May 2012 Office Technology

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CONTENTS Volume 18 • No. 11

FEATURE ARTICLES 10

2012 MPS Guide A compilation of the industry’s many resources

SELLING SOLUTIONS Getting Ahead Start by working backward from your goals

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by Tibor Shanto Renbor Sales Solutions Inc.

Compiled by Brent Hoskins Office Technology Magazine

Sales professionals need to track their progress if they want to consistently outperform. As a salesperson, how many appointments did you have this year, and how does that number compare to last year’s number? Is that number of appointments adequate to get you to your goals?

Managed print services has become commonplace within the office technology industry. As a resource to its readers, Office Technology magazine invited a number of vendors to submit brief overviews of how they can assist dealers in maintaining successful MPS programs in their dealerships.

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Managed IT Services It is best to partner with a selling organization

by Michael Schwartz Image Systems for Business

P R I N C I PA L I S S U E S Not Getting Referrals?

Five reasons why they might not be happening

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Strategic alliances and business partnerships are never as clear cut as we would like them to be. In dealing with managed IT services, there seem to be more variations of these services and more companies providing them than there are copier/MFP dealerships.

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‘Focus on Success’ Kyocera hosts Pan-American Dealer Meeting

by Brent Hoskins Office Technology Magazine

by Troy Harrison SalesForce Solutions

One frequent complaint I hear from salespeople is that they do not get referrals — or do not get enough referrals. When I drill down, in many cases I find that a salesperson’s referral-generation strategy is: “I hope someone gives me a referral.” Unfortunately, it does not work that way.

Mobile Computing A competitive advantage in field service operations

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With a clear goal of expressing its commitment to and appreciation for the dealer channel while emphasizing the company’s recent successes and current transition to a document solutions-centric focus, Kyocera Document Solutions America Inc. hosted its FY13 Pan-American Dealer Meeting April 10-12.

by Robert Sombach Nexent Innovations

Field service is well into the process of going mobile now. Technology has rapidly evolved to a point where technicians can now access and update important customer data, safely and reliably in real time, through smartphones and other mobile devices like the iPad and Playbook.

COURTS & CAPITOLS 25

Non-Compete Agreements Avoid litigation by using sound business judgment

by Robert C. Goldberg BTA General Counsel

No less than one telephone inquiry to the BTA Legal Hotline each week either requests that I review a noncompete agreement or that I contact a former employee regarding his (or her) obligations under a non-compete.

There are no uniform laws regulating non-compete agreements, so there are variations in every state.

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

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• 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

Results Show Current Dealer Views on MPS

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n preparing the cover feature for this issue of Office Technology, the “2012 MPS Guide,” I decided to re-send a brief managed print services (MPS) survey originally emailed to dealers for features in the December 2010 and September 2011 issues. It is important to note that these are not necessarily the same dealers responding to each survey. The 2010 survey was completed by 93 dealers, the 2011 survey by 64 dealers and this most recent survey by 80 dealers. I thought it would be of interest to once again take a look at how the views and activities among dealers, as they relate to MPS, have changed over time. I believe you will find the results of interest as well.

Following are some of the survey questions. For each of these questions, I have included the results from the previous surveys.  What is the size of your dealership in terms of total annual revenues? Under $5 million — 57.5% (2011: 58%; 2010: 64%); $5 million to $10 million — 25% (2011: 23%; 2010: 22%); More than $10 million — 17.5% (2011: 19%; 2010: 14%)  Does your dealership have an MPS program in place? All respondents — Yes: 80% (2011: 64%; 2010: 66%), No: 20% (2011: 36%; 2010: 34%); Under $5 million — Yes: 72% (2011: 49%; 2010: 59%), No: 28% (2011: 51%; 2010: 41%); $5 million to $10 million — Yes: 90% (2011: 79%; 2010: 75%), No: 10% (2011: 21%; 2010: 25%); More than $10 million — Yes: 93% (2011: 100%; 2010: 85%), No: 7% (2011: 0%; 2010: 15%)  If your dealership does not have an MPS program in place, which of the following best describes your viewpoint?

• “Despite the industry buzz about MPS, I don’t see how a dealership can find much, if any, success with MPS.” All — 60% (2011:

46%; 2010: 48.5%) • “I am interested in developing an MPS program, but don’t know where to begin.”

All — 27% (2011: 42%; 2010: 42.5%) • “I haven’t had time to give it much thought.” All — 13% (2011: 12%; 2010: 9%)  If you do have an MPS program in place, which of the following best describes your level of success with the program?

• “It’s in place, but we are finding little to no success.” All — 19.5% (2011: 26%; 2010: 28%); Under $5 million — 28% (2011: 42%; 2010: 31.5%); $5 million to $10 million — 19% (2011: 8%; 2010: 26.5%); More than $10 million — 0% (2011: 18%; 2010: 18%) • “We are realizing a moderate level of success, but it is not clear yet as to whether this is going to prove to one day become an integral part of our business.” All — 47.5% (2011: 36%; 2010: 36%); Under $5 million — 47% (2011: 26%; 2010: 31.5%); $5 million to $10 million — 44% (2011: 42%; 2010: 47%); More than $10 million — 54% (2011: 45.5%; 2010: 36.5%) • “We are very pleased with our level of success.” All — 33% (2011: 38%; 2010: 36%); Under $5 million — 25% (2011: 32%; 2010: 37%); $5 million to $10 million — 37% (2011: 50%; 2010: 26.5%); More than $10 million — 46% (2011: 36.5%; 2010: 45.5%) There were several other questions in the recent survey, including:  If you do have an MPS program in place, do you have one or more dedicated sales reps?  Approximately how many machines/ devices do you have under an MPS contract?  What advice would you offer a fellow dealer who is only now establishing an MPS program?

To read all of the responses received for this Office Technology email survey, visit www.bta.org/2012MPSGuide.  — 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.salesforcesolutions.net Michael Schwartz, Image Systems for Business www.imagesysgroup.com Tibor Shanto, Renbor Sales Solutions Inc. www.sellbetter.ca Robert Sombach, Nexent Innovations www.miracleservice.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: iStockphoto, Jupiterimages. Cover created

by Bruce Quade, Brand X Studio. ©2012 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 2011-2012 Board of Directors

Survey Results Rank Vendor Performance

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hank you for casting your vote in this year’s BTA Channel’s Choice program, ranking both your primary and secondary hardware vendors. This year we received 455 completed ballots from independent BTA member and non-member dealers. The results of this balloting process determined the winners of our 2012 Channel’s Choice awards and provide BTA dealer members with a detailed look at how dealers view the performance of the office technology industry’s hardware vendors.

Established in 1989, the Channel’s Choice program provides dealers with a means of recognizing and honoring those office technology vendors that are the most supportive of the BTA channel. Through the years, we have honored a number of vendors for their outstanding product lines and exceptional levels of performance and dealer support.

Congratulations to our 2012 winners, who have distinguished themselves above all others by providing the most highly regarded level of support to the BTA Channel. Toshiba America Business Solutions (TABS) is the winner of the 2012 Channel’s Choice award for Superior Performance as a Primary Product Line Provider. This is the 13th time TABS has received BTA’s top award. In addition, TABS received Channel’s Choice awards in three other performance categories: Corporate Support, Distribution and Inventory.

