HP at Davos: "We lose money on the hardware we, make money on the supplies." Bet. No Cap.

 

I've been saying this from the beginning: Covid changed the way we saw work, it illuminated the managerial redundancies and hierarchy hypocrisies - then AI hit the masses - and is changing everything again.  

"I think the pandemic showed the different way of work, create a different type of need...this is showing that all of us as companies, we need to make significant changes in how do we connect, manage, develop, grow our employees to make them successful." L, HP

We are doing more with less, because of Ai.

There's more.  NVidia, HP, Dell are going to catch headwinds like nothing else since the 90s.  Indeed, this next iteration will blow all other KPIs, benchmarks and models off the planet.

Imagine, if you will, every PC being refreshed in a five year period...or 24 months or in twelve.

This is what looms over the horizon.

The DOTC Partnership Ecosystem - #Ecosystem #MPS #Copiers

The Partnership Ecosystem:

"It is a term that describes – relatively accurately – a state in which partnered businesses interact with each other on an equal footing. Although this describes partnerships in the past, the identification and quantification of this situation are significant. It represents a shift in how partnerships are seen by analysts." - AllTopStartups

Jay McBain has been evangelizing this structure for years.  If you don't know about Jay, Googlitize his name and check it out.

###

The DOTC Partnership Ecosystem consists of 12 primary categories, plus one for Clients settling on 13 total Influences.

Within each Influence, there is at least one Influencer.  An array of Influences work with a customer-facing entity, typically, the Dealer.  All Influencers have sway on the customer experience. When the system is aligned, powerful solutions are successfully brought to market, solving real-world business problems.

This model represents a closely connected network of resources and providers similar to the structure of Market Places.

OK let's quickly explore the Influences within a DOTC Managed Print Services partnership ecosystem:

Area 00 of the Z22 MpS Renaissance Model.

The #DeathofTheCopier #MpS Renesiance Model, Z22.  "Area 00".  

The DOTC RenMPS Z22 includes a pre-amble in Area 00, something I've not seen on any other MPS Model.

If your MPS practice has failed or is struggling, you probably didn't completely utilize Area 00.

For starters, SWOT is a necessary step in Area 00, something I'm sure you conducted before getting into MpS. 

There are three pillars of Area 00:

#Marketing / #Sales

#Infrastructure

#PartnershipEcosystem

Area 00 is the planning stage of MPS.  An internal analysis, and structure build before going to market.

It is very important.

Ask Greg is Back

A while back, I had an "Ask Greg" column writing for Xerox around Managed print Services where folks would write in and ask all sorts of questions and I would answer.

For the past few years, I've been writing a series titled "New to Copier Sales..." for The Imaging Channel, here.

I'm bringing it back.

I know that there isn't a shortage of 'know-it-alls' out here - the cyber-world has always been populated with bloviating pontificators - I'm not looking to compete with those folks.  All I know is that for the last 20 plus years, I've been involved with sales teams selling and prospects buying.  I've been on BOTH sides of the sales table.

The process is simple.  Ask a question, I'll give you an answer. The question can be about anything: selling copiers, managed print services, uniform rental programs website design, and anything in between.  "

For example, Fred Farkel from Flint, Michigan asks, 

"Greg, I've been in copier sales for 60 days and I haven't sold a thing.  My manager is all over me to sell something, anything.  How can I turn a quick sale?  Can I do anything to get my manager off my a$$? - Fred.

My response might go something like this:

"Dear Frustrated in Flint, 

Quit.

Yours very truly, 

G"

Of course, I'm kidding. (sorta)

"Dear Frustrated in Flint,

I am sorry to hear of your challenges in the 'thumb'.(Mid-Michigan)  Sales managers like yours are the bane of our industry. Regardless,  here are some ideas your manager should have already reviewed with you:

1. Hit up all your existing clients. 
2. Check lease renewals.
3. Comb the "New business" announcements looking for live prospects.
4. Approach family and friends for leads at their place of business.

Remember, you're looking for quick transactional, turns the above ideas are short term answers in a long term game.

PS - Seriously, if your sales manager is all over you so early, keep your resume up to date.

Do you have a question?  Click here.  What have you got to lose?

"Help me, help you."

Cheers!

