COPIER CAREERS NEWSLETTER


NOVEMBER 2011 NEWSLETTER
	With 30 years of experience working for the document imaging industry, Copier Careers is the only recruiter with the resources to find what your dealership needs most: experienced technicians, copier sales representatives, managers, controllers, dispatchers, support staff, and managed print services experts. Our database of qualified copier professionals is the biggest in the business (54,000 strong and growing!) and we're dedicated to helping our clients and our candidates make the best matches possible. Whatever you're looking for, Copier Careers can help you find it. Learn more at www.copiercareers.com or call (888) 733-4868 to talk to one of our recruiters.

IN THIS ISSUE:

The Feed - Study Finds Ailing and Overweight Americans Cost $153 Billion in Lost Productivity
The Top 5 - Tips for Negotiating a Non-Compete Agreement
News In Brief - Announcements from Copier Careers, HP, Xerox, CompTIA, and Konica Minolta
Sound Off - Our readers respond to last month's poll
Poll-of-the-Month - Is copier service a better career today than it was ten years ago?
Featured Job Listings

THE FEED
Study Finds Ailing and Overweight Americans Cost $153 Billion Each Year in Lost Productivity

According to a study released in October by Gallup-Healthways, 86 percent of full-time American workers are overweight or suffer from chronic health conditions. These workers miss an estimated 450 million additional days of work each year compared with healthy workers, resulting in a cost of more than $153 billion in lost productivity annually.

Full-time workers who are of normal weight and do not suffer from chronic conditions average four sick days per year. Sick days rise to 13 per year for workers who are overweight and have 1-2 chronic health conditions, and to 42 sick days per year for workers who are overweight and have three or more chronic health conditions. Chronic health conditions include being overweight or obese; having ever been diagnosed with a heart attack, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cancer, diabetes, asthma, or depression; and recurring pain in the neck, back, knee, or legs.

The estimated $153 billion cost of lost productivity in the United States is more than four times the cost of lost productivity in the United Kingdom. The study attributes this difference to the percentage of healthy people in the workforce: 14 percent of full-time U.S. workers are of a normal weight and have no chronic illness, compared with 20 percent in the U.K.

The study also notes that the $153 billion figure accounts only for absenteeism, and would increase if it accounted for presenteeism. The figure would also increase if part-time employees were incorporated into the estimate of lost productivity.

THE TOP 5... Tips for Negotiating a Non-Compete Agreement

Tips from the trenches to keep your copier career on track

Over the past several years, non-compete agreements have become common conditions of employment in the copier industry. While most employers won’t totally eliminate non-competes from their employment contracts, many of them are willing to negotiate the terms. A few tips to help you out at the negotiating table:

Talk to a lawyer. Gene Hoff, a Minneapolis-based attorney, says it’s important for workers to recognize that in any employer/employee negotiation, there is unequal bargaining power. Hoff and his partner, Mike Minenko, practice in the areas of business litigation, sales representative law, and employment law. “Usually,” Hoff says, “the employers are holding the upper hand. So if you’re presented with a non-compete agreement, it’s a good idea to review it with an attorney who practices in that area.” Though it may cost you a few hundred dollars to get your non-compete reviewed, doing so could end up saving you thousands in lost wages. Before you sign that contract, it’s a good idea to know exactly what rights you’re signing away.
Find out if your employment category really needs to be covered by a non-compete. Any type of employee — managers, sales reps, techs, or front and back office staff — may be subject to non-compete contracts in this industry. However, as Minenko says, it’s beneficial for employers to be selective about who they ask to sign non-competes. “Employers put themselves in a better position with the judge if they can demonstrate that they don’t ask every employee to sign a non-compete, but rather only those employees who truly have an impact on their legitimate business interests.”
Try to reduce the scope. If the geographic area or amount of time covered by the non-compete seems too broad, find out if you can scale it down to what’s strictly necessary to protect the employer’s business interests.
Ask for a non-disclosure agreement instead. A non-disclosure agreement prevents employees and former employees from sharing protected information, but does not place restriction on their future employment.
Request a severance package in the event of an involuntary termination so you have something to live on while you’re waiting out the non-compete.

