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Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Hatchet Buried - Another New Contributor To DOTC - David Ramos, Strategy Development

Wait...what...who? HUH?

The World "Zigs" and the Leopards of DOTC "Zag".

"...I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. 
Someday you'll understand that..."

The World Moves.

No matter how important we try to make ourselves,  arguing our  negative effect on the world, that we are bigger, more important and outside the ecosystem; violators.

That humans can change the earth, freeze it, over heat it, drill holes in it's protective atmosphere, lower the sea level, raise the sea level - this cacophony of 'chicken little' rhetoric distracting us from the obvious - we don't matter.

Think I'm wrong?

While we install catalytic converters(devices engineered to choke my LandRover) and charge a buck per gallon "emissions tax" our "sacred mother earth" decided to move Japan eight feet closer to Cali.

If we took every single nuclear bomb, hell, every explosive device invented, used or envisioned throughout human history, we couldn't move that island nation an inch.  Put that in your Kyoto Accord.

And don't even get me started with May 18, 1980, 8:32 am PST - in a few hours, more toxic chemicals, carbon and "ozone killing" stuff was spewed into the air than ALL OF HUMANITY from the beginning of history.(Google it, no wait, Google, INC. is perpetuating the myth...)

"...don't amount to a hill of beans..."

So, it is within this context, out of a minor storm of controversy,  I introduce the latest contributor to DOTC, David Ramos.

Quite the lede, eh?

Unless you live under a rock, or are not part of the LinkedIn community, you've seen David's writings all over.

Strategy Dev. must have a pretty good S/M machine, a bit more "Push" than "Pull" for my taste - but that doesn't matter.

Content matters, and so far, I find David's content pleasing.  Appropriate content as measured against our own, high, DOTC editorial standards.

So it is with great honor, that I introduce to you, David's first DOTC article - Please Enjoy.

Click to email me.

Open Letter to all Sales Managers – Let the 1970’s Go, by Dave Ramos




by David Ramos, Strategy Development.


I focus on writing on topics that provide substance to the readers and my audience is usually sales/sales management professionals.

I hope this one lives up to my standard and I hope my passion doesn’t come across as though I’m crazy like a fellow “WINNER!” that has been in the media a lot lately.

But I just, have to get this off my chest.

I had a sales manager tell me last week that she wants me to help her people increase their ability to generate appointments.

 I said, “GREAT!”

She says “I want to work on phone scripts so that I have my people doing teleprospecting days.” I said, “you are talking to the wrong guy because I don’t believe that is the most effective use of your people’s time.”

Her response was “Huh?!”

Why People Love to Hate Their Office Printers

This slide show is great. 

Nathan has got the Destroy Your Copier project down.

And everybody has seen those guys beat the poor HP into oblivion, Office Space.

Well, here is another display, in the form of a slide show, illustrating more output frustration.

Enjoy.

Why People Love to Hate Their Office Printers

Monday, March 28, 2011

Your Highness

Its a Rated R, knight/dragon/comedy/hot Natalie/goofy brother/adult language movie.(vs. film)

I understand Nat, gets in the buff.

Should be jolly good fun.



New Corporate Members Join Managed Print Services Association Steady association growth reflects strength of MPS market

Columbus, OH – March 28, 2011 – The Managed Print Services Association (MPSA) continues to experience consistent growth with a number of new corporate sponsors. The most recent additions to the

MPSA community are:

New Platinum Members
  • Océ North America, a Canon Group Company – Member
contact: Tom O'Neill, Director Product Ops & Application Lab, Document Printing Systems
  • Synnex Corporation – Member
contact: James Luquire, Associate Vice President

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Managed Print Services, Stage IV: What the Hell is Managed Network Services(MNS)? You're Kidding, right?


3/2011

Managed Network Services(MNS) the "next frontier" in MPS - something new and until a few months ago, unobserved in our industry.

Managed Network Services is "...the act of managing resources and processes associated with moving, saving and presenting information..." - look familiar?

Typically, this is in the Managed Services Provider's toolbox and supported by either Help Desk, N.O.C, or both.

A few 'traditional' copier dealers have entered this arena - with success, even.

Of course, these Beautiful Ones, don't carry words like "copiers" or "laser" on their business card.

The effort here is a commendable, if not a bit transparent, marketing move.  MPS is now crystallized, the market more mature, so let's define more mystery and sell MNS Training classes.  I love it. 

Don't get me wrong, MPS is an all-inclusive motion.

I've recognized this since the beginning, and remember the first time a colleague and I outlined the 4th, 5th, and 6th stages of MPS - back at iTEX 2009. (...technically, in a Japanese steak house, over beers... or was it whiskey...)

For most, MPS is simply Stage 1&2 - not much beyond; MPS players are stuck in the "MPS is CPC" world. 

Now we're going to get into "Managed Network Services"?

There be Icebergs, ahead right...