New to Copier Sales: How to Write a Blog or Article

You’ve heard it before: “You’ve got to create content.”  Your LinkedIn feed is probably littered with all sorts of influencers pitching their personal branding and content generation classes.

Distinguishing yourself through content is undeniably effective, but how? Adding one more task to your selling process is daunting.  But writing about how you’ve helped others is a great way to project expertise and build credibility. Above all, writing can be a catharsis.

That’s the trick to good content — write for yourself, to yourself.  There are two basic audiences: those in the industry — coworkers, vendors, and the like, and those on the other side of the table — prospects, and customers.  Talking with either audience requires relevant ideas, subject matter, and empathy. Put yourself in their shoes. For example, if you recently had a great prospecting or cold-calling experience, tell the story. The odds are good that not only will your peers find it interesting, your prospects will as well.  

Remember, they sell things too.

Read the rest here.

New to Copier Sales: B2B People Still Use Email. No, Really. They Do.

Instant message and chat are some of the most common modes of communication today. It’s true. Back in the old days, we had a phone, the Yellow Pages and the U.S. Postal Service to reach out to prospects. Sending out around 10 letters a week, each letter was typed on a typewriter and mailed. When we graduated to PCs and laser printers, we doubled our letters per week to 20! And for important prospects, we would FedEx an approach letter.

When we sent out a bulk mailing — which was hundreds of pieces — a good response rate was 1%, with an almost incalculable close rate. Today, with the proper software, marketing departments reach thousands of email boxes an hour and achieve a “click-through” rate of 3%.

Unfortunately, the saturation of marketing email has led many to either ignore their inbox or become experts at filtering out spam. Yet, everyone uses...read the rest here.

New to Copier Sales: Evolving Into an Advisor

One of the milestones of moving from a newbie to a seasoned veteran is your ability to present yourself as a colleague to your prospects. One catchphrase I’m sure you’re hearing is “consultative selling.” The phrase is a bit disingenuous as it refers to giving prospects advice on how to best utilize your offering when solving business problems.

Indeed, consultants (i.e. advisors) receive compensation for knowledge shared, not the number of devices placed. The word “consultant” infers an air of neutrality without bias. You are advising. A sales manager, on the other hand, is extremely biased — there’s no neutrality in sales.

The best way to gain your prospect’s trust is to offer advice without expectations. For instance, when a prospect has an issue with their fleet of trucks, selling them a 50 ppm device isn’t going to help them get the oil changed.

On the other hand, because you’ve been asking all your other clients and prospects about their businesses, and you know one of your contacts repairs trucks for a living — and is good at it— you can simply forward their contact information to the prospect in need. Do things like this without expecting a payback, and you’ll be on your way to being seen as a trusted advisor in no time.

The concept is simple, but there are many characteristics to consider when becoming an advisor. Here are three of the most important:

Read the rest here.

The #SalesRevolutionRebellion Is a Farce

The fake "sales revolution" attacks symptoms, not the cause.

"Lannister, Targaryen, Baratheon, Stark, Tyrell. They're all just spokes on a wheel. This one's on top, then that one's on top. And on and on it spins, crushing those on the ground."

Rebels and Revolutions - 

When individuals declare independence from tyranny, they put their lives, and the lives of their families on the line, risking everything for revolution, for future generations' independence.

For freedom.

Today, there's talk of a "Sales Revolution". Insurgents take to the nearest pulpit espousing "changing the way sales is done..." by being open, real, authentic, a trusted advisor, partnering to solve client problems - not a con man.  Noble efforts.

For them, it's not nine to five; it's always too always, elevator pitches, value propositions, and increasing effort 10 fold.

There are literally THOUSANDS of sales coaches and trainers in the world today.

Here are a few of the folks I respect and follow. Some are calling for sales a "revolution".  A few pitch themselves as 'rebels', "Leading the Sales Revolution":

• Copier guy turned trainer, Rick Lambert
• Marketer and builder of websites, Darrell Amy
• H8r of the empty leisure suit, Larry Levin
• That 10x dude,  Grant Cardone
• The Warrior of Copiers, Dale Dupree
• Passionate sales pontificator, Keenan

All are passionate and committed to their specialty contributing great content to the realm.

But -

EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF SELLING ADVICE IS MISSING THE POINT.

I'm not recommending the current sales training and consulting efforts are not valid.  I'm just saying there is so much more that can be done to 'save the industry'.