Two other vendors also received 2012 Channel’s Choice awards. Muratec America Inc. received an award for its Outstanding Performance as a Secondary Product Line Provider. This is the ninth time Muratec has received the award. In addition, Copystar received a 2012 Channel’s Choice award

in the performance category of Product Line. Copystar received the Product Line award in 2010 as well. (Kyocera received this award in 2009 and 2011.)

As noted, BTA provides its members a detailed look at the results. Specifically, the 100-plus pages of the 2012 BTA Channel’s Choice Report provide a comprehensive view of the balloting process and an unparalleled look at how dealers rate their vendor partners. This report was prepared for the association by Industry Analysts Inc. The report is now available for download at www.bta.org/ChannelsChoice. In fact, on that page, you can also download the reports from 2007-2011 to see how the dealers’ collective ranking of any given vendor’s performance has changed in recent years.

(Access to these reports is a member benefit, so you will need your username and password to download them.)

Here is a sampling of some of the information you will find in the 2012 BTA Channel’s Choice Report:  The report shows performance rankings of 10 companies designated as primary brands and 14 as secondary brands.  Copystar was the first runner-up for the Primary Product Line Superior Performance Award; Sharp was the first runnerup for the Secondary Product Line Outstanding Performance Award.  Among primary vendor providers, five companies were ranked at or above the overall industry mean: Toshiba, Copystar, Kyocera, Xerox and Konica Minolta.

The above is just a very brief sampling of the results included in the report. Download your free copy of the 2012 BTA Channel’s Choice Report today via the BTA website and see how your fellow dealers rank your primary and secondary vendors — and how they rank competitive brands.  — Tom Ouellette

President Tom Ouellette Budget Document Technology 251 Goddard Road Lewiston, ME 04240 touellette@bdtme.com President-Elect Terence Chapman Business Electronics Corp.

219 Oxmoor Circle Birmingham, AL 35209 tchapman@businesselectronics.com Vice President Todd J. Fitzsimons Network Imaging LLC 122 Spring St. Southington, CT 06489 tjfitzsimons@ni-ct.com BTA East Rob Richardson Allied Document Solutions & Services Inc. 200 Church St. Swedesboro, NJ 08085 robr@ads-s.com BTA Mid-America Ron Hulett U.S. Business Systems Inc. 3221 Southview Drive Elkhart, IN 46514 ron.hulett@usbus.com BTA Southeast Jerry Jackson All South Copiers Inc. 3610 Kennesaw N. Industrial Parkway., Ste. D Kennesaw, GA 30144 jj@ascopiers.com BTA West Ronelle Ingram Steven Enterprises Inc. 17952 Sky Park Circle, Ste. E Irvine, CA 92614 ronellei@msn.com Ex-Officio/Immediate Past President Rock Janecek Burtronics Business Systems Inc. 216 S. Arrowhead Ave. San Bernardino, CA 92408 rjanecek@burtronics.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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Expect More

FLEXIBILITY

Imagine an MPS program designed around you and your business Total Managed Print provides custom-built MPS solutions that fit your business needs.

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OKI offers a flexible MPS platform with nine customizable modules that can be leveraged to build your MPS solution or enhance your current business model for long-term profitability.

Only Total Managed Print offers: • Comprehensive Data Capture and Analysis—using OKI’s proprietary analytic engine • Dynamic Report Generator—automates manual processes and delivers customized reports • Unbiased, Strategic Recommendations—including device and brand agnostic proposals • Continuous Optimization Services—keeps your customer’s business running at its best With Total Managed Print, OKI will work with you to cover all of your MPS business needs, from consultative selling to consolidated supplies fulfillment to delivery of a full host of OEM or private labeled services.

For more information on Total Managed Print and your MPS market opportunity, visit: www.okidata.com/TMP

Feel like a partner again with OKI © 2011 Oki Data Americas, Inc. OKI, Reg. T.M., Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd., Reg. T.M., Total Managed Print, Reg. T.M., Oki Data Corporation.

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2012 MPS Guide A compilation of the industry’s many resources Compiled by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine

I

t is no longer the “next big thing.” Instead, managed print services (MPS) has become commonplace within the office technology industry. In fact, today, having an MPS program in place is standard fare.

As a resource to its readers, Office Technology magazine invited a number of vendors to submit brief overviews of how they can assist dealers in maintaining successful MPS programs in their dealerships. Following are the submissions received.

(Editor’s note: Should your company be on this list? If so, submit your entry to brent@bta.org. It will be added to the online guide posted on the BTA website at www.bta. org/2012MPSGuide.)

ACM Technologies www.acmtech.com MPS dealers rely on suppliers that can provide quality products and fast fulfillment at competitive prices. ACM Technologies offers the largest selection and stock of OEM, compatible and remanufactured supplies in the industry.

With its three-tiered customer support and four warehouses strategically located around the nation, ACM has the ability to fulfill and ship 98 percent of orders the same day.

ACM’s mission is to enable its business partners to succeed by delivering quality products and services.

Bradshaw www.bradshawgroup.com In the world of MPS, it is all about keeping your costs per page as low as possible, not about getting a fuser or a printer for a cheap price. Bradshaw has established itself in the industry as a go-to source for high-quality refurbished printers and printer parts.

Compass Sales Solutions www.compasscontact.net Compass Sherpa is an advanced sales-force automation, solution selling and fleet management software system. Designed from a sales perspective, Compass merges the ability to manage your prospective database, complete detailed TCO analysis, price service contracts, generate thorough, professional proposals and sales paperwork, all at the touch of a button. Compass offers advanced and seamless integration with your ERP, Outlook and your leasing partners.

Digital Gateway www.digitalgateway.com Digital Gateway offers a robust set of MPS tools: Digital Quote Manager, which automates proposal generation and the profitability/TCO analysis process for CPC, CPP and MPS contracts with real-time pricing and automated invoice processing connections to key MPS vendors; and PO Processor (POP), benefiting dealers that purchase parts and supplies for customers as part of their day-to-day business. POP relieves dealers of the labor-intensive aspects of purchasing, receiving, invoice matching, and maintaining real-time distributor pricing through tight integrations with Image Star, LMI, Supplies Network, West Point Products, Azerty, Katun, Parts Now, MSE, Printer Essentials, TechData and Synnex, with many more suppliers integrating every day.

Diversified Computer Supplies www.optiprint.com DCS has invested in the tools dealers need to make MPS profitable for any business. Not only does the company offer more than 700 high-quality compatible solutions, but it also operates its own ISO-9001-certified manufacturing

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facility, ensuring the quality dealers demand. With the DCS no-strings-attached “OptiPrint” MPS software and proposal generator, dealers can jump right into MPS with an economical path to success. Complete webinar training is available.

EverBank Commercial Finance www.everbankcommercialfinance.com EverBank Commercial Finance’s MPS-certified team helps dealers meet their clients’ current financing needs and capture incremental revenue with impactful training opportunities and profit-enhancing products. EverBank specializes in cost-per-copy, managed print services, software-only financing and document management. The company’s easyto-use sales tools, detailed reporting, straightforward documentation and policies all contribute to dealers’ MPS success.

FMAudit www.fmaudit.com FMAudit is a leader in the development of software solutions for managed print. Its software provides advanced technology for network and local device data assessment, TCO analysis, automated meter billing, ERP integration, and supply and service alert filtering and workflows. FMAudit offers remote meter reading solutions and print management assessment tools in addition to unique solutions to help a dealership reduce overhead, automate service and increase sales. Its data collection software can be remotely installed, maintained and updated. This innovative solution provides everything needed to assess, analyze, propose, monitor and market an MPS strategy.

