence (AI) and hyperautomating the work of managed service providers (MSPs), ConnectWise hosted its IT Nation Connect 2023 conference Nov. 8-10 at the Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Florida.

SELLING SOLUTIONS Post-Training Reinforcement

37 You’ve taught it, but

have they learned it?

by Troy Harrison Troy Harrison & Associates

Many managers fall into the trap of thinking that a single training session can miraculously transform their sales team members. While some do find a sales training session transformative, you should think of a sales training program as a foundation upon which to build.

COURT S & C APITOLS 31

Protecting Trade Secrets Tips for keeping your company’s information safe

by Robert C. Goldberg BTA General Counsel

Several recent Courts & Capitols columns have discussed the trend of federal and state regulators curtailing or prohibiting the use of noncompetition, nondisclosure, nonsolicitation and confidentiality agreements. Dealers must protect their customer bases from departing employees.

DEPARTMENT S Technology Association 32 Business • BTA Highlights 6

Executive Director’s Page

8

BTA President’s Message

38

Advertiser Index

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S PAGE

Congratulations 2023 Frank Award Winners

O

n Nov. 2, it was my privilege to attend The Cannata Report’s 38th Annual Awards & Charities Gala at the Madison Hotel in Morristown, New Jersey. This was my 16th time attending this annual event as BTA’s executive director. It is always a great opportunity to catch up with the dealers and vendors in attendance. Hats off to Frank, Carol and CJ Cannata — and the rest of the team at The Cannata Report — for their collective efforts in hosting this great industry event.

Congratulations to the 2023 Frank Award winners honored at this year’s gala. Following are the winners: n Best Production Print Manufacturer: Ricoh USA n Best A4 Manufacturer: Kyocera Document Solutions America n Best-in-Class: Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America n Best Diversification Partner: Intermedia n Best Print Management Software Provider: ACDI and PaperCut n Best ECM/Document Management Provider: DocuWare n Best Marketing Strategy: Ricoh USA n Best Technical Service Provider: Kyocera Document Solutions America n Best Leasing Company: GreatAmerica Financial Services n Best IT and Security Services Provider: ConnectWise n Best Female Executive: Jennie Fisher, GreatAmerica Financial Services n Best Male Executive: Mike Marusic, Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America n Best Manufacturer: Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America

In addition to the Frank Awards, two special awards were presented at the gala. Chris Johnson of Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America was presented The Cannata Report’s Outstanding Veteran Award in recognition of his military service and dedication to helping promote the hiring of veterans like himself in the office technology industry. And the Frank G. Cannata Philanthropy Award was presented to Eric Auman, president of Hytec Dealer Services, in recognition of his support of a variety of national charities, including the American Cancer Society, Habitat for Humanity and Wounded Warrior Project, as well as regional and local Orlando, Florida, charitable organizations.

Through the years, the gala has served as a fundraising event. This year it raised $232,000 to benefit the Mariano Rivera Foundation. Rivera, who played 19 seasons for the New York Yankees, was among the attendees. The funds raised will be used to benefit the foundation’s initiative to educate young men and women for careers in the print technology industry.

“I am so thankful for the partnership we have created within the printing technology industry and for the support we are receiving from so many organizations,” Rivera said. “It’s a strong team of dedicated companies and individuals who have come together for the good of both. We are grateful to The Cannata Report for dedicating its gala to our foundation and the youth we serve.”

Hytec, TD SYNNEX, ConnectWise and Static Control were the gala’s presenting sponsors. HP sponsored the event’s Cocktail Reception, while Xerox and Polek & Polek sponsored the official After Party. The sponsors enabled The Cannata Report to donate 100% of the funds raised at the gala directly to the Mariano Rivera Foundation. n — Brent Hoskins

Executive Director/BTA Editor/Office Technology Brent Hoskins brent@bta.org (816) 303-4040 Associate Editor Elizabeth Marvel elizabeth@bta.org (816) 303-4060 Contributing Writers Bob Goldberg, General Counsel Business Technology Association Chip Miceli, Pulse Technology www.pulsetechnology.com Troy Harrison, Troy Harrison & Associates www.troyharrison.com

Business Technology Association 12411 Wornall Road Kansas City, MO 64145 (816) 941-3100 www.bta.org Member Services: (800) 505-2821 BTA Legal Hotline: (312) 648-2300 Valerie Briseno Marketing Director valerie@bta.org Brian Smith Membership Sales Representative brian@bta.org Photo Credits: Adobe Stock. Cover created by Bruce Quade, Brand X Studio. ©2023 by the Business Technology Association. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means without the written permission of the publisher. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of published material. However, the publisher assumes no liability for errors in articles nor are opinions expressed necessarily those of the publisher.

FLASHBACK

The association’s magazine cover 45 years ago this month — the NOMDA Spokesman, December 1978.

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BTA PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

2023-2024 Board of Directors President

Manufacturers Share Forecasts for 2024

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hat opportunities are you looking at in the coming year? What strategies are you planning to apply to find success with those opportunities? Every year, Office Technology magazine asks representatives of the industry’s manufacturers to address similar questions for our December issue. Specifically, they were asked the following questions: (1) What do you believe will be the primary market and product opportunities for dealers in the new year in terms of helping to optimize the business conducted by their dealerships and better ensure a prosperous future? What are the best strategies for dealerships in pursuing these opportunities?

(2) What will be the most significant challenges dealers will face in 2024 and how can they best address them?

(3) What notable changes in demand/ needs/expectations for office technology do you anticipate from end users in 2024?

(4) What do you see as the characteristics of the office technology dealership that is best positioned for success in 2024?

For the 2024 industry forecast feature, which begins on page 10, we received 11 submissions from representatives of the industry’s manufacturers. I’d like to give a heartfelt “thank you” to the participating manufacturers — all of which are Business Technology Association (BTA) members — for their willingness to respond and set the dealer community up for success in 2024.

Within this year’s forecasts, there are some common themes: customers choosing A4 over A3 devices; increasing opportunities within production print; the expansion of the use of artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), big

data, analytics and cloud services; digital transformation; hybrid work; and the importance of device and network security.

One particularly important thread weaved through the majority of the forecasts: the need to focus on the customer. Here are some excerpts from the forecasts: n Brother: “ ... A dealership that wants to thrive and not simply survive will be flexible, focused, innovative and, most importantly, have a deep understanding of its customers’ needs and be committed to going the extra mile.” n Epson: “Success starts with cultivating relationships with customers, problem solving and providing solutions to overcome specific challenges.” n Kyocera: “Success in 2024 hinges on embracing a customer-centric approach.

Dealerships need to tailor their strategies to focus on understanding and meeting the specific needs of their clients.” n Lexmark: “A customer-centric approach and deep industry expertise will set dealerships apart from their competitors with targeted solutions that understand industry nuances and address specific pain points.” n Sharp: “The dealers who prosper will do so by doing what they do best — providing excellent service to their customers.” n Xerox: “Focus on the basics, stay in touch — and not just when the lease is up for renewal — and understand client pain points. Those who see client retention as job number one are best positioned for success in the coming year and beyond.”

While the industry forecast feature is lengthy, I encourage you to read through all of the submissions and take notes on some action items you may be able to apply in your dealership. I wish you success and profitability as you take advantage of the coming year’s opportunities. n — Don Risser

Don Risser DCS Technologies Corp.

Franklin, Ohio don.risser@dcs-tech.com President-Elect

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

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

David Polimeni RITE Technology Sarasota, Florida dpolimeni@ritefl.com BTA East

Mike Boyle BASE Technologies Inc. Bethel, Connecticut mboyle@baseinc.com Joe Dellaposta Doing Better Business Hagerstown, Maryland jvd@doingbetterbusiness.com BTA Mid-America

Brantly Fowler Zeno Office Solutions Inc. Midland, Texas bfowler@zenotx.com Greg Quirk JQ Office Equipment Omaha, Nebraska gquirk@jqoffice.com BTA Southeast

Jim Buck Carolina Business Equipment Inc. Columbia, South Carolina jimb@cbesc.com Mike Hicks Electronic Business Machines Inc. Lexington, Kentucky mhicks@ebmky.com BTA West

Mike McGuirk ProCopy Office Solutions Inc. Mesa, Arizona mmcguirk@procopyoffice.com Kevin Marshall Copy Link Inc. Chula Vista, California kevin@copylink.net Ex-Officio/General Counsel

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

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2024 Industry Forecast Manufacturers look to the year ahead

Compiled by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine

W

hat will be the greatest opportunities in the year ahead?

To find the answers, Office Technology magazine asked 11 MFP and printer manufacturers to share their expectations for 2024. Perhaps the insight shared in this year’s industry forecast will help you better position your dealership for continued success.

Brother International Corp.

