#Managed print Services - TheDeathOfRelationship Selling

Original post, 10/3/11

"...Now and then I think of all the times you screwed me over

But had me believing it was always something that I'd done

But I don't wanna live that way

Reading into every word you say

You said that you could let it go

And I wouldn't catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know..."

All those original MPS Engagements are about to come up for renewal soon, aren't they?  Or do yours all have auto-renew's? Nice.

Are you setting yourself apart and building value into your relationship?  Or are you screwing them over, blaming them?

They'll figure it out, waking up one day and making you 'somebody that they used to know...'

MpS'es I speak with report a customer retention rate of 99.9999%, mentioning their depth of client relationship as one of the supporting pillars.

Relationships. That's what it is all about - but how do you define a "relationship"?

Quarterly Business Reviews? Weekly client meetings? Lunch and learns? Bondage and Rapport? "Nice Fish".  That was then, this is Now.

-- Read the Rest Here --





Click to email me.

Stop Doing These Four Things & Sell More Managed Print Services

Selling managed print services and managed services is not brain science, it's more like Rocket Surgery.

What year is this, 1989?

Maybe you know of these, maybe not.  The point is, I'm hearing more and more about how the better MPS selling organizations are replacing failed existing MPS engagements.  The losers are not covering the basics like toner delivery, prompt service and correct billing let alone workflows and business acumen.

As always, these are my views and mine alone - take 'em or leave 'em.

The Death of the Internet, Paper...and Single Payer Healthcare

9/2014

Yosemite is internationally recognized for its spectacular granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, Giant Sequoia groves, and biological diversity. Almost 95% of the park is designated wilderness - most visitors focus on the seven square miles of the valley.  If you haven't seen the valley from Tunnel view, you should.

For all its rough exterior and dangerous trek possibilities, I was amazed at the ease of access to almost every waterfall - paths have been constructed suitable for wheelchairs.

When Apple released the iPhone 5Si the A7 chip set immediately attracted our attention - in essence, the A7 promised delivery of transparent connectivity between all (Apple) devices AND capturing sensitive data in the device - NOT THE CLOUD.

When I open an email on my iPhone, my MacBook knows and I can continue to read it on the laptop...or tablet; they are all connected.  That means, when a call comes into my iPhone, I will be able to answer on my MacBook;  I'll check voicemail, on my iPad.

When texting from my iPhone, I'll be able to attach voice and video to the IM and regulate how long that message exists - it will self-destruct in three minutes or exist forever.

As far as security, all our information, passwords, credit card numbers, bank account information would be held on our personal devices behind security hardware and fingerprint scanners.

By connecting to other devices directly thereby utilizing them as sensors, the iPhone is positioning to become the nexus of all things connected.

"One word, kid, apps..."

The connectivity of everyone is impressive, but that's just a fraction of the story; the key has always been the software.  Today we buy 99 cent solutions to our million dollar challenges, in the near future, we will all simply write our own apps as we need.

The Shape of Things to Come (respect to TR7), a list of the next hierarchies to transform - enjoy:

The Death of Nationalized Healthcare -  In this new walled garden, we control our health from blood sugar monitoring to the latest cancer treatment.  But here is the kicker, with smarter devices connected privately to whoever we want, without 'cookies', our health data is ours.  We won't need 'clearing houses' or central databases to store immunizations history.  What's more, a great percentage of diagnosis equipment testing labs will be obsolete.  If you stop and think, it is easy to see.

The Death of the Search Engine - We search the mesh directly, not up and down

The Death of the Internet - who needs the internet when all devices connect through a web of personal servers.

The Death of Apps - We will write our own, ad-hoc

The Death of the Internet of Things - Connected people, not things

The Death of Spreadsheets - BI is an app that connects to billions of other apps/sensors

The Death of Cell Services - The Mesh will carry voice and video

The Death of Cable Companies - We are the Cable Company

The Death of ISP - No need for an internet service provider

The Death of VoiP - Just as homes are getting rid of the phone-on-the-wall, so to shall B2B

The Death of MSP - Self-healing systems, simpler and easily affordable(free) technology

The Death of Paper - Information moves faster than print

The Death of Hierarchies - everything will flatten

The BIG Transformation - The Death of Hardware

The Convergence is progressing to a point where our decision processes will be supported by software/apps instantaneous and dynamically.

Apps are nothing more than thoughts frozen in time, converted into repeatable algorithms, manipulating a stream(or streams) of inputs. The old ways meant this processing was static - the algorithm doesn't change directly.

This too, shall change...

Click to email me.

DOTC Prime - TheDeathOfTheConsultants

...this is a rant...good for the soul...from July 6, 2013

During the first 12 months, of our incorporation, we've explored the many nooks and crannies of a sector of our niche typically haunted by trainers, coaches, advisers, analysts, gurus, sages, and prophets.

Often, when we attempt to tell people what it is we do for a living, we get one or more of the following responses:

• "Oh, you must be consultants like Photizo..." - understood, but no.
• "Oh, you work with end-users, helping them weed out MpS programs..." - goodness, no.
• "Oh, you're trainers like Strategy Development..." - nope.
• "Oh, you're providers like Preo..." - huh?
• "Oh, you're an MpS Practice, like OnePrint..." - sorta, only not.
• "Oh, you're analysts like IDC..." - not even close.
• "Oh, you're recruiters..." - again, sorta, only not.
• "Oh, you're writers..." - isn't EVERYONE?

These responses make sense because folks think of us as people who have answers. To be fair, with a combined 40 years in this nutty business, we easily slip into the consultant role.

I keep telling you, the 'p' is getting smaller! I have seen the Future of MpS...

Original 11/30/11

"Hello little Printer"

Is your MiF shrinking?

Is your OEM hammering you for year-end commitments and next year's forecasts?

Are MDF and back-end rebates heading right to your bottom line? Or are we finally counting both as top-line revenue? (LOL!)

How's that mobility practice going? Selling many mobile print engagements? To Commercial accounts?

Is that new Xerox 'just too darn big to fit into all your SOHO leads?

Fear not, fragile traveler. The Future of MpS is upon us.

Follow me printing? Sure thing.

Increase in 'clicks'?  Nope.  A new model, "Cost Per Inch".

 "Are those your keys?" she asked, "No...it's your new mobile printing solution, say hello to my little friend..." 

0.00000000000012/inch - ...I frickin love this business!
  
Click to email me.

The Death of The Internet

Originally posted on Walters & Shutwell, April 11, 2014.

This month marks the 25th anniversary of the addressing vehicle for the internet, the "World Wide Web". The internet, as it is defined, has been around 40 years, created in 1973.  The thing is, I don't see the internet surviving another 40, let alone 10 years.

No really, I'm calling it, we are witnessing the very beginning of the Death of the Internet.

Indicators:

1. MSFT releases iOffice - One of the largest technology hierarchies cries "Uncle!"
2. The Snowden Effect - the internet is a centrally located sieve 
3. The US gives up ICANN - addresses are irrelevant
4. Bio/Nano technology - not 'smaller' technology but 'closer' technology
5. Apple implements 'beam' and wire-less mesh for messaging...(Someday, very soon, Apple will be bigger than the internet)

Expansion and contraction are natural ways of business technology and social evolution.  For instance, the glass rooms of mainframes moved to the desktop with the PC, then to our laptops, notebooks, tablets, smartphones - smaller yet more powerful computing expanded the reach boundaries of connectivity.