Sexual Harassment in The Copier Industry. Victim? Call 800.656.4673 (RAINN)

Sexual Harassment -

It is unlawful to harass a person (an applicant or employee) because of that person’s sex. Harassment can include “sexual harassment” or unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature.

Harassment does not have to be of a sexual nature, however, and can include offensive remarks about a person’s sex. For example, it is illegal to harass a woman by making offensive comments about women in general.

Both victim and the harasser can be either a woman or a man, and the victim and harasser can be the same sex.

Although the law doesn’t prohibit simple teasing, offhand comments, or isolated incidents that are not very serious, harassment is illegal when it is so frequent or severe that it creates a hostile or offensive work environment or when it results in an adverse employment decision (such as the victim being fired or demoted).

The harasser can be the victim's supervisor, a supervisor in another area, a co-worker, or someone who is not an employee of the employer, such as a client or customer.

You might remember the days of "The Girls of DOTC".  If so,  you remember hesitantly opening a DOTC post in the office and rarely, if ever, with the significant other.

For those unfamiliar, this tome was sprinkled with pictures of copiers adorned with vixen-ladies, scantily clad and in interesting poses.  As a result, clicks(mouse, not image) went through the roof.  To some surprise, after the pictures grabbed attention, visitors read; the average time on a post edged over the 5 minutes. 

The Death of The Copier was off and running. We, YOU, had a microphone to the realm as well as pretty pictures.

During the apogee of viewership, I was approached by a high executive from one of our largest OEMs.  She was distraught, nearly in tears and explained, "we need a voice like yours...but those pictures remind me of all I've had to endure because of this industry..."

She told me how so often she'd climbed the corporate ladder in spite of sexual advances and harassment.  How the pictures on my blog reminded her of so many painful memories.

I was taken back - my intent was to jazz up the blog.  To bring something different to our boring industry.  I never wanted embarrass, insult or harass.  I felt like shit.  It took about three and a half hours to remove or replace images.

Are you a victim of Sexual Harassment? Call 800.656.4673 for support.

Today, 2017, sexual harassment is all over the newsfeeds and I've been noodling on how to comment.  I guess there's really just one way to say it:

There are sexist pigs and sexual harassers in our industry.  Yes, I know other industries suffer leches.  Yes, I know this is a male dominated environment. I am not talking about consensual relationships between two adults who happen to be married to other people, this isn't that kind of moral judgement.

I am saying, there are men in our niche who use their position of power to gain sexual pleasure from subordinates. 

I'm saddened to say this, but, if your boss, owner, or manager snuggles up to 'steals a kiss' at Christmas party - that's harassment.  Even if, at the time, you acquiesce, it is still harassment.

More than a third (35 percent) of American women say they’ve been sexually harassed or abused in the workplace, according to a recent poll by PBS NewsHour, NPR and Marist.

I wonder what our ratio looks like.

Here's another thing - for each boss, dealership owner, manager, and VP who sexually harass, there is a crew of enablers:  the HR department that ignores the reports, the personal secretary who arranges travel plans, or that cigar-smoking boys club meeting in Vegas every year at ITEX.  Enablers.

Men.  What should you do if you witness sexual harassment?  Here are three recommendations from Nick Douglas over at LifeHacker:

1. Say something in the moment. Take the risk of saying “That’s gross” or “I’m not OK with this.” If you’re uncomfortable with how someone else is treated, you’re not just standing for their rights, you’re standing for your own. And a sexual harasser will have a harder time dismissing a complaint backed by a third party, especially another man’s.

2. Write things down. Keep a log of behavior so that if you report things to a superior or HR, you have facts to discuss, and aren’t left vaguely describing a “creepy vibe.” This also means “keeping receipts”—logs and screencaps of offensive chats and emails.

3. Consult with the victim. Give them as much control as possible, while taking the responsibility to act. Ask if they’re OK with you reporting the harassment, and how they’d feel most comfortable: if you use their name or not, or if they want to report together, with you as a witness.

Good source here, How Men Can Help Stop Sexual Harassment at Work

There was a day when men would defined the honor of ANY woman.  Where have all the Cowboys Gone?

I mean seriously.  There is no way this happens without a wink and a nod from other men.  This isn't a club, it isn't something to be proud of or participate.  These are daughters, sisters, mothers, colleagues and friends.  Its more than a moral question, it is right vs. wrong. Using power over a subordinate for sexual gratification is wrong and gross.

If you need sex, earn it.  If your going to be a cheater, hell, be a cheater. The second you leverage your position as a boss over somebody, is the second you move from cheating dog to scumbag criminal.  Bill Clinton was wrong.  He is a criminal but Hillary enabled for decades and his staff supported his disgusting habit for years.

Don't be Bill.  Don't be Hillary.  Check out the song Drunk Girl, and be a man.

###

The List, so far(11/2017) of the men accused since the Weinstein accusations emerged:

Entertainment:

Roy Price, the head of Amazon Studios, has been accused of sexual harassment by producer Isa Dick Hackett, according to the New York Times. He has since resigned.

Andy Signore, creator of Screen Junkies and the popular “Honest Trailers” series, has been accused of sexual harassment by at least five women, according to Variety. He has since been fired by Defy Media.

Ben Affleck has been accused of groping actress Hilarie Burton on the set of MTV’s TRL in the early-2000’s, according to CNN. Affleck has since apologized.

Bob Weinstein, super producer and brother of Harvey, has been accused of sexual harassment by Amanda Segel, an executive producer of the Weinstein Co.-produced TV series The Mist, according to Variety. A Weinstein representative has since denied the charge.

Matt Mondanile, the former guitarist for the band Real Estate, has been accused by several women of sexual misconduct, according to SPIN. Mondanile has since denied any wrongdoing.

Oliver Stone has been accused by actress Carrie Stevens of groping her at a party once. She tweeted this allegation in response to Stone tepidly defending Weinstein in the early aftermath of the charges against him.

James Toback, director of films such as Black and White, has been accused by literally hundreds of women of a range of sexual harassments,
according to Los Angeles Times. He has since vehemently denied the charges, while Beverly Hills police have launched an investigation whose scope includes both Toback and Harvey Weinstein.

Lockhart Steele, the creator of popular websites such as Curbed and Racked, has been accused of sexual harassment by a former Vox employee, according to Variety. Vox has since fired Steele.

Mark Halperin, the reporter, author, and media personality, has been accused of sexual harassment by several women going back many years, according to CNN. He has admitted to some misconduct, although his account is in dispute, and he has since been dropped by several of his employers, including NBC News, MSNBC, and HBO.

Andrew Kramer, the Lionsgate executive, has been accused of sexual harassment by a former assistant, according to Vulture. He has since been dropped.

Elie Wiesel, the Nobel Prize-winning author and human-rights advocate has been accused of groping a 19-year-old in 1989, according to Salon. Wiesel passed away in 2016 and is thus unable to confirm or deny the account.

Leon Wieseltier, formerly an editor at The New Republic, has been accused by several female colleagues of sexual harassment, according to the New York Times. Wiseltier has admitted to some “offenses” and funding has since been pulled from the new magazine he had planned to launch.

Twiggy Ramirez a/k/a Jeordie White, the bassist from Marilyn Manson has been accused of rape, according to Variety. He has since been fired from the band.

Tyler Grasham, the Hollywood agent, has been accused of sexual assault and sodomy by actor Tyler Cornell, who has also filed a police report, according to Variety. Grasham has since been fired by his agency, ACA.