Fernando Maroniene, Senior Director of Product Marketing The current state of the printing industry is complex. In the past few years, we have seen lower print volumes and decentralized offices with more distributed workforces. As companies continue to manage this, dealers must consider the unique needs that come with it. The market today continues its transition from monochrome to color, and this is anticipated to continue throughout the remainder of 2023. We are seeing A4 color laser MFPs present the most promising growth opportunity compared to the large A3 machines, which were designed with the pre-pandemic environment in mind. Supply chain issues severely hindered productivity in recent years and as the supply chain recovers, the shift from A3 to A4 is expected to resume. Dealers must standardize their offerings to maintain security and agility, and remain flexible to manage the changing needs of the workplace.

As digital transformation continues to be the focus, end users will have changing demands. The demand for scanning and workflows will continue to grow, and MFPs will continue to have a fundamental role, especially for small and mid-size businesses. More digital workflows will increase companies’ productivity and efficiency. We anticipate that print volumes should stabilize, but there will be a

consolidation of devices for better efficiency. Sustainability will continue to be an opportunity and a need as well, as printers can include sleep mode, auto power off, toner save mode, default duplex printing and print release functions.

The fundamental priorities of the workplace have remained the same, with security and cloud computing continuing to be the main technology shifts. Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to be introduced and implemented into several facets of business, and digitalization continues to be at the forefront, causing decentralized and distributed print solutions to continue playing critical roles in office technology. Digital workflows will increase companies’ productivity and efficiency, and a seamless customer experience in the workplace will continue to prevail from any place, at any time. Work-from-home mandates change the game, as they demand the deployment of one device per location in multiple locations. Therefore, dealers should consider outsourcing this opportunity with vendors that can replace dealers’ own operations. This requires a shift in a dealer’s mindset but, in the long run, it enables dealers to focus on what is important — customer relationships.

Businesses must invest in better processes, people and new technologies, as this tripod needs to be in balance for an optimal transformation.

Future market opportunities in office technology surround the Internet of Things (IoT), driven by printers and copier/MFPs that function as IoT devices that can be monitored, serviced and managed at scale. As more employees continue to work from home, a dealer’s capacity to monitor these devices, anticipate downtime and respond to device needs is critical. From simple out-of-toner detection (and, consequently, an autoreplenishment action) to product malfunction and security breaches, IT departments need to be capable of monitoring and managing their respective fleets to provide a better overall customer experience. The most

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significant challenge that dealers will combat this, dealers can look to consoliface is the ability to simplify customer date devices and increase the use of A4 ... Dealers can reap the experiences by operating seamlessly so devices to optimize fleets. benefits of hiring customers can focus on their work inRecruiting, training and retaining talsalespeople with different stead of the technology. With this new ented sales professionals are other hurdles backgrounds, especially work here, there and everywhere, securidealers face. While many traditionally when entering new ty is a standard that is constantly being prefer to hire seasoned vets with experiput to the test. A distributed workforce ence in the industry, dealers can reap the markets. This helps to should prioritize security measures so benefits of hiring salespeople with differbring new perspectives ... that all focus is directed to work and ent backgrounds, especially when enterdocument confidentiality. Document ing new markets. This helps to bring new scanning to the cloud, and security measures like password perspectives and potential new customers. OEMs should also intelligence, locking features based on the user and badge serve as support arms for sales operations by providing extenauthentication, all help to promote device security. sive training, materials and support for sales teams. As veteran The new year brings a time for dealers to test new waters, technicians begin to retire, the reliability of printers and MFPs whether print-related or not. Focusing on the subscription becomes more important and can make all the difference in model, for example, is an emerging requirement from cus- onboarding, training and getting new techs up to speed. tomers. Dealers who remain agile and commit to the growth From an end-user’s perspective, we can likely expect mindset will be most successful during changing times, and to see a reduction in corporate unit placements as well as as we enter a new year, a dealership that wants to thrive and print volume. In turn, we can project the most demand for not simply survive will need to be flexible, focused, innova- desktop and A4 printers and MFPs. A3 MFPs will still be tive and, most importantly, have a deep understanding of important, but in less demand. Security is also top of mind its customers’ needs and be committed to going the extra for consumers and businesses, as it continues to be a topic mile. It is not about pushing the old products and business of concern and conversation with end users. End users will models, but more about understanding new customer needs want to be assured that their office solutions are designed and responding to them, regardless of how business used to to be safeguarded against vulnerabilities. As such, dealers work in the past. There isn’t a single solution or one quick should be prepared to have conversations with clients about fix, but those who identify the product features that cater to security and the measures they have in place. the requirements of modern users will succeed.

With marketplace instability, consolidation and mergers, and fluctuations in financial performance, dealers realize the importance of planning for the future and being in Epson America Inc. Elliott Williams, Director of Product business with the right partners. Office technology dealers Marketing, Business Imaging Group who are poised for success in the new year are those who The transformation of the office remain flexible and nimble in maneuvering challenges and technology industry over the past few view them as opportunities. Success starts with cultivating years has led dealers to explore a new relationships with customers, problem solving and providoutlook on who they are, how to evolve ing solutions to help overcome specific challenges. and who to partner with for long-term HP Inc. success. Many are now looking closely Mary Beth Walker, Vice President, at their approach, technology and service offerings, the methChannel Strategy & Enablement ods implemented to meet and exceed their short- and longIn the year ahead, dealers will face term goals, and the partnerships they engage in for support in helping them get their businesses where they want them to be. the ongoing challenge of navigating Keeping a pulse on market trends, working closely with through the global economic condiOEM partners to proactively plan for expected demands and tions with optimism while placing fostering tight-knit partnerships with clients are a few ways customers at the forefront of all initiato kick-start their paths to success. Dealers should also look tives. Despite this uncertainty, there to differentiate their businesses by offering solutions that are notable opportunities on the horizon. Dealers will find others do not. In the last year alone, the office technology growth opportunities by investing in a future-ready business industry has been affected by economic uncertainty where strategy centered on addressing three key emerging industry rising interest rates have impacted hardware lease rates. To trends: sustainability, the adoption of artificial intelligence 12 | ­w ww.of ficetechnologymag.com | December 2023

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(AI) and hybrid work.

This will enable dealIn a market where ers to proactively precustomers seek trust, pare for market shifts investors aim for and maintain a comlong-term growth petitive edge. and employees desire n Future-Ready Business Strategy impact, sustainability — Dealers face a is non-negotiable. tough environment with uncertain economic conditions, but a recent study shows that the global printer market is poised for growth, with a predicted value of $75.2 billion by 2032. Dealers can maintain their viability in the market through a strategic, future-ready approach that navigates both short-term challenges and long-term growth prospects outlined below. n Embracing AI — While AI is not a new concept, the emergence of generative AI signifies a crucial shift for office technology dealers. Its impact on office technology is expected to redefine our interaction with technology akin to the transformative influence the internet has had on society. For example, the integration of AI into PCs delivers security, cost and performance benefits you just can’t get in the cloud, allowing users to run AI models locally without the need to upload sensitive data. n The Benefits of a Strong Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Agenda — Studies consistently show that sustainability investments can provide a competitive advantage, with sustainability frontrunners experiencing an impressive 83% higher revenue-per-employee from 2020 to 2021. In 2022, more than 60% of HP’s sales met the Corporate Knights standard for sustainable revenue, which reflects the customer trend of choosing products and services that help reduce environmental impact. In a market where customers seek trust, investors aim for long-term growth and employees desire impact, sustainability is non-negotiable. Leveraging its extensive sustainability expertise and investments, HP introduced HP Amplify Impact, a first-of-its-kind sustainability program for IT channel partners. HP Amplify Impact is poised to empower dealers to not only meet — but exceed — the expectations of customers, investors and employees in the evolving landscape of sustainable business practices offering access to world-class resources, tools and training. n The Evolving Future of Work — The hybrid work evolution underscores the growing desire of today’s employees to have a say in the technology provided by their employers. However, there is a notable lack of confidence. The HP Work Relationship Index found that only 25% of workers believe that companies will implement the right tools to support hybrid work. No longer just a utility, the technology www.of ficetechnologymag.com | December 2023 | ­13

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portfolio is emerging as an important the Hiring Our Heroes Fellowship prodriver of employee engagement, as well gram. We also support youth-mentoring Looking into the next as connection and enablement. Three organization The Mariano Rivera Founyear, production and years ago, it was tech at home that was dation, hosting students at our Client industrial print will the issue. Now it’s the technology in the Engagement Center to help them undercontinue to offer office that may not be up to the task. stand the print industry and consider it fantastic opportunities, When working in the office, employees as a possible career path. need the right printer setup and periphThe A3 color market for health care particularly in color erals. The shift to hybrid work has fundais on a growth path of 4% or more over labeling and packaging ... mentally altered customer needs in the the next four to five years. This is a great office landscape, and dealers are well poopportunity, especially for those not alsitioned to capitalize on this with a comprehensive portfolio ready focused on health care, as it could single-handedly of products and solutions tailored for hybrid flexibility. drive growth for the A3 color business in 2024.