Of Smoke and Ice -

"Speeds, Feeds, Quota's, Commissions, Solutions. They're all just spokes on a wheel. This one's on top, then that one's on top. And on and on it spins, crushing those on the ground."

The sales revolution is an insidious movement because it is based on truth. Bad sales skills, low motivation, poor relationship building, aggressive attitudes, boring pitches, tedious corporate introductions, and unoriginal talk tracks, are real, yet each a  SYMPTOM of the sickness, not the cause -  - indeed, going to war against "bad selling practices" amounts to self-hate.

We're revolting against the wrong enemy.

The Real Monster -

"Xerox, Canon, Ricoh, HP, Lexmark. They're all just spokes on a wheel. This one's on top, then that one's on top. And on and on it spins, crushing those on the ground."

The idea is simple, the mission tragic - manufacturers' selling models must be taken down, defeated.  While we fight among ourselves over who can save selling, the real archenemy plods forward, assimilating more and more into its ranks.

Break The Wheel

WE DON'T NEED A SALES TRAINING REVOLUTION, WE NEED A REVOLUTION AGAINST THE ESTABLISHMENT.

It's the OEMs who push equipment quotas down the channel, and not just copier OEMs - every manufacturer has the same, Materials Resource Planning (MRP) based systems.

The model utilizes the following:

• MRP based quotas
• "Fear Uncertainty and Doubt"
• Purposely confusing and ever-shifting, commission plans
• "Kill it and Grill it" mentality
• Adversarial Selling construct 
• "Where there is a mystery, there is margin"
• "67% of salespeople do not reach quota"
• Features and benefits of training
• Solution Selling
• Sales Techniques...

A real Revolution(with a capital R) doesn't attack the symptoms, it takes on the creators of the Wheel. The hierarchies are organically crumbling, digitally transforming - gravity is drawing the towers down, but they fight.

As long as we continue to harp on old-fashioned ideas, as long as we concentrate on "new", non-standard training topics, we keep the chaos going - and that's just fine with the zombie kings. The dusted-off,  selling retreads are like 'opiates for the masses' keeping the "little people" hypnotized in their insecurities.

Do you want to lead a true revolution?  Then revolt against:

• Stodgy commission structures
• Outdated quota schemes
• Product-based, solution selling
• OEM dogma

Are you a self-proclaimed leader of the revolution?  Then:

• Produce videos telling the establishment to stop pushing old-fashioned ideas and programs.
• Write articles outlining the challenges of terrible infrastructure and processes.
• Establish standard, salary influencing, and sales training certifications.

Embark on the battle between independent selling professionals and corporate structures - it is time.

Unfortunately,  this two-dimensional skirmish is nothing compared to what's coming.  The next titan of turbulence holds enough power to wash away 50% of the sales universe.

New to Sales: How to Manage Your Boss

Over the years, I have worked with dozens of sales managers. Unfortunately, I can only count two who possessed a skillset above and beyond that of a typical manager. The terrible managers shared a plethora of common traits — boorish, disengaged, privileged, etc. But the best managers also shared characteristics and habits:

They didn’t perform the salesperson’s job — like filling out paperwork — when it would have been more expedient to do so.

They knew how to play office politics to the benefit of the sales department while supporting company goals.

Although they possessed selling skills, they were not selling managers.

They didn’t use foul language and bully people into submission.

At the very top of the heap, the best managers will remove obstacles to your personal success. This is key. A great sales manager limits nonselling activities like vendor training, administration meetings, sales meetings and irrelevant paperwork. Additionally, a good sales manager keeps your service manager on top of installs, handles accounts receivable issues and works for you when commissions are calculated.

Read the rest, here.

Why did #WashingtonPost Choose Oklahoma Bombing Over 9/11 Towers?

"The Washington Post's moving Super Bowl ad uses the power of Tom Hanks' voice to defend journalism..."

-Marcus Gilmer, Mashable, February 3, 2019

How bad has it become when the press runs an advertisement promoting and defending...the press?

Pretty bad.

Worse, the self-serving Washington Post missive displays why the Fourth Estate is alienating audiences and losing relevancy.