GreatAmerica Leasing Corp. www.greatamerica.com GreatAmerica has been helping its customers develop and grow their MPS initiatives for nearly a decade. Beginning with the enhancement of its billing and invoicing capabilities to handle complex MPS contracts, GreatAmerica has considered MPS a significant opportunity for its dealers and has invested accordingly in its ability to assist them.

Today, GreatAmerica helps office equipment dealers implement, monitor, finance, bill and grow their MPS programs to deeper levels. This includes products and services like the company’s new MPS documentation solution, PathShare HR Services, technology integration with all major ERPs and FleetView remote monitoring.

Hewlett-Packard www.hp.com/partners/partnermps Hewlett-Packard (HP) helps the channel create more value for customers with programs and support for partner managed print services and solutions. For partners that do not have their own infrastructure, HP offers instant access to industry-leading MPS via the Managed Print Specialist Program. For partners with established MPS practices, HP

offers benefits such as discounts, compensation and MPS training via the Managed Print Advanced Specialist Program. The Document Solutions Specialist Program trains, certifies and supports partners to sell and deliver workflow, mobility and security solutions. HP offers marketing and sales support, diagnostic and analytic tools, products and solutions to help gain customer insight, optimize environments, reduce costs, and tighten security.

InfoTrends www.infotrends.com InfoTrends offers consulting services and forecasts for executives, product and marketing managers, and senior managers surrounding the MPS marketplace. In addition, InfoTrends, along with Strategy Development, created an online MPS e-Learning Sales Program designed to help dealers, resellers and manufacturers launch successful MPS programs. These interactive, online training programs leverage InfoTrends’ deep industry knowledge on the MPS space, as well as Strategy Development’s real-world experience.

InkCycle www.inkcycle.com InkCycle offers a full product range of laser cartridges for most desktop printers, Jumbo cartridges to decrease CPP cost, and maintenance kits and fusers for HP and Lexmark printers. The company also offers 30 years of real-world experience with vice president of sales Carl Little, the former owner of a copier/MFP dealership that had more than 30,000 printers and 10,000 copiers locked up in an MPS program.

Katun Corp. www.katun.com Katun invests in strategically focused programs designed to make dealerships more efficient and profitable. The program provides customers discounts, along with access to, and reimbursement for, industry-related software, including MPS. This support helps keep dealers in control of devices while maximizing profitability. Katun’s products and competitive prices enable dealers to maintain profitability throughout the life of MPS contracts. This flexible program can be customized so the dealer’s business needs align with specific organizational goals and objectives.

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. www.konicaminolta.com Konica Minolta’s Optimized Print Services (OPS) program combines consulting, hardware, software implementation and workflow management to deliver print efficiencies while driving lower document spend. The OPS concept is comprised of three focus areas: Consult, Implement and Manage. A full array of toolsets are available to assist customers with fleet assessments, device mapping and reporting to manage their print environments. Konica Minolta’s

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OPS program is available via authorized dealers and through the direct sales channel.

Kyocera Document Solutions America Inc. www.kyoceradocumentsolutions.com/us Kyocera supports its North and South American dealer channel with a comprehensive MDS program. The core of Kyocera’s MDS program is composed of the industry’s broadest product portfolio of A3 and A4 MFPs and printers, business applications and customized device capability, as well as a team of dedicated field specialists. Kyocera also provides its dealers with training, marketing support and access to its remote monitoring server, powered by PrintFleet. Kyocera has more than 275 MDS-certified dealers across the Americas.

Lexmark International www.lexmark.com In building an MPS program for office technology dealers, Lexmark relies on its unique position as both a leading hardware manufacturer as well as an MPS provider to thousands of enterprise customers. Lexmark’s MPS toolset — Lexmark Fleet Manager — is designed specifically to boost dealers’ profitability and the value they bring to their customers through accurate and robust service ticketing and meter collection, ERP integration and a thorough understanding of the customer’s fleet (including toner consumption and coverage rates).

Managed Print Marketing www.managedprintmarketing.com Managed Print Marketing provides MPS sales offense systems to many of North America’s top MPS resellers, VARs and OEMs. More than 2,000 MPS sales professionals have been trained to find and win more pages under contract using field-proven best practices across the MPS sales cycle.

Content is showcased using interactive online video modules with testing and reporting systems. MPS leaders enjoy participant status dashboards and access to sales 2.0 tools that maximize field adoption and ROI. Managed Print Services Association (MPSA) www.yourmpsa.org The MPSA is an independent, non-profit and international organization that seeks to develop standards and best practices within the MPS industry. The association’s primary charter provides educational resources to multiple segments of the industry, including customers, dealers, manufacturers and other providers of MPS infrastructure, through educational webinars, newsletters and special “Beyond the Classroom” articles designed to provide members a competitive edge within the MPS industry.

Melissa Whitaker International www.melissawhitakerintl.com Melissa Whitaker International offers dealers a wide range of support, training and ongoing coaching (in the field) for MPS. This includes anything from consulting on infrastructure, to MPS beginner training, to MPS specialist training. Whitaker has specialized in MPS for more than eight years and her real-life successes in the field bring tangible results, not just theory.

Micro Solutions Enterprises www.mse.com Micro Solutions Enterprises (MSE) offers its dealers market-leading extended-life cartridges ideal for MPS resellers that can increase yield versus the OEM by up to 100 percent.

Included in these offerings are the market’s only 40,000page versions for use in the m4555mfp, m 602/603 and 4515 printers. MSE supports its products and brand with a vast array of marketing support and sales resources.

MPSConnect www.mpsconnect.com MPSConnect provides a centralized, collaborative, noncompetitive forum for the MPS industry. Its Web portal, newsletters, industry-specific search engine and related tools are free of charge. The MPSConnect audience is comprised of business managers, senior technical decision makers, print service providers, dealers, consultants and hardware/software vendors. The mission of MPSConnect is to provide free and easy access to the fullest array of industry research and information in order to simplify and accelerate solution acquisition and implementation. It does this by providing centralized access to all identified industry resource providers around the world via its free, convenient, one-stop portal.

Muratec America Inc. www.muratec.com Muratec America Inc. supports dealers with its managed document services (MDS) initiatives by offering OEM-compatible imaging supplies, nationwide break/fix service for almost any printer or MFP, A4 MFP solutions, refurbished namebrand printers and cost-effective, easy-to-support document management solutions. Muratec’s MDS support team can alleviate some of the burden and risk associated with MDS contracts by enabling dealers to outsource break/fix service and supply fulfillment without sacrificing significant margins.

NER Data Products Inc. www.nerdata.com NER’s Print4 covers all aspects of managed print through a comprehensive suite of software, support, mentorship programs, supplies and parts fulfillment, national service delivery/dedicated help desk, efficient program deployment/management, leasing options and CPP billing. NER

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The Total Managed Print Software Solution

FMAudit is the most utilized MPS software in the world!

Using FMAudit managed print solutions you will: • Remotely install, maintain and update software with limited IT staff involvement • Maintain 100% control of your data—no third party has access to your data • Reduce overhead, automate processes and increase sales

Schedule a demo with FMAudit TODAY!

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

800-440-8664 Ext. 89172 • fmaudit@ECiSolutions.com • www.fmaudit.com ECi, FMAudit and the ECi Red Box logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of eCommerce Industries, Inc. All rights reserved.