There have been significant changes in buyer behavior driven by hybrid offices and next-generation buyers. Prospects Konica want to understand your company’s offering before talking to Minolta you, whether through your online presence or other non-sales Business avenues. While a fully online experience does not drive the Solutions best customer satisfaction, a hybrid experience where cusU.S.A. Inc. tomers can learn about the company and then interact perLaura sonally to confirm their purchases strikes the right balance.

Blackmer, Artificial intelligence (AI) can help dealers deliver a betPresident, Dealer Sales, & ter customer experience, understand customers better and Dino Pagliarello, Senior Vice President, Portfolio Management provide an online experience that keeps customers close. AI has been part of Konica Minolta’s technology stack for quite & Planning Looking into next year, production and industrial print will some time, specifically with our MOBOTIX cameras and continue to offer fantastic opportunities, particularly in color digital embellishment solutions.

A dealership investing in people and technology will be labeling and packaging which, along with wide format, will be growth areas for the foreseeable future. We continue to invest best positioned for success in 2024. As mentioned above, in these areas and help dealers understand the ROI for getting skilling up salespeople and technicians, and looking for into this business and how to be profitable in this space. ways to become experts in verticals and solution sets are viIn the health care and public sector verticals, we see growth tal. Exploring how to use digital technology to expand how opportunities around solutions to create better workflow op- content reaches customers and prospects will also serve portunities and save money. Training is imperative to under- dealers well, and those who invest in this space will be betstand market demands, offerings and how solutions play into ter positioned in this environment. that. We offer vertical certification programs, and have speFrom a new technology perspective, don’t try to be everycialists around production print and solutions with vertical thing to everyone with your product offerings. Do one thing expertise as resources for dealers. Dealers should also look very well, be that trusted advisor and drive that new busifor digital marketing opportunities, and we can assist with ness. We are well equipped to support our partners, whether it’s vertical market certifications, continued learning for digital marketing strategy and execution.

Challenges in 2024 will mirror 2023 in that they will re- technicians on higher-end products, or guidance on digital volve around human capital: finding the right people, on- marketing technology and AI. Look for more from us in all these areas. Our products are ready boarding and training. Good technicians are in high defor this. mand, and dealers need solid strategies to hire, train and keep them. The more you can train technicians on upcoming technologies, the more likely you will retain them as Kyocera Document Solutions specialists, and the investment can be very rewarding.

America Inc. The ability to invest in a digital marketing strategy also Don Duvall, Vice President, comes into play here as a recruiting tool. Veterans present Channel Sales another pool of viable candidates, with programs available While the industry has seen a to help hire and train them. Konica Minolta participates in decline in print volumes since the 14 | ­w ww.of ficetechnologymag.com | December 2023

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peak of 2019, the potential for our core addressing challenges, adapting to offerings remains substantial. Dealerchanging market demands and mainSuccess in 2024 hinges ships are poised to continue providing taining a customer-centric focus will be on ... a customer-centric customers value-added services alongcrucial for success. As I have said in the approach. Dealerships side their print offerings, such as manpast, these things are easier said than need to ... focus on aged IT, marketing or document mandone, but the one thing that is certain is understanding and agement. However, for the majority of that the strategies that made the dealer dealers in the industry, the primary community successful in the past are meeting the specific focus continues to be placing toner on not the strategies that will take them to needs of their clients. paper. Importantly, the best strategy success in the future. remains providing an excellent customer experience. Dealerships must focus on providing an Lexmark International Inc. unparalleled customer journey to enhance customer loyClark Bugg, Director of Channel Sales alty and satisfaction.

As we approach the new year, the One of the major challenges anticipated for 2024 is atoffice technology landscape is undertracting new customers. The industry is grappling with going a period of significant transstagnant growth and organizations are struggling to add formation, driven by rapid advancenew products to their portfolios. A major hurdle faced by ments in technology and shifting most organizations is the difficulty in hiring highly qualibusiness priorities. The channel faces fied salespeople to spearhead their growth initiatives, numerous challenges as it navigates which only compounds challenges in increasing their this dynamic environment. However, these challenges also product portfolios. To overcome these challenges, deal- present opportunities for growth and innovation, enabling erships need to embrace innovative strategies and tech- forward-thinking dealerships to differentiate themselves nologies, including developing their SEO and e-commerce from the competition and thrive in the years ahead. platforms. This approach can empower them to reach From embracing cloud services and infrastructure to denew clients and break free from the stagnation plaguing veloping industry-specific solutions, harnessing the power the industry. of artificial intelligence (AI), big data and analytics, and The dynamics of office technology are poised for a trans- prioritizing security and data privacy, the office technology formation in 2024, with a shift from a dominant A3 envi- dealerships of the future must be agile, customer-centric ronment to one focused on more distributed A4 devices. and innovative.

End users are becoming increasingly independent in their Cloud services has become an integral part of modern research, relying more on online sources than traditional business operations, offering scalability, flexibility and cost sales representatives. Numerous studies indicate that a sub- savings. As more organizations migrate their IT infrastrucstantial percentage — ranging from 57% to 70% — of B2B tures to the cloud in 2024 and beyond, the channel must buyers conduct their due diligence online before making a adapt to meet the changing needs of its customers. This buying decision. Therefore, the industry must adapt to this includes offering cloud-based print management solutions, change by aligning products and services with the evolving remote device monitoring and secure document storage. By leveraging cloud infrastructure, dealers can also improve expectations of customers.

Success in 2024 hinges on embracing a customer-centric the efficiency of their operations and reduce costs, key goals approach. Dealerships need to tailor their strategies to fo- for many channel partners in 2024.

In the year that generative AI boomed, harnessing the cus on understanding and meeting the specific needs of their clients. Setting themselves apart from competitors re- power of AI, big data and analytics is vital for future success. quires creating a unique and memorable customer experi- By leveraging data from device sensors, dealerships can optience. Additionally, innovation is key. Dealerships must be mize serviceability and maintenance, ultimately improving willing to invest in infrastructure and adapt to market customer satisfaction. Utilizing AI-driven insights can also changes. The tried-and-true strategies of the past may no help dealerships make more informed decisions and idenlonger be sufficient, emphasizing the importance of for- tify new opportunities for growth.

Security remains a top priority for businesses of all sizes ward-thinking approaches to remain relevant and successand will continue to be top-of-mind in an increasingly conful in the future.

In conclusion, 2024 holds both promise and challenges nected world. To stay on top of this and maintain customer for office technology dealerships. Embracing opportunities, trust, channel partners must ensure that their hardware 16 | ­w ww.of ficetechnologymag.com | December 2023

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and cloud infrastructures are secure to sharing among a distributed workforce protect sensitive information. Additionthrough enterprise content manageAs the market for print is ally, transparency in addressing vulnerment and document workflow soluexpected to be flat, abilities and potential security risks is tions, which Gartner projects will grow it will be critical for crucial for building strong relationships 11% from 2022 to 2027. As the office footdealers to transition with partners and clients. print shrinks, we can also expect to see from being trusted print To be positioned for success in the a shift from robust, high-volume office year ahead, channel partners must be equipment to fully featured color office providers to value-add able to adapt to changing market conequipment that can accommodate more consultants ... ditions and embrace new technologies, scanning and document workflow. while dealerships must stay informed While new areas of growth are promabout emerging trends and be willing to invest in innova- ising for the dealer community, macroeconomic headwinds tive solutions. continue to be challenging. Labor costs, inflation and interA customer-centric approach and deep industry exper- est rates remain high, and customers are increasingly faced tise will set dealerships apart from their competitors with with how to do more with less. As the market for print is targeted solutions that understand industry nuances and expected to be flat, it will be critical for dealers to transiaddress specific pain points. Furthermore, building strong tion from being trusted print providers to value-add consulpartnerships with other industry players, including manu- tants, helping their customers to manage information and facturers and software providers, will enable dealerships optimize their print environments for today’s market while to offer comprehensive solutions that address a wide range building a strategy around those print infrastructures for of customer needs. Dealerships must also ensure that their the longer term. products and services adhere to the highest security standards to maintain customer trust and comply with regulaRISO Inc. tory requirements. A commitment to security and data proAndre D’Urbano, tection is non-negotiable to win.

Vice President of Sales By understanding and adapting to these trends, dealRemember the briefcase or the saleserships can seize new opportunities, enhance their offerperson’s “bag”? Consider its weight, ings and deliver exceptional value to their clients in 2024 thanks to endless brochures of countand beyond. less models from several manufacturers. The “bag” today is smaller Ricoh USA Inc. and digital in nature. A phone or tabJim Coriddi, Senior Vice President, let is all we need, but the information is considerably more Dealer Division than what we had in years gone by.