For more information about non-compete agreements in the copier industry, read our new white paper, Non-Competes Demystified: The Copier Professional’s Guide to Understanding and Negotiating Non-Compete Agreements. It’s available now at http://www.copiercareers.com/Article_files/Non-Competes_Demystified.pdf.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is not to be relied upon or construed as providing any legal advice whatsoever. Every state has its own laws which apply to the subject of this article. Anyone who has any legal issues or questions regarding the topic of this article should consult with a licensed attorney who practices in this area of law and in the applicable state or jurisdiction.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Copier Careers Releases New White Paper. Our latest white paper, Non-Competes Demystified: The Copier Professional’s Guide to Understanding and Negotiating Non-Compete Agreements, is now available online at http://www.copiercareers.com/Article_files/Non-Competes_Demystified.pdf.

Shane Robison to Leave HP. HP has announced that Shane Robison will step down as executive vice president and chief strategy and technology officer. Robison, an 11-year HP veteran, was responsible for shaping HP’s corporate strategy and technology agenda. The company will not be replacing the role of chief strategy and technology officer. “Shane has been a powerful innovator for our business groups and other corporate divisions,” said Meg Whitman, HP president and CEO. “His passion for research and development has ensured that innovation continues at HP.”

Analyst Firm Gartner Positions Xerox in “Visionaries” Quadrant in 2011 Enterprise Content Management Report. The “Magic Quadrant”, a proprietary research tool developed by Gartner, offers visual snapshots of a market’s direction, maturity, and participants and evaluates companies on completeness of vision and ability to execute. “Xerox offers a broad content management portfolio that helps organizations of any size manage the massive influx of information that consumes today’s workplaces,” said Stephan Cronin, president, Global Document Outsourcing, Xerox Corporation. “We believe our position in the ‘Visionary’ quadrant by Gartner reflects the innovative ways we’re reducing the frustrations of information overload by simplifying how work gets done.”

CompTIA Launches New Mobile Technology Initiatives. CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the IT industry, announced it is developing new IT channel training programs and resources focused on enterprise mobility management. The association extended an invitation to all sectors of the mobile universe, including carriers, device and infrastructure manufacturers, mobile app developers, solution providers, and others, to join a content advisory board. The group will help to direct the goals and objectives for CompTIA’s mobile technology channel training initiatives.

Acquisition to Increase Konica Minolta’s Customer Base and Distribution Market Share. Konica Minolta Business Solutions USA announced the company has acquired OfficeWare, a full-service business equipment dealership with offices in Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio. OfficeWare will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Konica Minolta and will maintain its current locations and roster of 125 employees. Current OfficeWare president Rick Maxwell will continue to lead the operation and will report directly to Rick Taylor, president and CEO of Konica Minolta Business Solutions USA. “This strategic acquisition positions Konica Minolta to further increase our market presence in a highly competitive marketplace,” said Taylor. “Our goal is to implement a multi-faceted growth strategy that encompasses organic growth, value-based partnerships with dealer partners, and acquisition where there is clear value for the customer and the company.”

SOUND OFF: Our readers speak

In October, we asked salespeople whether they thought copier sales careers have improved over the past decade. With 1,325 total votes, here’s what we found out:

Is copier sales a better career today than it was ten years ago?

Yes, it’s a better career now: 73% (968 votes)
No, things were better before: 18% (234 votes)
Neither — the job hasn’t really changed: 9% (123 votes)

Our readers shared strong opinions on the topic:

“MPS has created better opportunities. I can sell anything to anybody.”

“Our comp plans were so much better ten years ago. Now we have layer upon layer of management, and I can’t figure out what they do to earn their $200K salaries.”

“Sales is sales, we’re just selling different widgets now than we were ten years ago. The biggest difference between now and then is a lower dollar value to the margin. The biggest challenge is selling against companies that do not place a high value on outstanding customer service, who are selling on price only. This industry is becoming more software- and less hardware-oriented. Dishonesty is pervasive — the same as it’s always been.”

“Copier sales was a lot more fun ten years ago, with less stress and more money. Today it’s gotten more competitive with dealers, manufacturers, and now retail giants like OfficeMax bidding on MPS. Soon those margins will erode too and there will be no place to go.”