Ethan Kath, the producer/performer behind Crystal Castles has been accused by former bandmate Alice Glass of sexual assault, according to the Guardian. Kath denies the allegations.

Chris Savino, the creator of Nickelodeon’s The Loud House, has been accused by multiple women of sexual harassment, according to Deadline. He has since been fired from the show.

Knight Landesman, the Artforum publisher and a power broker in the art world, has been accused of sexual harassment by at least nine women, who have filed a joint lawsuit, according to the New York Times. Landesman has since resigned from Artforum.

Robert Scoble, the veteran tech blogger who has worked with Fast Company before, has been accused of sexual assault and also misconduct, according to The Verge. In a recent blog post, Scoble disputes the accusations.

George H.W. Bush, the former president, has been accused by several women of groping them while making a bad joke, according to the Chicago Tribune. (Punchline: “David Cop-a-Feel.”) Rather than denying the charges, Bush has issued a statement through his spokesperson, introducing the world to the concept of a “good-natured” groping.

Kevin Spacey, the star of Netflix’s House of Cards, has been accused by actor Anthony Rapp of making unwanted sexual advances when Rapp was 14 years old, according to BuzzFeed. Spacey released a statement claiming he was drunk and did not remember the encounter, and Netflix has since suspended production on the sixth season of House of Cards. (Update: several employees on House of Cards have said that Spacey made the show a toxic environment, with one employee outright accusing him of assault. Netflix has since severed all ties with Spacey and is considering killing off his character and moving ahead with the announced sixth and final season of the show.)

Jeremy Piven, the actor most famous for his role on HBO’s Entourage, has been accused by actress Ariane Bellamar of groping her on multiple accusations during the filming of that show, according to Business Insider. Piven has denied the allegations.

Hamilton Fish V, the publisher of The New Republic, has been accused by multiple female employees of sexual harassment, according to the New York Post. He has since taken a leave of absence.

Andy Dick, the famously assault-prone comedic performer, has been accused of sexual harassment by multiple people on the set of the indie film, Raising Buchanan, according to Vulture. He has since been fired from the film.

Brett Ratner, the director behind hits such as Rush Hour, has been accused by six women of a number of sexual offenses, according to the Los Angeles Times. Ratner’s lawyer has disputed these accounts.

Dustin Hoffman, the veteran actor from films like The Graduate and Tootsie, has been accused of sexually harassing Anna Graham when she was a 17-year-old production assistant in 1985, according to People.

Michael Oreskes, a top editor at NPR, has been accused by multiple women of sexual harassment, according to CNN. He has since resigned.

David Guillod, a manager and producer on films like Atomic Blonde, has been accused by actress Jessica Barth of sexual assault. Barth originally raised her allegation in 2012, but Guillod threatened to sue her if she proceeded. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Barth is now ready to press charges.

Adam Venit, an agent at WME, has been cited as the unnamed person Terry Crews referred to in a viral series of tweets about being groped by “a high-level Hollywood executive,” according to Variety. Venit has since taken a leave of absence.

David Corn, editor and chief executive at Mother Jones, is being investigated for inappropriate workplace behavior, according to Politico. The investigation stems from a pair of newly surfaced emails from 2014 and 2015, which detail offensive jokes and unwelcome touching of female staffers.

Steven Seagal, star of ’90s action films such as Under Siege, has been accused of sexual harassment by actresses Portia de Rossi, Julianna Margulies, and Rae Dawn Chong, according to Jezebel and other sources.

Ed Westwick, an actor best known for his work on Gossip Girl, has been accused by two women of rape, according to New York Magazine’s The Cut. Westwick denies the charges, and LAPD is investigating.

Louis CK, one of the most popular comedians in the world, has been accused by five women of forcing them to watch him masturbate. The public allegations follow years of quiet but persistent speculation.

Jann Wenner, the iconic publisher of Rolling Stone, has been accused of sexual misconduct by freelance writer Ben Ryan, according to BuzzFeed.

Eddie Berganza, Group Editor of DC Comics, has been accused of sexual harassment by multiple women, including former employees, according to BuzzFeed. DC Entertainment has since fired Berganza.

Gary Goddard, a film producer, has been accused by actor Anthony Edwards of molesting him over a period of years in the late-1970s, starting when Edwards was just 12 years old. The allegation emerged in a Medium post penned by Edwards.

Jesse Lacy, frontman for the band Brand New, has been accused of sexual misconduct by a minor 15 years ago, soliciting nude photographs from a woman who was 15 when Lacy was 24, according to NME. Lacy has since apologized for the misconduct.

Matthew Weiner, the writer and director most known for creating the show Mad Men, has been accused of sexual harassment by former Mad Men writer Kater Gordon, according to The Information. Weiner has since denied the charge.

Richard Dreyfuss, has been accused of sexual harassment over a period of years in the mid-1980’s by writer Jessica Teich, according to New York Magazine. Dreyfuss has since denied “exposing” himself to Teich, but confirms that he did try to kiss her and seduce her in a manner he now regrets.

George Takei, legendary actor and internet personality most famous for his role on Star Trek, has been accused of sexual assault by former model Scott R. Bruton, stemming from an incident that occurred in 1981. Takei has since denied the allegation.

Andrew Kreisberg, show runner on The Flash, has been accused of sexual harassment by a young female writer on the show. Kreisberg has since been suspended by Warner Brothers TV, according to Deadline.

Tom Sizemore, star of such films as Saving Private Ryan, has been accused of molesting an 11-year old girl on the set of a film in 2003, according to The Hollywood Reporter. According to the report, the actor was kicked off of the set after this incident, although he later filmed some additional scenes. Sizemore has declined to comment.

Mark Schwahn, showrunner on One Tree Hill, has been accused of sexual harassment by several members of the cast and crew of that show, according to Variety. Update: Schwahn has since been accused of sexual harassment by several members of the cast and crew of The Royals, where Schwahn had been serving as showrunner until recently. (He was suspended after the One Tree Hill allegations emerged last week.)

Jeffrey Tambor, Emmy Award-winning star of Transparent, has been accused of sexual harassment by an actress and a crew member from the show, according to Deadline. He has since denied the accusations and parted ways with the show.

Matt Zimmerman, Senior Vice President of Booking for News & Entertainment at NBC, has been accused of inappropriate conduct with two women in the News division, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Zimmerman has since been fired.

Al Franken, the Minnesota senator and erstwhile comedy writer, has been accused of unwanted kissing and groping by a reporter, Leeann Tweeden, stemming from an incident that took place in 2006, according to The New York Times. The groping allegedly occurred while Tweeden was asleep, and a photo taken at the time supports her account. Update: at least five more women have since come forward with similar accusations against Franken.

Sylvester Stallone, the actor and director most famous for creating the character Rocky Balboa, has been accused of sexually assaulting a minor in 1986, according to The Daily Mail. Through a representative, Stallone denies any wrongdoing.

Murray Miller, a writer formerly of HBO’s Girls, has been accused of sexually assaulting actress Aurora Perrineau, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Miller adamantly denies the charge.

Glenn Thrush, a star political reporter for The New York Times, has been accused of inappropriate behavior by several younger female reporters, according to Vox. Although Thrush has since downplayed what he’s been accused of, The New York Times has suspended him pending an investigation.