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works with dealers at the end-user level and teaches dealers how to close managed print business.

Office Document Consulting Inc. www.officedocumentconsulting.com Office Document Consulting Inc. is a firm dedicated to helping organizations develop, implement and transition into MPS. The firm’s unique MPS programs can be customized to include: remote management software in the cloud; a sales/ assessment TCO tool — DOC Assess in the cloud; sales management and sales rep MPS training; face-to-face sales calls with reps; MPS webinar series; software development; MPS program design; and help implementing your MPS offering.

OKI www.okidata.com/TMP Total Managed Print (TMP), OKI’s end-to-end MPS solution, can be customized to align with the unique needs of individual partners of all sizes. Once a partner registers to become an OKI TMP provider, it is assigned a dedicated MPS specialist who will provide comprehensive MPS on-boarding and portal training at no charge. Upon completion of the training, an OKI field sales manager will jointly work with each partner to identify sales opportunities utilizing OKI’s automated fleet assessment tools and report generator, and assist in presenting client recommendations as needed. All OKI TMP partners have access to a host of systems, tools, resources and marketing materials, including 24/7 telephone support.

Parts Now www.partsnow.com The office technology industry is often stalled on highlevel strategy and not enough tactics are being implemented to move business forward. Parts Now can help dealers move forward with software, support and products. The company provides MPS, sales and service training, technical support, printer parts, toner, copier parts and supplies.

Photizo Group www.photizogroup.com Photizo Group is a research and consulting firm in the imaging industry. Its acquisition of Lyra Research united two market leaders to create a broad, comprehensive line of market intelligence and consulting services. Photizo’s analysts apply more than 300 years of combined industry experience studying hardware, supplies, services and future markets. The firm goes beyond simply gathering data, but guides clients through a successful transformation as the industry moves from product-led to services-led. Photizo provides clients with innovative and practical market intelligence, consulting and education services.

Pinnacle Sales Inc. www.pinnaclesales-ohio.com Pinnacle Sales Inc. is a leading supplier of compatible

and OEM printer supplies. Highlights of its unique MPS program include: 99.992-percent same-day cartridge fulfillment; private drop-shipping with inside location addressing; custom full-color labels on cartridges; custom pack list; simple return program; double money-back guarantee on all U.S.-made items; and comprehensive U.S.-made Lexmark compatible products, including BSD models.

Print Audit www.printaudit.com Print Audit Premier is a new subscription plan that helps office technology dealers win new customers, keep current customers and make a lot of money by providing virtually unlimited use of all of Print Audit’s products for one low monthly price. Premier provides a full array of MPS tools that can be used to uncover more sales opportunities, truly manage printing in any environment, lower print costs and add value to the dealer’s machines in field.

Print Management Solutions Group www.printmanagementsolutionsgroup.com The Print Management Solutions Group (PMSG) supports and accelerates print management training initiatives within the document imaging industry. The company’s consulting and MPS training solutions help dealers build and sustain a competitive advantage. By leveraging talent, experience and extensive resources, PMSG provides a seamless solution to improve sales and sales management effectiveness, operational efficiencies and profitability. It has built its value proposition and reputation as a dynamic organization with the ability to provide measurable returns.

Print Tracker www.printtracker.net Print Tracker offers a low-impact, highly secure print management solution that quickly captures information from both networked and locally connected imaging devices. Easily deployed, often in under three minutes, Print Tracker includes a host of management tools such as service and meter viewers, a fully customizable TCO estimator and data that can be integrated into most ERP accounting software. A free trial of Print Tracker software can be downloaded from the company’s website. Print Tracker services customers worldwide from its Boise, Idaho, headquarters for development, support and sales.

PROS Elite Group www.proselitegroup.com MPS is an area of expertise for the PROS Elite Group.

PROS’ execution-based training and consulting offerings deliver results to dealer organizations. The PROS executive team created the MPS service financial and operational benchmarks that are recognized as the standard of excellence that dealers use to gauge their performance results.

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Our team at Supplies Network strives every day to deliver the products and services you need for the solutions your customers demand; from stocking the items they need most, to delivering the enhanced capabilities of a world-class suite of managed print services. We supply trust – so you can deliver solutions.

SOLUTIONS Sarah Custer Kate Franks

MPS Solutions Team Leader

Director of Sales Operations

suppliesnetwork.com

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In addition, PROS’ sales strategy integrates MPS seamlessly into the dealer’s sales process, which results in 50 percent of deals containing an MPS component.

Ricoh Americas Corp. www.ricoh-usa.com Through the ChaMPS Program for dealers, Ricoh delivers best-in-class managed document services tools, methodologies and training, and a selection of its managed services portfolio that includes: commercial imaging services for scanning, conversion and archiving; professional services for solution design, architecture and project management; and IT services to proactively monitor and safeguard network infrastructures. This convergence of managed services and hardware elevates the reseller well above merely selling commoditized devices and entrenches the reseller deeply within its customers’ processes and strategic planning as a true partner.

Strategy Development www.strategydevelopment.com Strategy Development (SD) is a management consulting and training firm that offers solutions to expand a profitable MPS program. SD’s suite of offerings spans all functional areas including planning, finance, sales and service operations. Dealers can increase their share of wallet and maximize account penetration with SD’s MPS sales consulting engagement, learn the details to make it work with a service consulting engagement, and attain great profits with SD’s finance and planning workshops. SD University offerings include: Fundamentals and Advanced MPS Sales Workshops, Sales Management Workshop, Business Planning Workshop and Finance Model Workshop, which teaches dealers how to implement the industry model in an MPS practice.

Supplies Network www.suppliesnetwork.com Supplies Network offers a suite of à-la-carte services to help dealers successfully customize, sell and administer a managed print services model. The mpsSELECT suite of services includes: Data Collection Service — no fixed costs and free technical support and training; Supply Management System — allowing customers to get supplies before they run out; Service Monitoring — allowing dealers to know when a customer’s device truly needs attention; Cost Per Image Service (CPI) — includes everything needed to bill clients by the page; and Service Desk — allows customers to call one toll-free number to minimize onsite repairs. mpsSELECT is supplies fulfillment made simple.

The Imaging Channel www.theimagingchannel.com The Imaging Channel is an integrated resource for the print and imaging industry that brings together leading

market information, business concepts, strategies and people in managed print through a quarterly print publication, semimonthly e-bulletin and the annual Managed Print Summit. The Imaging Channel’s goal is to leverage the knowledge of experts and peers in the managed print industry, and by doing so, provide a centralized organization where dealers and resellers can find the best information, partners and products for their programs.

Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc. www.business.toshiba.com Toshiba’s Encompass Managed Print Services program provides dealers with an easy means to optimize and manage their customers’ printer fleets and print environments, regardless of brand. Dealers are able to offer toner, nationwide service, parts and labor in one low cost-per-page price.

They can manage accounts with an easy-to-use online procurement and support site, available 24/7. To help dealers succeed in their MPS efforts, Toshiba offers Lean MPS for Sales Professionals. This certification program teaches the philosophy and strategic approach of MPS, the programs available from Toshiba, pricing strategies and more.

West Point Products www.westpointproducts.com West Point Products offers its Axess MPS program as part of its portfolio of products and services intended to add value for customers. Axess MPS offers dealers best-in-class remote monitoring software, a TCO calculator, and national service support and dispatch. Axess MPS is scalable and customizable, helping customers to grow their MPS programs to suit their business models.

