January 2015 Office Technology

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CONTENTS Volume 21 • No. 7

FEATURE ARTICLES 10

Looking Ahead Dealers recommend strategies for success in 2015

COURTS & CAPITOLS Employee Termination Learn how to minimize potential claims & risks

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by Robert C. Goldberg BTA General Counsel

Compiled by Brent Hoskins Office Technology Magazine

In 2015, what do you believe will be the areas of greatest opportunity for office technology dealers? What do you believe will be the best strategies for success in pursuing those opportunities? Recently, Office Technology asked these questions of dealers via an email survey.

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Managed IT Services Taking the mystery out of the first steps

In order to minimize potential claims and risks after the termination of an employee, there are several steps that can be taken to reduce your exposure. One of the best tools to minimize exposure is to obtain a release of all claims.

P R I N C I PA L I S S U E S Turning Ideas Into Success Apply these maxims to all of your programs

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by Ed McLaughlin Valderus

by Jim Kahrs PPMC Inc.

Now that it is nearly universally accepted that the decline in office pages is permanent and process-driven, office technology dealers now face the challenge of balancing equipment sales with trying to figure out how to move into the managed IT services market.

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A Google+ Primer The top questions dealers ask about business pages

by Lindsay Kelley Dealer Marketing

As we enter a new year, many people will take the time to reflect on their performance over the last year. Some may be asking, “We had some great plans that did not come to fruition.

Why not?” The answer often lies in the execution (or lack thereof) of the plans we felt so strongly about.

SELLING SOLUTIONS Not Just a Buddy Five changes every sales rep must make

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by Troy Harrison SalesForce Solutions

It is a question often heard from the MFP and managed services dealers we work with: “Do I really need a Google+ business page? I thought Google+ was a ghost town.” The answer is yes and no. Yes, you really need a Google+ business page and no, it is not a ghost town.

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OEM & Remanufactured Find the right balance; keep winning championships

by Gil Wazana MSE

I have spent nearly half of my life supporting and promoting a true alternative to the OEM toner cartridge. That being said, building a successful business is not about some blind allegiance to one product or product type. Among many things, it is about delivering value to prospective customers.

The sales world has changed and some salespeople are struggling to keep up. Today, viewing sales as a friendship contest does not work.

If you want to remain viable in your sales career, you may have to embrace some changes.

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

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• BTA Calendar • BTA Highlights

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Executive Director’s Page

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BTA President’s Message

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Advertiser Index

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S PAGE

Is Managed IT Part of Your 2015 Plans?

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n 2015, what do you believe will be the areas of greatest opportunity for office technology dealers? What do you believe will be the best strategies for success in pursuing those opportunities? Recently, I asked these questions of dealers via an email survey. Collectively, the responses I received appear as this month’s cover feature.

As I initially read the responses, it quickly became clear that many dealers are very like-minded when it comes to the year ahead. That is, managed IT services is cited most frequently as the greatest opportunity for dealers in 2015. To illustrate the degree of this like-mindedness, I compiled the following “BTA Dealer” responses to my two questions. They are cobbled together with sentences pulled directly from nine of the dealer responses I received.

Opportunities: I believe managed network services will be the greatest opportunity to leverage our relationships and expand in an industry much larger than our traditional copy/print marketplace. This area is being controlled by IT companies.

They do not have a great track record with customer service. We are really understanding and enjoying the margins we are seeing from managed services contracts, as well as the hardware that just naturally comes along with those contracts. The managed services industry is expected to double in revenue by 2018. With many companies outsourcing their IT work, the opportunity is there for traditional office technology dealers to service those needs. With the installed base they have, they have created a trust factor that is needed to enter this market. I believe our industry is poised for great expansion. Managed network services

represents the fastest growing portion of our business. We are projecting $600,000 in revenue for next year.

Strategies: Dealers will need to decide how to enter this market, either by partnering or acquiring an existing IT company, or hiring their own IT people. Part of our strategy has been to team up with some big, recognizable providers in managed services. While we have had some joint efforts for marketing with them, we still have a big, essentially untapped prospect pool — our current MFP customers. We will continue what has been working for us the last 18 months or so. Managed services contracts are what we are really trying to sell — the monthly revenue stream we have been looking to for economic stability and planning. I believe the best strategy for success is education. Education for those on your sales and service teams first, but education for your customers is also important. Develop a solid IT practice that instills confidence for the customer. You must be able to position yourself as the subject-matter expert.

Also, deliver a consistent and positive enduser experience.

Admittedly, my cobbled responses sound a bit disjointed in a few places, but you get the idea. They emphasize that dealers collectively see themselves as “poised for great expansion,” given the burgeoning managed IT services opportunity. At some point, it is clear, the profile of the typical office technology dealership is going to be markedly different than it is today. Based on the dealer responses included in the cover feature, it appears that managed IT services will become a key component of that profile.

Are you pursuing the managed IT services opportunity or one of the other opportunities cited in the cover feature? Read what others are planning, starting on page 10. 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 Robert C. Goldberg, General Counsel Business Technology Association Troy Harrison, SalesForce Solutions www.troyharrison.com Jim Kahrs, Prosperity Plus Management Consulting Inc. www.prosperityplus.com Lindsay Kelley, Dealer Marketing www.dealermarketing.com Ed McLaughlin, Valderus www.valderus.com Gil Wazana, MSE www.mse.com

Business Technology Association 12411 Wornall Road Kansas City, MO 64145 (816) 941-3100 www.bta.org Member Services: (800) 505-2821 BTA Legal Hotline: (800) 869-6688 Valerie Briseno Membership Marketing Manager valerie@bta.org Mary Hopkins Database Administrator mary@bta.org Teresa Leerar Bookkeeper teresa@bta.org Brian Smith Membership Sales Representative brian@bta.org Photo Credits: Bigstockphoto. Cover created by Bruce Quade, Brand X Studio. ©2015 by the Business Technology Association. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means without the written permission of the publisher. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of published material. However, the publisher assumes no liability for errors in articles nor are opinions expressed necessarily those of the publisher.

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BTA PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 2014-2015 Board of Directors

BTA’s Winter Break: A Must-Attend Event

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re you looking to get away from industry events that are in cavernous convention centers, provide little one-on-one time with other dealers and exhibitors, and offer an overwhelming number of educational session choices? If so, BTA’s Winter Break district event may be just what you are seeking.

This power-packed event has something for every facet of your business — from strategic planning to service delivery, from sales management to trend marketing, from managing corporate culture to understanding your exposure in this new services-led industry. There will also be a special presentation by John O’Leary of Rising Above that you will not want to miss.

Hosted by BTA Southeast, Winter Break will be held March 20-21 at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa in Orlando, Fla. The event will kick off at 7:30 a.m. on Friday, March 20, with breakfast, opening comments and the keynote dealer panel, “Mergers, Acquisitions & Future Growth: What is Your Dealership’s Strategy?” The panel will be moderated by Jim Kahrs of Prosperity Plus Management Consulting Inc. and will feature three dealer panelists: Jeff Gau, CEO of Marco, St. Cloud, Minn.; Jim Kreikemeier, president of Capital Business Systems Inc., Fort Collins, Colo.; and Rick Lott, co-owner of Zymphony Technology Solutions, Tampa, Fla. Following the panel, two educational sessions will be held: “Adapting to Today’s New Buying Habits,” led by Darrell Amy and Lindsay Kelley of Dealer Marketing; and “Recession or No Recession: Prepare Your Business to Grow & Thrive in Either Environment,” led by Chris Polek of Polek & Polek Inc.

After a break for lunch, the educational program will continue with two more sessions: “Managed Legal Liability,” led by Bob Goldberg of the Business Technology Association; and “How Does Gen Y Buy & Why Does it Matter?” led by Terrie Campbell of Ricoh Americas Corp.

O’Leary’s session will wrap up the day’s education. His motivational presentation, “Ignite Your Life! Discovering the Keys to Unlock Passion, Potential & Impact,” will show you how your greatest challenges can be transformed into outstanding growth.

That evening, attendees will enjoy a welcoming reception where they will have time to network with peers and exhibiting sponsors. Breaks between sessions on both days will allow for additional networking time.

The second day will begin at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 21, with a continental breakfast. Melissa Whitaker of Melissa Whitaker International, will then present her session, “Sales Management: The Benchmarks that Drive Sales to Higher Levels.” Two more sessions will follow: “Service & Operations: Key Drivers of Financial & Operational Performance,” led by Ken Staubitz of BEI Services; and “Succession Planning for Your Dealership,” led by Kahrs.

The event will wrap up with prize drawings following Kahrs’ session. At 2 p.m., attendees will travel to the Disney theme park of their choice (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom) to spend the afternoon and evening.

BTA member registration, including a Disney ticket, is $199. Member registrants will receive a second registration free when they register by Feb. 18. Non-member registration including a Disney ticket is $249.

For more information or to register, visit www.bta.org/BTASoutheastEvent or call (800) 234-8996. n — Ron Hulett

President Ron Hulett U.S. Business Systems Inc. 3221 Southview Drive Elkhart, IN 46514 ron.hulett@usbus.com President-Elect Dave Quint Advanced Systems Inc. 2945 Airport Blvd.