Charlie Rose, the longtime television host, has been accused by eight women of sexual harassment. The Washington Post reports that over a period over more than 20 years, Rose allegedly made unwanted sexual advances toward women who worked at PBS’s Charlie Rose show. They allege he made lewd phone calls, groped them, and walked around naked in front of them. Rose (who also works for CBS) has issued an apology in which he acknowledges his “inappropriate behavior” while also questioning whether “all of these allegations are accurate.” PBS and Bloomberg LP have suspended distribution of Charlie Rose, and CBS has suspended Rose while the network investigates the claims.

John Lasseter, head of Disney Animation, is taking a leave of absence from Pixar. He announced the decision as The Hollywood Reporter prepared to publish a story in which several former and current colleagues allege that Lasseter engaged in a pattern of sexual harassment. One longtime Pixar employee claims that Lasseter was known for “grabbing, kissing, making comments about physical attributes.” Lasseter released a memo to his staff in which he acknowledged his “missteps” and apologized if staffers who had received “an unwanted hug” felt he crossed the line.

Nick Carter, member of the Backstreet Boys, has been accused of sexual assault by Melissa Schuman, a singer from the pop band Dream. In a blog post, Schuman, 33, alleges that Carter raped her and forced her to perform and receive oral sex when she was 18. Carter denied the allegations in a statement to People.

Matt Lauer, host of The Today Show, has been fired for sexual misconduct, , according to NBC News, following an internal review. A comprehensive New York Times investigation has reportedly been underway for weeks, and may be surfacing soon.

Garrison Keillor, radio producer and former host of long-running show A Prairie Home Companion, has been fired by Minnesota Public Radio for “improper conduct” with a female colleague, according to The New York Times. Keillor has admitted to running his hand up a female colleague’s bare back through her open shirt.

Russell Simmons, co-founder of Def Jam Recordings and other countries, has been accused of sexual misconduct by two women–first by model Keri Claussen Khalighi, and then screenwriter Jenny Lumet–according to The Hollywood Reporter. Although Simmons initially denied any wrongdoing when Khalighi came forward, he now says he is stepping down from his businesses.

Israel Horovitz, a veteran playwright, has been accused of sexual conduct by nine women, according to The New York Times. Horovitz has apologized ” to any woman who has ever felt compromised by my actions.”

Bruce Weber, the venerable fashion photographer, has been accused of forcefully kissing and groping a male model, according to the New York Post.

Dylan Howard, the top editor for the National Enquirer, Us Weekly and other major gossip publications, has been accused of sexual misconduct by several former employees, according to the Associated Press.

James Levine, legendary Metropolitan Opera conductor, has been accused of molesting a teenage boy for a period of years in the 1980s, according to the New York Post. He has since been suspended by the Met.

John Hockenberry, a now-retired public radio icon, has been accused of sexual harassment by several female colleagues, as well as a guest of his radio show, Suki Kim, according to a report Kim wrote for New York Magazine’s The Cut.

Leonard Lopate and Johnathan Schwartz, two longtime hosts at WNYC, have been put on leave effectively immediately pending investigations into allegations of inappropriate conduct, according to WNYC.

Jon Heely, the director of music publishing at Disney, has been charged with child sex abuse against two young girls about a decade ago, according to Variety. Heely’s attorney has denied the charges.

Mario Batali, world famous chef, has been accused by four women, three of whom once worked for him, of inappropriate touching over the last two decades, according to Eater. Batali has said the allegations “match up” with ways he has behaved, and he has since stepped away from his empire.

Ryan Lizza, a star reporter for The New Yorker, has been let been go by the magazine for engaging in improper sexual contact, according to The Daily Beast. Lizza has not yet commented.

Politics:

Donald Trump. At least 15 women have come forward with a wide range of accusations against Trump, ranging from sexual harassment and sexual assault to lewd behavior around women. Of the women, 13 say Trump attacked them directly and two others say they witnessed behavior that made them uncomfortable. All the alleged incidents took place prior to his assuming the presidency.

Florida Democratic Party Chairman Stephen Bittel — Accused of sexually inappropriate comments and behavior toward a number of women, Bittel resigned. Meanwhile, Democratic state Sen. Jeff Clemens resigned after a report that he had an extramarital affair with a lobbyist, and Republican state Sen. Jack Latvala is being investigated by the Senate over allegations of harassment and groping. Latvala has denied the allegations.

U.S. Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) — Accused of sexual harassment toward staffers in his office, and has settled one claim of harassment. He has denied the allegations, even the one he settled.

Two Minnesota state lawmakers — Democratic Sen. Dan Schoen and Republican Rep. Tony Cornish — said they would resign after they were accused of misdeeds that ranged from groping colleagues to persistent unwanted sexual advances and sexting.

British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon — Accused of inappropriate advances on two women, the Conservative resigned. Sexual harassment and assault allegations have also emerged against a number of other U.K. political figures. Labour Party legislator Carl Sargeant is believed to have taken his own life after harassment allegations cost him his post as the Welsh government's Cabinet secretary for communities and children. He had asked for an independent inquiry to clear his name.

Also, Labour Party member Ivan Lewis has been suspended over an allegation of sexual misconduct; Lewis disputed the account but apologized if his behavior had been "unwelcome or inappropriate."

Kentucky House Speaker Jeff Hoover — Stepped down as speaker this month after news surfaced that the Republican had settled a sexual harassment claim from a GOP caucus staffer. Hoover denied the harassment allegation but said he sent consensual yet inappropriate text messages. He remains in the Legislature.

U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore (R.-Ala.) —Accused of sexually assaulting two women decades ago when they were teenagers; about a half-dozen other women have accused Moore of inappropriate conduct. The former state Supreme Court chief justice denies the allegations. He has rebuffed pressure from national Republican leaders to step aside; the state GOP is standing by him.

Johnny Anderson, a staffer for Democratic Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards — The deputy chief of staff for programs and planning resigned to avoid becoming a "distraction" to the governor. Accused of sexual harassment, he denies any wrongdoing.

###

"Drunk Girl"

Couple of cover charge stamps got her hand looking like a rainbow
In and out of every bar on a whim just like the wind blows
She's either a bachelorette or coming off a breakup
Take a drunk girl home

She's bouncing like a pinball
Singing every word she never knew
Dancing with her eyes closed like she's the only one in the room
Her hairs a perfect mess, falling out of that dress
Take a drunk girl home

Take a drunk girl home
Let her sleep all alone
Leave her keys on the counter your number by her phone
Pick up her life she threw on the floor
Leave the hall lights on walk out and lock the door
That's how she knows the difference between a boy and man
Take a drunk girl home

You leave her drive for a dive
You get something bad to eat
They're singing closing time at that little bar across the street
Then two by two strangers and lovers headed for the covers hooking up
That TV in your two bedroom sounds turned off
Through the paper thin walls you can hear the neighbor's cigarette cough
There's a million things you could be doing, but there's one thing you're damn sure glad you did

Take a drunk girl home
Let her sleep all alone
Leave her keys on the counter your number by the phone
Pick up her life she threw on the floor
Leave the hall lights on walk out and lock the door
That's how you know the difference in a boy and man
Take a drunk girl home

Took a drunk girl home
In the sober light of dawn
She left you a message she thanked you on the phone
Cause you picked up her life she threw on the floor
You left the hall lights on walked out and locked the door
That's how she knows the difference between a boy and man
Take a drunk girl home

You took a drunk girl home
Take a drunk girl home

The #LastCopierSold

11/26/2017

Everything dies, baby that's a fact, but just because something doesn't last forever, doesn't mean it wasn't perfect.  Proclaimed back in 2011, the fading of managed print services continues.  Don't believe me?  