When I speak with existing technology customers, folks who work with us on Exchange migration, Unified Communication, Staff Aug., N.O.C. services, or SharePoint projects and ask them to describe their existing MPS Engagement, the conversation goes something like this,

Client - "yeah, we have MPS"

Me - "really? Cool.  What's that look like?"

Client - "they have a guy come in once a month and clean all the printers...they get my toner to my end users and service all the HP's...and they do this remotely with software..."

Me - "...great...how much has this saved you so far...?"

Client - "...bunches...oh, and they tell me they can do the same for all 1,500 laptops you guys sold me..."

Me -  "...really?  Impressive...can they image all your laptops, ITIL?"

Client - "...not sure..."

Me - "okay...so, how many copiers or printers have you eliminated?... What is your Print Policy?  How much volume has been shifted off those expensive printers onto your leased copiers?  Is your current MPS vendor set up to help you design your SharePoint project?  Can they, do you, understand how all this impacts your documents and the costs associated with those documents?..."

Client - "...ummm..."

Me - "...or are they simply shipping toner, replacing maintenance kits, and blowing air up your paper tray, once a month ?"

Client - "...yeah..right..."
---------------------------------------
You get the point.  And so do I. 

The Separation Continues -

MPS, stages 1 & 2, are table stakes that must be offered if you are considering a future that does not include responding to SLED RFPs.

And not just for Managed Print Services or Managed Network Services, which is nothing more than another component of Managed Services,(hint hint) you've got to be in S1/2 simply to survive in the short term.

For the long term, copiers are dead, MIF shrinking, volumes are down, and placements are still 27% below 2007 levels.

Managed Services are in everybody's future it's just that not everybody is going to be with us.

There is, of course, a very BIG Butt - we know how to service copiers, and fulfill toner;  but what the heck do you know about network traffic, CISCO switches, Blades, Data Centers, and ITIL?

Jumping from this dying puddle is the right idea, it's just that we're going into the deep end of a very large ocean already inhabited by some very capable and efficient sharks.

We're going to need a bigger boat.

Consider this a quote from a typical IT C-Level:

“We wanted to integrate voice, IP, and data on the same high-speed network for cost-saving efficiencies in terms of IT staff and for the easy rollout of new productivity-enhancing applications such as Service Advertising Protocol(SAP). [With our service provider] we are already seeing a return on investment and have found out how much more efficient our business can be.”

Bill Freyer
Vice President of Information Technology
JT International, Switzerland
Purchaser of Managed Service

One service provider for this and MPS too?

Two words of caution for any BTA/copier dudes, looking to expand into Managed Services:

1. When one of your copiers goes down for 2 days, some end users may get upset over the fact they need to walk down a floor to pick up output.

But, when you write and support an Managed Services SLA,  a network or workstation down for 4 hours, will put your "MNS" practice in the ditch so fast you'll be running back to the demo floor, begging to discuss "scan once, print many" with the local church Deacon.

2. You are now competing in the VAR/MSP space, the originators of jargon and acronyms - when you throw the "...we now do NMS..." at the CIO, he is going to recognize you as a wanna-be, "MNS" hasn't been used since 2004.

Are you sure you want to be a Beautiful One?

 pdf here.


Thursday, March 24, 2011

Printer Ink Secret, Revealed! OMG, MacGyver-Hack your cartridges!

LOLOLOL!!!


Ok, this is funny.

But the funniest thing is, I was sent this link from my 89 year old Uncle Jack(Pearl Harbor Navy-guy)

I know for a fact, he does not know what I do for a living.

Enjoy.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

History - Study It, or be Doomed to Repeat It...

 
Managed Print Services has a History.

No, not that "we've been doing MPS for 25 years" bullshit kinda history.

I mean the, "three years ago, we fought infrastructure and the definition of MPS and today we are winning more and more" kind of history.

Good form.

 Yet, I am reminded of the classic Star Wars line, "...great kid, don't get cocky..."

What?

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Lyra Launches Managed Print Advisory Service

Lyra Research announces the launch of its new Managed Print Advisory Service. The new service analyzes the active migration away from the traditional imaging hardware and cost-per-page purchasing model toward a more robust and efficient managed print services distribution model. It examines how the aggregation of imaging devices and supplies as well as service revenue under MPS agreements are shrinking the point of customer contact and quietly consolidating the overall distribution channel.

Monday, March 21, 2011

How Not To Sell Managed Services: Cold Call Blitz?


The first person to get ten appointments gets to ring the cowbell and a Starbucks, $10 gift card!

Oh, the joy...but then again, I think I just threw up a little in my mouth, just now...

They are coming out of the woodwork.

"Business Performance Consultants" - wow.

Is your management team paying other people to come in and teach you how to sell?

How to present MPS?

How to 'demo' MPS?(Oh my gawd, just shoot me now)

Worse, is upper management putting together a Phone Blitz designed to 'kick-start' your MPS opportunities?

LOL! The First Rule of DOTC, keep your resume fresh.

Contact Me

Greg Walters, Incorporated
greg@grwalters.com
262.370.4193