“Ten years ago we were still taking customers from analog to digital and charging more for the product. Customers today are much more price aware.”

“It all depends on who you are selling for. If they can keep up with the products, technology, and changes, then it is better. However, if they do not provide the sales team with a good product mix including software and technology and you are stuck selling boxes, it is not better.”

“Ten years ago, companies were still slinging boxes. We thought we were ‘solution selling’ when we convinced customers to connect the device to the network. Today, we have real solutions to base our sales process on. The money is still there, and compensation plans are still written to drive behavior. If people work the compensation plans they will likely find that they are being driven to sell real solutions which result in higher revenues, higher profitability, and higher commissions. It simply needs to be understood and accepted that profit on hardware is down so revenues need to be higher. However, there are great margins on the software and services piece. Work the comp plan and realize just how great of a career this really is!”

“You used to be able to do business on a handshake, now there is so much undercutting that it just isn’t fun anymore. Smaller companies can no longer compete.”

“Ten years ago it was quite possible to consistently make $100K in this business. Now it is a $50-$70K business max.”

“While the products have improved and services expanded, pay for sales reps has become smaller as comp plans have changed to favor ownership.”

“It was not as complicated.”

“don't know if it's better or not but it for sure is different.”

“In 1983 I averaged 10 boxes, $5000 commission and it was fun. Today... you tell me”

“I would think so just because of the advance technology we have today. MPS are getting to be a hot ticket as well.”

"Margins have gotten squeezed along with comp plans. Today, one is buried in documentation and paperwork to make a deal."

POLL OF THE MONTH

Copier Careers is currently in the process of polling over 10,000 copier sales representatives about their compensation packages. We’ll be releasing the information we gather in the first ever Copier Careers Sales Representative Salary Survey prior to year end. As far as we know, this survey of sales reps is the first of its kind in the document imaging industry, and we’re excited to have the opportunity to publish this information. It’s a major undertaking, and we’ll need your help to make it a success. We’ll be using our poll section to gather extra information about copier sales reps, continuning with this month’s question:

Is copier service a better career today than it was ten years ago?

1. Yes, it’s a better career now
2. No, things were better before
3. Neither - the job hasn't really changed

Click Here for our Poll of the Month.

JOB LISTINGS

Our Industry is evolving again and only Copier Careers represents top employers on a retained basis. Your career path can have new, exciting and profitable options. Contact Copier Careers to find out about exclusive career opportunities across the country. These positions are not advertised anywhere. You may be surprised to learn about the opportunities that are currently available.

Technician - Newport, AR
Independent dealer looking for OEM trained technician for Newport area.

Technician - Little Rock, AR
Network trained technician needed for the Little Rock area. Specific OEM training is preferred.

Account Executive - Baldwin County, AL
Successful Sales Professionals needed for Baldwin County into Pensacola, FL. Candidate will have the ability to sell the full product line of the independent dealer.

Account Executive - Birmingham, AL
Sales Representative needed for an independent dealer in the Birmingham, AL area.

Account Executive - Phoenix, AZ
Successful Account Executive for a branch of a large independent dealer needed in the Phoenix market.

Account Executive - San Diego, CA
Energetic Sales Representative needed for an Independent Dealer. Territory will be downtown San Diego and will have an existing base of clients. Candidate must be a team player and work well with full management support.

Technician - San Diego, CA
Technician needed for an independent dealer in San Diego. Specific OEM training is a must.

Account Executive - Los Angeles, CA
Energetic Sales Professional needed for the LA and Orange County area.

MPS Account Executive - Los Angeles, CA
Management Print Solutions Sales Consultant to manage Sales professionals bringing them to the next level of the copier industry. Will need 3-5 years of MPS proof with prior company.

Account Executive - Orange County, CA
Successful and experienced Sales Professional needed for independent dealer. Proven track record of success is a must.

Technician - Fresno, CA
OEM Trained Technician needed for Fresno, CA area for an independent dealer.

Field Service Manager - Fresno, CA
Independent dealer looking for an experienced field service manager.