Ask your customers/prospects and you'll hear the truth. Whispers from the Abyss:

• "We've really cut back on the number of printers and copiers we use."
• "We don't print as much."
• "We once had a copier on every floor and printers at each desk.  We don't anymore."

I could go on - hell, if you're in the field and honest, YOU can add to the above list.

So here it is - what follows is a list of industry influencers and players with reflections and status according to DOTC.

The year is 2017; just about 10 years after managed print services arrived on the scene. Much has changed.

RiKON - XerGlo - KonDanka - What is an HP Dealer to do?

During an interview the other day, I was asked some good questions...Questions I really could not answer.

1. How will Canon survive losing 30% of US sales?
2. What will happen with all the existing, independent Ricoh dealers?
3. How many independent dealers still exist?
4. How many locations does CBS have?
5. What will the industry look like in 5 years? 10 years?
6. How does this affect the RBS channel?

Wow. As the dust settles, the huge significance of what just happened is almost more than we can bear.

The questions posed to me illustrated how much I really don't know.

How is Canon going to respond to losing 30% of its US sales?

Dang, that is a good question. From the Canon Business Solutions web site, there are only 53 locations in the US.

And Ricoh says it is going to convert IKON's Canon base into Ricoh MIF within the next 3 years...oh really? Do you think Canon might have other plans for those "Canon customers bobbing in the wake of corporate takeover"?

And, how is RiKON going to survive losing nearly 60% of it's business? Or not being able to service those existing customers after the de-certification?

Wowzie.

The bigger question - Why have all these manufacturers purchased the channel to begin with?

I don't see Ford or IBM buying up dealer associations - cereal makers buying grocery chains, or cattle herders purchasing McDonald's restaurants.

What gives?

The old manufacturers' beliefs were,

"...we manufacture and we manufacture very well...we don't have the infrastructure or the knowledge to successfully market, sell or support our finished goods, to the ultimate customer..."

Has this changed?

Has Konica Minolta discovered how easy it is to sell to the ultimate consumer?

Do Ricoh and Xerox think they know better then the folks who have developed and maintained the current channel and selling model?

--- Maybe "yes" AND maybe "no".

To me, this consolidation proves one of my theorems -

"All copiers are the same - every single one."

Look at it, now there are only three main channels each driven by a "manufacturer". Manufactures of "xerographic" machines - they are all the same.

The differentiating factors will be interesting to watch - and the marketing will be fascinating.

Oh How the Mighty Have...Changed -

Like a caterpillar suspended in it's chrysalis, the metamorphosis of the copier industry moves into a new phase. What emerges will be the "Hybrid Dealer" you have started to hear about. Never before, in recent hi-tech history, has a channel been assimilated like this. Change is guaranteed.

I go back to the PC -

In the 80's the PC market was booming but not one manufacturer tried to own the channels - what changed? I mean "consolidation" occurred but through manufactures buying other manufactures and software companies adapting or going away. The channels responded, contracted yet remained intact. The number of distributors thinned as did the quantity of machines - but the channel remained.

It's the Economy - Stupid.

I guess if we look at this phenomena in a macro sense, from 10,000 feet, as an investment, these acquisitions look good.

The stock holders realize a tidy return on their investment, the folks who built the channels(Global, IKON, Danka) can retire rich. The remaining, small independent dealers can now start looking at Canon, Toshiba, Sharp, etc. as equipment competitors more willing to work with then just 12 months ago. Especially Canon.

As for the employees - they can hang on, or move into one of the smaller competitors and help them thrive on all the industry chaos.

Ah...but what about the Customer? -

How does the Customer benefit? Does all this consolidation mean a more competitive industry? Does this give prospects more choices? Will prices and margins be driven down even further?

Right now there is Xerox, Konica and Ricoh - the Very Big Three - and Canon all by itself. So it looks like the customer's choices have just been limited - is that a good thing?

In the short run Canon customers looking to upgrade can leverage this change over Canon possibly resulting in lower pricing as Canon defends the base. But RiKON will go after all the Canon customers with a price point designed to "buy the business" - this could be good for the customer; these two giants fighting over the customer.


By the way, speaking of all by itself - HP

The company with the largest number of MIF (machines in field) is now nearly transparent.

And Edgeline is the humongous gorilla in the room of every single sales meeting in every single IPG office at HP. End of year for HP is October 31st - and I am sure that upper management is "monitoring" Edgeline cycles down to the minute - HP is not use to being in the copier industry.

Competitive pressures were not fully appreciated and channel breadth might have been over rated. How can you expect to push 3,400 units - big, huge, wonderful, new technology units - through approximately 120 dealers? And convert "direct sales people" into document management consultants, overnight?

Edgeline is not a new laser printer; you can not sell it off a price sheet, over the phone.

The selling cycle for these types of units(copiers) is much more complex and usually triggered by an event - lease termination. And if you have no machines in field to begin with, every single unit is a new sale converting a competitor's existing lease.

The sale of an unproven, relative to all the copiers, technology from a "new" player only adds to the pressure. And if this isn't enough- HP sales people are swimming in a part of the ocean inhabited by some of the smoothest, most savvy, and ruthless Sales Sharks in the world - Copier Guys(or gals). The copier folks know how to talk CPC, leasing, 4 hour response time, real service levels and of course, first copy out time(yuck).

And then there is the HP channel -

I don't even want to go here, except to possibly repeat what has been told to me -

"OEM toner is way too expensive..."

"If HP is serious about getting into the copier industry, why do they price CPC so high?"

"Why is there no 3-hole punch?"

"...you mean this big machine can't handle glossy?"

" ...the rebates are too difficult for us to manage..."

To me, all these statements are just examples of lazy people whining. Blah, blah, blah...

Be that as it is, perception is reality. Again, not my reality.

Edgeline is a great platform, HP just needs to work through the "growing pains". Some very good HP partners are here who DO believe and are willing to "tow the line" - for now.

Well, as with everything, time will tell - history will judge. And as Selling Professionals, Agents of Change, we don't hide from history, we make it.

Copier & I.T. Sales People - Skip the Product or MPS Launch/Training - Get Business Training

8/2009 -

As a copier salesperson, you know the stigma - you are just one notch above "used car" sales territory (not that there is anything wrong with that). Even your family wonders how the heck you settled into selling copiers.

The "consultative copier salesperson" approach is stale and a joke. How are you a "consultant" if all you do is compare lease payments? 

But - copier salespeople know how to sell, they are tenacious and work around, over, or through any obstacles to success.

And by obstacles, I mean competition from all fronts - in the field and from the chuckleheads back at the office.

You don't sit on your butt all day and you aren't afraid to walk the streets and have doors slammed in your face.

You know how to recover, adapt and prevail.


Imagine for a moment, a segment of sellers that have indeed been sitting on their collective rumpus for two decades. A niche that has sold completely on price.

An upside-down selling model where the "sales" person doesn't really sell, they just make sure the paperwork is all in order, the deal is registered, and coordinate meetings in Outlook - they schedule WebEx appointments.

