HP - invent from Tom and Matt on Vimeo.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
"Building Cars Nobody Wants To Buy..." Ford Posts $2.3B 2Q Profit - Beats Estimates
"The One" has killed 2 of the 3, but FoMoCo is still standing.And what's this? Profiting?
No Way.
This must not stand!
Not long after Ford tells the government to Pound Sand the boys in the Glass House pull one out for the Dirty D - what next?
Lions in the Superbowl?
The auto maker reported a net income of $2.3 billion or 69 cents a share, compared with a loss of $8.67 billion, or $3.89 a share for the same period a year earlier.
The company refused U.S. federal aid and filing for bankruptcy, which may have created consumer goodwill but has allowed Chrysler Group LLC to merge with Fiat SpA (FIATY) and General Motors Co. to dump about $40 billion in debt.
Precarious is Ford's financial position and for them to be the come back kid, to succeed IN SPITE OF THE OBAMA PLAN, they will need to scratch and scrap for every penny - especially with Canada and the Unions supporting one of their primary competitors, GM.
Sales and Selling...Earth and Water..that's what it's all about..
Full article here.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Why Your Customer Should Re-Write Your Lease Agreement: It's About Them, Not You.
One More Dead Cow, in the Summer of No Sacred Cows - with another List of 22 at the end of the article.
Read on...
-------
For two decades, I have been helping prospects and clients understand, digest and work around lease agreements.
Cutting my teeth back in the 80's on technology leasing with IBM and Compaq.
I got the gist when working for CINTAS , reviewing uniform service contracts with my prospects.
At CINTAS, I was witness to the most one sided, legal extortion schemes. My competitors, usually, small time, local "linen" service company contracts were stunning.
Evergreen clauses that would never end. Price increases that where arbitrary and whimsical.
And closing statements that go like, "... just sign, don't question, or you will be sleeping with the fishes - ifyouknowwhatImean, andIthinkthatyoudo..."
The companies I sold for implemented decent agreements. So it was always one of my selling approaches to review competitors agreements and compare to mine - line by line, before signing.
That's how it all started.
Fast forward to present day, and it's like Deja Vu all over again. Just last week, I sat down with a prospect to review their existing lease.
We had a very nice discussion, we used lots of nice words talking around the subject when I straight out told him,
The same old argument, same result.
"It's Standard For The Industry"
Dozens of times, the poor fellow across the desk from me says, "the copier rep said it was standard leasing procedure...standard for the industry...we all do it..."
Wow, that must have made you feel "special" - as in short-bus special. Did you say, "thank you sir, may I have another?"
Speaking of standard, I pull out lease agreement after lease agreement, guiding my prospect through the labyrinth of "guarantees", automatic renewals, termination and lease end responsibilities, shipping, property tax, processing fees, lease payment dates; on and on and on.
The subject changes to Capital Expenses vs. Operational, 60 Month vs. 36 Month, FMV vs Dollar out and combined lease/service agreements.
Pretty standard stuff.
And then we open up to the philosophical -
Glazed eyes, a moment of awkward silence and then, "well, to me, it is a way for me to use equipment and not pay for the whole thing all at once..." he responds. Of course, I nearly fall out of my chair - I think he may just get this, there is hope.
Specifically, a lease agreement is a means by which a company (or person) gets to utilize leased items, paying an agreed, recurring amount over a predetermined, agreed period of time.
The benefits can be many, but the primary reason is to use equipment without a huge cash outlay.
The cost of this luxury - a "fee" similar to interest. This "fee" as I call it, is incorporated into each payment. For a lessee, that's lease jargon for "customer", to determine this amount, simply multiply the number of payments by the monthly amount and compare this figure to today's purchase price.
The difference is what you are paying for the ability to utilize equipment, over time.
There are a great many details involved with leasing and lease agreements - I won't go into all of them now - for some clients, just knowing the above can mind-shattering.
So once we agree that the basic function of a lease is for people to use equipment over time without purchasing the gear I ask,
- again, blank stare and crickets. Just when I think his head is going to explode like in Scanners,
I think he's got it!
Anything more then payment amount and length of term(other than the "if you don't pay us, we will come get you, clause) is marketicture.
Our conversation dwindles to the mundane. I promise to keep in touch with him, he promises to negotiate "very vigorously" over his bloated service agreement and we part ways.
