IN THIS ISSUE:
The Feed: Increase solution sales with SaaS
The Top 7: : Tips for managing millennials
News In Brief: Announcements from Xerox, Canon, Konica Minolta, Océ, HP, and CompTIA
Q&A: Copier Careers talks to The Lang Company's Ken Harouff
Job Listings
SaaS-based Document Management Systems Drive Solution Sales
Just as standalone analog copiers have evolved into full-featured network multifunctional devices, the copier sale has become part of the richer solution sale. Many dealers, in an attempt to deepen their relationships with clients, are trying to integrate document management software into their business equipment proposals. This is the natural progression of the solution sale in our marketplace.
Unfortunately, adding a document management system (DMS) into the mix can also create problems for the sales and support teams. New software always triggers flags for the prospect's IT department. Problems with installation, software compatibility, hardware resources, and end-user training force dealers to provide systems analysts and engineers to support the sale. Unanswered questions can stall the sales cycle, delaying or even killing the deal. For a large sale, dealers may be willing to confront these obstacles. For smaller proposals, however, sales reps may feel that it's not worth their time.
Luckily, document management systems are also evolving. For budget-minded small- and medium-sized businesses, the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model can be an easy on-ramp to DMS, helping to eliminate the typical objections to the sale.
What is SaaS? Simply put, it's a software delivery model in which software vendors host and operate their applications over the internet. An application, built from the ground up by the SaaS provider, can be securely deployed to multiple clients simultaneously. There is no hardware or software for the client's company to install or maintain, making SaaS easy to implement and simple for the client's IT department to manage. This spells big advantages for copier dealers:
- Unlike an on-site system, the SaaS model requires little installation involvement from the dealership. A good SaaS provider will have experience working with copier dealers and will know how to support pre- and post-sales activities.
- SaaS solutions generally require no additional IT resources. All hardware and software is configured and maintained off-site in a secure facility and there are no hardware or software maintenance agreements to pay for. Backups of a client's documents are done automatically, improving disaster recovery plans. The provider may routinely send searchable backups directly to the client.
- SaaS eliminates the need for desktop PC rollouts and support. Software updates and patches are handled by the provider, so every client always uses the most current version. A web browser interface allows documents to be available anytime and anywhere through a secure, encrypted internet connection-the same type of connection used in online banking.
- Because SaaS providers are independent of equipment manufacturers, most document management systems are compatible with all makes of MFP-a great situation for dealers who work with multiple lines of copiers.
- SaaS usually has a lower total cost of ownership than the alternatives, providing a healthy gross profit and a continuing annuity for the dealer.
To complete any solution sale, dealers must be able to meet their prospects' needs. The option of using an SaaS document management system adds risk-free value to proposals, helps sideline the resistance of IT departments, and prevents deal-breaking delays.
Pete Kimbrell has worked in the copier industry since 1986. For the past seven years, he has specialized in document management. His consulting company, Kimbrell & Associates, handles the West Coast Dealer Channel for SaaS-based DGVault (www.DGVault.com). You can contact Pete at 888-845-9998 or at pete@kimbrellassociates.com.
THE TOP 7...Tips for Managing Millennials
Tips from the trenches to keep your copier career on track
In last month's Top 7, we enumerated the characteristics of the "millennials," the generation of Americans born between 1980 and 1995. They're now entering the workforce in droves, and their behavior has some managers perplexed. If your management techniques aren't hitting the mark with your youngest employees, maybe you should try some of ours:
1. Provide structure. As a general rule, millennials like to know precisely what's expected of them. Many managers perceive this desire for structure as neediness. Often, however, it's merely the employee's way of ensuring that he or she performs well. Managers who take the time to state goals, assess progress, and define due dates and expectations will find that most young workers are happy to perform the task once they understand it.
2. Use groups. Millennials, unlike many of their Gen-X and Boomer colleagues, enjoy teamwork. They work effectively and efficiently in groups, and smart employers will allow them to pool their energy and brainpower. In addition to assigning group projects and team goals, managers can save themselves time by training, coaching, and mentoring millennial employees in small groups.
3. Manage every day. Managers commonly complain that millennials want too much guidance, feedback, and praise. Author Bruce Tulgan, however, says that managers must end their love affair with "undermangement" if they hope to connect with younger workers. "Managers who think they don't have time to manage spend their time managing, anyway," says Tulgan. "But it's all crisis management that could be avoided if they were hands-on managers every day."
4. Make work assignments meaningful. Steven Shepard, a Vermont-based consultant, writes that "nothing will turn off a millennial faster than work that has no perceived value." No millennial wants to be just another cog in the corporate machine. Young workers want to know how their work contributes to the company's goals, and their managers should oblige them.