While office print remains core Today, dealers have multiple lines, each for specific applito our business, one area where we cations. There are products for the office space, wide format, are beginning to see tremendous security and IT services, and my personal favorite, producmomentum is in production print. tion print products. Diversification is not just an approach, During our recent Dealer Summit, but a necessity. we heard from several of our dealers A salesperson needs to be part of the conversation at all who are seeing great success and positioning themselves for levels; it simply isn’t enough to sell to 20% of the customer’s future growth by investing in the competency to sell and needs and leave the remaining 80% to your competition. The service production. And while the investment is significant, rise of the mega dealership came about, in part, because of so are the returns — particularly among the SLG [state and the need for salespeople to be part of an organization calocal government], health-care and retail industries. pable of offering a variety of solutions.

Dealers can also expand their share of wallet by addressIt’s not enough for a dealership to arm its front-line peoing the challenges now posed by our new hybrid workforce. ple — it needs to teach them how to use those weapons.

With IDC estimating 60% of workers now in the office three Product training is an activity that some dealers deem undays per week, technology becomes even more critical to necessary (to their peril), while others embrace it and tackle businesses facing added concerns around security and col- it after hours. One constant is that no dealer wants to see laboration. This creates an opportunity for dealers to help his (or her) salespeople training during prime selling hours. manage that technology, as well as facilitate information Product knowledge is only part of the training equation. A 18 | ­w ww.of ficetechnologymag.com | December 2023

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tougher — and never more rewarding — salesperson also needs an understandfor those who succeed. ing of markets and applications. Where Give your customers The U.S. GDP grew at a rate of 4.9% do his products “fit”? This is followed by something they can’t find last quarter, leaving other countries in a competitive analysis. No customer will on Google and they will the dust. Profits are up for most comgo to Google for answers when his salesbuy from you. It’s never panies and talk of recession is behind person proves himself to be a walking, been tougher — and us. The challenge for most dealers and talking wealth of industry knowledge. salespeople will be to figure out a “goFinally, the salesperson needs a dose of never more rewarding — to-market” approach. Consider an agsales training. Short is the career of a for those who succeed. gressive blend of telephone, as well as salesperson who cannot find, develop in-person cold calls, social media marand close the sales in his funnel.

My message to dealers: Give yourself and your people a keting, mailers and live lunch-and-learns that have you dochance to dominate their territories by providing them with ing face-to-face demos. Demos work!

Use an approach in 2024 befitting the competitive times solutions to fill at least 80% of a customer’s business needs.

And for salespeople: It used to be that your competition we live in. From the book, “The Challenger Sale: Taking stood on two legs, like you. Today, you compete against Control of the Customer Conversation,” by Matthew DixGoogle, artificial intelligence (AI) and the aforementioned on and Brent Adamson: “Successful salespeople challenge “people-selling” competitive devices. If you’re going to sell, their customers by not simply responding to their needs, you had better make this your chosen career. Invest 60 but actually redefining them.” Push your clients out of their hours a week (minimum) learning every facet of the indus- comfort zones. Challenge them to look at their needs differtry noted above. Give your customers something they can’t ently — in a matter that benefits them and that plays to your find on Google and they will buy from you. It’s never been strengths. And please read as many business books as you can, starting with “The Challenger Sale.”

This is a people business. Dealers need to make their people better and salespeople need to invest in themselves. And if you want to bank some record commissions in 2024, go speak to print shops about cut-sheet production inkjet. You owe it to yourself.

Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America Mike Marusic, President & CEO Another year has passed, and while the pandemic can seem so long ago, the constant challenges of the past three years have blurred the time into feeling like one long year. But throughout that period, we have been proud to stand alongside our dealer community, adjusting to change and building a stronger business. As a result, our print business is now larger than in the pre-pandemic period and the Sharp dealer community is prospering. In 2024, we look to build on that success to further help our dealers fulfill their growth goals.

We have finally settled into some stability with steady customer return-to-office policies, which mean that print volumes are more predictable. In the next two years, we will begin to see what the industry will look like as we will likely see some consolidation across all aspects of the business. It is my sincere belief that the dealer channel will once again adapt to the changes around it and create a stronger model 20 | ­w ww.of ficetechnologymag.com | December 2023

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for success. The dealers who prosper will Toshiba do so by doing what they do best — proBusiness expansion America viding excellent service to customers.

Business within existing customers At Sharp, we continue to see the office Solutions Inc. is the most logical technology space as a growth opportuSteven Sauer, Chief path to growth, nity and are investing heavily to expand Revenue Officer as well as securing our offerings. Our focus remains on As we approach supporting our dealers to expand their 2024, page voltheir long-term businesses across all technologies by umes have settled print business. developing products and solutions to at a new normal (about 85% to 90% of help dealers better manage and support pre-pandemic levels) and clients have betheir customers. In 2024, we will strengthen our core print come comfortable with remote work and remotely delivered products with an expansion of Sharp-designed A4 products services. Virtually all businesses are struggling to find and and our entry into the production print space. We will also retain talent, and artificial intelligence (AI) is on the rise. round out those technology offerings with conference room It’s a pivotal time for the industry. Over my career in this displays, desktop displays and even laptops to ensure that industry I have said this multiple times, but what is different our dealers have a tech offering in all areas where informa- this time is the impact of the pandemic on how people aption can be seen. Regardless of how our industry evolves, proach work, coupled with the digitization of print and, thus, these are core technologies that every office requires — and the impact on print volumes. While I remain bullish on print, dealers can easily support. we all need to make some adjustments as we move forward.

Business expansion within existing customers is the Toshiba has taken multiple steps to position itself for most logical path to growth, as well as securing their long- the future: term print business. As businesses and government entities n Its joint venture with Ricoh to secure manufacturing face challenges on cost controls and how best to support volume and supply chain assurance while differentiating their operations, dealers stand well positioned to offer a products through separate firmware, services and soft“one-stop shop” to their customers. Providing a single point ware portfolios. of contact for billing, service and professional services will n Investment in the cloud ecosystem (Toshiba Elevate Sky) become even more valuable to clients and is an opportunity to deliver products, reseller tools and a license/subscription that needs to be embraced. No other technology vendor has management infrastructure that’s leading the industry. as many customer touch points as a document dealer. Dealn Significant major account wins indicative of a well-arers need to leverage that knowledge to expand their tech- ticulated value proposition: technology, tools and talent. We nology footprints with their customers and prevent others are leveraging these successes to help dealers expand their from sliding in with their offerings. Over the past year, I have offerings, evolve their businesses and move up the market. shared our data on our dealers’ print growth when the dealManaging diversification and legacy business is key: ers are engaged in selling other technology products versus n Print remains integral to business — Toshiba is gainthose who are not. The strong double-digit print growth of ing A3 and A4 multifunction printer (MFP) market share those dealers who have embraced a total customer solution and, just as importantly, is gaining a share of printed pages reinforces the value of such a strategy. through its managed-print-as-a-service (MPaaS) program.

Regardless of how you approach the market, have a clear n Start very adjacent to print and then expand outward plan and execute on it. I have seen a variety of business strat- — MPaaS, label and receipt printing, print management, egies work among the dealer community and what they all document management and office workflow automation have in common is clarity of purpose. For those who have represent a logical path for expansion into new businesses. mapped out a business plan with specific execution steps, Skills learned in one area apply to the next. Most imporyou are well on your way. If not, use the early part of the year tantly, dealers increase their skill sets while simultaneously to map out where you want to take your business and what expanding their revenue. steps you need to take to achieve that goal.

