O1OT0406 3/27/06 9:17 AM Page 1
02OT0406 3/13/06 11:06 AM Page 1
For office products that have a reputation that won’t let you down, why not go with a company with the same reputation?
When you become an Authorized Toshiba Dealer you partner with the seventh largest integrated manufacturer of electronic
equipment in the world—a $53 billion company that’s been around for 130 years. Toshiba has a full line of office products
(12 ppm to 105 ppm) and gives their Authorized Dealers award-winning support, in-depth training, technical support,
network training, competitive data and service updates 24/7. And Toshiba puts its reputation of quality into every machine.
Why not consider becoming an Authorized Toshiba Dealer yourself? For more information call 949-462-6165.
“Copier Manufacturer of the Year”– The Cannata Report’s 20th Annual Dealer Survey
– Marketing Research Consultants, Inc.
©2005 Toshiba America Business Solutions, Inc. Electronic Imaging Division. All rights reserved.
03OT0406 3/27/06 9:33 AM Page 1
Customer Education
Cobb Technologies is
making the investmentby Dustin PhillipsWhile the entire office technology
industry is discussing the transition
from copier dealership to document solutions pro-
vider, Virginia’s Cobb Technologies is doing some-
thing about it. The company is training its people
and investing in educating customers and prospects.
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CONTENTS
6
8
30
Editor’s Page
BTA President’s Message
Advertiser Index
The Solution Specialist
Taking your dealership
to new heights?by Brent HoskinsOffice Technology MagazineToday, many industry leaders
say that the traditional meth-
od of selling office technology
is falling by the wayside, giving
way to new sales strategies. Increasingly, dealerships are
making the transition by adding solution specialists.
D E P A R T M E N T S
Volume 12 � No. 10
18
Service Excellence
Developing skill sets to meet
customer expectationsby John FleschGordon Flesch Company Inc.How can dealerships back up their
service excellence claims? In the age
of complex and ever-evolving tech-
nology, the ability to truly deliver
high-quality customer service distin-
guishes office technology dealerships from competitors.
2410
20
F E A T U R E A R T I C L E S
ITEX 2006
Industry exposition held
March 15-16 in Las Vegasby Brent HoskinsOffice Technology MagazineDealers, manufacturers and suppli-
ers converged in Las Vegas March 15-
16 with a focus on the latest tech-
nologies, sales strategies and market
opportunities within the office tech-
nology industry. They gathered to attend ITEX 2006.
26
C O U R T S & C A P I T O L S
22
S E L L I N G S O L U T I O N S
Close-up: Toshiba
OEM provides dealers a
variety of learning toolsby Anthony CodianniToshiba America Business Solutions Inc.Because different people learn in dif-
ferent ways and at different rates, Toshiba’s educa-
tion and development team has created a corporate
university that provides a variety of learning tools to
reach all types of learners. Here’s a close-up look.
28
Religious Expression
What is acceptable
in the workplace?by Robert C. GoldbergBTA General CounselAs religious beliefs become intertwined with social
and political issues it is important to know where to
draw the line in your dealership. As recent cases reveal,
the lines are neither straight nor clear.
Successful Sales Managers
A look at Global’s recruiting
& retention strategiesby Dan CooperGlobal Imaging Systems Inc.Here’s a look at what Global Imag-
ing Systems Inc. has found to be the formula for cre-
ating, motivating and retaining a winning team of
sales managers and leaders who are thriving on the
challenges facing the industry today.
23 Business Technology AssociationMay-June Education Calendar
P R I N C I P A L I S S U E S
04OT0406 3/27/06 2:57 PM Page 4
05OT0406 3/1/06 12:01 PM Page 1
EDITOR’S PAGE
On March 14, I
was among the
70 or so people
attending “Profiting
from Selling the Total
Document System,” one
of the ITEX 2006 Dealer
Business Forums. The
full-day forum was led by four industry
analysts I hold in high regard, each with
many years of experience in the office tech-
nology industry.
There was plenty of practical advice to
help dealers boost revenues and profits.
Although I am not a dealer, I always try to
listen to the comments in such education
sessions as if I do own a dealership. Here are
a few of the key comments I heard and asso-
ciated action items for “my dealership”:
From Lou Slawetsky, president of In-
dustry Analysts Inc.: “The color market is
exploding. It is an area where you can make
money, but how many of us write a service
contract for a color product exactly the
same way that we write it for a mono-
chrome product. We [dealers] estimate 5
percent coverage per color, per page. Our
research shows that it’s 32 to 33 percent [or
about 8 percent per color, per page] for
normal interoffice work.”
Action item: Carefully review all CPC
contracts for color MFPs to ensure I’m not
losing money.
From Robert Sostilio, president of Sos-
tilio & Associates International: “When we
go out and talk to end-users we ask, ‘How
many of your copiers [MFPs] are connected
to a network?’ The first time we did the
survey, about 32 percent said their machines
‘are connected.’ The last time that we polled
some of the end-users, it was up to about 40
percent. The opportunity still exists for you
to get out there and sell the functionality of
multifunctional devices. We know that once
a copier is connected to a network, the page
volume on that device increases anywhere
from 28 to 50 percent.”
Action item: Make certain my compensa-
tion plan encourages sales reps to ensure all
MFPs we place are connected to networks.
From Richard Norton, president of
DocuTrends: “The objective of getting into
the solutions business is to be different from
the other guys. Take the focus off of the prod-
ucts where margins are down — the hard-
ware — because everybody’s got the same
box.” With the current transition to color
devices, “you could arguably say that some
hardware is different, but eight months from
now you won’t be able to say that.”