Xerox Corp. www.office.xerox.com/resellers Xerox pioneered the MPS concept more than a decade ago, and continues to set the bar for strategy and execution. MPS is about more than just managing output. It is a business strategy that helps channel partners deliver a wide range of benefits to their customers around their most pressing concerns, including: cost control and management, environmental/sustainability, security and compliance, and productivity. With the Xerox PagePack 3.0 MPS Program, partners have access to MPS software technology, marketing tools, sales support, technical support, and a best-of-class on-boarding and mentoring program to help committed partners establish successful MPS practices and clear paths to sustainable/profitable growth. n Brent Hoskins, executive director of the Business Technology Association, is editor of Office Technology magazine. He can be reached at brent@bta.org or (816) 303-4040.

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Managed IT Services It is best to partner with a selling organization by: Michael Schwartz, Image Systems for Business

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trategic alliances and business partnerships are never as clear cut as we would like them to be. In dealing with managed IT services, there seem to be more variations of these services and more companies providing them than there are copier/MFP dealerships.

Many of your down-the-street customers are probably using small companies you have probably heard of. These small companies go by names like “The Computer Guy” or “The IT Guy.” Typically, these are single-person operations where the owner is working out of his (or her) home. He helps one or two small businesses with their computers and networks because he is friendly with someone known by the owner(s).

There are also countless five- to 10-person IT providers that have 50 to 100 clients, averaging 10 to 20 workstations each. Usually they have been established for many years, have a local customer base and the owner is the sole salesperson who — nine times out of 10 — gains a new account through a referral.

I really do not think many dealers would be interested in partnering with either of these providers for the obvious reason — they do not bring that much to the table. This is why I contacted several mid-sized and a few larger, multinational providers to see if there was any potential in private labeling and reselling their services.

What I found after talking with more than a dozen IT service providers (which had up to 350 employees) is that only a select few have dedicated sales staffs in front of prospects on a daily basis.

Disregard the revenue or sales team size of your dealership for a moment and scale it down to a single sales rep.

How many first appointments, proposals, phone calls, cold calls and customers is he in front of in a given week? Labeling each of those activities as a “touch” equates to the rep making 100-plus touches per week. Whether or not you agree on an exact figure, the point is that a dealership’s sales reps make professional sales by prospecting, qualifying, selling and maintaining customers, which is something that your common regional IT service provider does not seem to do.

The vice president of strategic planning at a multi-national IT services company that has contracts averaging $50,000 to $100,000 per month was impressed with the fact that sales reps in our industry are in front of such a large number of people. This is the same reaction I received from the CEO of a mid-sized IT provider with about 25 employees (12 of which are engineers) and a few hundred clients.

The reason for finding out how many prospects a sales rep sees or touches stemmed from meeting with several of the providers mentioned before and trying to figure out which would best partner with our company to repackage services and exchange leads. Ultimately, I found that even with companies I categorized as larger (200-plus clients on monthly managed service retainer), our sales team would be providing an overwhelmingly higher quantity of leads to our IT partner than we would receive from it.

There is also the issue that you inevitably face before any formal partnership takes place — the standoff regarding who provides the first lead or introduction to a customer that will “do something” for your company. These are the same issues a dealer has already considered when trying to determine if he should build, buy or partner to enter the IT services space.

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team’s efforts will certainly be appreciatUnfortunately, there is not a pered and rewarded with shared business exfect solution, and each dealer needs to I think one of the most changes, but your marketplace and their evaluate his own company’s needs and significant criteria in marketplace are most likely drastically his marketplace. The expense of engifinding a successful different, which creates an unsustainneering your own network operations partner is that both able partnership. I think one of the most center hardly seems worth it considersignificant criteria in finding a successful ing the majority of mid-sized IT service companies should have partner is that both companies should providers do not even engineer their mutually inclusive sales have mutually inclusive sales staffs that own. Many outsource the engineerstaffs that work equally ... work equally and collectively. n ing, development and maintenance to Michael Schwartz held part-time status at companies like Kaseya or NetIQ once his family’s Somerset, N.J., dealership, Image realizing its cost-effectiveness. It is the Systems for Business, from 2001 at 14 years old, up until same philosophy as a dealership utilizing third-party MPS earning a bachelor’s degree in finance and marketing and tracking software rather than engineering its own. taking on a full-time position in 2009.

By doing this exercise, I have concluded that by working He quickly immersed himself into with a provider that is small and local, you will be workthe industry, attending BTA events, dealer ing way harder for them than they will be for you. With a mid-sized provider, you will have some recognition and ap- meetings and related gatherings on behalf of the company. Schwartz can be reached at preciation for your sales staff’s presence in the market, but mschwartz@imagesysgroup.com. you may still be lacking reciprocal leads or introductions. In Visit www.imagesysgroup.com. dealing with a global or multi-national provider, your sales

Techonomics

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CIT Vendor Finance has a deep commitment to helping companies grow. We are a global leader in creating leasing and financing solutions that can drive incremental revenues for manufacturers, distributors and resellers. These solutions also help their small and middle market customers obtain the equipment they need while preserving cash flow for growth.

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‘Focus on Success’ Kyocera hosts Pan-American Dealer Meeting by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine

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ith a clear goal of expressing its commitment to and appreciation for the dealer channel while emphasizing the company’s recent successes and current transition to a document solutions-centric focus, Kyocera Document Solutions America Inc. hosted its FY13 PanAmerican Dealer Meeting April 10-12 at The Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, Nev. The meeting drew more than 1,200 attendees, representing U.S. Kyocera and Copystar dealers, as well as dealers and guests from Canada, Mexico, the company’s Latin America division, Brazil and Japan.

The schedule included a variety of education seminars and a Technology Fair, which highlighted Kyocera’s hardware products and growing lineup of business applications.

The company also introduced 16 new products, including a new 25 page-per-minute (ppm) A3 color MFP, a 50-ppm color printer, HyPAS (Hybrid Platform for Advanced Solutions) integration for Kyocera SMART MFPs, and an exclusive lineup of A4 MFPs designed for the Latin American market.

There was also a focus on the significance of the company’s April 1 name change from Kyocera Mita America.

“This is a unique time for our organization,” said Ed Bialecki, senior vice president of sales, during the opening General Session. “Our name change is a bold statement that immediately conveys our company’s global brand message and its value to all our customers. We see the change as a tremendous opportunity — a new beginning, if you will.”

Bialecki noted that the theme of the meeting, “Focus on Success,” reflected much more than the company’s new name. “It identifies where we will be putting all of our energy and resources,” he said. “As we look toward a bright and successful future, we see two things. The first is satisfied end users across every vertical who are more efficient and effective because of the Kyocera document solutions implemented in their businesses. Secondly, we see inspired and prosperous dealers, who we view as our most important customers. We are committed to supporting your success every step of the way as we transition and evolve our brand in the marketplace.”

In an effort to highlight the company’s continued “focus

Top: Attendees learn more about the Kyocera’s latest products and services in the Technology Fair. Lower photos, left to right: Katsumi Komaguchi, president, Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.; Nori Ina, president and CEO, Kyocera Document Solutions America Inc. (Kyocera); and Ed Bialecki, senior vice president of sales, Kyocera. on success” and to thank dealers, Katsumi Komaguchi, president of parent company Kyocera Document Solutions Inc., also addressed dealers during the Opening Session. He began by looking back, reporting on the company’s sales results as of March 31, the end of Kyocera’s fiscal year. “Net sales were 242.3 billion Japanese yen [approximately $2.9 billion], pretax profit was 29.2 billion Japanese yen [approximately $360 million] and the pre-tax profit ratio was 12 percent,” he said.