In that world, the real selling is performed by Tech-heads. Folks who never claim to be salespeople openly loathe Professional Sellers. Only these chosen ones are worthy enough to hold an audience, at the same level, as the prospect - give me a break.

Now imagine the Prospect in this niche.

He is used to empty-headed sales reps presenting off a brochure and price list. He always takes appointments from the rep, if the rep is a "she" - bonus points if she knows the difference between ST TOS and TNG.

He doesn't know leasing because for decades he strictly purchased. His SLA expectations revolve around days, warranty periods, and depot service. He is not familiar with Cost Per Image models and may even believe that the cheapest is the least expensive.

This prospect compartmentalizes everything - everything. He never answers his phone. Managing his time, his time does not manage him.

He reads all his emails, at his leisure.

When he finds something of interest he will gladly place it(and you) into a compartment. He does not like copier salespeople.

The niche, Information Technology.

The salespeople, VARs/IT integrators.

The prospects and clients, Corporate Information Technology (IT) professionals.

Now let's further the idea by turning the existing IT sales model upside-down (or is it right-side-up) and injecting these crazy, nutty, copier salespeople.

How could we do this?
Re-train, Re-Brand, and Release "the hounds".

Re-Train.

I know, you are required to go to the quarterly or annual meeting. And the infinite wisdom of event planning is always looking for "sponsors". So your suppliers pony up some shekels for the hors d'oeuvres or box lunches in return for an hour or two of "sales(product) training".

Think about this. Do you even care that the new models are faster? (DUH!) Or use less energy? (DOH!) Or maybe you find the bundling of one year of free black and white prints the Holy Grail of your selling world? (good lord).

Wouldn't a class dedicated to arming you with real business training have more value? How about a session titled, "How to apply new technology to everyday business problems" or "Your Clients Accounts Payable Department: The Key to Successful MPS"; excite you a little more than "How to sell Scan Once, Print Many..."? It's an exaggeration, I know, but you get the point.

Here's another tidbit; discover the differences and similarities between MPS and MSP.

Re-Brand

Remember "IT guys hate copier salespeople..."? So DON'T BE A COPIER SALESPERSON. Brand yourself as the MPS specialist.

Create and name an MPS Division, "separate" from the copier side. Separate from the IT Sales side.

When talking with IT prospects, shy away from copiers/printers but relate everything back to operational costs, limited resources, expense reduction, budget constraints, end-user satisfaction, and ROI.

Want to know more? Ask for Darrell, here.

Release

The way I see it, if someone re-calibrated these battle-weary selling professionals in the ways of solving real business problems, holistically, the competition would never know what hit them. Their customers would evolve into Partners.

And all would be right with the world.

Some IT Sales organizations still think of the printer/copier/output arena as the un-sexy. The last stop for those leaving the IT industry and the first project for the newly recruited/recently hired.

Some use proximity to distribution as a selling point; one component of the corporate Value Prop. They think that an armload of Professional Certifications is enough. Some still think people buy from people they like and all you need to do is be nice.

If you rebrand and create a separate selling entity, like an MPS Division - release the hounds.

Let your new, squeaky clean MPS Team go after your existing client base or your MIF.

If you are an IT VAR, most likely your competitors won't know what happened until they start losing "toner" orders.

You, copier dealers, are so nimble you could have an engagement up and running weeks before the "big guys" even get contracts in front of a prospect.

If your existing equipment sales team doesn't like it, offer them an interview/opportunity to join the MPS team.

Hordes of trained, razor-sharp selling professionals armed with a bit of tech knowledge, a customer list, and a phone - let them rip.

Oh yes, there would be Blood, and yes, there would be Glory -

Clouds of Misfortune Rolling in On The Winds of Change: Copier Industry Next to Fall?

12/2009 -

"It's the End of the World as We Know It."

"The Future Ain't What It Use to Be."

"Fail to study history, doomed to repeat it."

"See, I told you so."

"I shaved my legs for this?"

The other day, I read a post over at Callinan's blog, here. It's good, it's about changes in our industry.

And Ken Stewart has a pretty good grasp on the subject as well, go here, and see his newly re-minted theme - it's to die for!

I've run into a flurry of statements, lately, like these,

"...copier dealers need to change or die..."

"...MPS is not getting the return we expected..."

"...the best way to sell MPS is to start with changing people..."

"...how can we adopt MPS when one of the MPS goals is to reduce MIF..."

"...this will kill the industry..."

How Do We Monetize Workflow?

1/2013

As far back as 1999, assessments and workflow studies were performed as a way to determine exactly where our machines fit best. They were part of a hardware play. The “study” – or assessment – became embedded into all of our sales cycles. Indeed, some sales managers used "number of assessments" as a funnel metric.

OEM training courses included feature benefits, product specification and demo scripts. The more advanced selling courses incorporated a needs assessment and cost/benefit proposal training, and for the time, those courses were pretty well received.

We attended class after class, espousing various pain points, exposing methods and techniques designed to increase your share of their wallet. Because the assessments were nothing more than a component of the selling process, we never expected to be paid for those efforts. If walking around for a few days, interviewing workers, jotting down serial numbers and printing usage reports falls under the normal responsibilities of a copier rep, why would we charge for this service?

Why? Because it is the future

I think points about volumes falling, machine installs stalling and OEMs suffering don't need to be made here. Facts are stubborn things. Print is going to fade, and if you're not planning for it now, if not years ago, your dealership will end. So, unless you are looking to cash in and live on the beach somewhere (which isn't such a bad idea), you've got to be looking beyond the horizon, and right now, realizing revenue by performing workflow services is an attractive alternative.

There are as many strategies for shifting away from boxes and over to systems/processes as there are businesses.

Let's take a look at two:


The Extreme Makeover:

* Repurpose large sections of your service department. In addition to cross-training from copier to printer (or printer to copier), invest in additional technical certifications. I would look to CompTIA.

* Uptrain your selling team. The most important area to shift is your selling team. Move away from traditional industry sales techniques. Look outside our niche.

* Reduce internal costs. Assess and optimize your own internal processes to the bone, reducing wasted time and dollars along the way.

* Position into the cloud (SaaS, HaaS, IaaS, PaaS). The field of cloud providers is ever increasing. Engage in it.

This is a radical, deep-diving, ever-expanding, "burn the ships on the beach" approach and is not for everybody. The thing is, it is better to plan disruption than to be a victim of disruption.

Hearts and Minds:

* Redesign your company value proposition. Look at your business differently and articulate the new you.

* Redesign and rebuild your compensation model to include all recurring revenue, without hardware gates. Don’t destroy innovation. Open your mind to alternative compensation models.

* Repurpose large sections of your service department. In addition to cross-training from copier to printer (or printer to copier), invest in additional technical certifications. I would look to CompTIA.

* Uptrain your selling team. The most important area to shift is your selling team. Move away from traditional industry sales techniques. Look outside our niche.

* Partner with cloud service providers (SaaS, HaaS, IaaS, PaaS). The field of cloud providers is ever increasing. Engage in it.

This approach is just as complicated – and in fact, includes some of the same steps – but it engages at a slower, more thoughtful pace and is less of a shock to the system.

Having been through the "Extreme" example, I am a fan of the "burn the ships on the beach" approach, yet I believe a combination of both approaches is ultimately best. Engage as a consultant, not a copier/MpS salesperson. This requires new talent in the field, and at first, it might mean your selling staff will actually engage as billable experts.