He on his 28 month journey of pain - which will be punctuated by him finding out there is a HUGE amount due at the end of the lease in the form of shipping charges - charges that can magically disappear when he re-ups for another 60 months.
Me, I get to go find someone else to help.
---------------
For those about to get into a lease - take heed, there are many things you can do to maximize your position as a lessee.
Of course I have a list.
A list of 22 steps/insights you can review and ignore before jumping into your next 62 month sentence.
Here are three:
1. Prior to your very first meeting with a prospective copier vendor, request he bring a copy of his lease agreement and service agreement to LEAVE BEHIND for your review.
This will set the tone for the rest of your relationship.
If you get ANY resistance at all, if he doesn't bring the document or let you keep it or uses phrases like, "...it's our corporate/legal policy not to release this information until executing a lease..." or "...I can let you read it, but I need to take it back with me..." or the best ever "...it's standard in our industry..." tell him you don't want to do business with him.
2. Have him explain the benefits of leasing vs purchase.
This will be revealing even though you already know why you want to lease. Most copier newbies don't really know why, they have just read the GE Capital or IKON Financial "Why Leasing is Good" memo.
3. Then ask if he recommends a 48 or 60 month lease and why.
He should come back by saying he never recommends anything over 36 months.
Want the complete, DeathOfTheCopier list?
Hit me up with an email, use that Contact Me button thingie on the left - and I will send the list to you directly.
Want to Learn More?
Read on...
-------
For two decades, I have been helping prospects and clients understand, digest and work around lease agreements.
Cutting my teeth back in the 80's on technology leasing with IBM and Compaq.
I got the gist when working for CINTAS , reviewing uniform service contracts with my prospects.
At CINTAS, I was witness to the most one sided, legal extortion schemes. My competitors, usually, small time, local "linen" service company contracts were stunning.
Evergreen clauses that would never end. Price increases that where arbitrary and whimsical.
And closing statements that go like, "... just sign, don't question, or you will be sleeping with the fishes - ifyouknowwhatImean, andIthinkthatyoudo..."
The companies I sold for implemented decent agreements. So it was always one of my selling approaches to review competitors agreements and compare to mine - line by line, before signing.
That's how it all started.
Fast forward to present day, and it's like Deja Vu all over again. Just last week, I sat down with a prospect to review their existing lease.
We had a very nice discussion, we used lots of nice words talking around the subject when I straight out told him,
"...dude, you're screwed for the next 28 months. How the hell did you let this happen and what are you going to do to insure it doesn't happen again?"
The same old argument, same result.
"It's Standard For The Industry"
Dozens of times, the poor fellow across the desk from me says, "the copier rep said it was standard leasing procedure...standard for the industry...we all do it..."
Wow, that must have made you feel "special" - as in short-bus special. Did you say, "thank you sir, may I have another?"
Speaking of standard, I pull out lease agreement after lease agreement, guiding my prospect through the labyrinth of "guarantees", automatic renewals, termination and lease end responsibilities, shipping, property tax, processing fees, lease payment dates; on and on and on.
The subject changes to Capital Expenses vs. Operational, 60 Month vs. 36 Month, FMV vs Dollar out and combined lease/service agreements.
Pretty standard stuff.
And then we open up to the philosophical -
"...What, precisely is an equipment lease, anyway?" I ask.
Glazed eyes, a moment of awkward silence and then, "well, to me, it is a way for me to use equipment and not pay for the whole thing all at once..." he responds. Of course, I nearly fall out of my chair - I think he may just get this, there is hope.
Specifically, a lease agreement is a means by which a company (or person) gets to utilize leased items, paying an agreed, recurring amount over a predetermined, agreed period of time.
The benefits can be many, but the primary reason is to use equipment without a huge cash outlay.
The cost of this luxury - a "fee" similar to interest. This "fee" as I call it, is incorporated into each payment. For a lessee, that's lease jargon for "customer", to determine this amount, simply multiply the number of payments by the monthly amount and compare this figure to today's purchase price.
The difference is what you are paying for the ability to utilize equipment, over time.
There are a great many details involved with leasing and lease agreements - I won't go into all of them now - for some clients, just knowing the above can mind-shattering.
So once we agree that the basic function of a lease is for people to use equipment over time without purchasing the gear I ask,
"...should a lease be used as a customer retention device? Or should the quality of the relationship determine the future?"