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“This represents 101.3 percent compared consistent year-over-year results. to last year in revenue and 115.3 percent “I thank all of you for your hard work “I am pleased to in profit. If we disregard the effect of flucand for the results you achieved,” Ina announce that for tuation in the currency exchange rate, it said, citing two of the key contributing FY12, consolidated would be record sales since Kyocera Mita factors for the company’s strong results sales results show the started its business.” for FY12. “First: The TASKalfa and CopyRecalling the various unfortunate star A3 MFPs launched in FY12 with highest revenue ever recent natural disasters, including the strong results in the Americas and in achieved in the history earthquake in Japan and flooding in the U.S. Second: Dramatic sales increasof our company.“ Thailand, Komaguchi noted that Kyocera es of A4 MFPs and printers by our dealer was fortunate to have been largely unafchannel. This is a strong sign of a more fected. In addition, he said, despite the balanced deployment of devices within sluggish worldwide economy in recent years, the company your customer base. And this is the best sales result in the has continued to do well with the help of its dealers. “Thanks history of our company. It could never have been achieved to your aggressive selling, our newly introduced A3 MFPs’ six without the focus and dedication of you, our engines and 15 models, and mid-range A4 MFPs with HyPAS dealer partners. Thank you for helping us functionality, we were able to maintain a high growth rate make FY12 a historic year.”  and profit ratio and surpass most of our competitors,” he exBrent Hoskins, executive director of the plained. “Based on our last four years’ sales results, we have Business Technology Association, is editor been growing at more than 10 percent CAGR [compound anof Office Technology magazine. He can be nual growth rate] on average.” reached at brent@bta.org or (816) 303-4040.

Komaguchi expressed his thanks to the company’s dealer channel. “We owe it all to you, our channel partners, who are actively selling our product,” he said. “On behalf of the 15,000 employees of Kyocera Document Solutions Inc., I would like to show my deep appreciation for your daily efforts to sell our products.”

During his presentation, Komaguchi further explained the company’s name change. “Simply put, this name change is to declare that we are going to become a company offering total document solutions,” he said. “We are now going into a new era with customers who would not be satisfied without document management and workflow solutions. Our goal is to offer a variety of total document solutions, all relating to document management and workflow.”

Nori Ina, who was appointed to the position of president and CEO of Kyocera Document Solutions Company of America Inc. in September 2011, also addressed dealers during the opening General Session, emphasizing the company’s success and thanking dealers. He spoke of the “strong and impressive performance” of the company and noted that Kyocera’s U.S. operations began in 1973, nearly 40 years ago.

“I am pleased to announce that for FY12, consolidated sales results show the highest revenue ever achieved in the history of our company,” he said. “It is quite an honor for me to be a part of this milestone.”

Ina shared the sales percentage gains of dealers in the Americas over the past year: Canada, 23 percent; United States Kyocera and Copystar dealers, 11 percent; Latin America, 12 percent; and Mexico, 8 percent. While no specific percentage was offered for Brazil, he said the country delivered www.officetechnologymag.c o m | M a y 2 0 1 2 | 23

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

Dealer Members Athena Business Systems, Bogart, GA Accent Business Products, Ft. Myers, FL Service Associate Members Moving Office Equipment, Columbus, GA Junior’s Electronic Transport, Queens Village, NJ For full contact information of these new members, visit www.bta.org.

2012 Channel’s Choice Report Each year, BTA provides a comprehensive look at the performance of office technology vendors and hardware manufacturers, based on the balloting of independent dealers. This year’s Channel’s Choice winners are: Toshiba (Primary OEM: Overall, Corporate Support, Distribution and Inventory), Muratec (Secondary OEM: Overall) and Copystar (Primary OEM: Product Line). This year’s results are presented from an in-depth analysis compiled by Industry Analysts Inc. in the BTA 2012 Channel’s Choice Report, which is now available for download to BTA members on the BTA website. Visit www.bta.org/ChannelsChoice to download the report.

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.

BTA Vendor Associate member S.P. Richards Co. is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Genuine Parts Company (GPC) that distributes a wide spectrum of business products to office products resellers throughout the United States and Canada. These products include consumable office supplies, office furniture, computer supplies, consumer electronics, cleaning and breakroom supplies from all of the major industry manufacturers, including several private-label lines. The company operates more than 40 distribution centers across the United States and Canada. www.sprich.net BTA Service Associate member Moving Office Equipment (MOE) is an independent, fully insured, blanket-wrapped carrier that specializes in transporting copiers that are going off-lease back to their designated warehouses.

Backed by more than 30 years in the industry, the company’s services include: Padded, airride 18-wheel trailers or 26-foot padded airride box trucks; padded blankets, tie-off straps and lift gates; warehousing; storage for early upgrade machines; and hard-drive removal and replacement. www.moetrans.com A full list of BTA Vendor and Service Associate members can be found online at www.bta.org.

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COURTS & CAPITOLS

Non-Compete Agreements Avoid litigation by using sound business judgement by: Robert C. Goldberg, General Counsel for the Business Technology Association

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o less than one telephone inquiry to the BTA Legal Hotline each week either requests that I review a non-compete agreement or that I contact a former employee regarding his (or her) obligations under a non-compete. There are no uniform laws regulating non-compete agreements, so there are variations in every state. In California, for example, employee non-compete agreements are banned and unenforceable. Compounding uniformity is a struggling economy and the court’s propensity to allow individuals to work rather than be unemployed. Non-competes for employees are inconsistently enforced, but when they are narrowly drafted and reasonable as to the time and area restricted, they can be upheld.

It is a good business practice in states where non-competes are permitted to have all employees enter a non-compete agreement either at the beginning of their employment or when receiving a salary increase, promotion or added benefit. But is it an equally appropriate practice to run to court when a former employee leaves for a competitor? Regardless of whether you go to court or not, non-competes have a significant deterrent effect on both employees and employers.

I am currently involved in non-compete litigation where the motivation is not solidly grounded in business judgment, but rather, in emotion. Such motivation seldom ends in satisfaction and is often injurious to the former employer. Dealers should begin by determining what end result they desire. Do you want the individual to be terminated, to stay out of your accounts and/ or have your action serve as a message to all of your employees?

With an objective in mind, an effective strategy can be developed. I often advise that the first step is a letter to both the former employee and new employer that contains a copy of the non-compete agreement emphasizing the restrictions in place. The correspondence concludes with the desired remedy and the option of litigation if a result is not agreed upon. Then, the suggested result is accepted, negotiations begin or the letter is ignored. Ignoring the communication is never suggested, as litigation becomes the likely course and a lack of denial will be pointed out.

If an employer is unsuccessful in litigation, it can be a message to current and former employees that the document is flawed and can be ignored. In the meantime, you may find yourself spending significant dollars to obtain a negative result. Often, a non-compete agreement provides that, in the event of litigation, the prevailing party shall — in addition to any relief — receive its attorney’s fees and costs. This can be a

significant cost for a negative result where less formal options are available. These costs are the penalty for allowing emotion to stand in the way of a business objective and solution.

Litigation may also require the participation of end users who were solicited or sold to in violation of the non-compete.