The goals, from a tactical standpoint

When looking to monetize workflow, our goals are reasonably simple:

1. Bill for time – before beginning an assessment or close for the project
2. Bill over time – engage at a monthly rate over a period of time, similar to a retainer.

The BIG difference

In a simple phrase, the difference between revenue from product and revenue through EDM/workflow is that the latter is recurrent versus a project-based, one-time revenue. It’s all been said before: We need to move our model from equipment- to subscription-based. But getting through a plethora of variables and determining cost models over time, which are unlike hardware-plus-service pricing structures, is difficult.

Gaining revenue from workflow is more akin to business consulting, and not many of our dealerships are set up like consulting firms. Consulting firms sustain themselves on project-based revenue billable through a statement of work and a master service agreement; this does not typically generate a great deal of revenue over time – certainly not at the levels we've come to expect from a fleet of 30,000 devices, for instance.

Barriers to entry

"The strengths of the past can hold us back." Can we reverse the mentality?

Well, here we are, in 2013. Margins and the number of devices sold are shrinking, and we're hearing a lot about “workflow” and document management.

Once again, the question comes down to this:

How do we provide these services and gain revenue? This quandary is especially poignant because, for nearly two decades, we trained an army of people not to bill for "presales" functions. This is to say, performing workflow was something we've done for free as part of the selling process. How can we change now?

Indeed, early during the latest managed print services movement, there were grumblings of how to charge for assessments. There seemed to be some traction, but the effort soon died. I credit this to our overwhelming insecurities and death-grip hold of the copier-dealer mentality: “We aren't worthy to charge for services, and we still believe in OEM quotas.”

This structure worked for decades, feeding families, employing thousands and supporting business expansion all over the globe. But those days are gone. How long can we ride the remaining 60-month service agreements?

It's time to change.

Posted on 01/04/2013

New to #Copier Sales? What’s Going on In Your New Industry?

You’re hearing a great deal about “disruption” in the copier niche — but it’s actually turbulence, not disruption. A cursory look back through our history reveals that manufacturers digesting competitors and dealers coagulating together is the normal state of affairs. Whether Ricoh/Lanier, Ikon, Ricoh/Ikon, Canon/Océ, Global, Xerox/Global, HP/Samsung, Staples/DEX, Flex, Pulse, POA, Gorden Flesch, Marco or dozens more, acquisitions and mergers occur what seems almost daily. The rate has accelerated but the process has been the same. Like galactic space, the expansion and contraction is eternal.

Today, every dealer is looking for a way to deal with a declining industry by offering new services, or through merger or acquisition, and when it comes to attracting outside funding or merger candidates, the window is closing.

And that’s OK; it is the way of things.

Here are some ideas for a newbie to copier sales:

“Ignorance is bliss”

I’m not recommending you shove your head in the sand and ignore the reality that is the copier industry circa 2019 — we are ALL experiencing external pressures on our everyday lives. Focusing on what we can influence, like cold calls and presentations, has always been the best approach. Go about your routines and keep an ear to the ground. Establish a network of contacts inside and outside the industry and always be improving your personal business acumen. If you are working for a family-owned dealership but are not in the family, keep your options open.

“Business as usual”

Staff reductions and reduced real-estate footprints are frequent. Smaller dealers are being gobbled up by bigger organizations every day. Still, the standard press release after a merger or acquisition relates something along the lines of, “We look forward to offering our clients exceptional service during this transition,” which is a true statement. But looking back in time, it’s easy to find examples of mergers and acquisitions initially removing redundant functions, then ultimately reducing costs through staff write-downs; it is a consistent formula.

Concentrate on your 30-day cycle — that’s the best thing to do. Keep the sales coming in, and maintain your personal standing. But don’t stop there. Build out your LinkedIn presence and be more than just a lurker.

Contribute on social media without being a sycophant, and crystalize your personal brand, not your current employer.

“Will I have a job 12 months from now?”

In copier sales there is a magical milestone: to see if you can make it through the first 12 months of your copier sales career. So make it through. Sell stuff while learning your business processes and client digital transformation experiences. Work with your...

Read the rest, here.

The AI Sales Revolution: How Artificial Intelligence is Shaping the Sales Landscape

When AI and Salespeople Join Forces: Unstoppable Sales Machines

Greg's Words

To all my copier, IT, managed print services, and IT services brothers and sisters - The way your prospects purchase is changing right now. 

Your world is going to change; for better or worse, it is going to RADICALLY alter everything you do.  You have a choice, today, that will determine if it is better or worse.

I've seen transformation before - from typewriters to PCs, from receptionists to voice mail to email to IM to the internet.  I can see patterns only because I've lived through them.  I remember a time before 911, the Great Recession, the Fear of Covid, and the mass acceptance of AI. 

This is the big one. But there is a significant difference.  

This time, instead of change occurring over a decade, like the PC boom; rather than the half-decade-long journey from 'interwebs' to the internet, unlike the four-year turn from no social to everything social, and contrary to a 24-month move from cubicle to the second bedroom, this transformation is measured in hours and days.

Since the introduction of ChatGPT in November of 2022, hundreds of new apps have been developed to work with OpenAI.  Venture capital is pouring into new, AI firms in Silicon Valley, Microsoft threw in 11 billion dollars of its own, and Alphabet issued a "Red Alert" drawing battle lines in the metaphoric sand.

I implore you to use AI in your everyday functions.  Today, you can generate a customized thank you email, a 2-page proposal, a needs assessment survey, and a findings document in less time than it takes to get the copier warmed up.

And they won't be templates.  The documents will contain whatever numbers, findings, and recommendations you discover and generate. From your notes to finished, personalized and specific documents in minutes.

There's so much more, but you've got to get in and wrestle with AI on your terms.  The technology is malleable, like clay, waiting for you to create.

Executive Summary:

• AI is transforming sales by automating repetitive tasks, streamlining processes, and increasing efficiency.
• Sales professionals are adapting to the new AI-driven landscape, focusing on relationship-building and strategic thinking.
• Despite concerns about job loss, many experts believe AI will complement human skills rather than replace them.

________

A Decade of #TheDeathofTheCopier: Really?

Long ago, a decade seemed like forever; "1999" was a far-off party, and 2001 was so distant, that it was science fiction.

When I was young, I couldn't imagine where'd I be beyond 2008.  Today, decades fade away, "like tears in the rain..."

Ten revolutions around the Sun
120 Months
521.4 Weeks
3,650 Days
87,000 Hours

At its peak, The Death of the Copier was coveted; worth stealing. Not for the plain talk, but for the audience.

In 2008, we were busy back-slapping and congratulating ourselves for selling machines like popcorn.  The future was bright; it was never going to end.

• Ikon was a huge channel of 'independent' dealers.
• Xerox was like Kleenex.
• Ricoh and Canon punched it out for the second and third position.
• HP was on the edge with Edgeline.
• The rest of the pack was just that, a pack.

Back then, few were 'blogging' about copiers. Out here on the inter-webs, nobody was talking about workflow, managed print services, IT, or business acumen.  Newsletters, magazines, and trade shows were the vehicles of delivery.

On this 10th year anniversary, I've traveled back to the future, re-visiting stories of the love, toner, blood, and tragedy that is DOTC.