Technician - Sunnyvale, CA
Our client is looking for a dependable technician OEM trained technician needed onsite at their client’s facility. Training on specific models of copiers and printers is a must.

Technician - San Francisco, CA
OEM trained technician for the San Francisco area. Independent dealer would prefer candidate to have network certification and color training.

Sales Manager - Boulder, CO
Experienced Sales Manager needed for an independent dealer in Boulder, CO. Prefer previous successful sales management experience.

Account Executive - Breckenridge, CO
Strong and Experienced Sales Representative needed for independent dealer.

Account Executive - Denver, CO
Extremely motivated individual needed for independent dealer. Candidate must have strong work ethic and ability to really hunt down new business as well as maintain current business.

MPS Contract Biller - Middleton, CT
MPS Contract Biller needed for an independent dealer in Middletown, CT. Candidate must have previous contract billing experience in the industry along with experience utilizing other software programs.

Account Executive - Washington, DC
Successful Account Executive needed for Washington DC. Will have small customer base and the ability to really grow the territory for this independent dealer.

Printer Technician - Washington, DC
Printer technician to work for a rapidly growing company in the Washington DC area.

Technician - Washington, DC
OEM trained copier technician needed for large independent dealer throughout the DC area.

Network/IT Technician - Washington, DC
IT/Networking technician needed for the DC and Baltimore area.

Account Executive - Florida
Experienced Account Executive needed to cover full state of Florida, as well as some customers in GA. Sales professional must have proven record of meeting and exceeding quotas. Knowledge of solution based selling is a must.

Account Executive - St. Petersburg, FL
Sales Professional needed for Independent dealer in the St. Petersburg area. Candidate will have training directly from the owner. We are seeking a true `hunter` for this role.

Account Executive - Sarasota, FL
Energetic and Successful Sales Representative needed for independent dealer in the Sarasota area.

Account Executive - Atlanta, GA
Energetic Sales Representative needed for the Atlanta area. True hunter position.

Account Executive - Macon, GA
Experienced and Successful Sales Representative for independent dealer in Macon area. Candidate will have an existing client base to work with as well as bring in new clients.

Sales Manager - Davenport, IA
Successful and Experienced Sales Manager needed for the Quad Cities.

MPS Manager - Eastern, IA
Highly motivated sales professional in the Waterloo area is needed for a large and successful independent MPS dealer. Candidates will need to have proven record of meeting and exceeding company goals for this position.

Account Executive - Chicago, IL
Successful Sales Professional needed for the Chicagoland area.

Major Account Manager - Vernon Hills, IL
Major Account Representative with proven track record of success in the industry is needed for independent dealer in Vernon Hills (Lake County).

Sales Manager - Lafayette, LA
Experienced Sales Manager needed for an independent dealer in Lafayette. Candidate must have background in Management and proven track record of success.

Account Executive - Detroit, MI
Successful Sales Professional needed for the Detroit area. Candidate must have a proven track record of meeting and exceeding goals/quotas.

Account Executive - Duluth, MN
Experienced Account Executive needed for an OEM in the Duluth area. Candidate will have a large base of clients, but also need to gather clients for their territory. Outstanding total earning potential.

Account Executive - Minneapolis, MN
Successful Account Executive needed for an OEM in the Twin Cities. Individual will have a small base of clients, but really need to be a hunter to gather more for their territory. Outstanding total earning potential.

MPS Sales Specialist - Minneapolis, MN
MPS Specialist to work directly with the Sales Reps to implement Solution Selling.

Account Executive - St. Cloud, MN
Experienced Sales Professional needed to manage a territory in St. Cloud market.

Technician - Billings, MT
Experienced OEM Technician needed for the Billings area working for an independent dealer.

Account Executive - Ashville, NC
Experienced Sales professional needed for the Ashville area working for an independent dealer.

MPS Sales Representative - Charlotte, NC
Experienced MPS Sales Representative needed for the Charlotte area.

Account Executive - Fayetteville, NC
Successful and industry experienced account executive needed for the Fayetteville area. Prior copier sales are needed to qualify for this position.

Technician - Fayetteville, NC
OEM trained technician needed for independent dealer. Candidate must have training on at least 2 of the 3 lines the dealer carries.