The minute-long piece begins with a vision of D-Day, scrolling from the Moon to a state funeral and into "When our nation is threatened..."  This is where I stopped paying attention, contemplating the image used to portray "...our nation is threatened...".  Something didn't sit right.  I recognized the site instantly, yet felt those around me would be challenged to remember the historical value.

While Tom Hanks delivers, "When our nation is threatened..." a shot of the 1995 Oklahoma Bombing fades in.

The bombing was a domestically motivated attack on a US government building, carried out by a madman who was caught, tried and executed.

Why use a 1995 incident to depict our nation under threat?

How many viewers recognize this vision?

1995.

Can you think of an image, in this century, that conveys the clear message of "our nation is threatened"? Be assured, the Washington Post engaged a team of highly paid, publicity EXPERTS.  They chose every shot, each word, background audio, musical pace and voice attenuation for a reason - a specific emotional appeal.

Why choose a domestically charged event, 24 years in the past?  Are there no other images that might convey a more poignant message?

Why yes. Yes there are...

A reasonable person would ask, "Why would the Washington Post choose not to use a 9/11 image at this point of the commercial?" Surely, the option was reviewed and rejected.

This is not nuance.

This not an accident.

Perhaps it is simply a reflection of a tone deaf effort - or the output of a nefarious cabal.  There are two ways our nation comes under threat: from the outside and from within.  The Washington Post chose internal danger over external threats, and this is most illuminating.

Does the US media consider internal, domestic challenges greater than global threats?

Or is the media purposefully ignoring external dangers in order to forward an agenda of domestic fear? Perhaps to perpetuate the belief that all the ills in the world are because of the US.

The US public has grown tired to the arrogant, media-state and supporting political players.  It must be striking a chord somewhere in those ivory towers - or else there wouldn't be so many lectures masquerading as commercials this year.

"Knowing empowers us..."

Another Reason You Don't Need a #Copier

Noodle this: How often do you walk over to a machine, place an original on glass, push a button and make a copy? The archaic organizations, state and local government, schools, and churches need not reply or read on - everyone else, stop and think. How many times a day do you make walk-up copies? “Many.” is the usual answer.

At some point in history, the average number of copies made per device was around 10k/week. Think about it. Do you copy 10,000 documents a week? Do you know your machine was designed to handle that level of volume? Seriously, take a day or a week and monitor the number of times and document types your staff is copying.

Let’s go deeper.

Observe the grandeur that is your office copier - paper drawers, nearby recycling bin - it's big, domineering, and physically impressive. Open the lid. The flat piece of glass is called a “platen”. How big is your platen and when was the last time you used it? How many walk-up, 11x17 copies do you produce in a year?

Deeper, still.

Now, walk over to your accounts payable department, dig through one of those big filing cabinets and find your monthly copier bills - look for the lease invoice. Because you’re with a typical copier provider, finding your lease payment could take a while. I’ll wait…

Still waiting…

Okay, do the math. Why are you paying for features and functions you do not use? Better yet, ask yourself, “Why was I SOLD capabilities I never use?”

When you do make copies, I’m guessing the majority of documents originate outside your organization, are letter size, initiate a process, and are finally filed away.

So here’s an idea. When your lease expiration date comes up - you’ll know its close by the increased number of voicemails, unannounced drop-bys, and invites to 'technology luncheons’ your current copier rep hits you with - go to the interwebs and start pricing out ‘workgroup’ scanners. While you're at it, check into the latest Epson or HP inkjet printers. Why not replace that $200-$400 monthly lease payment with a fast scanner and an efficient printer?

Install a printer and a stand-alone scanner.

When the need for an actual, real copy comes up, simply scan the document and print a copy. Now you’ve got a digital version of the original that can be printed or emailed and filed away.

As an added bonus, you've just taken your first baby steps into the digital workflow realm.

"Everybody from the 313..."

#AdvanceCapture: A Simple Thing To Make Your Managed Print Services Better

I get asked this all the time, “What’s new in Managed print services?”

My response, “Nothing.”

Sure, commodity-based service, re-tread billing schemes and dropping margins could be considered ‘new’.  Let’s not forget software's latest consolidation – How comfortable are you with ONE company owning PrintAudit, PrintFleet, & FMAudit?

The internet has added new aspects to sales: Now days customers can know more about your solutions than you do and even purchase supplies on Amazon.

It is hard out here for MPS. I know.