P.O. Box 57 Waterloo, IA 50704 dquint@asiowa.com Vice President Rob Richardson Allied Document Solutions & Services Inc. 200 Church St. Swedesboro, NJ 08085 robr@ads-s.com BTA East Mike Boyle BASE Technologies Inc. 23 Francis Clarke Circle, Ste. 1B Bethel, CT 06801 mboyle@baseinc.com BTA Mid-America Dan Castaneda International Copy Machine Center 1515 Lee Trevino, Ste. EE El Paso, TX 79936 dan@icmc-elp.com BTA Southeast Gerry Purvis Purvis Business Machines Inc. 4505 Highway 39 N. Meridian, MS 39301 gerry.purvis@gopurvis.com BTA West Mike Ehlers Yost Business Systems 685 E. Anderson Idaho Falls, ID 83401 mike@yostonline.com Immediate Past President Todd J. Fitzsimons Automated Business Solutions DBA Network Imaging 277 Captain Lewis Drive Southington, CT 06489 tjfitzsimons@ni-ct.com Ex-Officio/General Counsel Robert C. Goldberg Schoenberg Finkel Newman & Rosenberg LLC 222 S. Riverside Plaza, Ste. 2100 Chicago, IL 60606 robert.goldberg@sfnr.com

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Looking Ahead Dealers recommend strategies for success in 2015 Compiled by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine

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n 2015, what do you believe will be the areas of greatest opportunity for office technology dealers? What do you believe will be the best strategies for success in pursuing those opportunities? Recently, Office Technology magazine asked these questions of dealers via an email survey. Following are the responses received. Perhaps the comments shared by your fellow dealers mirror your plans — or provide some new ideas.

Opportunities: After attending the [2014] BTA Southeast meeting in Asheville, N.C., I came to the conclusion that our greatest opportunity for growth in 2015 and beyond is to become a managed services provider (MSP) and a managed print services (MPS) provider.

Strategies: Our best strategy to succeed is to hire and train a solutions specialist and quit relying on MFP sales reps to attain these opportunities. Protecting data and monitoring operating costs for companies is a service that almost all clients want and they would prefer one-stop shopping. Hopefully we can successfully offer these services to our valued customers and new clientele wanting our services.

Jeff Eaves, president Appalachia Business Communications of Kingsport Johnson City, Tenn.

Opportunities: Managed print services, enterprise content management software applications and print management software applications.

Strategies: Consultative selling strategies.

Jim Fall, vice president of strategic planning & business development Cannon IV Inc., Indianapolis, Ind. Opportunities: If dealers are not in managed network

services (MNS), they should seriously look at doing so in 2015.

Strategies: (1) Engage an MNS consultant such as Service Leadership or GAP (Mitch Morgan); (2) Acquiring a small, local IT firm is the easiest way to get into MNS and provides the fastest ROI; and (3) Create a comp plan to motivate your MFP reps to qualify and set MNS appointments. MNS is an offensive and defensive strategy. The majority of our MNS accounts are net new (not MFP/MPS accounts).

Dean Boring, president & CEO Boring Business Systems, Lakeland, Fla. Opportunities: I believe expanding our IT services business is critical to our long-range plan.

All the products we sell and support are networkable, so having an IT services relationship gives us a much greater opportunity to sell those additional products. I think it really enhances our ability to sell MFPs as well. Having IT services customers and a website that displays your commitment to IT definitely helps sell MFPs. Strategies: The opportunity is now with regard to IT services. The companies that have signed IT or managed services contracts do not seem that happy overall and many companies still have not done any type of managed services contracts to date. We have to reach out via email blasts, direct mail and lunch-and-learn-type gatherings. We also must have sales reps calling on these accounts now, because we do believe that there is a race to sign this business.

Mark Watson, president CDS Office Technologies, Spring field, Ill. Opportunities: We feel we are finally on the right track with our MPS program; it is still our number-one priority.

Our next step, which we feel is most important, is going to be managed network services and document management. We

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have begun the program in one of our never go under a minimum contract branches and it is working very well. We price that is pre-established. Never price “I suspect we will will also be stressing mobile and remote match. NOC — create one or outsource. always be fighting printing. We have recently taken on a Staffing: sales engineers; VCIO; NOC for increased market 3D printer line and are in the process of manager; help desk — Level 1, Level 2 share in the MFP space, introducing it to our present customers and Level 3; and field engineers. Tradibut managed IT is and learning. tional reps need to be compensated.

Strategies: The best and only stratJoe Dellaposta, COO/owner where our greatest egy for accomplishing the above areas WPS Inc., Hagerstown, Md. opportunity lies.” is obtaining the right personnel, then making the expenditure necessary to Opportunities: Managed network see that they receive the proper training services represents the fastest growing to present our programs in a way the prospect will fully un- portion of our business. Our recurring revenue model, toderstand and buy into. This is called trust. gether with hardware as a service, has allowed us to grow Bob Smith, president from nothing to $400,000 in annual revenue with a 30-perCopiers Plus Inc., Fayetteville, N.C. cent contribution in two years. We are projecting $600,000 in revenue for next year.

Opportunities: I feel like the greatest opportunity Strategies: We have a three-prong approach to growing comes from maximizing the relationships we already enjoy. MNS: (1) Involve our existing customer base; (2) Actively It is easy to try and come up with the next great thing, but pursue acquisition; and (3) Develop the sales skills of our I feel our greatest opportunity is to focus on the clients we network engineers. I have never been a fan of the “sales/serhave and maximize penetration in those accounts. Maybe it vice” approach, but in this arena it seems to be natural. Permeans copiers, maybe it means our SEO services, maybe it haps, when we reach a certain base level of customers, we means toner or maybe document management — maybe all could have a dedicated salesperson for customer retention/ of them. Until we are getting all the business a customer has new business, but time will tell. to offer, it means our relationship with that customer can Mike Brandon, president still use a bit more work. Looking for the great new thing ABC Office Equipment Co., Spokane, Wash. when we have amazing clients who are great to work with seems silly if taking care of what we have can improve revOpportunities: We see the greatest area of opportunity enue streams. Proverbs 21:5: “The plans of the diligent lead to be in the managed IT space. I suspect we will always be to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” fighting for increased market share in the MFP space, but Strategies: This ties back in to number one [the oppor- managed IT is where our greatest opportunity lies. With the tunity] for us. If our client does not feel he/she is the most infrastructure in place, no additional fixed costs to bring important part of our business, we are messing up. If it seems additional customers on and the relatively high gross marlike process is more important, we are doing it wrong. If it gins the IT space affords, we are excited for the prospect of a seems like sales are more important, we are doing it wrong. great 2015 as we increase our presence in this arena.

If the client feels like he/she is number one, he/she can help Strategies: Part of our strategy has been to team up with us achieve what we cannot seem to when we just try hard. It some big, recognizable providers in managed services like is the client who really matters. So, our number-one strategy Datto on backup and Motorola for access points. While we for 2015 is excellence and adding value before we get value. have had some joint efforts for marketing with them, we still Jesse Harwell, president have a big, essentially untapped prospect pool — our curPahoda Image Products, Lakewood, Colo. rent MFP customers. This has proven to be a great area to get into for CBE. Opportunities: Managed IT services (MITS).

John Eckstrom, president Strategies: Product offering is key; companies should Carolina Business Equipment (CBE), Columbia, S.C. only sell what they can support. Sell recurring revenue programs; traditional imaging customers are used to all-incluOpportunities: Our greatest opportunity lies in the sive service contracts, so selling the same concept in regard managed network arena. We have positioned our company to MITS should be an easy transition for the sales staff and to exceed our traditional copier sales revenue, which rethe customer. Have a target market; not all customers will mains flat, with IT-based revenue. After six years in the IT be good MITS customers. Do not be afraid to walk away and business, economies of scale have really kicked in and 2014 12 | ­w w w. o f f ic et ec hno lo g y m a g.c om | Ja nua r y 2 0 1 5

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was a very profitable year. We are really step at a time.

“Show them the apps. understanding and enjoying the marDan Castaneda, general manager gins we are seeing from managed serInternational Copy Machine Center Redefine the paperless vices contracts, as well as the hardware El Paso, Texas office conversation. Do that just naturally comes along with not stress out on what those contracts. 2015 looks bright for Opportunities: Managed services you do not know; make managed services and IT-related sales.

— this could include managed print some time and learn it.

Strategies: We will continue what services, managed IT services and/or has been working for us the last 18 telephony services. As these services That is what we do best.” months or so. Managed services conbecome more commonly embraced and tracts are what we are really trying to sought after by end users, BTA Channel sell. Along with that comes IT hardware, servers, backup dealers are positioned well and have the customer relationstorage, phone systems and other related sales — and print- ships in place to take advantage of these opportunities. ers. If your dealership has not entered this area of business, Strategies: You must be able to position yourself as the get there as quickly as you can. You will like what you find subject-matter expert (SME) — a competent service provider after you understand it is not the same as the traditional in that particular field. Your customers will expect the same copier business model. Managed services contracts are the high levels of service and product knowledge they have remonthly revenue stream we have been looking to for eco- ceived from you in the past with your core products in these nomic stability and planning. new areas. If you do not have this particular expertise inGreg Walker, president house, you will need to partner with or acquire a company East Texas Copy Systems, Tyler, Texas that does.

Dave Quint, president & CEO Opportunities: IT services and other managed services Advanced Systems Inc., Waterloo, Iowa that answer a customer’s specific needs, and placing the correct equipment at the correct price.

Opportunities: Capturing market share in this mature Strategies: Building deep relationships with your cus- market. New products and services are great and necessary, tomers. To do that, salespeople are going to have to famil- but do not overlook the opportunity in our core business. iarize themselves with the uniqueness of each customer’s Strategies: Customer service is still the key, but you must business and who to call on before making the sales call. As have the business process automation. You must know the always: Training! Training! Training! equipment and software to find the workflow solutions to Loren Davis, president help your customers or it will simply be a price war. That Davis Business Machines Inc., Helena, Mont. is why the opportunity is in our core business. Most people talk it, but few can bring it to the field.

