tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734830559796197063.post2120289563567508423..comments2024-02-22T23:31:27.818-06:00Comments on The Death of The Copier: The Separation Begins: Managed Print Services True Believers Leaving the PackUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734830559796197063.post-58003321858014953342011-04-25T09:18:59.437-05:002011-04-25T09:18:59.437-05:00I think you missed my point. First and foremost y...I think you missed my point. First and foremost you have to provide service excellence. I am successful because of service excellence. If my success was based on profit from hardware sales I'd have given up long ago. I honesly don't think the answer for our industry is printers or copiers or solutions. The future is one stop shopping for every bit of office technology the customer needs. I've always been 90% service focused from the beginning. Perhaps others were 90% harware sales focused in the past and that's why they are struggling today. Its either going to be the savy office equipment dealer leveraging their expertise to take over entire computer networks or it will be the local computer network companies taking over your printer and copier base. That is the future.<br /><br />Bottom line, someone has to keep all these computers, printers and MFPs running and communicating. Again its all about service. Its really about fixing people.....service with a smile....reputation in the local business community.....and responding quickly to the customer's problems.<br /><br />This is a time of great opportunity for office equipment dealers. How many reputable computer network companies are in your area? If your area is anything like mine not many. There are plenty of fly by nights and one man operations but not many with large well respected companies. If you have been doing your job as a copier/printer dealer the right way for any length of time you should have a solid reputation in your local community. Everyone in your local business community should already know you and know your company's reputation. You should already at least be dabbling with computer networks in some of your established accounts. Now is the time to leverage your company's capabilities and go into the IT business. Start with the low hanging fruit, service the heck out of them and watch your business grow.<br /><br />As for MPS I've been selling and servicing printers and providing supplies for them on maint. contracts going back to the very beginning more than 20 years ago. MPS is just an industry buzzword for the industry's weak and for those who want to sell $2,500 MPS training courses to the weak.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734830559796197063.post-88023552752892418282011-04-22T15:30:17.575-05:002011-04-22T15:30:17.575-05:00You haven't bought into the whole MPS or the S...You haven't bought into the whole MPS or the Solutions thing?!<br /><br />You keep your hardware focus my friend and you will be in for a rude awakening.<br /><br />A4 will replace A3 at an accelerated rate as more copier companies introduce full A4 product lines (see Canon’s announcement last week). These new units will continue to drive down average unit selling price, resulting in lower revenue and GP for you and your company.<br /><br />Will hardware be part of the equation? Yes. The power saw did not drive out the hand saw. Television did not drive out radio or movies. Typewriters did not drive out the pen. Hardware will be a piece of the overall pie, not solo focus like years past. <br /><br />Next you are going to tell us the internet is a fad.David Ramosnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734830559796197063.post-14189148230545823052011-04-21T09:05:09.497-05:002011-04-21T09:05:09.497-05:00I've never bought into the whole MPS thing jus...I've never bought into the whole MPS thing just like I never bought into the whole "Solutions" thing a few years back. The industry keeps coming up with new gimmicks, buzzwords and plain old crap. When you boil it all down we have to sell hardware and software or something else to survive. First and foremost, we have to provide service excellence. Perhaps that is why I have continued to be successful doing it the old fashioned way.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734830559796197063.post-1848893648516110922011-04-18T19:09:58.022-05:002011-04-18T19:09:58.022-05:00"when the men in the chess board get up and t..."when the men in the chess board get up and tell you where to go" you have a problem. Ask Alice and she'll tell you those men (copier companies, etc.) shouldn't be able to do that. Time to get back to being able to move those pieces again.<br /><br />Totally agree.Kevin DeYoungnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734830559796197063.post-50990776857752271662011-04-18T10:32:15.448-05:002011-04-18T10:32:15.448-05:00Anon -
Thank you for reading DOTC. You paint a w...Anon -<br /><br />Thank you for reading DOTC. You paint a wonderful picture.<br /><br />I wish you didn't feel the need to hide behind the "anon" - but I understand.<br /><br />I do not hate and am not angry at the industry. I consider myself a 'copier guy'.<br /><br />I think copier dudes are the best salespeople in the world. I always have. <br /><br />I think the copier industry, which is an "INDUSTRY", not a profession, is full of schlocky folks(sharks and charlatans) - just like every other industry.<br /><br />You miss the point.<br /><br />The industry, once again, is pushing a bunch of crap down to the sales person in the trenches.<br /><br />I'm calling it out, that's all.<br /><br />The "borderline criminal" MPS deal you mention, was implemented by a copier company - A COPIER COMPANY.<br /><br />I guess you would be the first person I have ever met, in our industry, who grew up, wanting to be a copier sales person.<br /><br />I'm asking the line copier sales people to look beyond the dogma, and into themselves. <br /><br />Try not to be such a 'tool' for the industry. Once you do this, you may realize that Selling is your profession, not copiers.<br /><br />"...Lighten up, Francis..." - Stripes, 1981.<br /><br />And keep coming back to DOTC.<br /><br />Thanks for commenting.<br /><br />PS - just called my mom, it seems that yes, as a child, I did suffer a head injury...interesting.<br /><br />Prolly because we didn't have the 'internet' back then...Greg_Waltershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10110815199532873459noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734830559796197063.post-62309803403151671532011-04-18T09:01:22.322-05:002011-04-18T09:01:22.322-05:00Were you abused or picked on as a child or teen? ...Were you abused or picked on as a child or teen? Were you a complete failure as a copier salesman? Just trying to figure out why you have such a dismal angry attitude toward the profession. <br /><br />Just like anything else there is both good and bad. Copier sales and MPS both have their fare share of sharks and charlatans. I've even seen one MPS deal by big X that was borderline criminal.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com