An end user may resent the time required for depositions and the trial of a dispute where they have no interest in the outcome.

Litigation also requires the production of documents, depositions and responses to interrogatories. This may force an employer to reveal detailed information regarding its business that it may not wish to find in the hands of the attorney for the former employee or the new employer. By negotiating a resolution with the new employer, the risk of losing the case, disclosure of confidential information, and an extension of the period not to compete can be both avoided and secured.

Non-compete agreements have a definite role in our industry. They are absolutely essential for technicians who have been trained and educated. A salesperson’s customer base needs to be protected as well. The issue, however, is how and when to use non-competes to protect your business and confidential information. First determine your business objective, then find the best means to obtain it. And, remember: Leave your emotions at home. n Robert C. Goldberg is general counsel for the Business Technology Association.

He can be reached at robert.goldberg@sfnr.com. www.officetechnologyma g. c o m | M a y 2 0 1 2 | 25

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SELLING SOLUTIONS

Getting Ahead Start by working backward from your goals by: Tibor Shanto, Renbor Sales Solutions Inc.

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t is always interesting when you sit with a group of salespeople and the subject turns to sports. No matter what the sport, there is the inevitable talk of the leaders and their potential accomplishments over the course of the season.

When it comes to individual athletes, the talk turns to their numbers, total goals, batting average, number of at-bats, plus/ minus averages, number of times striking out with men at second, short-handed or power-play goals, home average versus road average, and so on. The athlete’s numbers are dissected and analyzed from all angles, usually in connection with a pool or wager.

Yet, often, when you ask the same sales professionals what their numbers are, they usually tell you their goals, where they are vis-à-vis their goals, perhaps how many sales they have that month and how many accounts they currently have, but usually not much more.

But, like athletes, sales professionals need to track much more if they want to consistently outperform. As a salesperson, how many at-bats did you have this year? Or, better yet, how many appointments did you have this year, and how does that number compare to last year’s number? Is that number of appointments adequate to get you to your goals? To properly answer that, it is necessary to break down your goals to understand the level of activity needed to achieve them — somewhat like working on your batting average and number of hits. To accomplish this, you need to track a number of things and then work backward from your goals.

There are three things that are most important to track:  The average length of your sales cycle.  The average size of a sale.  The number of meetings (appointments) needed during that sales cycle to close the sale.

Very few people can tell you what their average sales cycle is for a given product. (Understand that some folks sell a variety of products, and each may have a different cycle. The key here is “average.”) When we ask about the length of the sales cycle for a product, we often get a wide range of answers. Recently, I had a manager tell me that his normal sales cycle was between 10 to 12 weeks. When we asked the same question to his team of eight sales reps, the shortest cycle mentioned was six to nine

months, and the longest was one year to 15 months — quite a range.

Now, it goes without saying that if you look at the last 100 sales for a given product, a pattern will emerge.

After you take skills and other factors into account, you will see a discernible curve. Leave out the anomalies and you will find that about 80 percent of sales will fall into a tight range. That is your sales cycle. Calculating the sales cycle takes effort and cooperation between sales reps and the company, but it is a worthwhile exercise that helps everyone set benchmarks and leverage the investment in their CRM. This same process will give you the average size of each sale.

Now that this is done, you can focus on the average number of meetings needed to close a deal. Generally, this is an individual exercise, but there is benefit in knowing the organization’s average. How will you manage your diary unless you know how many meetings you will need to close a deal? With the tools available today, this is an easy thing to discover and track going forward. Now you can easily know how many sales you will need to make your year. Or, better yet, how many you will need to beat your goals, and how many meetings you will need to schedule to properly manage your time.

This can also be the basis for further improving your activities to deliver success. For one, you need to know how many new prospects you need to engage to reach your goals. Allowing for the fact that a certain part of your goals will come from existing clients, it is also important to know how many new prospects you need to identify, find, engage and close to make your numbers.

For example, if the first exercise showed that your sales cycle is a month long, you need 60 sales a year (or five per month), and it takes an average of four meetings to close a deal. You know that you will have a minimum of 20 meetings per month. This assumes that you will close every new prospect you meet. But if you close (in the current cycle) only one out of every three new prospects you meet, then you can add 10 more meetings.

Now, if half of those go to a second meeting before you lose them as prospects, add another five meetings. That is 35 meetings for the month. If you lose two more after three meetings,

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work on existing clients and penetration. you are at 38 meetings a month, or about Athletes and coaches go through this nine per week. And we have not even beYou have to take the almost daily, not only looking at game gun to allow for account management, adtime at the start of the stats, but reviewing tapes and then admin and, most importantly, prospecting. year to work backward justing accordingly. Sales professionals By the way, the above is just as true (and from your goals, using have to do this as well. Without working works just as well) if your average sale is your specific stats ... backward from your goals, you have little $600,000 over a 12-month cycle involving chance to get ahead.  10 meetings.

You need to repeat this Tibor Shanto, principal of Renbor Sales What does it take to set 15 initial apat least quarterly ...

Solutions, is a recognized speaker and pointments and to secure five deals each trainer, and is author of the award-winning month? How many people will you need to book, “Shift!: Harness The Trigger Events That speak to? How many will you need to reach out to? How much Turn Prospects Into Customers.” He is director of and a time will this take every day? contributor to the Sales Bloggers Union, and his work You have to take the time at the start of the year to work has appeared in numerous sales backward from your goals, using your specific stats (at-bats, publications and leading websites. batting average, times called out on second after a walk to first, Read Shanto’s blog, The Pipeline, at etc.). You need to repeat this at least quarterly, based on year-towww.sellbetter.ca/blog and follow him on date success, or even monthly, depending on the product, marTwitter at @Renbor. He can be reached at ket and cycle. In a slow year, you need to increase activity and info@sellbetter.ca or (416) 822-7781. productivity according to results. In good years, you should set Visit www.sellbetter.ca. yourself up to outperform, or set a moderate pace and perhaps

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PRINCIPAL ISSUES

Not Getting Referrals?

Five reasons why they may not be happening by: Troy Harrison, SalesForce Solutions

O

ne of the most frequent complaints I hear from salespeople is that they do not get referrals — or do not get enough referrals. Either way, their referralgeneration strategies are not yielding the desired results. Of course, when I drill down, in many cases I find that a salesperson’s referral-generation strategy is: “I hope someone gives me a referral.” Unfortunately, it does not work that way.

The first thing to understand is that quality referrals are earned, not given. You earn a referral by building trust, by building a reputation of excellence and by generating relationships with people who are in a position to give you referrals. You do not earn them by simply going to networking events and passing out business cards. Let’s look at five reasons why referrals do not happen — and two great bonus techniques to help you earn them. n You are not making deposits. A long time ago, a very wise man told me to think of a relationship — any type of relationship, whether it is a personal or business relationship — as a bank account. If you want to be able to make withdrawals (i.e., gain any sort of rewards), you must also be prepared to make deposits. This means that you do things to help your relationships, whether it is sending them referrals, offering advice and assistance, or other things that build affinity and trust. You cannot make a withdrawal from an empty bank account, so why should you be able to withdraw from an empty relationship? n Your relationships are with the wrong people. No one has time to build 100-percent quality relationships with everyone he (or she) meets. Hence, you must be selective in choosing your business relationships. The people who are best positioned to send you referrals are, in order: your customers, business owners in your industry, noncompetitive salespeople who sell to your types of customers and, finally, everyone else. How much of your relationship-building time do you spend with “everyone else” as opposed to the top three? n You are a peddler. Quality selling is about helping your customers purchase the right things to generate positive results for themselves. Salespeople who do this are thought of as consultants. On the other hand, salespeople who merely go around begging for the next order — and are willing to do

whatever it takes to get it — are thought of as peddlers. Customers value and respect consultants and tolerate peddlers.