- again, blank stare and crickets. Just when I think his head is going to explode like in Scanners,
"No Greg, it shouldn't. A lease is not a customer retention technique"
I think he's got it!
Anything more then payment amount and length of term(other than the "if you don't pay us, we will come get you, clause) is marketicture.
Our conversation dwindles to the mundane. I promise to keep in touch with him, he promises to negotiate "very vigorously" over his bloated service agreement and we part ways.
He on his 28 month journey of pain - which will be punctuated by him finding out there is a HUGE amount due at the end of the lease in the form of shipping charges - charges that can magically disappear when he re-ups for another 60 months.
Me, I get to go find someone else to help.
---------------
For those about to get into a lease - take heed, there are many things you can do to maximize your position as a lessee.
Of course I have a list.
A list of 22 steps/insights you can review and ignore before jumping into your next 62 month sentence.
Here are three:
1. Prior to your very first meeting with a prospective copier vendor, request he bring a copy of his lease agreement and service agreement to LEAVE BEHIND for your review.
This will set the tone for the rest of your relationship.
If you get ANY resistance at all, if he doesn't bring the document or let you keep it or uses phrases like, "...it's our corporate/legal policy not to release this information until executing a lease..." or "...I can let you read it, but I need to take it back with me..." or the best ever "...it's standard in our industry..." tell him you don't want to do business with him.
2. Have him explain the benefits of leasing vs purchase.
This will be revealing even though you already know why you want to lease. Most copier newbies don't really know why, they have just read the GE Capital or IKON Financial "Why Leasing is Good" memo.
3. Then ask if he recommends a 48 or 60 month lease and why.
He should come back by saying he never recommends anything over 36 months.
Want the complete, DeathOfTheCopier list?
Hit me up with an email, use that Contact Me button thingie on the left - and I will send the list to you directly.
Want to Learn More?
Managed Print Services Appointment - Another Ticked Off Konica/Minolta Client:Leasing and "Integrity"
de lage landen: Copier Lease Gone Bad - in a city called "Homer"
Leasing Your MFP Fleet -
Bad Experiences with Leasing - Toshiba, IKON, Canon, Saxon
Too Big to Fail - A Review of Xerox ColorCube Print Advertising
With a plethora of Xerox ColorCube reviews available, Death Of The Copier tracked down a review of Xerox's print advertisement for ColorCube.I was struck when I opened my June edition of Wired - the first page ad was for BMW, followed by Visa then Breitling and four pages in, Xerox.
I felt then, that it didn't matter if the ink melts in your car, Xerox has a consistent, appealing message.
Apparently, I am not the only one who sees this.
Images attract and invoke response which is the critical first step in the selling process.
From the article:
"... Xerox Corp., ... serves up an ad that stops readers via the strength of the primary colors dominating it. There's nothing gratuitous about the blocks of red, blue, yellow and black—which look like they belong in a child's playroom—because they are the product, which Xerox calls its ColorCube..."
Agreed - "Color Sells" and K.I.S.S
But words matters as well. In this case, 35 words, what the advertising people call "copy" -
“The new Xerox ColorCube multifunction printer uses unique cartridge-free Solid Ink technology, which is nontoxic, mess-free and reduces waste by 90%. Better yet, you can save up to 62% on color prints. The ultimate win-win.”
35 words - very simple, easy to understand, non-threatening(no FUD) - the ad is engaging and interesting and takes about as much time to digest as a Tweet.
Here is the article:
Compelling and relevant
Story posted: July 20, 2009 - 6:01 am EDT
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Typewriters Still Used at NYPD - To the Tune of a New, 3 Year, $1 Million Dollar Contract
In article in CIO, it is reported by the Post, that even after a major technology overhaul at the NYPD, officers "still use typewriters to fill out property and evidence vouchers, which are printed on carbon-paper forms..."
- that's right, CARBON-PAPER FORMS.
And we worry about taking somebody's DeskJet 500 away?
The NYPD has updated and connected all of their 76 precincts by a videoconferencing system that ties into a command center and all offices have real time access to major databases.
The moral of the story is that even though you have the biggest budget and a most deserving technology project, some things just can not be changed.
I wonder what the commission was for what has to be that Last Typewriter Salesperson in The World.
Enjoy the article here.
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