Opportunities: I feel that the biggest opportunity for Nick Lioce, president our business in the coming year is going to be the complete The Lioce Group, Huntsville, Ala. office solution package via managed IT. This area is being controlled by IT companies. They do not have a great track Opportunities: Our greatest opportunity still fits or record with customer service. I feel that our company, being belongs in today’s technology, but with a slightly different that it is built on the belief that service comes first, can start twist. If you are still thinking our greatest opportunities are to take away the customers IT companies once dominated digital, color or finishing, history may repeat itself, but not and bring them over to our company to provide the com- with those. We need to really understand the opportunities plete office solution package with better, faster and more (smartphones/tablets, cloud storage, document management reliable service at an already-established IT rate. and all things around IT) and how seamlessly these products Strategies: Our strategies are quite simple. Get in with work in harmony with our non-mobile devices and printers/ our existing customers and offer them the complete pack- MFPs within our networks. Nearly all emails are replied to by age — managed IT, software solutions and equipment — smartphones/tablets. Wi-Fi- and Bluetooth-enabled devices while always stressing that they can do it in steps. One are carried in backpacks; these have replaced the leather step at a time: First, the equipment is already in place. briefcase of 1960. Showrooms that still have magazine racks Next, put anti-virus software and content filtering on each need to be removed. All demos must be performed with workstation, making everyone more efficient. Then, add smartphones/tablets. Show them the apps. Redefine the paremote monitoring and managed IT. So, taking over one perless office conversation. Do not stress out on what you do 14 | ­w w w. o f f ic et ec hno lo g y m a g.c om | Ja nua r y 2 0 1 5

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Importing all those meter reads for your MPS Program into your billing system causing you grief?

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We like Option #2 as well, and so do the hundreds of dealerships we’ve worked with to implement Miracle Service’s meter module.

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not know; make some time and learn it.

Opportunities: I feel the greatest “I believe controlling That is what we do best. opportunity for growth in 2015 in FairStrategies: Partnering with vendors banks, Alaska, is going to be in managed infrastructure is the that not only offer products and soluservices. Not just network services, but best opportunity ... tions, but take the next step to underall services. Our goal at Northern BusiThe hardware ... will stand how those products/solutions ness Systems is to be a single source for just be a node at the will work in modern offices. Carefully all of our clients’ technology needs. We end of the network choose which ones make sense because work with small to medium businesses you are about to invest valuable time and we will take care of what they need we hope to control.” and money. I believe that with all the to run their offices so they can conceninformation on the Internet, our custrate on running their businesses. tomers are much more informed today. Today, a customer Strategies: To achieve our goal, we plan to keep current showed our sales rep a picture of an office chair on her on new technology, both hardware and software, so we are smartphone, sat in a chair in our office and bought two. I the single point of knowledge for our clients. Of course, we believe that offering a very focused message on what you do cannot do this alone, and when we find we need assistance, offer is the greatest opportunity. Zig Ziglar said: “You don’t we will look to partner with a third-party vendor to provide build a business — you build people — and then people a full line of solutions that we can offer to our clients. build the business.” I believe that whether it is MPS, MSP, Cathy Dimon, president CPC or whatever acronym you call it, you need to do it well.

Northern Business Systems, Fairbanks, Alaska Finish lines are for businesses that have quit investing in their people/company.

Opportunities: I believe controlling infrastructure is DJ Hastings, president the best opportunity for the next several years. That can be Hogland Office Equipment, Lubbock, Texas managing the network, SAS, content management, workflow management and digital imaging. The hardware we are Opportunities: Contrary to many beliefs, I think that all so comfortable selling will just be a node at the end of the there is still much opportunity for managed print services network we hope to control. It will become less important and production to grow in 2015. Both of these areas fit the to the customer what prints the documents when needed, core business model of the independent dealership and can who provides the hardware or whose name is on the combe implemented within a reasonable time using mostly ex- puter as long as the documents are accessible, stored and isting personnel. There is investment required, especially for secure when needed. Controlling the workflow is the lease production, but the downside is that if you are not in produc- of 20 years ago for customer retention. tion, you stand to lose other MFP opportunities as customStrategies: If I knew the best strategies to make this hapers look for a one-stop-shop supplier. That is another reason pen, I would become a consultant and let someone else fight to be in MPS, since customers like to bundle MPS with their the daily price battle; I’m hoping BTA is the one to help me existing MFPs with a service provider. find the answers before the competition does!

Strategies: If you are not in these two areas now, get into Michael Hicks, president them quickly. If you are already in either or both of these Electronic Business Machines (EBM) Inc., Lexington, Ky. areas, I believe you have to put the right individuals in the program who can drive the business. We have had success Opportunities: The opportunity of 2015 will be the in both areas by hiring or developing candidates who have opportunity you can implement. The best opportunity previous experience in these areas. We are getting a much might be establishing a path to take advantage of the faster return on our investments. next opportunity.

Hunter McCarty, COO Strategies: Know yourself. Know what opportunities you RJ Young, Nashville, Tenn. are willing to pursue with your time and resources. Know you cannot get yourself to the next level without a good Opportunities: Providing more on software solutions team. Know your current value. It will be the basis for all and how they integrate and add cost controls. future value. Ask questions like: “Do I buy, rent, build or Strategies: Aligning with vendors that provide training merge?” Know your potential economic needs (“How big will to the sales reps and can show proof of concept as well.

I buy?”) and resources (“How big can I buy and will I fund it Brian McShane, president & CEO with cash flow, a loan, stock, etc.?”). Always plan to a point of McShane’s Inc., Munster, Ind. reason, knowing you will learn the rest at execution and the 16 | ­w w w. o f f ic et ec hno lo g y m a g.c om | Ja nua r y 2 0 1 5

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Robert Moore, president Lockwood Moore Inc., Reno, Nev.

is that approximately 1 percent of all our clients have the following products and services: copiers, MPS and managed IT. Strategies (A): Now that we have started to measure this, the management team has put a plan in place to increase our penetration into existing accounts.

Just by focusing on this and bringing it to everyone’s attention, we anticipate an approximate 3- to 4-percent business increase within our client base.

Opportunities (B): Two years ago we assembled a document management team consisting of industry experts with sales and support experience. Last year we finished our best year. As we review this year’s pipeline, it is staggering the growth that we anticipate in the upcoming years, especially since we have been in this business for approximately 12 years and with all the hype around document management, we [Atlantic] never saw the growth that industry experts had forecast. Since we assembled a team of “Jeopardy Champions” our document management business is growing at approximately 20 to 25 percent per year.

Strategies (B): Go out and hire people who have strong knowledge of document management software, record-retention policies and procedures. The team must consist of individuals with strong sales capabilities and professional trainers to support them, along with IT specialists in the document management field. Once a client starts using this software in one part of his (or her) business, he looks to implement it in other parts of the business.

Larry Weiss, president Atlantic, Tomorrow’s Office, New York, N.Y.

“Do not try and be everything to everyone; evaluate and select the necessary software to satisfy the markets and opportunities you have selected ... ”

Opportunities: The only answer for any dealer concerned about profitable growth is to sell packages that are solution-focused. That does not just mean you sell a piece of software, but that you have the skills and resources to determine client applications and support a solution that will satisfy those needs. There are still a number of dealerships, including large dealerships and manufacturers, that do not go to market with a viable solution strategy, but instead focus on price.

Strategies: The best way to approach opportunities is by vertical market where you can channel your resources in selected fields to gain and expand the expertise that you develop. The same is true of the software partners that you select. Do not try and be everything to everyone; evaluate and select the necessary software to satisfy the markets and opportunities you have selected and make that your standard.

This will allow your sales, support and service personnel the focus they need to become more proficient.

Ray Fuentes, president Edwards Business Systems, Bethlehem, Pa. Opportunities: I think MPS and managed services will be our greatest opportunities in 2015.

Strategies: I think you need to work with a company that specializes in that field, like Mike Lecak with CCG, or something comparable.

Earl W. Philpot, president Precision Duplicating Solutions Inc., London, Ky.

Opportunities: I believe our biggest growth will be in MNS. We have been working on this for years and right now we believe we understand the best way to sell it and handle the support (of which we do in house), thanks to the Paul Dippell Service Leadership Training.

Strategies: We will be using our current sales team to find the opportunities and then turn the leads over to our IT specialists. They have a list of questions we will need answered for the specialist to continue with the assessment.

Chip Miceli, president Des Plaines Office Equipment Co. Inc., Elk Grove Village, Ill. Opportunities (A): Total account penetration (TAP) — selling deeper and wider into existing clients. We have started to track the penetration of additional products and services that we have provided to our clients, and the shocking truth

Opportunities: Technology and services related to document management will continue to be a great opportunity for office technology dealers. Managed print services opened up the ability to truly engage our customers in discussions regarding overall print strategy/optimization.

Offering cloud and mobility products, as well as document management services, is a natural progression as more and more companies look for ways to streamline and automate their processes.

Strategies: I believe the best strategy for success is education. Education for those on your sales and service teams first, but education for your customers is also important. We have to be experts in office technology in order to become consultants to our customers. BTA continues to provide the dealer community with the education to be the experts in our industry. We can educate ourselves and then our customers.

Debra Dennis, vice president of support services CopyPro Inc., Greenville, N.C.

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Opportunities: MNS and document management/archiving/workflow.

Strategies: Engaging current clients and consistently marketing to non-clients.

Mark Van Den Hoek, owner The Office Advantage, Mitchell, S.D.