I’ve often suggested providing additional services under the MPS moniker: Behavioral Modification/Rules, folding managed IT into MPS, branching out into other recurring revenue arena’s like water and coffee, even suggesting Telehealth as a growth area.

Some ideas took hold, others really didn’t resonate.  But today, it is difficult to make MPS shinny.  How does one engage more managed print services when there’s nothing new in MPS?  Sell on price - a losing proposition.

Fear not.  

I’ve got a stellar idea for diversification.  One that is not radically different, does not require getting out of your comfort zone and is already proven.

Hang on to your hats – I’m suggesting we embed ‘advance capture’ inside every managed print services contract.

Radical, isn’t it?

I know what you’re thinking, “Advance Capture is too expensive, complicated and time consuming to include in a simple MPS conversation.”  Normally, I’d agree with you.  For example, Kofax is a commanding, encompassing, soup to nuts, workflow and capture solution.  Expensive and complicated, it is a powerful robot.  Not something you want to pitch in the 15 to 100 printer deals, right?

Yeah, I know.

I’m suggesting you start selling a package that is really easy to install and use.  One that embeds on a slew of MFP’s, integrates with the biggest EDM systems and works well in the SMB.

Imagine an MPS engagement that includes smart scanning, SharePoint and Office365, connecting  paper-based workflows, inbound emails and faxes to document management systems, databases, corporate file servers and content management applications.   This new type of MPS is more difficult to dislodge (“sticky”) and truly helps your clients beyond proactive monitoring and automatic toner replenishment.

Such a thing might be difficult to believe, but I just got off the phone with somebody who, in twenty minutes, put together a custom proof of concept (not a demo) and after another 22-minute review with a SMB prospect and dealer (remotely) closed a capture and routing engagement. 

It’s easy. It’s proven, affordable and the builds margin.  You remember margin, don’t you?

The name of the package is Scanshare, established in Europe, making its way into the US, and from what I can see, lighting in a bottle:

           

• Affordable – Purchased, on-premises software.  No license or subscription.
• Independent – Not caught up in the industry consolidation.
• Easy to Use – Graphic and simple to set-up
• Powerful - analyzes, processes and route the digital documents

I like this option for dealers and clients alike.  If you want to learn more, reach out to me directly or hit up my friend Frank Malloch.

Watch this all the way through.  If you don't get it, I hope some day you will.

The creative process. Producing a song or putting together a real, honest, organic solution...it is all the same...

 

10 Things You Should Know When Recruited By a Copier Reseller

In my day, if you wanted a job at a copier dealer, you called them up, made contact, faxed over a resume, and went in for an interview.  Back before then, the size of your vehicle dictated a hire. In any case, you would be hired on the spot.

Today, colleges teach selling.  Today, copier dealers hit the recruitment tour, roving from campus to campus, pitching corporate culture, un-capped commissions, advancement, and trips to faraway lands.

I still believe the copier industry, even in its last days, is the place to get great sales training, create and hone interpersonal skills and improve the resume for your next position.  

But there is bullshit and it starts with the first contact.  Allow me to clear the air -

• When you hear a recruiter say they sell "Business technology" it means you will be selling copiers.

Advice for New Copier Sales Reps: Evolving Into a Peer

A catchphrase you are going to hear a lot in the sales field is “trusted advisor.”

This cliché is thrown around like it is a simple thing to acquire; as if introducing yourself as a “trusted advisor” is enough. What does that mean and what does it take to be a trusted advisor? It takes time in front of as many prospects as possible.

I’ve seen the best salespeople establish themselves as a trusted advisor early in the relationship by standing shoulder to shoulder with each prospect. These professionals achieve a higher level in less than 10 minutes by illustrating three components:

1. Respect
2. Empathy
3. Wisdom

These are simple ideas with significant impact. Here are some pointers: Read the Rest Here.

Merry Christmas from the Death Of The Copier - 2018

2018

The other day I was at a local tavern and ordered up the "Christmas Special" - a martini.  She prepared the beverage and presented it to my mother and me.

With a sparkle in her eye and a smile on her face, she said, "Merry Christmas!" adding, "I'm so happy we can say Merry Christmas.  Last year we weren't allowed."

She scurried away with a spring in her step.

The gears in my head started turning.  