Customers will refer those they value and respect. Get the drift? If you are just running around asking for this week’s order, do not expect to get anything other than this week’s order. n You need a referral. This is where the banking analogy becomes the most apt. As the old saying goes, one of the best ways to get a loan is to prove to the bank that you do not need it. It works the same way in sales.

If you are asking for a referral because you have to have one in order to make your numbers, it is probably not going to happen. No one will refer desperation out of fear of what those referred sales calls will look like. This is why referrals should be mixed with other prospect-generation strategies. n You are not asking. This is the one that stumps me the most. When I get a salesperson who complains about not receiving referrals, I always like to ask him directly, “When was the last time you asked a customer or referral partner for a referral?” Seldom do I get a good answer. The truth is that, in sales, we only get what we ask for. So why are salespeople so reluctant to pull the lever and ask for a referral?

I promised at the beginning that I would give you a couple of techniques to earn referrals, and here they are: n Refer one customer to another. If you want to break out of the “salesman” niche, this is a great way. n Take multiple referral partners to lunch at the same time. Facilitating new relationships will come back to you.

Referrals are great and they are the highest-probability source of new prospects. But generating them takes a wellthought-out strategy, budgeted time and effort on a consistent basis. If you can do this, you will get referrals. n Troy Harrison is the author of “Sell Like You Mean It!” and is president of SalesForce Solutions, a sales training, consulting and recruiting firm.

For information on booking speaking and training engagements, consulting or to sign up for his weekly e-zine, contact Harrison at (913) 645-3603 or TroyHarrison@SalesForceSolutions.net.

Visit www.SalesForceSolutions.net.

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PRINCIPAL ISSUES

Mobile Computing A competitive advantage in field service operations by: Robert Sombach, Nexent Innovations

I

n the last century, horse-drawn carriages gave way to motorized vehicles, and the term “motor car” became, simply, “car.”

The same thing will happen to “mobile computing.” Experts believe that, in the future, all computers will be mobile and we will simply call it “computing.”

Field service is well into the process of going mobile now. It used to be that servicing and repairing office equipment required a lot of paperwork to be completed at individual work sites. This was cumbersome and did not allow for the instant updating of customer information, resulting in errors and other inefficiencies.

Technology has rapidly evolved to a point where technicians can now access and update important customer data, safely and reliably in real time, through smartphones like BlackBerries, iPhones and Androids, and other mobile devices like the iPad and Playbook.

The benefits are many, with dramatic cost savings — response time is quicker, paperwork is minimized, the data is current and completely visible, duplications are eliminated, and technician/engineer scheduling can be optimized. Many companies are already benefiting from the use of mobile computing and market trends are indicating that further adoption can be expected due to competitive pressures and the need to respond to customer expectations.

MSM is the Answer to Three Big Challenges With 16 years of experience working with a global customer base, Nexent Innovations/Miracle Service has recognized that service operations are subject to three major challenges that can be overcome with an effective mobile service management (MSM) strategy. MSM can be a game changer when properly deployed.

Challenge 1: Organization On any given day, millions of service technicians hit the road with paper-based work instructions in hand. Upon their return, their handwritten notes need to be entered into a record-keeping system. Frequently, their work instructions are incomplete or inaccurate, and supporting documentation is missing, or unexpected parts are needed ­— all of which lead to service delays as the technician returns to the office or

waits for assistance.

MSM allows instant access to up-to-date service-related information. Work can be transmitted directly to a technician’s mobile device and service call information and customer history can be viewed on site. This eliminates mountains of paperwork, significantly increases productive “wrench time” and provides considerable cost savings.

Organization management opportunities using MSM include: n Viewing assigned work orders on a mobile device and displaying details. n Entering parts requests and requisitions. n Modifying work-order information as the work is completed. n Tracking labor, travel and complete service details. n Viewing machine details and service history. n Capturing a customer’s electronic signature on a completed service report. n Emailing/printing completed work orders for a customer.

Challenge 2: Inventory Management The parts stockroom environment can be action-packed.

Manual tracking of receipts, returns and other issues is, by nature, prone to error and estimates often replace actual counts during time constraints. Physical inventory audits (which are best performed when the stockroom is completely shut down) are performed while parts and supplies are moving in and out of inventory, creating inaccuracies and delays.

By using MSM, extending inventory management to the field virtually eliminates errors and streamlines day-to-day operations. Data on the availability of stock can be looked up in real time, both in the warehouse and from the field.

Knowing if parts are available when a technician is in the field can prevent a lengthy machine downtime period that may not have been possible with a paper-based system. Inventory is updated in real time as parts are used on specific jobs, so up-to-the-minute stock availability is accurate and simplified. The availability of critical parts is easier to track, resulting in timelier parts inventory management.

On the other side, truck stock accountability is easier to manage and maintain. This enhances the accountability requirements to ensure each technician is aware of his (or her) stock usage and the items on his truck. www.officetechnologyma g. c o m | M a y 2 0 1 2 | 29

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Inventory management opportunities using MSM include: n Providing inventory audits and cycle counts rapidly and accurately. n Improving stock availability, issuing receipts and returns to inventory easily. n Improving parts and service requisition processing. n Better truck-stock accountability.

line by automating business processes and replacing paper-based transactions, ultimately improving service levels and customer satisfaction.

Operations management opportunities using MSM include: n Improving resource productivity by reducing delays in accessing information. n Tracking work-order backlog, status and completion times. n Decentralizing decision making to users physically at the location requiring attention. n Improving customer service responsiveness with remote status updates.

Mobile devices keep current operational data at the manager’s fingertips, allowing for prompt corrective action ... and better decision making.

Challenge 3: Operations Management Management’s goals center on running the service department at the highest efficiency and at the lowest cost possible.

Incomplete data, inaccurate job assignments, inefficient scheduling and unexpected delays all negatively impact operations in the field. Managers can be suddenly blindsided by unexpected failures, parts shortages, productivity problems and inefficient business processes. Customer service can suffer as a result of ineffective resource management. Management simply cannot afford to rely on old data.

Mobile devices keep current operational data at the manager’s fingertips, allowing for prompt corrective action, recognition of opportunities for improvement and better decision making.

Empowering remote users with the right tools and ready access to critical information allows them to perform their work more effectively. An MSM solution improves the bottom

MSM as a Sustained Competitive Advantage As technology continues to provide answers to business challenges, mobile computing will continue to grow. Dramatically improved operational efficiency, productivity rates and responsiveness resulting from MSM will benefit dealers seeking rapid cost reductions, increased competitiveness and a greater return on their assets. n Robert Sombach is vice president of operations and development for Nexent Innovations, providers of Miracle Service service management software. Visit www.miracleservice.com.

Advertiser Index 27 • BTA Marketplace

32 • GreatAmerica Leasing Corp.

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23 • Business Equipment Quota Index

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3 • Sharp

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21 • CIT Vendor Finance

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5 • DocuWare

9 • OKI Data

7 • Toshiba

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15 • ECi - FMAudit

19 • Print Audit

31 • World Expo 2012

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Networking Break

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