Opportunities: I believe the greatest opportunities for office technology dealers for 2015 and the coming years will be in managed services. The managed services industry is expected to double in revenue by 2018. With many companies outsourcing their IT work, the opportunity is there for traditional office technology dealers to service those needs. With the installed base they have, they have created a trust factor that is needed to enter this market.

Combined with the explosion of cloud computing, I believe our industry is poised for great expansion. Office Equipment Center began offering IT services in 2000; we have seen that area of our business grow 125 percent in the last five years.

Strategies: Dealers will need to decide how to enter this market, either by partnering or acquiring an existing IT company, or hiring their own IT people.

Mike Ardry, managing member Office Equipment Center Inc., Plantsville, Conn.

Opportunities: The ability for multifunctional printers to advance in scanning capabilities and mobile printing, as well as business applications.

Strategies: Continued personal service and to contact present accounts to educate customers on this technology.

Johnny Leftwich, owner & manager Dustin Office Machines, Gainesville, Texas

Opportunities: I think the greatest opportunities will come from understanding our clients’ changing needs in how they work with their documents.

Strategies: Our emphasis is on meeting customers where they are today and helping put in place those things that bring them the greatest value or ROI in their operations. Conversations with our customers are not designed to sell the latest and greatest from one of our manufacturers. It is more about continuing to be our clients’ trusted partner and being part of their conversation for strategies to improve their businesses.

Richard F. Hermann, president TC Technologies Inc., Tonawanda, N.Y. Opportunities: Managed print.

Strategies: Better training.

Michael Mitchell, owner Office Equipment Source, Elmira, N.Y.

Opportunities: I think software applications and managed services are two areas where our profits will improve and help us keep our clients.

Strategies: I think in order to be successful in these two areas, you need a specialist — your own true expert. Trying to have one or two individuals learn these areas and continue to do their other duties is a mistake. It is more cost effective, but not more profitable.

Dan J. Detrick, vice president CopyLady Inc., Fort Myers, Fla.

“Our emphasis is on meeting customers where they are today and helping put in place those things that bring them the greatest value or ROI ... ”

Opportunities: I think the greatest opportunities in 2015 and beyond are solutions and services. We are experiencing major changes in the way people (our customers) communicate, share information and consume media. We have to become solution companies not only to grow but, ultimately, to survive.

Strategies: Either acquire an existing IT/solutions company, partner with an IT/solutions company or get involved with one of the manufacturers that is providing its own solutions/services to its dealers. Our strategy is an acquisition. Our plan is to purchase an existing IT/solutions company by the end of 2015.

Bob Evans, partner DigiTec, Sugar Land, Texas Opportunities: Managed network services.

Strategies: Plan, plan, plan — then execute.

Chap Breard, vice president MOEbiz, Monroe, La. Opportunities: Technology is constantly changing. For customers, this can be very overwhelming and stressful and, as a result, they are looking to lessen this burden. Providing services to help make their lives easier, such as IT managed services and content/document management, will be key.

Strategies: It will be critical for sales reps to have proper training and a supportive company infrastructure. Sales teams will need to feel like they are part of the process and understand the direction to get “buy in.” Many are old school. Providing them with the tools of education, managerial support and marketing materials will be an integral part in making this endeavor a success.

Rick Salcedo, president & CEO KDI Office Technologies, Aston, Pa. Opportunities (A): Concentrate and focus on improving our solutions sales. We have made some progress in this area, but there is a lot of room for improvement. We are still too

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efficient control of information in the much of a “box-sales” organization. The “We believe moving office environment is an opportunity. manufacturers continue to offer more We prefer to not offer managed network solutions and we are going to do a better more aggressively services (MNS) and, when appropriate, job of embracing this type of sale. toward a greater focus we partner with long-term MNS compaStrategies (A): The strategy that we on solutions that tie to nies with substantial experience. With will implement will be increased focus better, more efficient the decline in page volumes and paper on education and training of our sales control of information ... consumption worldwide, we, like many staff, as well as our service staff. others, are embracing services offerings Opportunities (B): Another area of is an opportunity.” to grow our revenue in the professional opportunity and growth is in network services arena. We have learned that apmanaged services. We believe that there is tremendous opportunity in this field and have made the propriate services pull hardware and hardware pulls services when presented appropriately to the correct people in commitment to grow this area of our business.

Strategies (B): We will be concentrating our marketing an organization. Easier said than done though.

Strategies: Committing significant resources to marefforts on our current customer base, offering a “one-stop keting these services with a business development departshop” for all of their needs. ment that assists sales reps with marketing activities to Joe Dickinson, president grow net new business, expanding in current customers’ Preferred Office Products Inc., Fort Smith, Ark. environments and working to ensure we retain as much of Opportunities: We believe moving more aggressively our base as possible.

Anonymous, BTA Member Dealer, California toward a greater focus on solutions that tie to better, more

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Opportunities: We have seen great Opportunities: With the economy “Today, we must growth within the document managecontinuing to recover slowly, we feel that ment sales and back-scanning oppor2015 offers opportunities for office techleverage our business tunities. We will continue to lead with nology dealers to build deeper relationexpertise and these solutions in 2015. We will also conships with their existing and new clients. knowledge to become tinue to work on a new business develThe key to success will be to help our bona fide business opment plan we put in place mid-2014. clients integrate hardware and software partners with a wider Strategies: Hiring the right people for applications, such as mobile printing and the job. We have hired two additional IT cost tracking, therefore enhancing their base of solutions ... ” staff in 2014; one specifically for selling existing workflows and creating a comsolutions. He has helped open the door plete communication strategy. When for better opportunities in our core MFP business. We will you think about the history of our industry, it started with: continue with this strategy and hopefully grow this portion n Typewriters and adding machines — Helping our cliof the business. We have also found success in selling IT “time ents write and calculate their thoughts and finances; blocks.” We feel this will be the easiest way to transition our n Then the age of word processors, computers and copibusiness into the managed network services business. ers that helped digitize this information; John Kerling, vice president n Scanning, document distribution and storage took this United Business Systems, Buffalo, N.Y. to another level; n And, today, digital displays help our clients present and Opportunities: Managed network services. share this critical business information within and outside Strategies: Still exploring options to determine our best their organizations. course of action.

Our goal is different than years ago when it was enough to Kim Lottes, president sell our equipment at a fair price and have appropriate serHoosier Business Machines, Jasper, Ind. vice to back it up. Perhaps what sets a BTA dealership apart from a manufacturer is the ability to respond quickly and Opportunities: Selling managed IT services to our exist- with flexibility to the customer’s needs. Today, we must levering clients. age our business expertise and knowledge to become bona Strategies: Develop a solid IT practice that instills confi- fide business partners with a wider base of solutions; that is, dence for the customer. Also, deliver a consistent and posi- a complete communication strategy. tive end-user experience.

Strategies: The strategy we feel will accomplish this will Steve Knutson, chief technology officer & vice president of be to act as a trusted business advisor focused on how our professional services clients do business and how our solutions help them achieve Marco, St. Cloud, Minn. their goals. Once we successfully achieve this, our clients will afford us with additional business opportunities, such Opportunities: Make certain that the core business is as managed print and managed services. We will then beperforming at its best in all phases and engage the clients come true advisors to their complete communication stratein the “hybrid dealer” pitch to manage more services in gies and be their business partner. their environments. Careful attention needs to be given to Roger Hendrix, CEO, & Anthony Millaci, senior vice the business’ capabilities so the back-end can support what president of sales the front-end is presenting. Managing print, IT, hardware, Hendrix Business Systems Inc., Matthews, N.C. professional services, security, mobility, cloud services and critical business data are our focus areas for 2015. We will Opportunities: We believe the fastest growing opportube working to wrap them all up into a services-led offering. nity for office technology growth in 2015 is going to be the Strategies: I believe that the strategy remains the same elusive true “total solution” for the business workplace, inas last year — make the investment and transition to be- cluding managed print and managed network services. Our come a hybrid dealer offering everything as a service: man- growth in “total solutions” for 2014 was more than 20 peraged print, IT, hardware, professional services, etc., all bun- cent and we are forecasting the same growth for 2015. dled into a services offering that creates value and benefits Strategies: Currently, our strategy is to educate dediwrapped up into a long-term agreement. cated sales reps and IT technicians to work within our existRon Hulett, president & CEO ing client base, identifying the top candidates for managed U.S. Business Systems Inc., Elkhart, Ind. print/managed network solutions. Once identified, this team 22 | ­w w w. o f f ic et ec hno lo g y m a g.c om | Ja nua r y 2 0 1 5

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software solutions that control costs, performs a 30-day assessment of what “We also still are implement rules-based printing and prothe client’s needs are and then proposes vide your clients with real-time data/rea “total solution” based on the client’s actively pursuing porting that shows improvement. business model. Our “total solution” acquisitions of other Strategies: Training and developing consists of upgrading all the existing companies, both in our your sales force to solve business probhardware and supporting the client’s IT industry and in the IT lems with your clients; to stop the “Iinfrastructure, including total support world, giving us a have-to-sell-a-box” mentality and coach of its industry-specific software. them to have a business conversation to To help support this growth, we are different client base ... ” uncover ways to streamline business proworking toward earning the CompTIA cesses and create cost-control strategies.

Trustmark by the second quarter of 2015, Also, just as important is the necessity of a great workanticipating it will give us an industry edge. We also still are actively pursuing acquisitions of other companies, both in place culture in the organization. Employees must buy in to our industry and in the IT world, giving us a different client the vision set by the organization and truly understand how they are an integral piece of the success of that company, no base in which to explore “total solution” opportunities. matter what position they hold. It is leadership’s responsiDavid Mann, CEO bility to reinforce this message constantly. Surveys tell us South Coast Copy Systems, Solana Beach, Calif. that less than 30 percent of employees today are actively Opportunities: Mobile printing and security, 3D printing, engaged in their respective jobs. If we cannot improve that managed network services, acquisitions of smaller compa- number, then it does not matter what great offering we can nies and positioning ourselves as business consultants. Also, provide to our clients. We have become an industry great at

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strategies and marketing, but we tend to forget about the importance of improving our organizational health.