In 2024, I believe: For Sharp dealers, we will continue to invest in the office n Companies that are swift, bold and focused will be technology space. We remain committed to expanding your rewarded. businesses and working closely with you to ensure that you n Companies that diversify for the sake of diversification have the best possible solutions for your customers. Have a without considering why clients should care about their great year. expanded offerings will be punished. Toshiba delivers the 22 | ­w ww.of ficetechnologymag.com | December 2023

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training, tools and talent to support dealin automation and workflows help elimiers in making bold, focused decisions and nate costly manual touch points, and ... It will be the great to succeed in their strategic expansion. specialized inks and media help clients entrepreneurs in the n AI will continue to affect everyday stand out from the competition. For dealdealer community who business and workers. Toshiba already ers ready to take the leap, it’s critical to will lead the way through harnesses AI to deliver insights into clients’ understand the requirements of this dethese changing times for MFPs while delivering a superior client exmanding market, including expertise perience from setup to ongoing managein color management, digital front ends the OEMs rather than the ment to troubleshooting and support. and service requirements. Don’t go it other way around. n Excessive cost of capital and talent alone. Take advantage of your manufacscarcity will keep businesses looking to turer’s resources to ensure success. subscribe to services, not buy products or invest in big capiAs clients grapple with the evolving needs of a distributed tal outlays. Toshiba embraces this concept via our subscrip- workforce, advancing their digital transformation journeys tion model, and also provides tools to help dealers recruit, has never been more important. Dealers who add workflow train and retain talent. automation to their 2024 business plans have a distinct adn Security remains vitally important. Toshiba helps pro- vantage, and can increase their wallet share with new and extect organizations’ information from creation to deletion, isting clients using robotic process automation and solutions including advanced technologies such as our proprietary driven by artificial intelligence (AI) to help them automate self-encrypting drives and BIOS protection to shield the routine tasks and securely manage data and information capconfidentiality of personally identifiable information and ture more effectively. Taking it a step further, integrating augprotected health-care information. mented reality (AR) technology will dramatically improve the n Toshiba will grow faster than the market. speed and efficiency of their technical service and post-sale This industry, in general, has a lot of talent. However, in support delivery, leading to higher customer satisfaction and my opinion, it will be the great entrepreneurs in the dealer reduced delivery costs. Before investing, assess your organicommunity who will lead the way through these chang- zation’s current capability to deliver these solutions and coming times for the OEMs rather than the other way around. prehend the costs of start-up and expansion. Make sure you Entrepreneurs have relationships with clients and the com- allocate enough budget and train staff members for success. petitive spirit and grit to find the most effective ways to deAs pressure on prices and margins increases at all levels, liver value to their client bases through additional services. we will see clients adopt a “do-more-with-less” philosophy.

I will take my lead from them.

Here is where leveraging digital transformation tools with AI and AR can make all the difference in customer retention and generate a sticky value proposition.

Xerox Corp.

Karl Boissonneault, Leader, Xerox The coming year will not be without challenges. We anCanada & North America Channels ticipate the continued high cost of capital and a tight laAs businesses face changing mar- bor market. To help address these ongoing issues, take adket conditions and the continued vantage of low-interest and deferred payment plans when adaptation to the hybrid workforce, available, and ensure the right mix of products are on hand dealers must remain increasingly through tight sales pipeline management. Focus on emflexible and laser-focused on deliver- ployee retention by understanding what your staff members ing solutions that help their clients value beyond compensation and make it a reality. remain productive and meet their ever-evolving needs.

Despite the challenges dealers face today, opportunity Heading into 2024, there are two significant areas of op- abounds. Explore new revenue sources beyond print. Cliportunity for dealers. First is expanding their presence in the ents want to know how AI can help them and are looking production market’s color and monochrome segments, and for someone to show them the way. Be that someone. Focus second is advancing their business’ agility in the market by ag- on the basics, stay in touch — not just when the lease is up gressively accelerating their digital transformation strategies. for renewal — and understand client pain points. Those who The continued migration of page volume from offset to see client retention as job number one are best positioned digital presses provides dealers a great opportunity to capture for success in the coming year and beyond. n new business in the print production market as clients look to Brent Hoskins, executive director of the Business Technology improve efficiency, lower costs and optimize profitability, all Association, is editor of Office Technology magazine. while creating stunning output. New, innovative technologies He can be reached at (816) 303-4040 or brent@bta.org.

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Diversify Your Offerings

Talk to customers & discover new revenue sources by: Chip Miceli, Pulse Technology

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hen I got my start in this industry many years ago as a new employee in our family business, the instructions that my father, Vince Miceli, imparted to me were pretty general: “Go sell things.”

In the early days, our company sold typewriters, calculators and some office furniture. As I met with prospective customers, I’d attempt to dig a little deeper and ask them what they needed for their businesses. As a result, I came back to the office with orders for products that the company didn’t carry — at least not until I brought in the order.

Early on, I learned that it is important to think outside the box when it comes to customer needs. It’s something that I’ve discussed and shared with many of my fellow office technology dealers across the country through the various groups and associations to which I have belonged.

For most of us, a business plan proves to be a work in progress. What our business looks like today is often very different than what we envisioned at its beginning. In today’s challenging and competitive environment, it is more important than ever for office technology dealers to diversify their products and offerings.

Those of us who have been in this industry for a while have seen the ups and downs of the economy (2008-2009 comes to mind, as one example). We all understand that the economy goes through cycles and most of us are prepared to weather those particular storms. But it’s the storms that we can’t see coming that we need to be prepared for, and it’s important not to “put all of our eggs in one basket,” so to speak.

Our industry has faced a specific challenge in declining print volumes, which has impacted us all and has led to a greater consolidation in the industry where smaller dealerships have been acquired by larger ones. While print volumes have declined due to a variety of factors, the unanticipated arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 greatly accelerated an already existing problem.

Consider the added challenges of remote work environments, many of our client businesses being closed or operating on restricted hours, and the ripple effect of lower print volumes and reduced technician hours. Fortunately,

we are seeing somewhat of a return to a more normal work environment, but it may not be enough to offset the revenue losses that came from that segment of our businesses.

What’s the lesson learned here? Structuring an office technology company around MPS and heavily relying on print volumes alone may not be enough for dealerships to sustain themselves in the future.

In our case, we began diversifying long before “COVID-19” was a household word. Our first area of expansion was managed network services/IT. A number of dealerships have done this and it makes perfect sense as an add-on service. With the heightened awareness of the damage that hackers can do to a company’s network and the desire for businesses to operate free from interruption or downtime, what better way to provide a needed service to customers than including IT? Much of our plan for expansion of services has been strategic: that is to say, the expansions are part of a long-term plan. But there are also opportunities that present themselves that a nimble dealer can and should consider.

Case in point: We developed an e-commerce site prior to the pandemic because one of our strategic add-ons is office products. These products include toner, cartridges, paper and literally hundreds of other items that help our customers

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and see where else a service such as this stock their offices. As COVID-19 became can go and, in our case, we have expanda part of our daily lives, we saw the opWith the anticipated ed to outdoor signage. In our hometown portunity to enhance our e-commerce continued decline of Schaumburg, Illinois, we recently offerings with masks, gloves, cleaning in print volume, it completed an outdoor sign for the Schasupplies and other pandemic-related made sense for us ... umburg Boomers baseball team, which products. We had the opportunity to to consider related we believe will lead to other similar jobs. partner with a manufacturer in the MidWith the anticipated continued decline west to create a hand-sanitizing product services, such as document in print volume, it made sense for us — as that was great for internal use, but also a management software ... it does for other dealers — to consider reneeded and valued product for our busilated services, such as document manageness customers.

In analyzing the changes going on in our industry and tak- ment software and archiving services. Another service that ing some educated guesses at where things might go, we also we brought on board was office furniture, with the acquisiinvested in video walls and videoconferencing. While we had tion of several businesses in Indiana.

The common thread to all of these diversification efforts offered this service for some time prior to the pandemic, the increase in the number of online meetings helped propel this on our part is that each one is at least in some way related product to the forefront of our offerings. With the right tech- to our common goal — to find a way to be as close to a “onenology, the clarity and resolution of wall-sized screens can lit- stop-shop” for customers as we can be.

Each dealership is different, but here are a few suggeserally make you feel like you’re in the same room with people who may be thousands of miles away. As with most newer tions that dealers could consider if they haven’t already: (1) Managed network services/IT is a natural expansion products and services, it makes sense to “think bigger picture” of what dealerships that specialize in MPS currently offer.

Whether this occurs through the acquisition of an IT firm or by forming a team to provide this much-needed service, this is a solid growth strategy.

(2) Develop an e-commerce website for your business and provide office products and related items for your customers. You know they must be purchasing these products somewhere, so why not from you?

(3) Look at related products to copier/MFPs and printers, which could include LED walls, laptops and touch screens.

(4) Most importantly, talk to your customers. Ask them what they really need related to office technology and services. Do some research and see which of their needs may be feasible for you to bring under your umbrella.

(5) Even seemingly small add-ons (such as office products) can turn into door-openers for larger opportunities.

The business that orders reams of printing paper or toner may need a printer upgrade or be looking for an IT provider.

The most important thing that I have learned over the years is that when I talk to a customer about what he (or she) needs, I may discover another source of revenue. It’s important to be open to what our customers need. It may prove to be the most important (and possibly profitable) research we ever do. n Chip Miceli is CEO of BTA member Pulse Technology, headquartered in Schaumburg, Illinois, with additional locations in Indiana and Wisconsin. He can be reached at chip@pulsetechnology.com.

Visit www.pulsetechnology.com.

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Q&A: Larry Weiss

A look at leasing, diversification & the industry itself Compiled by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine

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ecently, Office Technology magazine interviewed Larry Weiss, president and CEO of Atlantic Tomorrow’s Office (Atlantic), based in New York City. With 400-plus employees, Atlantic has three offices in New Jersey, four in New York, one in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and one in San Antonio, Texas.