5. Take advantage of technical know-how. In our technology-driven industry, this tip is particularly relevant. Millennials grew up in the era of home computers and internet. Most of them are "intuitive" users of technology-they effortlessly understand things older workers struggle to learn. (Ever ask your kids to help you set the time on your VCR? Still own a VCR?) There is a tendency for managers to feel threatened by the technological prowess of their subordinates. This is a mistake. Gifted managers will overcome their own insecurities and find ways to harness their young employees' natural talents.
6. Allow employees the opportunity to balance work and life. According to Shepard, "Millennials look at work differently than generations that came before them; they're not necessarily looking for a career." Friends, family, and leisure are important to millennials, and they won't allow their jobs to encroach on these other aspects of their lives. Most millennials will be willing to work overtime once in a while, but don't expect them to pull long hours indefinitely. They won't do it. If they can't get the flexibility they need from your company, they'll get it from someone else's.
7. Remember that your employees are individuals, not archetypes. In a column for Business Week, Liz Ryan urges employers to avoid "generalization overload," especially when dealing with young employees. "It's easier to proclaim that a group is lazy or spoiled or untested…than it is to manage people as individuals," she writes. "We speak of managing teams, and there's plenty of value in helping our employees find interdependencies and discover the power of teamwork. But at the end of the day, we've got individuals to manage."
NEWS IN BRIEF
New Logo Fortifies Xerox Brand: The new Xerox logo, unveiled in January, was designed to reflect the company's evolving brand identity. "Our brand is one of our most prized assets and the value it brings to our business is immeasurable," said Xerox president Ursula Burns. "Today we're strengthening all our attributes and giving our brand a contemporary look that is more relevant for business today-a bit less formal, a lot more lively, with links to our heritage and a nod to our future." You can view the new logo at www.xerox.com
Tennis Star Maria Sharapova Extends Contract with Canon. The Russian-born athlete will endorse Canon products through 2010. "I'm excited to continue my association with such a powerful iconic brand," said Sharapova. "Canon has been a great partner."
Konica Minolta Signs Partnership Agreement with Océ. The two companies agreed in January to cooperate in developing and marketing office and production printing systems. They hope the partnership will enable them to increase market share and better serve diversifying customer needs.
HP Announces Contest for Small Businesses. The winner of the "What do you have to say?" contest will receive a Logoworks by HP start-up package and the chance to work with a professional graphic designer to build its brand. The contest runs through February 28. Visit www.hp.com/go/brandcontest for details.
CompTIA Launches Printing and Document Imaging (PDI+) Certification. The new PDI+ credential certifies that individuals have the baseline technical skills necessary to service printing and document imaging devices. "Establishing a uniform standard of performance for printing and document imaging technicians leads to greater productivity and higher first-time fix rates," said Richard Rysiewicz, vice president of service for CompTIA. Visit http://certification.comptia.org/pdi/ for more information.
Q&A with Ken Harouff, Document Solutions Manager for The Lang Company in Louisville, KY
Ken, you've been in the copier business for over 25 years. How did you start out?
My father was a Xerox technician for twenty years. In 1982, Xerox let go of over 5,000 people and my dad happened to be one of them. He started his own copier dealership, and when I was fourteen I started working for him, helping to rebuild copiers. When I got my driver's license, I started delivering supplies, machines, and paper. Eventually, I began servicing equipment. I worked as a service technician for six years, and then I became vice president of service for my parents. In 1995, I moved to Reno, NV to open a branch for them. That's where I accumulated a lot of my sales experience. After I had been there about a year, my parents sold to Toshiba.
Since then, you've done a lot. You worked for Toshiba for many years and have helped turn three struggling dealerships around. What's the best part of your current job at The Lang Company?
I like working with people and solving problems. I get a lot of personal satisfaction from training new employees because I know how much I learn every time I do it.
What's the worst part of your job?
Hiring. Finding the right people at the right time is tough.
What changes do you expect to see in the industry in 2008?
I think our industry is going to continue to get crunched on the margins. I also think the trend of bigger dealers purchasing small dealerships is going to continue. In some marketplaces that's going to strengthen the mom and pop dealers, but in others it's going to run them out. Companies like Global and Ikon and Xerox have to keep up their market share, and if they aren't doing well they're going to drop those margins even further just to hold onto business. It will be interesting to see what's going to happen over these next 12 months.
Do you have any advice for people entering the copier industry?
Keep an open mind and always be innovative. You've got to continually reinvent yourself. Think about how you can go beyond the status quo, how you can take all of the tools available to you to become a better consultant for your customer. And plan, plan, plan. We struggle all the time to get our employees to keep up with business plans and to plan their activities. Without a plan, people struggle. With a plan, you can stay one step ahead.
JOB LISTINGS
Service Manager - IL
Branch Field Manager - WI and IL
Sales Representatives - Charlotte NC
Sales Representatives - Louisiana
Selling Sales Manager - Southern California
Sales Manager - Houston, TX
Ricoh/Lanier/Savin Field Service Technician - Oklahoma
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