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Thursday, January 8, 2009

It is the Best of Times- Copier, Printer, Technology Sales

I see that the blogashere is dispatching its share of gloom and doom.

And predictably, so is the "mainstream" media - but this time, I don't think that the media is exaggerating the circumstances - it is bad out here.

In the sales world, it seems at every turn, there is another "expert" telling us how to sell in these difficult times, how to save our career in these difficult times, how to find clients in these difficult times, and how to make more money in these difficult times.

In light of all the "difficult economic times..." chatter, I have a question:

Why or how is it that we should be doing things differently now?

Shouldn't our "plans" and strategies, our skills and fortitude allow us to face the stiff winds with our chins out?

I mean, as sales people, shouldn't we be use to idiot managers who have never sold, ding dong owners who demand more, expect more, pay less and maximize their personal financial position over others?

Are not we familiar with "negativity", rejection and "turbulent financial circumstances"?

Who of us has never failed? Which one has never been “let-go” and faced the world without a job?

Are we not the same ones who not so long ago, looked at people who couldn't sell themselves out of a wet paper bag, making bank by writing shady mortgage agreements for anyone with a pulse? Was that fair? Was that the way it should be?

Or as outside Selling Professionals, do we take exception with the “inside order fulfillment” folks claiming to be Sales People and demanding like compensation for filling out an order form? Yet, we continue to pound the pavement, make a sale that helps pay for the inside order takers', kids baseball glove?

The bold, the strong and the steady knew it would not last. The smart (and you didn't need to be all that smart) could see that the boom times were built on paper machete – not bedrock.

These times are trying, and will only get more challenging.

Now the REAL you will come out.

Now we will see REAL Rainmakers.
Where once there was no shade, we create forests.
Now we will see who is really good at doing what’s best for clients, families, companies, and our country.

We make something out of nothing. It is what we do, it is what we love to do; it is what is needed to be done.

This is what it means to Sell.

It's not the Profession, it is the people in the profession - there are lots of layoffs right now, you don't need to be reminded. But layoff a Selling Professional, and he will make things happen bringing shade where there once was none.

Layoff a line worker or a cube rat - and he will make everyone around him miserable, spewing blame in all directions, queuing up for the "stupid persons" bail-out.

It’s easy to be in Sales when times are good – let's see who can walk the walk today.

Click to email me.




Ricoh Surges 7 Percent on News of Firm North American Market and Canon (CBS) has New President

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., January 5, 2009 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, today announced that Tod Pike will become President of its subsidiary, Canon Business Solutions, Inc. (CBS), effective today.

Mr. Pike joins CBS from Canon U.S.A.’s Imaging Systems Group (ISG), where he was Senior Vice President and General Manager since May 1999. Prior to serving in this role, he served as President of Office Equipment and Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Imaging Systems Group at Canon Canada. Mr. Pike began his Canon career in 1993 as an Executive Vice President with MCS Business Machines (now part of CBS), and was promoted to President.
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Today, reported by ForexPros.com:

"Ricoh Co Ltd advanced 7 percent to 1,297 yen after Credit Suisse upgraded the stock to "outperform" from "neutral" and raised its target share price to 1,400 yen, saying firmness in the North American market could counter earnings concerns about its subsidiary Ikon."
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Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Ricoh and IBM's Alliance Spearheaded by Ricoh's New Document Security and Management Services (DSMS).

Ricoh to the Channel - "...I can't guarantee it has no impact [on channel partners], but IBM is obviously in a lot of places already,"

According to a press release today, January 5th, IBM and Ricoh will first launch a new Ricoh offering, Document Security and Management Services (DSMS) in the US.

This solution builds upon Ricoh's expertise in helping customers improve their document workflow, security and compliance, while reducing the total cost of ownership of office equipment investment and advancing environmental sustainability practices.

The DSMS offering includes Assessment & Deployment, End User Services, Managed Services, Security, Green Office and Enterprise Content Management services, which will be delivered by Ricoh Document Solutions and Services Division and IBM's Global Technology Services.