Upon graduating from Hofstra University in 1973, Weiss began his career with Xerox. In 1982, he “rescued” Atlantic Photocopy from bankruptcy. The small, struggling operation with a staff of five ultimately grew to employ more than 500 people (prepandemic) with more than 20,000 customers. Today, Atlantic is an authorized dealer for HP, Konica Minolta, Kyocera, Ricoh and Toshiba. The dealership also offers managed IT services, managed print services (MPS), document management software and unified communications (UCaaS).

This interview was the result of a particular interest Weiss expressed in having the opportunity to share his thoughts regarding an article appearing in the August 2023 issue of Office Technology: “Leasing Reforms: They are long overdue in our industry.” (The article can be viewed on the BTA website at www.bta.org/OTArchives.) While the first two questions below address this topic, Office Technology took the opportunity to also ask Weiss about product and services diversification, and his passion for the industry.

OT: What comments would you like to share regarding the “Leasing Reforms” article appearing in the August 2023 issue of Office Technology? (Editor’s Note: The article, in part, focuses on what the author views as difficulties associated with buying out a competitive lease and returning an MFP to a leasing company when the remaining lease payments are made prior to the lease expiration date.)

Weiss: The issue I have with the article is that it totally

misses the point — there was no mention about portfolio protection in the article.

Most independent dealers I know likely have some type of portfolio protection/contracts with their respective leasing companies that govern the respective terms and conditions between the two parties. One of the things that has evolved over time is that leasing companies used to think that the lessee was their customer. That is incorrect. The lessee is our customer and we are the customer of the leasing company.

Over the years, we have implemented contracts with leasing companies that outline our portfolio protection. This is the governing language that covers a lot of dealers’ concerns. The leasing companies abide by these contracts. That’s extremely important.

When such a contract is in place, it guides the leasing company’s actions. We have portfolio protection so that the leasing company provides Atlantic the opportunity to cure a problem if there is a problem. But, after a week, if the client wants the non-original vendor to receive the buyout information, the leasing company will respond to that request. Why would I want to do business with a leasing company that is going to freely give out my information to anybody without me being given an opportunity to address any problems?

OT: What are your thoughts on these areas, cited as concerns by the author of the August 2023 article: (A) The difficulty in determining the remaining balance/payoff amount of a lease; (B) The rarity of notifications from leasing companies regarding impending lease expirations; and (C) Frustrations with having to store competitive equipment in a dealership’s warehouse, awaiting the lease expiration date.

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problem. The reality of the situation is on Feb. 22. Through such acquisitions, that if the client is speaking to you and we know we’re going to get much betI think that this industry for whatever reason wants out of a lease, ter pull-through on cross-selling all the is one of the best-kept the client can tell you how many reother products and services we offer. secrets. It’s an industry maining payments are left. We have had So, yes, you have the stickiness, but it’s where, if you want to no problems getting information on the more like crazy glue when you buy an succeed ... you can start remaining payments from leasing comIT company. panies. If a client is unhappy, the leasing from the ground up and company will provide a non-original OT: Many dealers remain nearmake a very good living. vendor buyout that totally releases the ly exclusively focused on transobligation of the client once the outactional workgroup MFP sales, standing lease balance is satisfied. Let’s be careful not to making little effort to diversify their portfolios. confuse remaining payments left on a lease with receiving What is your message to those dealers in terms of the non-original vendor buyout. the importance of diversifying?

In terms of lease-end notifications from the leasing comWeiss: They need to diversify. Do they need to diversify panies, the leasing companies we do business with put the into IT services? Not necessarily. But they need to diversify, lease termination date on the last three invoices with the and do so in areas that may be easier for them. For example, terms and conditions they must follow to terminate the consider MPS. That’s a business that is very similar to the lease. They’ve been doing this for quite a while. traditional MFP business.

Finally, in regard to the non-original vendor having to If dealers don’t want to get into managed IT services, store the equipment: That is just a part of the game; it’s the document management or UCaaS, they can still survive as business we are in today. If you want to be in this business, long as they understand the different opportunities within you’ve got to have the ability to store the equipment and pay print, such as MPS and production print. But if they are just off the lease. focusing on MFP placements, it’s going to be a tough road I would be remiss if I did not point out that we’ve all dealt ahead, in my opinion. with “bad operators” that have bought out leases by including the remaining payment in the new lease and never sendOT: You have made a good living in this indusing the money to the leasing company, therefore leaving try and clearly have a passion for what you do. the client — who in good faith thought the lease was being What’s the basis of that passion? What is it about terminated — on the hook for not only the new lease, but this industry that keeps you involved, wanting to also the old one. This is just another reason why I am against continually move forward? making it easy to terminate a lease.

Weiss: I think that this industry is one of the best-kept secrets. It’s an industry where, if you want to succeed and proOT: How has product and services diversifica- vide your family with a good lifestyle, this is one where you tion helped grow Atlantic? How has managed IT can start from the ground up and make a very good living.

This is an industry that is comprised of like-minded services led to the placement of additional imaging devices, by way of the “stickiness” that can people. Just recently, at The Cannata Report’s Awards & Charities Gala in New Jersey, we saw how generous and be established through IT services?

Weiss: We began by saying: “We have a large customer wonderful the people in this industry are and how they base and we should be able to cross-sell.” As it turns out, we look to make a difference. I’ve known most of these people do not have the penetration to cross-sell that we thought we for 30 years or longer. This is an industry of smart, generwould have in terms of selling IT to our current MFP clients. ous, fun-loving people who just want to make the world a We realized that, based on our IT stack, 50% of our MFP cli- better place. ents are not going to be IT clients because they don’t fit the I think when you put all that together and you see where stack. As far as the other 50%, we have been cross-selling IT we’ve all come from and the opportunities that this indusservices to probably 4% or 5% of those MFP clients. try can provide those hard-working individuals, like I said, I However, if we switch the question to: “How many of our see this industry as a best-kept secret. I have always felt that IT clients do we sell MPS and MFPs to?” the answer is: 90%. way about it. n One of the things we look at is IT acquisitions. I don’t want to Brent Hoskins, executive director of the Business Technology say we’re aggressive regarding acquisitions because we don’t Association, is editor of Office Technology magazine. do that many. However, we completed an IT acquisition He can be reached at brent@bta.org or (816) 303-4040.

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COURTS & CAPITOLS

Protecting Trade Secrets

Tips for keeping your company’s information safe by: Robert C. Goldberg, BTA General Counsel

S

everal recent Courts & Capitols columns have discussed the trend of federal and state regulators curtailing or prohibiting the use of noncompetition, nondisclosure, nonsolicitation and confidentiality agreements. Dealers have a significant investment in their customer bases and must protect them from departing employees. Fortunately, every state (except New York) has enacted the Uniform Trade Secrets Act (UTSA) that may become more important in protecting confidential business information. There is also a federal statute for the protection of trade secrets, the Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA) of 2016. Establishing a trade secret requires specific practices.

Prohibiting the use of noncompete clauses will have no negative impact on trade secrets law. A dealer can protect against the actual or threatened misappropriation of trade secrets under the UTSA, the DTSA or both. Trade secrets protect any information that can be used in the operation of a business or other enterprise and that is sufficiently valuable and secret to afford an actual or potential economic advantage over others.

The courts apply a six-factor test to determine whether information qualifies as a statutory trade secret: (1) The extent to which the information is known outside the company. (The more extensively the information is known outside the company, the less likely it is that it is a protectable trade secret.)

(2) The extent to which the information is known by employees and others involved in the company. (The greater the number of employees who know the information, the less likely it is that it is a protectable trade secret.)

(3) The extent of measures taken by the company to guard the secrecy of the information. (The greater the security measures, the more likely it is that it is a protectable trade secret.)

(4) The value of the information to the company and competitors. (The greater the value of the information to the company and its competitors, the more likely it is that it is a protectable trade secret.)

(5) The amount of time, effort and money expended by the company in developing the information. (The more time, effort and money expended in developing the information, the

more likely it is that it is a protectable trade secret.)

(6) The ease of difficulty with which the information could be properly acquired or duplicated by others. (The easier it is to duplicate the information, the less likely it is that it is a protectable trade secret.)

There are no shortcuts in trade secrets law. Dealers should: n Implement policies and procedures to protect valuable company information. n Limit computer access to certain information such as financial results, customer information, lease terminations, maintenance agreements, vendor terms and related software programs. n Do not have hard copies of confidential information lying around the office. Place copies of potential trade secrets under lock and key, or make them password protected. n Limit access to their premises. n Mark information “Confidential.” n Be careful when disclosing any information to a third party, such as a supplier or leasing company. Prior to disclosure, have a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) in place. Specifically establish that the information will only be shared with an employee who has a “need to know,” and the information will not be used for sales or marketing purposes. If the third party is reluctant to enter into an NDA, do not share the information. n Restrict employees from downloading company information to their personal devices. n Secure the return of all company property at the time of an employee’s termination. n Meet with an employee at his (or her) termination to review company policies regarding trade secrets and confirm the individual does not have any company information in his possession.