Account Executive - Jacksonville, NC
Energetic Sales Representative needed for the Jacksonville market for an independent dealer. Will have a small base of current customers and candidate must have ability to bring in new clients.

Account Executive - Wilmington, NC
Successful and industry experienced account executive needed for the Wilmington area. Prior copier sales is needed to qualify for this position.

Technician - Wilmington, NC
Our client is looking for a certified technician to service the Wilmington area. Salary will be based on experience.

Account Executive - Winston-Salem, NC
Success Sales Representative for the Winston-Salem area to work for an independent dealer.

Technician - Omaha, NE
OEM trained technician needed for the Omaha area.

National Account Manager - Northern NJ
Experienced National Account Manager needed for the Bergen and Morris County area.

Senior Account Executive - Hillsborough, NJ
Senior Sales Representative needed for independent dealer. This dealer has an established IT division and copier sales generate as a result of network solutions. Minimum of 5 years of proven copier success if required.

Senior Account Executive - Albany, NY
Successful Sales Representative for an independent dealer in Albany. Proven track record of success is a must.

Selling Sales Manager - Albany, NY
Experienced and Successful Sales Professional looking to take their career in the next direction and become a Selling Sales Manager.

Account Executive - Buffalo, NY
Successful sales representative working for an OEM in the Buffalo area. Candidate must be a hunter with a proven track record of success.

Account Executive - Long Island, NY
Successful Account Executive for the Long Island area. Will have access to existing customer base. Extremely unique opportunity.

Technician - Manhattan, NY
OEM trained technician needed for the Manhattan area. Networking ability is a plus.

Account Executive - Newburgh, NY
Experienced Account Executive needed for an OEM in the Newburgh area. Candidate will have a large base of clients, but also need to gather clients for their territory. Outstanding total earning potential.

Account Executive - Cincinnati, OH
Experienced and Successful Sales Representative needed for an OEM for the Cincinnati area.

Account Executive - Columbus, OH
Successful Sales Representative to build a territory in the Columbus market.

Account Executive - Dayton, OH
Experienced Account Executive for a nation leading dealer throughout the state of OH. There will be an existing base of business and candidate will have to create more opportunity.

Technician - Tulsa, OK
Independent dealer looking for OEM trained technician. Salary will be determined based on what machines certified on as well as networking capability.

Sales Manager - Nashville, TN
Experienced and successful Sales Manager needed for an independent dealer in the Nashville area and support a small team in Chattanooga. Candidate will be active with the sales representatives by doing ride along, demos and other things to ensure the success of the sales team.

Sales Representative - Austin, TX
Successful Sales Representative to work for an Independent Dealer in the Austin area.

Selling Sales Manager - College Station, TX
We are looking for an individual that perhaps had some Sales Team Leadership Experience while selling in a Territory to take over a group of individuals in College Station. Knowledge of the area and strong ties to the community is a plus.

Technician - Longview, TX
OEM trained technician needed for independent dealer in Longview. Candidate will have large territory to cover so experience is a must.

Field Service Manager - Midland, TX
Field Service Manager looking to manage a team of technicians in the Midland area. Knowledge of E-Automate is preferred but not required. Main focus will be on managing the technicians in ride a longs and running the department.

Technician - Northern VA
OEM Trained technician needed for Northern VA area. Some of the territory will include: Reston, Arlington and Alexandria.

Technician - Bristol, VA
OEM trained technician needed for independent dealer in Bristol.

Product Print Sales Specialist - Seattle, WA
Independent Dealer looking for an experienced Product Print Specialist for the Seattle area. The principal focus of the Production Specialist is to retain and increase sales revenue while developing strong customer relationships with new and existing clients. This position will be responsible for the sales of commercial printers and `print for pay` programs throughout the NW region.

Account Executive - Spokane, WA
Experienced Account Executive needed for an OEM in the Spokane area. Candidate will have a small base of clients, but will need to gather clients for their territory. Outstanding total earning potential.

MPS Sales Representative - Milwaukee, WI
MPS Sales Representative for an independent dealer in the Milwaukee area. Candidate must have prior success at providing MPS Solutions to clients.

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