I've dug up a few nuggets:

From a DOTC post, "Top 12 of 2008":

"5. LinkedIn - MySpace is all grown up. Much more mature than Facebook with real contacts and real business and NO high school moms pretending to be CEOs...well, maybe. Quite by chance, I fell into LinkedIn. Early, I joined MySpace, Facebook, Plaxo, etc. - but LinkedIn, for some reason has held my attention and gets most of my input when it comes to "social networking"."-  2008.

I talked about Managed Print Services, how copier reps won't naturally progress into the niche, how real MpS requires IT and copier knowledge, and something called Business Acumen.  It was like speaking Latin.

The second post, February 2008: Managed Print Services - That "Hot, New, Thing..."


"A copier salesperson does not directly translate into an MPS specialist.

Nor does an IT Services salesperson translate into an MPS Specialist. It takes both IT experience and copier experience and a great deal of general, C-level, business experience. 

That holy grail of Professional Selling, "Business Acumen". Someone with the "Big Picture" insight and manage the details of a solution."

Honestly, the more things change, the more they stay the same. It's been ten years and we're still struggling to find managed print nirvana.


We still sell copiers.

 How about this one from 2011?  Inspired by the movie Jerry McGuire -

"MPS isn't the end-all, it isn't the only reason to exist - it never has been. Still, with everybody getting in and as many as 50% failing, what now?

With all the OEMs defining MPS ... and reclassifying direct accounts, how can we continue?

Touch More.

More Human Touch. Less PowerPoint. No WebEx meetings, toss the 50 slide business summaries. Instead, press the flesh. Draw on a napkin.

Do that thing we do as sales professionals, look him in the eye and say "thank you, what more can we do, today?"

"Oddest, most unexpected thing..."

Success and change aren't always a result of design. Innovation encroaches from another direction; from the left as we look right, from behind as we look ahead.  Few ever see it coming.

So it is today. As some deny the paperless revolution is near, companies like Alaska Air outfit their 1,400 pilots with iPads.  Apple is making the textbook obsolete and banks accept pictures of checks for deposits. Your kids, don't call each other anymore, they use their thumbs.

From social media to MpS, everything is new and unpredicted - there are no experts - the world moves faster than ever before. No benchmarks, no 'metrics', no comparison, no rules.

Waiting for the revolution? It's already here.

"The Me I always wanted to be" - Trust

Trust. It is a big word and one of the first MPS Conference keynote speaker attempted to rally behind stating, 

"..Trust is something this industry has got to reclaim."

He is new. He doesn't understand to reclaim something, one must have first possessed it.

"I had lost the ability to bullshit, ..."

Our journey continues.

The path is less bumpy when we build partnerships. Partnerships are easier to forge over a foundation of truth. Can you be true?

Can you lose the ability to bullshit? If not to your prospects, at least with yourself. Or are you just another shark in a suit?

Can you see the entire ecosystem?

How about instead of optimizing a smidgen of hardware and some toner, you envision Optimizing Everything?

That's right, everything. Managed Optimization Services.

"That's how you become great, man. Hang your balls out there."

Good Stuff.

What have WE, learned over the past ten years?

1. The Copier is nearly gone
2. Old ways die-hard
3. Situations rarely change, people do

My nostalgic jaunt inspired me to seek out memories from the pioneers of the copier-industry social media world.

Before Twitter.  Before Instaglam. Before LI took off...there was Ken Stewart, Nathan Dube, Jim Lyons, and Art Post.

I asked them for a tidbit of reflection:

From Ken Stewart -

Wow, it's been that long?!?  What I've learned:

1. Trust God more
2. Forgive mankind often
3. Relish the little things
4. Let people be accountable for their actions
5. Just because the folks in the hot tub look like they're having a blast, their secrets are hiding under the bubbles!

Nathan Dube -

Things I have learned:

1. Don’t trust the hype
2. Disruptive technologies sometimes aren’t and those that are, often take time to produce real change
3. If the paperless office is coming, I am not seeing it much/at all in New England across most verticals
4. Storytelling is the best way to market
5. Everybody hates their printer eventually
6. The future of marketing IMO lies in gamification and interactive content that is more about entertainment than the product you are trying to sell.

Jim Lyons -

Can't remember EXACTLY how Greg and I became friends, but as what seemed like the only two bloggers in the industry back then it was inevitable we'd become friends as well as colleagues. 

A particular fond memory is when Greg had accepted an invitation to the Lyra Conference (Symposium) - where I'd gone from client to contributor. 

Greg and I had been in touch quite a bit but had never met face-to-face and several of the team (including Photizo folks in attendance, though this was before the merger) were excited to meet Mr. Death of the Copier. As we anticipated his arrival I remember enthusing that this was a very much-needed "young guy" we were welcomed into the fold!!!

Art Post

Nothing stays the same, change is constant.
There is nothing new in sales even though there are thousands of sales gurus on LinkedIn promoting their success when they haven't sold shit in years.

There are many stubborn copier manufacturers that refuse to exit the channel. No one copies anymore.

I've learned that life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer you get to the end of the roll, the faster it goes.

Thanks, guys, for reading DOTC and staying true.

Personally:

1. 2008, I was married and living in the mountains of Southern California.  5,000 feet above sea level, an hour from the beach - "...things that have comforted me, I drive away..."
2. Since 2008, I've moved from SoCali to Charlotte to Oconomowoc, Wisconsin - "...this place that is my home, I cannot stay..."
3. Over 10 years, I've seen small businesses grow and flourish.  I've met the best of the best and the worst of the worst - "...I come and stand at every door..."
4. I've Failed - "...If you've ever seen a one-legged dog then you've seen me..."
5. I've Succeeded - "...I always leave with less than I had before..."
6. I've become an expert at Starting Over - "...tell me, can you ask for anything more..."

Over the long haul, I've seen the extinction of the typewriter, witnessed the evaporation of the mini and mainframe, and bobbed along the turbulent manual-to-PC-to-network-to-internet-to-cloud waters.

I am fortunate to have a place to express myself.  I'm blessed to be able to write what I would read and humbled others to find something, interesting and possibly entertaining.

10 Years. How about you?

On what field did you stand?  Today, do you still stand?  

Where will you be in 2028?

Two, three, four

Have you ever seen a one trick pony in the field so happy and free?
If you've ever seen a one trick pony then you've seen me
Have you ever seen a one-legged dog making his way down the street?
If you've ever seen a one-legged dog then you've seen me
Then you've seen me, I come and stand at every door

Then you've seen me, I always leave with less than I had before
Then you've seen me, bet I can make you smile when the blood, it hits the floor
Tell me, friend, can you ask for anything more?
Tell me can you ask for anything more?

Have you ever seen a scarecrow filled with nothing but dust and wheat?
If you've ever seen that scarecrow then you've seen me
Have you ever seen a one-armed man punching at nothing but the breeze?
If you've ever seen a one-armed man then you've seen me

Then you've seen me, I come and stand at every door
Then you've seen me, I always leave with less than I had before
Then you've seen me, bet I can make you smile when the blood, it hits the floor
Tell me, friend, can you ask for anything more?
Tell me can you ask for anything more?

These things that have comforted me, I drive away
This place that is my home I cannot stay
My only faith's in the broken bones and bruises I display
Have you ever seen a one-legged man trying to dance his way free?
If you've ever seen a one-legged man then you've seen me

Death of The Copier and MFP Solutions Blog - Greg To Art

7/2009

A little self-promotion - article written by Scott Cullen and published over at BERTL.

