Search This Blog

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Manage Print Services is On Fire - and 50% of Us are Unsatisfied


2010  DOTC.

Art over at P4P just concluded a non-scientific yet revealing survey: You're now selling Managed Print Services "Your Thoughts Now".

Results:

It's been a great success for us 25%
It's been ok for us 26%
It's not reaping the profits we thought it would 36%
If we had to do it over, we would not have gotten into MPS 14%

Quick math shows 50% in the "Unsatisfied" category.

Juxtapose this with an incredible number of new "MPS Information Portals" coming online, the huge volume of MPS-forum chatter, and enough Managed Print Services consultants to sink the Titanic - it doesn't add up.

Oh yes, it does.

Fifty percent of you don't feel MPS has paid off. You don't see a lot of sales, or profit. You have sent your sales teams to school, evaluated and purchased software, and maybe even hired an outside consultant.

You expected too much too soon.

MPS is not as simple as putting laser printers on CPI.

MPS is a bit more than selling speeds and feeds, triggered by lease-end.

You can't arrange to perform a study through the purchasing department.

Your 30-day, hardware cycles will not apply.

Your manufacturer only wants to sell more units, not engage in MPS, no matter how their MPS program is pitched.

The reason there are so many new portals and an ever-increasing plethora of know-it-alls is that, even after 2-to 3 solid, MPS years, the MPS landscape is fraught with mystery and doubt. This is nothing like when color first came out.

If you're into the second generation of MPS at your practice, here are some recommendations:

1. Join the MPSA, get to know the real Titans of MPS and network
2. Devour every nugget of MPS knowledge out here on the net.
3. Visit your existing clients and ask THEM to define MPS - then sell that.
4. Evaluate your current infrastructure and realign it to your core.
5. Evaluate and change your existing compensation plan.
6. Determine your MPS Selling Funnel. From Qualification to support.
7. Read DOTC, follow me, and join the DOTC Group on LinkedIn

The economy is not going to turn around soon, and when it does, it is not going to rescue our industry - it has changed forever.

Be prepared. Take this time to do some soul searching.



Click to email me.




3 comments:

  1. Are the companies unsatisfied because of MPS, and if yes, which stage or aspect of MPS?

    Or is it
    * because the economy slowed down? * because MPS is advertised with 'up to 30% cost savings' instead of increased functionallity and good margins on color? Save 30% and the market lost 30% revenue...
    * because of rightsizing and optimizing the fleets, e.g. reducing equipment and less 'volume inclusive' contracts instead of more equipment whilst customers read the advertisement?
    * because the market forgot to charge for scans?
    * because of ever declining hardware prices?
    * because of en lower monochrome and much lower color click prices?
    * because of supplier consolidation?

    Is MPS the cause or the last crusade?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Greg, you forgot tip #1 (bump all those other's down to make 6) Join the Managed Print Services Association, and network with fellow MPS dealers, vendors, end-users, manufacturers!

    ReplyDelete

Contact Me

Greg Walters, Incorporated
greg@grwalters.com
262.370.4193