Joe Escamilla, COO Document Systems, Oxnard, Calif.

creating a fertile environment for a period of what I like to call “robust catch-up growth.” Among the emerging opportunities: digital signage solutions. They are now becoming the norm. About 10 percent of dealers are gravitating toward this product, which presents newfound annual support revenues.

Strategies: Just like selling almost everything in the market, when selling digital signage, it is important to have a visual example of the product to show your prospective buyer. A good example and having the product on hand for sales allows you to show how the product works and how it will benefit your prospects. Also, it is best to have some relevant statistics to back up the product. For example: “If you placed your digital signage in the local mall, an average of ‘X number’ of people will be looking at your products per hour,” plugging in the number you know to be true. To sell digital signage, it is important to have this information available to share with your prospect: statistics showing who is using them and how they are used in the market; percentages of clients who have a good ROI on the product itself; and feedback — proof that your signs are worth buying. Also, be prepared to compare and contrast digital signage; not only the products themselves, but also content management and support.

Anthony Donnellon, branch manager ABS Business Products Inc., Columbus, Ohio

“I think the single best strategy for pursuing IT and MPS is to stop looking at opportunities through the fogged lenses of the ‘traditional’ copier industry.”

Opportunities: We think this will be in security (both network and general security products), as well as in collaboration and integration. We also see whiteboards with collaboration and digital signage as growing areas.

Strategies: Making sure you have a team that fully understands the landscape and threats in security and have the right products to address them. The firewall, as we know it now, has to include intrusion protection systems; unlike before, when someone might try to get into your system and maybe see some files, they are now stealing information that can put thousands of clients at risk.

Roger Worme, general manager Regional Business Systems, St. Michael, Barbados

Opportunities: I believe the two greatest areas of opportunity for office technology dealers in 2015 will be in providing IT services, specifically managed services and managed print services. With declining margins, the increased popularity of A4 devices and declining pages, dealers must find additional sources of revenue (IT) and more creative ways to capture pages (MPS). IT is new to a lot of dealers, but when done right, is extremely exciting and can be very profitable.

MPS is very mature, so dealers need to be more creative, provide more value and look at MPS through the client’s eyes.

With IT or MPS, it is all about clients — understanding what their true needs are and then delivering the right solutions.

Strategies: I think the single best strategy for pursuing IT and MPS is to stop looking at opportunities through the fogged lenses of the “traditional” copier industry. Dealers who take the time, invest in the right resources and listen — truly listen — to their clients, will find success. Clients do not want to just be sold boxes or canned solutions. They want vendors that know what they are doing, can custom-tailor the right solutions specific to their businesses in an uncomplicated manner, and then deliver long-term on those solutions.

Mike McCurdy, president Integrated Technologies Inc., Twin Falls, Idaho Opportunities: Despite indications that the global economic recovery remains slow, the office technology industry seems to be advancing quite quickly. The penetration of products and services has presented opportunities for dealers as incomes have risen and device prices have declined,

Opportunities: The major area that is an opportunity in 2015 is in assisting our customers to increase the productivity of their employees (primarily in the service sector of the economy). I do not see traditional equipment manufacturers having the answers. On the contrary, it appears that the manufacturers could learn a lot from their independent dealers, because we are much closer to the actual needs and (limited) capabilities of our customers. There will not be a “one-size-fits-all” solution; that is folly. We are going to have to craft sets of “solutions” for SMBs and may be able to class some solutions by vertical markets.

Strategies: We are going to have to help ourselves by intelligently researching the software products that are available.

In this context, I remain very concerned about the attempts that are consistently being made by software vendors to shift any significant liabilities from them to the software resellers (i.e., the independent dealers). Virtually every reseller agreement that I have studied not only disclaims any “contingent liability,” but also asks the reseller to “hold the software maker harmless” from any potential lawsuits. I have been advised to mirror this liability dodge by incorporating similar language in the end-user licensing agreements (EULAs). This is

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walls,” for lack of a better term. Educaa major inhibitor for taking on new soft“We have found that tion in varying forms will assist in a dealware product representations, so I would ership’s overall success and longevity. welcome any realistic and ethically debelonging to a dealer There is still lots of money to be made in fensible approaches that other dealers peer group that reports the MFP industry. have discovered. If I am correct, 2015 will annual financial Matt Drake, president be a year of major opportunity for the ininformation into a Office Works, Victorville, Calif. dependent dealers who can grapple with proven business model hardware and software solutions that Opportunities: Quality DOT has assist clients to boost the efficiency of ... is critical to success.” used a marketing slogan for many years, their employees and to streamline their “Surround Yourself with Quality,” which workflows with tailored solutions. means we provide our clients with as many value-driven Mike Power, president services as possible. I believe managed network services Encore Business Systems Inc., Upper Marlboro, Md. will be the greatest opportunity to leverage our relationOpportunities: Growth in the traditional copier channel is ships and expand in an industry much larger than our traand will continue to be an uphill battle, as they say. If speedy ditional copy/print marketplace.

Strategies: Quality DOT has taken great pride in providing growth is what you are looking for, you should look at the path of acquisition, as well as adding services to bolster top-line “legendary service” to our core copy/print clients. We recoggrowth. Very easy to say, but make sure your house is in order nize we need to expand our service support from reactionary prior to proceeding down these paths. And, you need invest- to proactive. Our strategy to do this will be having a dedicated help center staffed with technical expertise to provide our ment cash and core competencies to have staying power.

Strategies: We have found that belonging to a dealer peer MNS clients “legendary service and support.”

Jeff Poet, president group that reports annual financial information into a proven Quality DOT, York, Pa. n business model, along with sharing best practices, is critical Brent Hoskins, executive director of the to success. The question, “What does good look like?,” must Business Technology Association, is editor be taken extremely seriously; it is vital to say the least. We of Office Technology magazine. all get “buried” at times and a dealer leadership team needs He can be reached at brent@bta.org. outside input to refresh viewpoints and develop “sounding

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Managed IT Services Taking the mystery out of the first steps by: Ed McLaughlin, Valderus

N

ow that it is nearly universally accepted that the decline in office pages is permanent and process-driven, office technology dealers face the challenge of balancing equipment sales with trying to figure out how to move into the managed IT services market. While the managed IT opportunity is huge — expected to surpass $320 billion by 2020 — it will augment, not displace, your core business. With this balance, there is a lot of discussion around the topic of IT services — the learning curve, technical knowledge, how to begin and even some anxiety that resonates in the industry.

For decades, we had the luxury of riding the growth of the industry even if we were not performing at our best. Today, it is a “zero-sum” world and we must provide more services for new and existing accounts. While there is still opportunity in equipment sales, there is now a clear limit and dealers need to take their customer service to new levels in order to succeed. A successful office technology dealership cannot simply rely on copy and print sales alone. Moving toward a services business model that comprises strong MPS and 30 to 40 percent IT services should be the goal for long-term stability.

How do you get your dealership there? First, your core business must be hitting all the metrics. If it is not strong, fix it before you start a transition. Next, how do you take advantage of this opportunity? The choices are no secret: acquire an IT organization; build an IT organization from scratch; or partner with an IT services provider.

Let’s face it — dealers have a history of being very good at acquiring organizations close to their core. They know what to look for, what is good, what is bad and what is reasonable to pay. Acquiring an IT organization is outside of that realm.

If you do not know a whole lot about IT services today, how do you know what to look for in blending these services into your existing business? Acquisitions are as much about culture as they are about financial results and well-run companies. It takes extensive research, due diligence and time. The

potential for making a bad acquisition is exponentially higher when acquiring outside our core, which could impact both the new acquisition and our existing business. It can and has been done successfully, but the risk is quite high and the impact of a mistake could be very expensive.

Building an IT company from the ground up is the toughest, riskiest and probably most expensive choice. Starting from scratch takes a great deal of both time and money.

Time is not really a luxury that can be afforded. Chances are you are talking to your customers about their technology needs now, or they are at least asking questions. I will suggest that, while there is a strong temptation to control quality, this option is too risky and expensive and, actually, the result is reduced quality. Unfortunately, the learning experience is knowledge gained at the expense of our customers.

Outsourcing or partnering with an IT services provider allows a dealer to start selling these services today without investing a lot of time in research and laying out cash for in-house IT techs and infrastructure. Outsourcing delivers the IT knowledge your customers need today, while setting your business up for long-term growth. The key is to pick your partner wisely.

Here are some considerations when selecting an IT services partner: Think about the customers it serves and if its customer base is representative of yours. Does the company offer competitive, scalable pricing? Is there room to make money? Does it offer a wide range of services as your needs and the needs of your customers change and grow? Is its sales culture compatible? Getting into the IT services business is new and entirely different from the copy and print business, so you need to use this partner as a source for learning. Your partner should not distract you from your current, core business, but help you to augment and add these additional services that will help obtain greater depth in your accounts and increase your sustainability.