WHAT’S THE DEAL? TELLING IT LIKE IT IS

By Scott Cullen

The truth is out there and it’s only a few clicks away on of the imaging industry’s cutting-edge blogs.

Blogging is nothing new, but feet on the street sales reps in the imaging industry who blog are certainly something you don’t run into every day. Meet two of the most prolific and opinionated bloggers in the imaging industry-- Greg Walters and Art Post.

Walters works in the managed print services division of a West Coast IT integrator and HP value-added VAR. His “Death of the Copier” blog (http://thedeathofthecopier.blogspot.com/) is hip, happening, and sometimes irreverent, and a must-read for anyone doing business in the imaging industry.

Post is a self-proclaimed “docusultant” with a Ricoh dealership in Highlands, New Jersey who, like Howard Cosell, tells it like it is. He started his blog, (www.mfpsolutions.blogspot.com) 15 months ago and the hits just keep on coming.

The inspiration for Walter’s blog, at least its eye-popping title, was the introduction of HP’s Edgeline technology, a technology that was going to be the death of traditional copier technology as we know it. Well, we all know what happened there.

“The Death of the Copier was because we had the Edgeline engine and it was going to take over the copier world,” recalls Walters. “That’s how it started and very quickly evolved into content and information about managed print services, the print industry in general, copiers, printers, and all that stuff.”

It’s all that stuff that makes Walter’s blog a fascinating read. He knows what he’s talking about having been in the imaging industry for 20+ years, including a stint at IKON. He’s no shill for any manufacturer, including HP. Honesty is Walter’s best quality and his blog does indeed make for scintillating reading even when he’s sharing stories from other sources.

Walters’ blog gets 14,000 views a month, which is pretty darn good considering the topic. Are there really that many people who want to read about the imaging industry each month? Guess so. He has no idea why so many hits, but isn’t wasting time figuring it out. When he’s not integrating and providing added value to customers in his day job, he’s blogging, and he’s making appearances at industry conferences and events. From the looks of it, Walters’ 15 minutes of fame is just beginning.

"With bloggers like Post and Walters, it’s refreshing to find two industry veterans willing to cut through the hype and tell it like it is."

Managed Print Services - Today's Lightning In a Bottle

"MPS has had its false starts over the last 8 years or so..."

"I have over 100 salespeople, who typically take orders. I can't get them to sell MPS..."

"The owner of my company really doesn't understand what it takes and how long it takes..."

"This is a lot to digest..."

"It's like trying to drink from a fire hose..."

These statements are just some of the "off-line" comments I heard while attending the Synnex, Managed Print Services, "Windows of Opportunity" seminar.

I was very happy to attend the Synnex/PrintSolv sales training seminar held in "Surf City", Huntington Beach, California.

Point of interest: the venue was spectacular - right on the beach, across the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway). With the waves thundering, and a cold breeze whipping in, it was nice to be near the ocean once again.

About 60 or so people attended - and Steven Power, the ex-copier sales guy and current sales trainer extraordinaire conducted the two-day event.

I had attended one of Steven's sales training classes years ago in New York and remembered him to be a strong advocate for Value Add and a staunch opponent of Transaction-based sales.

HP - Above the Fray...

With the re-org at HP IPG there are a few new faces in prominent positions.

Faces from all over the world and people who have fresh ideas and a passion for printing.

As I talk to and work with these people, here are some of my reflections, observations and ideas:

1. The HP/Global acquisition-

I had first thought Xerox had "stole" out from under HP - I was wrong.

HP, after long consideration, and a detailed accounting review, did not want Global. And if they didn't want Global, they sure as heck wouldn't want IKON.

2. HP doesn't know how to market the Edgeline-

I had once thought that HP was trying to slam a square peg, through a round hole, when they tried to work with their existing IT integrators and that they had no plan.

On this issue, I was right and wrong.

The square peg thing - yes, I was correct.

My feeling that they had no plan, I was wrong.

HP had a plan but it was a flawed one.

I am speaking to Edgeline and the space the unit resides in the market.

Nobody has said this out loud to me, but when Edgeline hit the market, some felt "if you build it, they will come...". By adding it to the top of the price list, IT managers will naturally gravitate to the Edgeline as they have for decades with the other HP printing products.

The idea sounds great - present Edgeline to IT through HP's already developed and well trained IT integrators in the field. After all, the current HP integrators are as close as family, know HP's quality, have established relationships with clients' IT divisions and can easily add Edgeline to their product portfolio.

Unfortunately, if you throw some of these technology folks into a selling situation against seasoned copier people, the techies will get slaughtered - and move back into their comfort zone.

This issue will be magnified when the 100+ pager per minute Edgeline hits the streets(not that far in the future) - at 100 plus, isn't that a Segment 5? Well, ok, but it's not production, it's office/business color output at 100+ pages a minute. So do we now redefine the Segment system? And how did all those Segments get determined in the first place and by who?

This is what I believe HP understands now:

Edgeline can not be sold like a laser printer.

Traditional copier dealers are more likely to sell an old school copier than Edgeline - so authorizing within that channel is foolish.

The traditional dealer can find enough "faults" with Edgeline compared to the "cheaper" copier-de-jour, to pivot an HP lead into a copier sale.

-Or even worse, the copier dealer may be motivated to sell HP MFP's, place the client on a supplies inclusive agreement supported by third-party supplies...shudder.-

I wonder if that has ever happened.

Authorizing existing HP integrators -

The Edgeline competes with copiers. I.T. integrators know little about that market. For instance leasing, Cost per copy, meter reads and first copy out times are all foreign phrases.

HP knows now, but might not have before, that you can not work with an existing copier dealer and expect them to get Edgeline and HP's Print 2.0 methodology and how to articulate the differences between and the advantages of going with a "printer" company over a "copier" company.

This is good news, missteps are part of growing.

By the way, speaking of missteps and growing, nobody knows better than the current "honchos" at HP (at least the ones I talk to) about learning how NOT to integrate an acquisition: Compaq is in the forefront of "learning opportunities".

HP is growing the channel organically.

This will take a while - 3-5 years.

This will not be pleasant - converting I.T. order tackers into output solution providers.

HP is not getting into the copier fray and will be taking the high road.

This will change everything.

And my recommendations:

• Stop bringing in so many people from competitive printer manufactures
• Cultivate your base of IT integrators
• Hire from the Copier industry(gag, j/k)
• Think more like a copier provider, but not too much
• Develop a Pull marketing campaign around the best integrators
• Market answers to business problems
• Develop and replicate the "Ideal HP Printing VAR" as though the VAR was employed by HP

I am sure I can think of more...but this is enough...

Managed Print Services is Dead - "...alas poor MPS-Guy...I knew thee well..."

12/2010

I love it.

Just as everyone figures out how to spell MPS, industry pundits kill it.

Photizo called heavy growth rates in MPS Engagements through 2015 - of course, this was back in the "olden days" - 2009!

Last year at Lyra, consultants and statisticians explained that we will never return to the same levels of units (copier) sold, pre-2009.

Do you get that? Does anyone?

Why yes, some do...some have all along. HP buys EDS, and Xerox takes ACS.

Why paint MPS all black? Why kill MPS after just three short years? Why blacken the Sun?

I've said it before. Change releases fear and fear motivates.

Contrary to what the Imaging Intelligentsia bloviate, we are not witnessing the beginning of the End Managed Print Services - we are seeing the last gasp of "Print Services"(it's the "M" - stupid)

Two informational items were released this month: