IN THIS ISSUE:
The Feed means new opportunities for managed services providers
The Top 7 Tips for selling in a recession
News In Brief Announcements from Ricoh, Canon, Konica Minolta, and T-Mobile
Sound Off Our readers respond to last month's poll
Copier Careers Poll-of-the-Month Does your company employ a system specialist to help sell and/or implement software solutions?
Featured Job Listings
Recession Means New Opportunities for Managed Services Providers
Okay, we're in a recession. Whatever.
Business in general is slow, but that doesn't mean your business has to be. No matter how lethargic the economy becomes, smart businesspeople will always find a way to stay afloat. This time around, that may mean finally making the move away from the piecemeal sale and service of individual machines and toward a more holistic, managed services approach to the business.
Arnie Goldstein is a Managed Services Consultant and Trainer for DocuAudit International, a company that provides software, training, and support to dealers making the transition to offering managed services programs. Goldstein suggests that now is a great time for dealers to begin making that transition, and that those who do so may even find that a slow economy can work in their favor. "At DocuAudit," he says, "it seems the worse the economy gets, the more appointments our clients are getting with CFOs."
According to Goldstein, the key to getting in front of top-level decision makers is to position yourself as a consultant, rather than as a salesperson.
"One of the first things we say when we get a CFO on the phone is that we aren't selling anything. In fact, our advice to people in today's economy is to stop buying things-stop buying devices, stop engaging new partners, stop signing new contracts. We help people to first take a look at what they already have by presenting our findings in a professional report, and then we help them figure out their best course of action. It's a different approach than what vendors commonly use. Vendors are looking to sell things. And that's not what this is about. This is a consultative approach."
More often than not, Goldstein says, executives are receptive to the idea of creating a document output strategy once they realize how much time, money, and peace-of-mind they'll gain by outsourcing to a single qualified vendor. He also says that although the transition from a traditional business model toward a managed solutions model can be rough for dealers, it may not be as overwhelming as it seems.
"It's not really a new business for them," says Goldstein. "It's a new project. Much of what dealers need, they already have. They have customer relationships, they have a service department, they have a reputation, and they have the means to package their services and bill on a single invoice. It's really a matter of putting the pieces together, adding a few new pieces, formulating it into a cohesive program, and marketing it like you would any other project."
For more information about how DocuAudit can help your company move into the managed services business, contact Arnie Goldstein at arnie@docuaudit.com.
THE TOP 7...Tips for Selling in a Recession
Tips from the trenches to keep your copier career on track
A slow economy doesn't necessarily translate to slow sales, but it does mean that salespeople need to work smarter and harder to keep their numbers up. A few tips for sales success during recessionary times:
1. 1. Increase your sales activity. This one is a no-brainer. No matter what the market does, there are still sales to be had, but you won't get them sitting at your desk and moping over your stock portfolio. In order to keep your sales healthy, you need to be making more sales calls, not fewer.
2. Adopt a consultative approach. Especially during tough economic times, your clients need to be able to justify their expenses. Show them how your products can help them cut costs and increase productivity, and they'll be more receptive to doing business with you.
3. Be strategic. Though it's tempting to spend your time going after the small, easy sale ("at least it's a sale, right?"), continue to focus on strategic prospects just as you would during better economic times. Your efforts will pay off in the long run.
4. Improve your sales technique. In an economy like this one, it quickly becomes apparent who the most talented salespeople are. If you're anything but the best, now is the perfect time to invest in yourself by reading books, attending seminars, studying top salespeople, and doing anything else you can to hone your skills.
5. Focus on relationships. Boom or bust, someone will always be willing to undercut you for the sake of grabbing up market share, and customers who would never consider "cheating on you" during better economic times can easily be unfaithful during times like these. Stay attuned to your clients' changing needs, provide the best service you know how to provide, and don't ever take the relationship for granted.
6. Know your competition. As the economy worsens, your competitors will become more aggressive, but they'll also become more vulnerable. Make your company indispensible to customers by providing a caliber of advice, insight, and service that your price-cutting competitors can't possibly match.
7. Stay positive. In order to be successful, you have to believe that you will be successful. So believe it.
NEWS IN BRIEF
Ricoh Launches Managed Print Services. Managed Print Services, or MPS, was created to streamline companies' current print operations. Users of the program will participate in a four-part process with an MPS expert in order to reveal hidden costs, identify savings, and reduce spending on output.
Canon Co-Develops New Bio-Based Plastic. Bio-based plastics are more environmentally friendly than conventional petroleum-based plastics, but they have not yet been able to match the older technology in flame retardance, impact resistance, heat resistance, and moldability. This new plastic, developed by Canon Inc. and Toray Industries, improves in several of these areas, especially flame retardance. The plastic will be used in exterior plastic parts for Canon MFPs beginning next year.
Konica Minolta Opens Vietnam Office. The office, in Ho Chi Mihn, will act as a center for information gathering and business support for procurement from Southeast Asia. The new office will seek new suppliers in Vietnam, Thailand, and other nations in the region.
T-Mobile Debuts First Android-Based Smartphone. The T-Mobile G1, designed by hardware manufacturer HTC, is the first smartphone to use Google's open-source Android mobile operating system. Reviews of the phone were mixed. "It is not a 'wow' device, but it is an interesting launch for Google and a good first effort," said Neil Strother, analyst for mobile devices at Jupiter Research.
Sound Off: Our readers speak
The results of October's poll are in! We asked whether copier industry salaries have kept pace with inflation, and three-quarters of respondents said that they haven't. In general, salespeople spoke more favorably about their earnings and their earning potential than technicians did. Reader comments included:
- "I don't think copier industry salaries have kept pace, but neither have the salaries in any other industry."
- "My experience is that there are two kinds of salespeople: the ones who see the economy as a problem and the ones who see it as an opportunity to strengthen their relationships with customers. Now more than ever our customers need our guidance and support to keep costs down and productivity up."
- "The sales side gets all the increases, and we in service have not had a pay increase in three years. In addition, I now have to contribute 50% of my healthcare coverage, so I have gone backwards, big time."
- "In sales, commissions keep up with inflation. You might have to work harder, but the results tell the truth. The economy doesn't matter."
POLL OF THE MONTH
Does your company employ a system specialist to help sell and/or implement software solutions?JOB LISTINGS
We have over 700 jobs currently listed online
Here are just a few of the jobs currently listed:Field Service Technician - Northern, IN
Sales Representative - Seattle, WA
Field Service Technician - Yuma, AZ
Sales Representative - MD/VA/DC
Chief Financial Officer - TX
Kyocera Technician - Florida
Print Management Sales - West Coast and North Carolina (Five plus years experience minimum)
Canon Image Press Technician (6000-7000) CA
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