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compelling customer need and is one of Finally, remember your successful The incoming the steps you must take in the “zero-sum” sales reps will be tough to get on board world. Just do not be late to the game. n with IT services initially. They are lupartner needs to be Ed McLaughlin has 40 years of cratively selling MFPs and printers and cognizant of the experience in the information and are unlikely to risk any new ventures in differences in the imaging industries. He was president of “their” accounts. They are comfortable in sales team and help Sharp Imaging & Information Company their environments; the transition must include everyone in of America and executive advisor at not threaten that security. It will be your Sharp Electronics. He is currently newer, less experienced sales reps who the transition. president and CEO at Valderus, bringing will be interested in this new opportutogether dealerships with an innovative nity and most willing to work with a approach for shared profitability while retaining local new partner to learn how to sell IT services. The incoming management and brand identity. He is also on the board of partner needs to be cognizant of the differences in the sales advisors at Continuum Managed IT Services. McLaughlin team and help include everyone in the transition. Compenhas received many honors during his career, sation is key, so remember that you get what you reward. including Marketing Research Consultants’ Make sure you reward what you want. All salespeople have Lifetime Achievement award and a BTA failed “sandbox” and sharing turns them off, so forget the Lifetime Achievement award, both in 2012. split commission concept.

He can be reached at Entering the IT services field is a fundamental change to edward.mclaughlin@valderus.com. the business model and needs buy-in from the top down. It Visit www.valderus.com. does not have to be scary and full of anxiety. It addresses a

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A Google+ Primer The top questions dealers ask about business pages by: Lindsay Kelley, Dealer Marketing

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t is a question often heard from the MFP and managed services dealers we work with: “Do I really need a Google+ business page? I thought Google+ was a ghost town.”

The answer is yes and no. Yes, you really need a Google+ business page and no, it is not a ghost town.

First, let’s review what Google+ truly is. At its core, Google+ is what Google will eventually become. Following are the top questions Dealer Marketing is asked almost daily that should give you a better understanding of Google+. Perhaps you will see some of the reasons that Google+ will become the primary Google product for our search behavior in the future. n What is Google+? Google+ is a social network created

by Google that connects all your Google-related accounts.

These accounts include: Google Chrome; YouTube; Google Maps; Google Drive; AdWords; Gmail; Hangouts; and your Google+ profile and business page. n What do you do on Google+? As a business, you share relevant content and ideas. You do this because each time you share a post, it becomes a page that Google is able to index and serve up as a result for a Google user typing his (or her) question into the search box. Sharing your blogs, images from your dealership’s events and your products expands your reach with Google. Just be sure to properly format them and include your target keywords. n Why do I need to be on Google+? Most businesses have a page whether they know it or not. It just needs to be claimed. If a business page for your company does not exist, you should go through the proper process to set one up. If someone has an experience with your dealership and wants to give you a public review, he will go to Google+ and search for your company. Google has some vague information on your company from what it has pulled from your website and others’ reviews. Remember, it is Google’s job to give searchers the most relevant information based on what they type into the search bar. If you claim your business page, you will be able to update it and add the correct information about your business hours, industry and a summary of what your company does. It is similar to LinkedIn’s company page. n What does Google+ do for my business? In a nutshell,

it drives people to your website. Every day, prospects are searching for solutions online. Believe it or not, 92 percent of B2B purchases begin online. Prospects type in what they are looking for and Google serves them the results they are seeking. They will change their search phrase until they find what they need. As an MFP and/or managed services dealership, sharing articles and your own blogs on Google+ feeds Google content, which it likes. And you want Google to like you. The more +1s you get on your Google+ posts, the more weight you will receive from Google from a ranking perspective.

Reviews are another great resource for your dealership.

If you have MFP or managed services customers who are fanatics about the services you provide, ask them to give you a Google+ review. n What do I need to do to claim my page? Start with a Google+ profile. You will need an individual, personal Google+ page to begin the process. Next, you will need to locate your business on Google+ and click “claim your page” from the bottom of the page. If there is no page in existence, you can set one up here: https://plus.google.com/pages/create. Google will allow you to set up the business as your own and send you a pin number in the mail to confirm and activate your business page. This keeps others from trying to claim your business

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customers to find you in their quest for page. You will have to have the pin number If your post is answers to their challenges. sent to your business address.

So, here are the key takeaways: Googn What are the red +1s? When there properly formatted le+ is a social layer between all Google is an image, article or post that a reader and links back to your products; claim or create your Google discovers on Google+, he has the opporwebsite, you have business page; ask top customers for tunity to share it or +1 it as a sign that it opened up a way for Google+ reviews; and post your articles is a good piece of content. It is similar to prospects and customers to Google+ to create pages that can be Facebook and LinkedIn’s “Like” buttons. indexed and increase your search rankGoogle actually gives weight to these +1s to find you ... ing. Go explore and see what kind of rewhen serving up results on a user’s search. sults you can achieve. n n Why should I use Google+? Many Lindsay Kelley is the chief marketing strategist for Dealer times, people we talk to about using Google+ do not think it is a valuable use of their time to post to Google+ or even Marketing. She brings experience in the execution of integrated marketing campaigns, inbound marketing, digital marketing, to claim their Google+ business page: “None of our MFP and traditional and social strategies, or managed services customers post to Google+ or use it, including social selling strategy, content so why bother?” The reason you should use Google+ is bestrategy and website builds. Kelley has served cause it is Google. The company controls 80 percent of the search market. A separate page is created for each post you in a marketing function for more than 17 years, share, which allows that post to become a result in a search including working as the marketing director for a large office technology dealership. query. If your post is properly formatted and links back to Visit www.dealermarketing.com. your website, you have opened up a way for prospects and

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OEM & Remanufactured Find the right balance; keep winning championships by: Gil Wazana, MSE

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he headline and subhead of this article may sound a bit odd coming from me, considering I have spent nearly half of my life supporting and promoting a true alternative to the OEM toner cartridge.

That being said, building a successful business is not about some blind allegiance to one product or one product type. Among many things, it is about understanding the market demographic and delivering value to prospective customers.

As a wholesale remanufacturer of toner cartridges, MSE’s demographic demands that we deliver a high-quality product and certain value-add. However, our ability to succeed has always depended on our dealer customer’s ability to deliver our value proposition, along with a suite of other products and services that seem to be ever changing. As such, we need to truly understand our dealer’s world and cannot turn a blind eye to what is often a significant part of his (or her) business.

The OEMs have a global market share of consumables to the tune of 80 percent. Taking a look at HP in particular, two types of dealers have been created with the authorization model that was put into place in November 2013. Authorized or not, many dealers are reevaluating their business models and business partnerships.

Those who make up the unauthorized group are in a tough spot, but the decision and path has at least been identified for them. They have to sell an alternative to the OEM cartridge. However, not having access to OEM HP — at least not through authorized channels — can create some barriers to success. Developing a relationship and converting the customer to an OEM-alternative cartridge is a common and effective practice, but without a secure and competitive stream of alternative cartridges, this becomes difficult.

What about new printer releases for which the aftermarket vendors have yet to develop a cartridge? In this case, as it stands today, the unauthorized group seems to be able to get as much OEM HP as it needs. It is yet to be seen if that

will continue and to what degree.

With the dealers I have engaged with on this, we usually end up with two action steps.

First, the level of dependency on the OEM that exists has to be mitigated. Sales teams need to be driven and given the tools to convert away from OEM. Second, dealers need to engage in discussions with the OEM and work toward authorization. This does not mean you need to enter into an unbalanced partnership or sell your soul, but as they say, Rome was not built in a day. If there is a vision of coexistence with the OEM, we have to collectively work at it.

As for the authorized group, I see some dealers (my experience being 10 to 15 percent of them) further committing to the OEM for fear of losing authorization. In a recent dealer meeting, the phrase “servants to that master” was used; that type of feeling may drive certain decisions that will affect how a dealership services its customers. Many of these authorization agreements impose a maximum share of aftermarket.

The aftermarket share “allowed” by HP seems to be arbitrary and a negotiation point. I have heard of some dealers who are presented a maximum of 10 percent and others a share of 50 percent. Like most things in business, it is not black and white. Imagine a scenario where that share is maxed out and a good, loyal, long-standing customer is requesting an alternative to the OEM. Does the dealer decline for fear of the “master”? This is where being a slave to your customers and market is paramount. The reality is, if one dealership does not create value for that end user, another one will. Market demand is king and consumers demand choice.

Other authorized dealers are taking a firm stand and I applaud and admire that. They certainly understand how important the OEM is to their businesses, but are demanding balance and not deviating from their mission statement of placing the customer above all. There also seems to be pushback to the recent changes that mandate HP distributors to collect and report end-user data on equipment sales.

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Rocky marathon on one of those clasDealers are protective (as they should be) Balance is required; sic movie channels. In Rocky III, Rocky of sharing this valuable information, and is training for his fight with Mr. T in although HP is quick to claim that it is there is probably no public with adoring fans, music and on equipment only and not consumables, easy way to navigate neon lights. Mr. T is training in a dirty most dealers see the obvious connection. these brackish waters, basement, doing pull-ups on rusty Balance is required; there is probably but each dealer has a pipes and running in the streets. Mr. T no easy way to navigate these brackish responsibility to have promptly knocks Rocky out and wins waters, but each dealer has a responsibilithe championship. ty to have these discussions time and time these discussions ...

Your customers are your championagain with his “surrogate mother” — the ships. Stay hungry, keep evolving and OEM — and to advocate for a partnership that allows the dealer community to deliver unobstructed, keep winning championships. Do not let Mr. T knock you customer-centric value. Even mountains can be moved — out. Enter theme music. n Gil Wazana is a 17-year-veteran of MSE and is currently the maybe only an inch at a time; we cannot relent. senior vice president of sales. He is responsible Ultimately, the market demands what it demands and, alfor managing the regional directors, though the recession is technically over, businesses are still driving recessionary practices and are looking for a better val- interfacing with all of MSE’s strategic accounts, and is an integral component of all MSE ue. They will find this better value from one dealership or ancorporate initiatives and global strategies. other, so strike a balance and make sure they find it from you.