In addition, Ricoh has an agreement to resell IBM's Managed Server offering and collaborate on the sale and delivery of IBM software, hardware and services, such as End User Services, Internet Security Systems (ISS) Services, Business Continuity & Resiliency Services, and Storage & Data Services.

In an interview with ChannelWeb, Mark Minshull, recently promoted, Ricoh Vice President and Chief Technologist said, "Ricoh and IBM have been working together for a long time, so I see this as kind of a deepening of that relationship," adding, "We're teaming up at a sales level to go after major global accounts and do what we each do best. Ricoh and IBM pair up very nicely. The promise ... is to lower the cost of implementation -- incorporate an
service oriented architecture (SOA) into MFPs so they can more easily integrate into IBM's selling process. Over time, printers are becoming very smart and sophisticated, and it makes sense to use enterprise network monitoring tools like Tivoli."

Minshull said he did not anticipate conflict with Ricoh's channel as a result of the alliance, the focus of which, he said, is primarily on the largest, enterprise-level accounts.

"...I can't guarantee it has no impact [on channel partners], but IBM is obviously in a lot of places already," he said. "In both the U.S. and Europe, the focus tends to be larger companies with enterprise-wide initiatives."

"IBM and Ricoh are both trying to solve the same problems," Minshull added. "Take the IBM Tivoli story and meld it with the Ricoh one. There's a lot of strategic symmetry in where they're going and where we're going. Looking at [Hewlett-Packard] and what they're doing with EDS, this is a natural fit for us to offer a high-end services capability."

"Ricoh and IBM's partnership will help clients to incorporate MFP capabilities into their business in the same way a new building block could be added to an existing structure." , said Sandy Carter, vice president IBM SOA and WebSphere.
A SOA-enabled Ricoh MFP facilitates the integration of other new technologies including autonomic computing that proactively alerts customers when a problem arises so they can resolve it before failure of the device occurs. Also, by integrating supply chain management systems with diagnostic data generated within the MFP, the ability to automatically order MFP supplies can be performed.

Ricoh and IBM Alliance:The Shape of Things to Come



Thursday, January 1, 2009

"Yeah...I use to be a Copier Salesman, it's a tough racket..." - 2009



1/2009

Introducing James Hands, ex-copier salesperson supreme - while at IKON, he lit the world on fire - attaining COE(Circle of Excellence) in his first year and continuing as a high-performer until the Education of Young Skulls Full of Mush pulled him back in. James will contribute quirkiness and humor - or heads shall roll...

Copiers never die. They just xero-gro-pheye... Get it?

The copier perhaps has died in a sense that those using a copier simply as a copier, are probably closer to death than the 'copier' is. The MFP, or as one who was in the industry and then bitterly left to hunt and gather in other fields will tell you, Mother F**** Printer has all but replaced the 'Stand Alone' copier. 


The lone holdout I see in my area of experience continues to be schools and/or government, although I was stunned to discover our office manager actually followed a suggestion I gave her regarding the 'scan to e-mail' function available on the existing 'copier'.

I have been a Learning Monitor Facilitator for an Adolescent Organization (LMFAO) for most of my life but for about 4 (four) years I sold quite a few 'copiers' (sorry, I mean solutions) for a company that was so much more than a four letter word, but I digress.

The main issue I bring up is that copiers will change and evolve, as they have so far, and will continue to do so due to the speed at which the government and society move. I argue that they do not move at the same speeds while others would say they're not even moving in the same direction. I'm not sure I would argue with that either. I'm a nice guy.

Print will never die.

I've seen one Kindle and it was more of a kid's toy than an actual 'book.' The need to get information to the masses from those in power or those having a yard sale this weekend is too great. Political signs, advertisements, takeout menus, drink specials and the like will be needed and copies will be made, albeit perhaps on a smaller 'MFP'. The costs of the new technology will be prohibitive until it becomes cheaper than toner on paper, and that's right: I said toner.

So, before we all go pushing our imageRUNNERS, Aficios, and Copycentres, etc. out into the street in exchange for 'electronic paper,' remember this: If the masses can't afford it, don't get it, or can't use it, then it won't work.

I would comment more, but I have to find and print the cheat codes for Doom 3 and make copies to send to my friend Greg. 

He likes things in color... Think Wikipedia has them?

Jim H.
(LMFAO)
Click to email me.



Ricoh and IBM Alliance:The Shape of Things to Come


Reuters reports that Ricoh and IBM will begin to share sales networks:

IBM and Ricoh will start handling each other's products in their U.S. sales channels in spring 2009, with the cooperation set to expand to other regions including Europe and Asia eventually, the paper said.

Ricoh expects the alliance to yield 1.1 billion in sales over the next three years.

Last year, HP completed it's acquisition of long time IBM competitor EDS.

2009 begins as speculation on HP's reaction to Ricoh's acquisition of IKON last year increases.

As HP looks on, Ricoh continues to nudge it's way into it's traditionally strong niche: I.T.
This from an editorial written by David T. Mendelson, Argecy Computer Corporation back in July of 2007, when IBM announced the arrangement with Ricoh that spawned InfoPrint:

"...Ricoh has a very long and hard-earned history of success in the world market. The relationship between IBM and Ricoh goes back quite a long way. Ricoh has had a strong market penetration in the copier and fax markets for many years, but had little “in” with the IT community. IBM employed Ricoh’s engines and technology in their mid-range laser printers, and probably negotiated to keep Ricoh from competing in the lower end market. (Why is Canon Corporation not selling hard into the laser printer market? Because that’s who makes HP’s lasers). But now Ricoh is in control..." - David T. Mendelson, Argecy Computer Corporation

As mentioned in my November article, Ricoh and IBM into InfoPrint and Now, rIKON, in addition to the standard office equipment/Purchasing model, Ricoh appeared to be moving towards an I.T. based selling model - today, there can be no doubt.

Summary -

Ricoh increased it's dealer channel nearly 10 fold.
The acquisition of IKON's Professional Services give Ricoh some of the best assets in the industry, versed in many, leading EDM software.
Ricoh's ownership of InfoPrint, high-end, I.T. based solutions will be complete in 2010.
Ricoh and IBM will be sharing sales leads to cross market each productline;copiers and servers.
Where is Canon ?

Canon's feeble attempts to shore up a non-existent channel in order to defend the existing Canon/IKON base, may have taken yet another hit with today's news.

How can CBS possibly compete with the likes of IBM and IKON's Professional Services?

Canon will need an "I.T." shot in the arm - instantaneous access to corporate/enterprise I.T. departments supported by knowledgeable professionals.

Could the alliance between IBM and Ricoh be a template for a similar arrangement between HP and Canon?

Or is a bigger shoe ready to drop?




2009: The End of Print - Andrew Keen


1/2009

Who the heck is Andrew Keen?

We will get to who he is at the end of this report but for now, he is some dot com millionaire who wrote a book and convinced me to never reference Wikipedia.

On his blog, The Great Seduction, he posts 2009: The End of Print.

His reference point is similar to mine in The Death of Print - 12,000 Layoffs And Counting and PC Magazine Dropping Print for Online. My observations reflect the dire straights in which print media finds itself.

As a matter of fact, the Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press (Detroit being one of the last cities with TWO major newspapers) have moved to eliminate home delivery and shift assets toward their digital versions. A point Keen observes in his writing.

Indeed, in his piece on Internet Evolution, he explains how 2008 was the beginning of the end and how 2009 will be "the year that the print business literally falls off the cliff". 

He nails it:

"...And yet 2009 will, ironically, also bring much, much, much better news for a media in the business of selling textual content. The truth is it’s not their newspapers, magazines, and books that are dying, but rather the archaic medium of print. And the good news for both trees and technophiles is that in 2009 paper is finally being replaced by affordable and ergonomically sophisticated digital devices for reading electronic content..."

Additionally, Dan Costa, PC Magazine, comments on the decision to go completely digital:

Contact Me

Greg Walters, Incorporated
greg@grwalters.com
262.370.4193