I have never, ever, felt the need to simply wish somebody, "Happy Holidays."  To me, it sounds like a cop-out.  When others wish me Happy Holidays,  I cringe a little inside, and return with, "Merry Christmas."

In the past, it felt like wishing people Merry Christmas was an act of bravery - it isn't.  I'm glad the pendulum has finally swung this way, at least on this subject.

From all of us here at DOTC to all of yours, Merry Christmas!

Advice For New to Copier Sales Reps: Ask More From Your Prospects

In your new world of copiers, training is a big component of the ecosystem — so big it’s like drinking from a fire hydrant. By now you’ve probably come to understand that most of life’s challenges will not be solved with algebra or understanding inheritance and polymorphism — learning how to learn is the best lesson.

So it is now with your new copier position. You may be deft at taking notes, creating flashcards and memorizing basic facts, but I’ve got to tell you, not one prospect is going to establish a relationship if all you know are the paper weights and first-copy-out times for 100 different models.

Unfortunately, your dealer principal and sales manager will demand you know the specifications of every model on the show floor. It’s a tug of war between learning what the “industry” thinks is important and what your prospects see as relevant.

More important than specifications is learning everything possible from every business you visit — no matter the outcome. The first appointment is the time for introductions and getting to know one another; all it takes is 20 minutes to understand how your prospect runs the business and the challenges they face every day. Don’t waste time on your company introduction/value proposition slide deck — YOU are the company

Successful selling professionals utilize the “two ears, one mouth” strategy when getting to know the inner workings of a prospect’s organization. It may sound simple...Read the rest here.

Sales Revolution Built On Hope? Careful what you wish for...

The game is changing, but it always has been.  
The way businesses align purchasing is shifting, but it always has been.
New marketing platforms are emerging but always have been.
Sales are evolving but always have been.
There is talk of a selling rebellion, but there always has been.

There's chatter about the new selling, the new way businesses are buying, and how the sales professionals of today had better change their ways. We've got to multiply our efforts tenfold, continue to cold call and embrace social media.

Today, "Kings", "Cowboys" and "Warriors" populate our little niche and we've got professionals "saving the industry one copier at a time". Worthy, noble, and authentic efforts - I'm all for self-branding and rebellion.  I question the focus of our current emotional revolt.

Words mean things -

Revolt: refuse to acknowledge someone or something as having authority

Revolution: a forcible overthrow of a government or social order, in favor of a new system

So yes, we as a profession, are in the mood for revolt and revolution. It's understood the selling representatives are the Rebels but who are we 'rebelling' against? Who are the bad guys?

Are we taking on the old-school mentality? Assaulting old techniques is one thing, but these are outdated tools, not the root of evil.

Maybe we're rebelling against our prospects and customers - not the brightest idea.

Conducting a revolution against other sales people is self-destructive and most likely a strategy our nemesis relies upon. From the outside, it must look like we're a bunch of self-loathing, never good enough yahoo's running around spewing "transformation, this" and "the new way of that...".

To summarize:

• Revolting against prospects and clients is not the way.
• We are not our greatest enemy, we will not self-destruct.
• The "Evil Empire" is not the past.

Again, who is the enemy?

I know who. If you're a sales trainer, you're not going to like it.  If you're a sales manager, you're not going to like it.  If you're selling anything through a tiered channel, you are not going to like it.  Heck, I don't even like it.

The target of our revolution are those who inflict quotas, false ideals and untrustworthy sales techniques: OEMs, Mega dealers, and vendors of the day are the enemy.

I have moved from certainty to doubt, from devotion to rebellion. 

- Phil Donahue

I am the last one to call for unionization - unions kill - but an organized resistance is the only alternative.  I'm talking about a guild of selling professionals - similar to the Screen Actor's Guild.

So who is in a position to organize contemporary selling professionals?  I have no idea but a great start would be for sales people to think differently:

start selling for yourself
form your own brand
invest in yourself

CAUTION: Rebellions require blood.  The cost of freedom is never free and all revolutions, have casualties.  Who, in this cause, will give all?  Who will create change through sacrifice?

• Will any of the new sales trainers step up to form The Guild or continue taking money from the establishment?
• Will mega-dealers change the way reps are paid or continue to support an archaic standard?
• Will OEMs get rid of their tiered approach?
• And who in their right mind would join such a movement, let alone LEAD against these most formidable foes?