He can be reached at gilw@mse.com.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, in between turkey and Visit www.mse.com. pie, I managed to sit through several hours of an obligatory

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COURTS & CAPITOLS

Employee Termination Learn how to minimize potential claims & risks by: Robert C. Goldberg, General Counsel for the Business Technology Association

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erminating an employee is never an easy decision. In fact, statistics show that small businesses routinely wait three to six months longer to terminate an employee than is justified. That is not surprising, as small business owners work closely with their employees, know their families and tend to make decisions based on more than simply what is best for the company. It is personal factors as well as self-blame that often protract the decision to terminate. Regardless, once the decision is made and the employee is escorted from the premises, the termination process is not yet completed.

In order to minimize potential claims and risks, there are several steps that can be taken to reduce your exposure. One of the best tools to minimize exposure is to obtain a release of all claims. There is no obligation to pay a terminated employee severance. If you do, it should only be in exchange for a full release of claims. Current law provides an employee with three weeks to consider a severance offer and, even after accepting it, seven days to change his (or her) mind. An individual in your company should be put in charge of following up with the employee and, once a signed release is received, he should promptly counter-sign and return it.

Without a severance payment, it is important to make sure all wages due are promptly paid if not done so at the time of termination. States differ on when a final paycheck must be delivered and you should check your state requirement. If you employ 20 or more individuals and provide health-care benefits, make sure COBRA forms are provided to the employee. Even if you do not have 20 employees making you subject to COBRA, check to determine if there are any lesser requirements in your state.

Prior to the actual termination, prepare a statement to your staff, as well as customers and vendors, as appropriate.

A prompt announcement minimizes gossip and innuendo.

With regard to customers and vendors, indicate who will be assuming the responsibilities and arrange to have that individual contact his new customers and vendors. It is important to decide what will be said, to whom it will be communicated and who will make them aware of the change. It is important to emphasize that business continues as usual.

Every dealership should have a written policy regarding reference checks. The policy should establish who is authorized to provide references for former employees on behalf of the company and what information will be divulged. Many states have regulations regarding references and it is important to know the requirements and restrictions. This is an area that

can cause a business unnecessary harm if not handled correctly. Best practices dictate that the less said, if anything, is the policy to follow. There is no legal requirement to provide any information to potential employers regarding former employees. This does not preclude a dealer from saying positive things about a good employee, however it should not be a chance to get even with a less-than-satisfactory employee.

Limiting reference information to the job title and dates of employment minimizes risks from subsequent claims of retaliation, discrimination or defamation.

At the time of termination, it is prudent to have an exit interview with the individual. This is a good time to review any post-employment restrictions. The fact that an employee is terminated does not void the obligation to abide by any noncompete, non-solicitation or confidentiality restrictions in place. You should also monitor the marketplace to assure that the individual is not violating these obligations. If a violation is discovered, prompt communication to the individual and new employer is important. In addition, a properly prepared Severance and Release Agreement should provide that any sums paid must be returned if there is a violation.

Employee issues continue to challenge dealers and assuring compliance requires sound policies and procedures for successful navigation. Of course, BTA members have the added resource of contacting the BTA Legal Hotline at (800) 869-6688. n Robert C. Goldberg is general counsel for the Business Technology Association.

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

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EDUCATION CALENDAR January

14-15 BTA Dealer Marketing Workshop

Plano, Texas The buying process has changed. More of the initial research is done online. Has your dealership adapted to this new buying process? It is time to get serious about online marketing. The BTA Dealer Marketing Workshop will make sure your dealership is ready to implement best practices in online marketing. You will see real-world examples of how dealers use the Internet to generate leads, cross-sell current clients and position themselves as local experts. Visit www. bta.org/DealerMarketing to register.

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Building My Business Webinar: “Five New Ideas Using Technology to Secure Net New C-Level Meetings”

Kate Kingston of Kingston Training Group has new content on how to attract C-level decision makers by using the technology that is right at your fingertips. Using strategies through social media like LinkedIn will allow your sales reps to learn when a prospect needs a strategic technology solution discussion. In this webinar, Kingston will deliver on how to drive more net-new, vertically focused C-level sales meetings past the dialing-for-dollars method. Visit www.bta. org/BuildingMyBusiness to register.

February 4

BTA MPS Client Engagement Training Series The BTA MPS Client Engagement Training Series consists of six one-hour, Web-based courses designed to assist participants in the following: getting the appointment; MPS value propositions; conducting the appointment; the assessment; the proposal; deal implementation; and client management. During the six-week series, you will receive three one-hour, one-on-one coaching sessions in addition to the online training sessions. During these sessions, you will work with the instructor on three of your specific accounts. Visit www.bta.org/MPSClientEngagement to register.

March

18-19 BTA Service Management Workshop

Orlando, Fla. The BTA Service Management Workshop was developed to help dealership principals and service leaders not only learn about the various financial and operational service benchmarks, but also to learn how to develop specific action plans tailored to each dealership. These plans will enable attendees to implement change, drive financial gain and improve customer satisfaction.

Attendees of the March 18-19 workshop receive free registration to BTA Southeast’s March 2021 Winter Break district event. Visit www.bta.org/ServiceManagement to register.

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

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

Dealer Members Advanced Copier Technologies, Gastonia, NC Cooper Business Machines, Erie, PA Duplicated Business Systems, Santa Maria, CA Green Office Partner, Chicago, IL MTS Office, Anderson, SC Offitek, Ponce, Puerto Rico Parmetech, Havertown, PA Service Associate Member IT University Online, Palm Harbor, FL Vendor Associate Member Compass Sales Solutions, Boise, ID For full contact information of these new members, visit www.bta.org.

2015 BTA District Events Each year, the districts of the Business Technology Association host five educational and networking events that are well received by office technology dealership attendees.

During each event, the focus will be on providing leading-edge educational opportunities in relaxing, welcoming venues. BTA members receive discounted registration to each event.

Winter Break: March 20-21, Orlando, FL Cruise to Success: May 7-8, Minneapolis, MN Capture the Magic: Aug. 6-7, Las Vegas, NV Grand Slam: Sept. 24-25, Boston, MA Fall Colors Retreat: Oct. 23-24, Asheville, NC Visit www.bta.org/DistrictEvents for more information.

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 or Service Associate members in this space.

Since 2001, BTA Vendor Associate Member Compass Sales Solutions has been a sales force automation provider for the office technology industry.

Compass Sherpa provides a comprehensive suite that automates all disparate sales processes and allows sales professionals to utilize one tool to completely manage the sales process including prospect/client identification, Outlook integration, product configuration, proposal generation, MPS analysis and mapping, ERP integration, and mobile access via smartphones and tablets. www.compasscontact.net

BTA Service Associate member IT University Online (ITU) provides online training courses for the IT industry using proven educational concepts and sound instructional design principles. ITU builds all of its curriculum in-house using three digital production studios at its corporate headquarters. To deliver ITU’s standard for quality, the company employs only leaders in the field to create its courses, and it consistently develops new features and tools to deliver a learning experience that is unmatched in the marketplace. www.ituonline.com A full list of BTA Vendor and Service Associate members can be found online at www.bta.org.

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PRINCIPAL ISSUES

Turning Ideas Into Success Apply these maxims to all of your programs by: Jim Kahrs, Prosperity Plus Management Consulting Inc.

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s we enter a new year, many people will take time to reflect on their performance over the last year. Some will look back with the comfort of knowing they achieved many of their goals.

Others will be left asking: “What happened? We had some great ideas and plans that, for one reason or another, did not come to fruition. Why not?”

The answer often lies in the execution (or lack thereof) of the plans we felt so strongly about. One of the key tools provided in the Hubbard Management System is referred to as “programs.” By definition, a “program” is a series of steps in sequence that carry out a plan. Ideally, a program is thought through and written out. It should identify the steps that need to be carried out, along with exactly who is responsible for each step and when each is to be completed.

When a plan is broken down into detail like this, it has a much better chance of being executed.

However, creating a written program does not, in and of itself, ensure success. There have been many good ideas that were turned into programs (whether formally written out or not) that failed to bring about the expected results. The reason for some of these is addressed in a policy letter in the Hubbard Management System titled “Programming.” This policy outlines key maxims (defined as generally observable truths) that apply to all programs. For the balance of this article, I will outline some of these maxims and give details as to why failing to follow them can lead to trouble. n Maxim One: An idea, no matter if it is badly executed or not, is better than no idea at all. This is pretty straightforward, but very important. An example of this is seen in many dealerships where the sales team is struggling. Upon inspection, I often find no real plan for sales. Reps are simply hired, given a little training and turned loose to bring in business.

There are no formal activity expectations, few (if any) one-onone sales meetings and little daily sales management; yet, the owner wonders why sales just do not pick up. If you want success, you need a well-thought-out plan. n Maxim Two: To be effective, a program must be executed. It does not seem that this should even need to be mentioned, but you would be surprised how many people have great ideas and never act on them. Thinking or talking about a plan is not execution. Challenge yourself and your team to use the concept of programs to ensure plans are executed.

n Maxim Three: A program put into action requires guidance. I have seen many dealerships make this mistake.