As the landscape for noncompete agreements changes, dealers must adjust their business practices in anticipation. n Robert C. Goldberg is general counsel for the Business Technology Association.

He can be reached at robert.goldberg@sfbbg.com. www.of ficetechnologymag.com | December 2023 | 31

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

Dealer Member Accelerated Business Solutions, Pompano Beach, FL Vendor Members Boundless Design LLC, Alma, WI Wholesale Office Machines Company Inc., Terrell, TX Workwolf, Toronto, ON, Canada For full contact information of these new members, visit www.bta.org.

Section 125, Long- & Short-Term Disability, Cancer & Accidental Death Insurance Policies Discover the ease and simplicity of acquiring expense management services, administrative support services and employee benefits — all from one partner. American Fidelity specializes in providing these services and benefits specifically designed to help you and your employees save time, money and manage expenses.

All of American Fidelity’s services act independently from any major medical plans and may be used with an employer’s existing plan(s). These tax-favored benefits also help reduce employer and employee tax liabilities.

For more information, visit www.bta.org/Insurance.

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

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

Dealers are challenged with finding top performers who thrive in results-based environments and see a future within their dealerships. Workwolf was born from the Xerox environment where time and effort were wasted on candidates who weren’t made for performance-based sales. By identifying and predicting performance before reviewing a candidate based on a personality assessment, you spend less time screening, and hire better employees who stay longer and drive more revenue. Workwolf is a platform that sources, screens, validates and removes the frustration, time and effort of finding the right person. https://workwolf.com Imaging Solutions Direct (ISD) is one of the nation’s leading distributors of imaging supplies and parts. Dealers trust the company for: significant savings on OEM and compatible products from 30-plus top manufacturers of printers, copier/MFPs, fax machines, scanners and more; multiple distribution centers to process orders quickly; customized purchasing programs to meet unique requirements; warranties and exchanges on maintenance kits, fusers and other parts; and more. New customers receive $100 off their first order. www.imagingsolutionsdirect.com A full list of BTA vendor members can be found online at www.bta.org.

For more information, visit www.bta.org.

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DEALERS HELPING DEALERS

Hiring Sales Reps

How dealers are finding success with this challenge Compiled by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine

F

ollowing is a question submitted by a dealer member as part of BTA’s Dealers Helping Dealers resource and many of the answers received. These answers and many others can be found in the members-only section of the BTA website.

Visit www.bta.org/DealersHelpingDealers.

You will need your username and password to access this member resource.

How are you finding success in hiring sales reps?

“By establishing core competencies that are used to evaluate candidates. This pulls focus away from traditional focal points like industry experience and puts a focus on fundamental competencies to be successful. Print is somewhat of a niche market and it can be difficult finding people with proven success in the industry who want to make a change, so identifying true sales talent and training them to sell in our market has been successful for us.”

Nicholas Hienton, vice president of service imageOne, Oak Park, Michigan “We promote using referrals from existing employees and their friends, as well as job fairs for the local community colleges.”

Les Harris, vice president of sales UTEC, Ann Arbor, Michigan “Networking.”

Geoff Riordan, president AAMSCO Identification Products Inc., Little Rock, Arkansas “We are hiring fewer outside sales reps (lots of turnover) and are investing in inside sales and digital marketing.”

Mike Williams, president/owner iTech, Parkersburg, West Virginia “Extreme success! Relationships are key.”

Brantly Fowler, co-president Zeno Office Solutions Inc., Lubbock, Texas “Generally speaking, success has been ‘average’ with hiring.

I think a challenge for our business lies in the fact that rapid advancements in technology have outpaced sales rep skill

for some. There is a strong need to further develop a professional sales executive. Not just a person who can knock on doors, effectively network, prospect and create relationships, but also someone who has a general ability to create value with (digital transformation) solutions offered.

“In order to shorten sales cycles and for dealerships to create value (high-level conversations) with complex solutions offered, I believe there is an opportunity for all to improve on technical skills and not just rely on ‘specialists.’ The challenge obviously comes with hiring, as many seek ‘security’ in their compensation, but we do remain in a performance-driven business.

“If you invest in someone and provide them with strong compensation up front, how long will it take until you can determine if the investment was worth it? When hiring sales reps, are you hiring someone who can move boxes and thrives on selling on price? Or can you effectively hire and develop someone who will be able to take ownership for their own personal development to effectively address what our marketplace requires given all the changes in how our customers do business? This is not easy, but good people are out there.

“Just like prospecting for business, I do think staffing and ‘building a bench’ requires more of a commitment for many.

Many will look for people when a position is vacant. The best time to look for people is in line with your strategic vision for growth. Make recruitment part of a proactive strategy, not a reactive one.”

Dave Aulisio, vice president of business development Automated Business Solutions, Warwick, Rhode Island “We are looking for go-getters in all walks of life — not just former reps.”

Chris Stroud, vice president of sales Accent Imaging, Raleigh, North Carolina “We are having the best success in hiring younger folks with good educations and little to no experience in our industry and, in some cases, no sales experience. We’re training them the way we want.”

David Carson, president Plus Inc., Greenville, South Carolina

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“It has been very difficult, with seasoned reps asking for far too much of a guarantee and not wanting to work hard.

We are starting to recruit newer reps to the industry.”

Richard Van Dyke, president Advanced Office, Irvine, California

“ ... If you can create an environment where folks want to work, then lean on word of mouth. Pay your current employees a finder’s fee if they identify a candidate ... ”

“We look to our own personnel for referrals. If you have anyone cold calling your building, engage them right away. We also use Indeed and LinkedIn.” James George, president Donnellon McCarthy Enterprises Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio

“We are encouraging our own employees with incentive plans to help find new reps. We are also using Indeed to post our openings. We are getting good response with both. The interview process and the qualifying of the applicant is then the most important step.”

Tim Renegar, president Kelly Office Solutions, Winston-Salem, North Carolina

“We use Larry Coco as our prescreener.

He does a great job. We use Larry Breed for the DiSC test (although sometimes this is more information than you want). This is a process that I hope we are getting better at.”

Bob Moore, owner Lockwood Moore Inc., Reno, Nevada “Trailing spouse: The husband or wife who is getting transferred into your area

who needs a job.”

Tim Stanley, owner/problem solver TDSiT, Lowell, Arkansas

“Networking, constantly looking and starting conversations.”

Nick Lioce, president The Lioce Group, Huntsville, Alabama n Brent Hoskins, executive director of the Business Technology Association, is editor of Office Technology magazine.

He can be reached at brent@bta.org or (816) 303-4040.

“We just try to hire good people who take care of our customers and provide them with ongoing training and support.

People who want to earn extra money will sell for you.”

Jeffrey Foley, co-owner Apollo Office Systems, Alvin, Texas “It is very difficult. We are always looking, and if we can find new, younger people to introduce to our industry we nurture those opportunities to success.”

Michael Boyle, president BASE Technologies, Bethel, Connecticut “Paid referrals from existing reps and employees, and a paid summer sales internship program have been effective for us. And we have a full-time HR employee who focuses a large amount of their time assisting our recruiting efforts.”

John Hastings, executive vice president, Imaging Division Loffler Companies Inc., St. Louis Park, Minnesota “To start with, I do believe everyone has a bit of a challenge here so you probably will not find a silver bullet that takes care of all your problems in this area. That being said, if you can create an environment where folks want to work, then lean on word of mouth. Pay your current employees a finder’s fee if they identify a candidate who you hire and ultimately hold for six months.”

John Eckstrom, president & CEO Carolina Business Equipment, a Novatech company Columbia, South Carolina www.of ficetechnologymag.com | December 2023 | 35

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PRINCIPAL ISSUES

IT Nation Connect 2023

ConnectWise hosts annual event Nov. 8-10 in Orlando by: Elizabeth Marvel, Office Technology Magazine

W

ith a focus on the future, artificial intelligence (AI) and hyperautomating the work of managed service providers (MSPs), ConnectWise hosted its IT Nation Connect 2023 conference Nov. 8-10 at the Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Florida. The event gathered more than 4,000 attendees in person, with more joining the event Jason Magee virtually. The event featured three keynote addresses, a wide variety of breakout sessions in five tracks, networking events and an evening at SeaWorld Orlando.

ConnectWise CEO Jason Magee kicked off the event during the welcome keynote on Nov. 8. He greeted attendees and noted that the company had more than 600 software releases this year. Within those 600 releases, ConnectWise added more than 1,000 new features and functions to its products, and resolved more than 2,000 issues.

As he moved into the core of the keynote, Magee told attendees that the future would be the focus of the rest of his presentation. “The future paradigm is nebulous,” he said. “It’s undefined. You can’t quite put your hands around it, but it’s there. It’s a theme that we continue to talk about ... because it’s happening — unfolding in real time all around us. It’s a theme that occurs every handful of years and, over the years, ConnectWise coined it, ‘the silos of chaos.’