I don't have the answer to that question.  I can say finding a leader within the Empire(OEM,Trainers, MegaDealers) is at best dubious.  Perhaps an older, wiser Rebel will make their way center stage.

Caution: As a metaphor, in the movie Rogue One, can you recall how many of the small rebel team survived?

Nobody.

Sales Revolution?  What Revolution?

Why Do We Idolize The Worst Sales Characters, Ever

I've done it, you've seen it.

Heck, you've probably viewed a clip or two during one of your Monday morning sales meetings intended.

I get it.

These Hollywood caricatures display the gumption of legends - cold calling, motivating speeches, wild excesses of the selling life. Success. Power. Influence. Acceptance.

But there's more to the story, isn't there? The movies tell the entire story, but we don't replay those bad bits do we? No manager is going to show Bud's perp-walk in Wall Street. Nobody is getting motivated watching the federal cops pull into the J.T. Marlin parking lot complete with busses and tow trucks(Boiler Room).

And sure as shooting, no one remembers the ending of Glengarry Glen Ross, when Shelly Levene steals those leads.

Consider the following examples:

"Greed is Good"

Major Wall Street player earns millions through purchasing and breaking up family owned companies supported with insider information. Protagonist seduces young upstart anding ends up in prison.

- Wall Street

"Put that coffee down! Coffee is for closers."

Real Estate agents complain about the leads, smart-dressed, hit-man comes in from HQ to deliver a high pressure, all or nothing, speech intended to get sales back on track. Salesman descends into chaos and steals leads.

- Glen Gerry Glenn Ross

"...act as if..."

Sharp dressed, smooth talking broker initiates new employees into the world of shady deals and illegal trading. Cold calling taken to a new low, one scene depicts a broker lying to a prospect, along with a cheering team of cohorts, and bamboozling a victim out of thousands. The movie ends with federal agents storming HQ complete with tow trucks to recover the fleet of ill-gotten automobiles.

- Boiler Room

These stories end in flames, yet sales 'mentors' still run around telling newbies to, "Sell me this pen."
Why do all sales people know "Coffee is for Closers"? Why do we cheer when Vin Diesel lies his way into a sale? Yeah, sure, we'd love to deliver that Alec Baldwin speech, or kill it on the phone like Leonardo DiCaprio. We project ourselves into those situations - understanding the dramatic and sexy scenarios - who wouldn't?

Why?

I'll tell you why. Motivating you to sell more, no matter how, is good for the OEMs and ownership. Sure, it feels good to you, right? That feeling is false and manipulative. I get it, we need to sell to feed our families and survive - that's the way the game is set up - and watching a fictitious "selling animals" provides a fleeting moment of entertainment and hours of motivation. But it is propaganda. It isn't real. If it is for you, chances are, it will end badly.

Showing rundown videos of yesterday's demons is just another symptom of the slow to change selling ecosystem. I'm not sure what we should utilize in place of these video's but there must be something; there must be thousands of quick, 30 second video's of new sales consultants spewing nuggets of re-treads.

Change, real change through turbulence, must occur at ALL LEVELS of the ecosystem, not just in the trenches. Selling will become more relevant, consultative and fulfilling after the pillars of the status quo resign to the future and ceasing to show criminals and thieves as selling examples is just the beginning.

New to Copier Sales: Workflow Diagrams

"Workflow, that hot, new thing in the New Managed print Services." It's deja vu all over again.

The latest thing in MpS, not necessarily the newest thing, is "Workflow". You should be picking up  more chatter about workflow - you may even hear, "if you don't get into workflow, your dealership will die..." (Insert grain of salt, here.)

No doubt 2013 will see a BIG push of "workflow solutions": workflow software from providers  & workflow consultations from...consultants.

What does this all mean? What impact will this movement have upon the imaging industry, if at all?  Is this more hype, like color, digital, connected, and MpS?  Weren't we just evangelizing "managed network services"? (there is no such thing in the IT world, BTW)

For me, workflow/BPO has always been part of managed print services - part of the evolution, inevitable as the "p" in Managed print Services fades.