You have a great idea: “We are going to launch a new marketing program or offer a new service like managed IT.” In order for any program to get traction and success, it must have guidance. Simply telling your sales manager to get a marketing program in place will not make it happen. As the owner or senior executive of the business, you need to provide some guidance to make sure that those assigned to carry out the program are capable of doing so and are making progress. n Maxim Four: A program running without guidance will fail and is better left undone. This may seem a little harsh, but it is absolutely true. If you or someone else on your team does not have time to guide a program, do not expect it to work. It will fail. This is not a maybe, it is a definite. Simply telling someone to go get the program done is not the same as guiding it. This one maxim alone could save you a tremendous amount of wasted time and heartache. Be honest with yourself and decide if you have the time and desire to guide this program. If the answer is “no,” put it on the back burner until the answer can be “yes.” n Maxim Five: Any program requires some finance.

When launching a new plan, it is common to forget to work out the finance end of it, or to underestimate what will be needed.

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you will be bringing in. If you will be this. The MPS program would need to be launching a new service like managed IT, profitable in and of itself.

If your employees and/ there will be expenses for things needed — n Maxim Nine: Programs must accuor customers do not get like additional people (sales and service), mulate interest and bring in other assisexcited about a program, training, marketing/marketing materials, tance by virtue of the program interest do not expect it to software, hardware and more. It is critical alone or they will never grow. If your succeed. If you have to to work out what will be needed and make employees and/or customers do not get exsure you have the ability to quickly bring in cited about a program, do not expect it to drag people along, it the money required to cover these costs. As succeed. If you have to drag people along, ... eventually trails off. you will see in a later maxim, you cannot it becomes too much work and eventually afford to allow other parts of the company trails off. I have seen this with sales activity to support a new program. programs. The dealership launches a program to drive sales n Maxim Six: A program requires attention from some- activity with the idea that it will lead to additional sales. Out one. This sounds a lot like Maxim Three, but it is different. This of the gate it will take some work, but when members of the maxim refers to the need to have someone actually working sales team start to see positive results, they will get behind on the plan and moving it forward. I have seen this in action it. If they do not see results, the program turns into a grind a number of times when dealerships are trying to launch a and everyone dreads it. Not only does it not lead to additional new website. They sign on with a Web developer and find that, sales, but worse — it brings down morale. six months later, the project is still not complete. This usually n Maxim 10: A program is a bad program if it detracts boils down to the fact that it did not get the attention needed from programs that are already proving successful or disto put the data together. The dealership owner went into the tracts staff from other successful programs. Many dealwebsite update under the false impression that the developer erships have burned themselves by chasing an exciting new would be able to handle everything when, in fact, a lot of at- idea at the expense of their bread and butter. As mentioned tention is required to feed the developer the information he (or earlier, too many dealerships have struggled with MPS and at she) needs to complete the site. the same time, have seen their standard sales drop off. This n Maxim Seven: The best program is the one that will maxim points to the reason why sales and service specialists reach the greatest number of dynamics and will do the have been successful. If you are going to launch a new service greatest good on the greatest number of dynamics. In a or product offering, sales specialists can allow you to fully ennutshell, this means that the best program will be in the best gage in the new offering without losing momentum on current interest of as many groups as possible — the dealership, the sales. Adding the new offering to your current team’s portfosales team, the service team, customers, vendors, the com- lio will dilute its efforts. In these cases, one plus one does not munity, etc. It is important to keep this in mind as you will, equal two; it more closely equals one and a half. from time to time, be approached by employees, vendors or I am sure that while reading the maxims listed, they likely customers and asked to put a plan in place that favors one brought to mind times where you have violated them and did of these groups and possibly hinders others. For example, a not get the desired results. Thinking of the lost opportunities vendor may want you to take on a new product that is not the is easy. I would challenge you to also look at the plans and prostrongest. This may benefit the sales team and the vendor with grams that have been successful. I am willing to bet that they sales, but will not benefit customers or the service department covered most, if not all, of the maxims above. To go back to that has to support them. If this is out of balance, it will inevi- the initial statement: Turning your ideas into success almost tably do harm to the business as a whole. always depends on following these maxims. So, the next time n Maxim Eight: Programs must support themselves fi- you want to launch a new plan, read through these maxims nancially. This goes hand-in-hand with understanding that again and set yourself up for success. n every program requires finance. A program must be able to Jim Kahrs is the founder and president of Prosperity Plus support itself. I have seen too many situations where a dealerManagement Consulting Inc. Prosperity Plus works with ship is supporting a losing program with the success it is havcompanies in the office technology industry ing elsewhere. Managed print services (MPS) has been a great building revenue and profitability and example of this. There are dealerships out there that are losing improving organization structure using the their shirts in MPS due to poor pricing models, lack of sales Hubbard Management System. skills and a host of other reasons. Yet, they are surviving beKahrs can be reached at (631) 382-7762 or cause their traditional business models are supporting their jkahrs@prosperityplus.com.

MPS losses. Proper application of this maxim would prevent Visit www.prosperityplus.com.

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SELLING SOLUTIONS

Not Just a Buddy Five changes every sales rep must make by: Troy Harrison, SalesForce Solutions

“I

do not understand it,” the salesman said. “I have been selling to that guy for 15 years. I have taken him to football games, bought countless lunches and we have been to each other’s houses. And now he is buying most of his stuff from someone else. I mean, what the heck?”

This salesman (let’s call him Bob) is a veteran salesperson who works for one of my clients.

I have known him for years. Bob is a very charismatic person, an absolutely fabulous rapport builder (to a degree that I have always envied) and he builds deeply personal relationships with his customers. He is the kind of guy who, if you met him out in public, you would immediately think he is a salesperson — and probably a great one. And you would be right. Or at least, you would have been about 10 years ago. Today, not so much — and there is a big reason why.

The sales world has changed. It has changed in a big way, and some salespeople are struggling to keep up. Bob went through my training a few years ago and, to be honest, he was not impressed. He told me: “Look, sales is simple. I just wing it. Customers buy from people and, specifically, people they like.

My job is to be liked and be my customers’ friend, and if I can be that, they will buy from me.” Essentially, he viewed sales as a friendship contest — and, to be fair, for much of his career, it worked for him.

Today, it does not. My client (his employer) asked me to interview a couple of his key customers — customers who once made up a large part of his volume, but who now only bought incidental items from him. In interviewing them, I found the reason customers had stopped buying from Bob was because he was just not useful. Their comments basically boiled down to this: “Look, I like Bob. We all do. He is a great guy. If we did not like him as much as we do, we would not buy anything from him, but we feel a certain obligation. The truth is, Bob is not much help to us. Whenever we have a technical question, he has to call someone else and have them get ahold of us. His competitor can answer questions on the spot, so we buy most everything from him instead.”

I found out that the competitive salesperson spends a lot of time keeping abreast of industry developments that affect

his customers; Bob asks about the son’s soccer team. The competitor is constantly refreshing his knowledge of the customer’s business and introducing new products and services; Bob makes sure to bring doughnuts for the people who work in the office.

When I took that information back to my client, he sighed and asked, “So, what should we do about Bob?” You see, Bob has been a loyal employee for a long time and his employer felt the same way as his customers. They like Bob (and so do I), but Bob no longer contributes value. Bob is now into the “mercy buy” phase of his career. The orders he gets are “mercy buys,” and his job is a “mercy job.” I advised his employer that if Bob wants to remain vital in his sales career (and he is not close to retirement age yet), he is going to have to embrace some changes. If you resemble Bob in any way, you might need to embrace them, too.

Here are five changes you must make to succeed in today’s selling environment: (1) Embrace the sales process — One thing that sharp salespeople do today: They are always conscious of the sales process and they keep their customers involved in the process at all times.

There is no better way to build a relationship with your customers than to always be selling to them — requalifying them for new products or services, presenting and constantly working to improve their businesses. The “justwing-it” salesperson is behind in this respect.

(2) Become a business resource — Bob’s competitor won business not because he was more likeable than Bob — in fact, both customers made it clear that in the “friendship sweepstakes,” Bob was in the lead by half a lap — but because he could be a business resource for his customers. Customers know that the competitor is good for more than buying a good lunch; he is good for helping them solve their problems.

(3) Always have a call objective — Most of Bob’s sales calls were centered around simply reinforcing friendships and staying visible. Meanwhile, his competitors pick his pocket because they are going in with a call objective and working to constantly advance the status of their business relationships. www.offi cetechnol ogymag.com | J a n u a ry 2015 | 37

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By the way, it is not only veteran sales(4) Develop customer expertise — people who fall victim to this kind of sellThe most valuable knowledge is customer Today’s customer ing and its consequences. I have had young knowledge. Bob’s competitor worked to demands more salespeople with the “friends-first” focus build his knowledge of his customers on than a buddy. and they lose business for the same reason. every sales call. In fact, both of them reHe demands a Today’s customer demands more than a marked on the competitor’s ongoing quesresource — and if buddy. He demands a resource — and if you tions. “It is like he is always trying to learn cannot be that, your competitor will. n more about us,” one said. Bob is a friend you cannot be that, Troy Harrison is the author of “Sell Like You who talks about the Chiefs football team; your competitior will.

Mean It!” and a speaker, consultant his competitor talks about the direction and sales navigator. He helps companies that his customers are headed. build more profitable and productive (5) Make good use of the customer’s sales forces with his cutting-edge sales time — Both customers remarked on how time-efficient Bob’s training and methodologies. For competitor is. “He does something positive for us on every visit,” information on booking speaking/training one said. “Granted, he is not as personal. We like him, but he is engagements, consulting or to sign up for his not our friend like Bob is. But we know that every time he is here, weekly e-zine, call (913) 645-3603 or something good will happen — and Bob stopped doing that long email troy@troyharrison.com. ago.” Your customer now expects a return on his (or her) time Visit www.troyharrison.com. investment with you. How are you going to generate that?

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