“Chaos creates discomfort,” Magee continued. “ ... As your partner, we are here to help you get comfortable with chaos.

We have been met with challenges over the years together, but every time we encountered adversity, we persevered and came together. We adapted and adjusted. We created and we innovated. Ultimately, we made things easier. We embraced the change, took control and, in some cases, we eliminated the newly formed silos of chaos.”

Magee then shared his vision for what the future might look like, noting that the term “science fiction” will become just “science.” “The truth is, the future is now,” he said. “ ... In fact, this time last year, the vast majority of us had no idea what dominoes were about to fall ... when ChatGPT went mainstream. It was something that made a ton of noise and fueled a crucial debate: How will artificial intelligence and humans coexist? “ ... This technology revolution prompted us to reexamine the power, purpose and ethics of the machine-replacing-humans movement,” Magee continued. “ ... ConnectWise is adapting our

innovations to the fast and fluid world ... We need you, the MSPs of the future, to embrace the movement and the opportunities that come with it.”

He then discussed the concept of “hyperautomation” — the orchestration and application of AI, robotics and machine learning. “With hyperautomation, the roles of human intelligence and artificial intelligence will become symbiotic and will deliver with immediate impact, even at a baseline level,” Magee said, showing a slide of use cases for hyperautomation through the use of ConnectWise RPA, a new robotic process automation service that helps users create, deploy and manage software robots that mimic human actions when interacting with digital systems and software.

“You’ve probably heard about how you can leverage this to improve the service delivery side of your business, but it’s way more than that,” he said. “It’s your HR function through things like using AI to generate job descriptions and screen candidates. It’s the GA and management functions like client profitability, collections, escalations and others. It’s sales and account management, like proposal quoting, QBRs, readiness and recommendations. It’s your entire organization.

“MSPs that embrace and adopt this revolution will realize several benefits, like elevated speed and precision, enhanced productivity, operational maturity and excellence,” Magee continued. “ ... For MSPs that embrace it, it could mean improvement to your bottom line. For MSP employees, it could mean new career opportunities and a boost in compensation.”

Magee noted that if an MSP hyperautomated its simple, repetitive tasks using ConnectWise RPA, after 18 months it could see an uptick in profitability by 25% and, after three years, it could realize a profit boost of 50% or more. “Invest in the bottom line of your company,” he said. “Realize that 50% profitability boost.

Invest in your colleagues ... Improve your company’s operational maturity and deliver an improved experience and partnership with your customers ... The good news is that you don’t have to do it alone. As history has shown, ConnectWise is there to help through things like partner success, the IT Nation Evolve peer groups, thought leadership and service leadership ... These are all investments that we have made to help you take on this movement and turn it into a huge opportunity for your business and success.” n Elizabeth Marvel is associate editor of Office Technology magazine. She can be reached at elizabeth@bta.org or (816) 303-4060.

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SELLING SOLUTIONS

Post-Training Reinforcement You’ve taught it, but have they learned it?

by: Troy Harrison, Troy Harrison & Associates

I

do a lot of sales training and I love it. A good training session is like a shot of adrenaline for me — it energizes me. And, if I’ve done my job well, the salespeople have an enjoyable time and learn some key techniques. I think that sales training is an essential investment in any organization’s quest for success.

However, there’s a big difference between training and learning.

Many managers fall into the trap of thinking that a single training session can miraculously transform their sales team members into high-performing superstars. While some, in fact, do find a sales training session transformative, you should think of a sales training program as a foundation upon which to build. Many times, the big transformation occurs through post-training reinforcement. So, let’s explore why post-training reinforcement is crucial. I’ll also provide practical strategies for you to ensure your salespeople genuinely absorb and apply the concepts learned in training — whether it’s mine, someone else’s or your own.

Training sessions are indeed valuable, as they should equip sales teams with new skills, knowledge and strategies. However, a good training session can be an intense, information-packed event — and it may leave some participants overwhelmed. Even the most attentive learners can forget up to 70% of what they’ve learned within 24 hours of training if it is not reinforced properly. This is where post-training reinforcement comes into play.

Here are four reasons why you should reinforce post-training: (1) Retention and Application — The primary goal of any sales training is to not just impart knowledge, but to ensure that salespeople can apply it effectively in their day-to-day activities. Post-training reinforcement helps strengthen these concepts, making them stick. If your salespeople can’t repeat the techniques they’ve been taught in front of your customers, they haven’t truly learned them.

(2) Profitable Behavioral Change — You have seen me use this phrase before and it’s vital. Sales training often focuses on changing behaviors and this transformation takes time. Reinforcement helps individuals shift from old habits to new, more effective and profitable ones. The word “habit” was used intentionally; when good sales skills become habitual, they are used in the field — and, hence, become profitable.

(3) Adaptation to Real-World Scenarios — Sales is a dynamic field and real-world situations can differ significantly from training scenarios. Remember, we deal with people — and people can present an infinite number of variables to deal with. Teach your salespeople skills and ideas, not words (i.e.,

good training teaches them to think about selling). Post-training reinforcement enables salespeople to adapt what they’ve learned to handle diverse situations effectively.

(4) Continuous Improvement — Reinforcement promotes a culture of continuous learning and improvement. It keeps sales team members engaged and motivated to enhance their skills continually. When salespeople think they are never done learning their craft, they are better salespeople with both new and existing customers. Don’t ever let your salespeople get stale.

So how do you effectively reinforce training? Here are seven ways to strengthen your sales training: (1) Regular Coaching and Feedback — Managers should perform regular one-on-one coaching sessions with their sales team members to view, assess and discuss their progress. Remember — effective coaching means watching them sell in real time, meaning that you have to get out of your office and share the field of battle with them. Once you do that, you have the credibility to provide constructive feedback and address specific challenges you saw. This helps solidify training concepts.

(2) Peer Learning and Knowledge Sharing — Encourage salespeople to share their experiences and insights with their peers. This collaborative approach fosters a learning community within the sales team and reinforces training concepts through discussions and real-world examples. One great way to do this is to have salespeople tell success stories during sales meetings of how a particular concept helped them move a buyer forward.

(3) Games and Challenges — Introduce friendly competitions, challenges or quizzes related to the training content.

This not only makes learning more engaging, but also helps salespeople apply what they’ve learned in a fun and competitive manner. At one of my previous sales management jobs, www.of ficetecthnologymag.com | December 2023 | 37

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Reward the behavior that you want and I used to carry $25 gift cards in my pockyou’ll get more of it. et. I’d catch a salesperson walking into the Break down training (6) Performance Metrics and Goal building and I’d stop him (or her) and ask content into bite-sized, Setting — Set clear performance metrics something like, “What are two great queseasily digestible modules. and goals for salespeople to track their tions to open a sales call?” or “What’s your Deliver these minilessons progress. This helps align their efforts with elevator pitch?” If the salesperson delivthe training objectives and motivates them ered a good response, he got a card — an periodically to reinforce to consistently apply what they’ve learned. instant reward. key concepts and prevent (7) Leverage Technology — Use digital (4) Microlearning — Break down traininformation overload. platforms and e-learning tools to facilitate ing content into bite-sized, easily digestible ongoing learning and reinforcement. These modules. Deliver these minilessons periodplatforms can provide interactive quizzes, ically to reinforce key concepts and prevent information overload. For example, in my own two-day course, resources and reminders to keep training concepts fresh in we spend two hours on sales questions. You don’t need to do the minds of salespeople.

Remember that the goal is not just to have a training prothat. Instead, do an exercise to develop one question of a spegram, but to ensure that your salespeople genuinely learn cific type. Rotate the topics appropriately.

(5) Role-Playing Exercises — I know, I know, nobody likes and apply the concepts taught to drive improved sales perforrole-playing. So, why do we do it? Because it works. Role-play- mance. With a consistent post-training reinforcement strateing is actually more difficult than real selling. I always liken gy, your sales team will be better equipped to win more cusit to “resistance training for salespeople”; if your people can tomers and keep the ones they have. n Troy Harrison is the author of “Sell Like You be effective when role-playing, they will be strong in the field.

Mean It” and “The Pocket Sales Manager.”

Organize role-playing exercises that mimic real sales situaHe helps companies navigate the elements of tions. The key to this type of role-play is to make sure that the sales on their journeys to success. To schedule a salespeople are implementing the lessons taught, not “makfree 45-minute Sales Strategy Review, call ing a sale.” My rule in role-playing is simple. I usually play the customer, and if the salespeople are implementing the les- (913) 645-3603 or email troy@troyharrison.com.

Visit www.troyharrison.com. sons correctly, I’m a fairly easy customer. If not, I get tougher.

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