As we did so many years ago learning the ways of MpS, let's start with the basics: a standard, run of the mill, definition of 'workflow' -

"Workflow is a term used to describe the tasks, procedural steps, organizations or people involved, required input and output information, and tools needed for each step in a business process." - SearchCIO

Notice this does not specifically, or exclusively, refer to production printing workflow - Job submission can be represented as a workflow, but it is NOT the only example of workflow.

To some, the idea of defining how one does their job and daily business functions may sound complicated. Throw in the notion that workflow is usually expressed in the form of flowcharts, and the concept seems even more unreachable.

But it's not all that difficult to figure out.

All one does is determine how a process is completed, document the observed steps, and investigate bottlenecks.  As a matter of fact, if you've been selling copiers or printers or even MpS for any amount of time, I'm guessing you've embarked on the beginnings of workflow.

Let's take a look at an example, a purchase requisition (yawwwwwn). The following chart reflects a very basic process from requisition to purchase order:

This is a pretty straightforward flow with no deviation. Notice how the arrows suggest a motion or flow from one rectangle to the next.  All flowchart shapes carry specific meaning - rectangles are processes, diamonds decision points, and so on.

Of course, workflow diagrams can become pretty complex and detailed.  Below is a workflow chart for a system relating to data entry.

You can imagine how detailed a workflow diagram can get.

For me, it was always easier to jot down a quick workflow on the clipboard, binder, or today, on the tablet.

Here is an illustration of the decision process involved in installing a DCA, outlined on the Pad:

It makes sense to me so converting to Visio is a snap:

Approximate time to create, 12 minutes.

This isn't rocket surgery, scratching out drawings is just the beginning.  Apply your business acumen, a little software, and professional consultation into the equation, ultimately exchanging your knowledge for value.

How do you develop the ability to recommend and provide workflow systems to your existing MpS clients?   Is it too much to get into?  Can be. One thing is for sure, this isn't "hype" or "noise" - those who say so, do not get it - fain attention, then go back to work.

Welcome to the beginnings of Workflow. You won't get this stuff at the Monday morning sales meeting.

Red China Will Spy Through Your Printer and Kill With Toner

2018

Communism: In political and social sciences, communism is the philosophical, social, political, and economic ideology and movement whose ultimate goal is the establishment of the communist society, which is a socioeconomic order structured upon the common ownership of the means of production and the absence of social classes, money, and the state.

Capitalism: Capitalism is an economic system based on private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. Characteristics central to capitalism include private property, capital accumulation, wage labor, voluntary exchange, a price system, and competitive markets.

I've been thinking about this ever since the drywall from China was reported to be radioactive.

We all want cheap stuff - Walmart runs that idea into the ground as does Amazon.  But for me, it has been difficult to rationalize the success communist China is experiencing with Capitalism.  U.S. Capitalism brought down the Soviet Union and Block; U.S. capitalism succeeded in Viet Nam when our hamstrung military did not.  It seems to me that blue jeans, rock and roll and Mcdonald's is enough to dissolve the Great Wall.

Mao Zedong

But Communist China is still Communist China and communism abhors capitalism. 

Today, why are we surprised to hear that the Red Chinese have implanted secret spy chips in the motherboards of some of the most widely used servers in the world.  How much easier it is to plant a chip anywhere inside a printer or toner cartridge?

In addition to opening up our clouds to Red China, we've purchased killer dog food and poison drywall.  

More disturbing, in order to do business in the land of Mao, international companies must share proprietary technology with their Chinese competitors.  We've been doing just that for nearly a decade.  Is it any wonder the new Chinese fighter jet looks like ours?

What does all this mean?  What can we do?

• STOP selling toner from Red China.
• STOP buying clones from Red China.
• Shun everything coming from Red China.
• Highlight HP and Xerox's American heritage.
• Tell end-users of possible harm resulting from Chinese clones or toner.
• Remove Lexmark from all US Federal, State, and local Government contracts - Education as well.  This is a difficult notion - I know many good people at Lexmark.  But it isn't the same Lexmark, is it? (NineStar).

The 'copier industry' is clichéd and uneventful, yet often, because of our technology pedigree, the output device and document management segment are at the tip of the spear in business innovation.

It seems odd to mix geopolitical issues with managed print services, but here we are.  We were always integrated with politics, global issues, and future tech - we could be the first to call out Red China.

More:

Killer Toner
MpS, Terrorism and Third-Party Toner