Action item: Consider the question: “Do
my customers simply perceive my dealer-
ship as a hardware provider?” If so, take
immediate steps to change that perception.
From Charlie Pesko, managing director
of InfoTrends: “You don’t have a choice
about the solutions business. In the U.S. last
year it was about $300 million (software and
related support and service). The hardware
pull-through is about four to five times the
size of the solutions business.” (InfoTrends
projects that hardware sold with solutions
will increase at a compound annual growth
rate [CAGR] of 29 percent by 2009, while the
net revenue value of the devices that are
sold independent of any solutions is pro-
jected to decline at a CAGR of -11 percent.)
Action item: Align my dealership with
software vendors who can help me claim my
share of that multi-billion dollar software
and resulting hardware sales business.
— Brent Hoskins
A Few Action Itemsfor ‘My Dealership’
EditorBrent Hoskins
[email protected](816) 303-4040
Contributing WritersAnthony Codianni
Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc.www.copiers.toshiba.com
Dan Cooper, Global Imaging Systems Inc.www.global-imaging.com
John Flesch, Gordon Flesch Company Inc.www.gflesch.com
Robert C. Goldberg, General CounselBusiness Technology Association
Dustin Phillips
Business Technology Association12411 Wornall Road
Kansas City, MO 64145(816) 941-3100
www.bta.org
Member Services: (800) 505-2821BTA Legal Hotline: (800) 869-6688
Bert DarlingExecutive Director
Valerie McLaughlinMembership Marketing Manager
Gary HedbergAccounting Manager
Mary HopkinsAccounting [email protected]
©2006 by the Business Technology Association. All RightsReserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by anymeans without the written permission of the publisher. Everyeffort is made to ensure the accuracy of published material.However, the publisher assumes no liability for errors in articlesnor are opinions expressed necessarily those of the publisher.
6 | w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | A p r i l 2 0 0 6
®
06OT0406 3/29/06 3:42 PM Page 6
09OT0306 3/3/06 8:46 AM Page 1
BTA PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
If you attended the
2006 ITEX show in
March, then you
already know it was a
great success. It featured
many valuable learning
and networking oppor-
tunities. Of course, I
particularly enjoyed BTA’s 80th Anniversary
Reception held on the show ’s opening
evening. Thanks to all who took part as we
celebrated this important milestone.
During the reception, I had the privilege
of presenting the 2006 BTA Channel’s Choice
Awards. These awards are based on the
results of surveys completed by independent
dealers, asked to rate the industry’s OEMs in
various performance categories. Congratu-
lations to our 2006 winners: Gestetner —
Corporate Support Award, Digital Product
Line Award and Superior Performance
Award, primary product line; Panasonic
Digital Document Company — Marketing
Distribution Award; and Muratec America
Inc. — Outstanding Performance Award,
secondary product line.
I also had the privilege of recognizing
two individuals during the reception for
their outstanding service to the association.
This year’s BTA Volunteer of the Year
Award was presented to Lou Slawetsky, pres-
ident of Industry Analysts Inc. Typically, this
award is presented to honor a dealer
member volunteer who has made a signifi-
cant contribution of service to the associa-
tion. However, Lou is a longtime friend of
BTA. For many years, he has readily served
whenever called upon. Lou is a true cham-
pion of BTA and its efforts to serve the
industry ’s premier channel for bringing
today’s technology to the workplace.
The other individual is Brent Hoskins,
editor of Office Technology magazine. He
received the BTA President’s Award. Brent
makes an investment in each and every one
of us as he brings us the most current educa-
tion and information each month through
this excellent publication.
The BTA 80th Anniversary Reception
served as a personal reminder of the signifi-
cant role BTA has played in the success of
my own company. We have been benefiting
from our membership since shortly after my
father, Earl Naylor, founded the company in
1957. (He was president of the TOLA Region
in 1972, for those of you who remember
TOLA). The benefits of membership con-
tinue today and, undoubtedly, will continue
for a third generation as my children come
of age. I can certainly identify with the senti-
ments of one BTA member whose name I
was unable to catch as he passed by the BTA
booth at ITEX. “Thanks for 35 years,” he said.
Of course, there was much more to ITEX
than the BTA 80th Anniversary Reception.
As in past years, the show proved to be a
great venue for meeting with suppliers and
fellow dealers. If you are like me, I am sure
you found the event valuable in working
toward the goal of improving your busi-
ness. In my case, I was especial ly im-
pressed with the information I found in the
e x h i b it h a l l rega rdi n g t ra n s a c t i o n a l
printing — yet another enabler to help us
offer customers a complete document
management solution.
Each year the ITEX show is an important
event in our industry. I’m sure all attendees
would join me in congratulating Marc
Spring and his associates for another suc-
cessful show. I hope to see you at ITEX 2007.
— Mark Naylor
BTA Award Winners— Congratulations!
®
2005-2006 Board of Directors
PresidentMark Naylor
ABM Automation740 NW 63rd St.
Oklahoma City, OK [email protected]
President-ElectDan Hayes
Purcell’s Business Products222 E. 1st St.
Campbellsville, KY [email protected]
Vice PresidentShannon Oliver
Copier Source Inc.215-G Industrial Ave.
P.O. Box 36395Greensboro, NC [email protected]
BTA EastThomas Chin
Accolade Technologies LLC604 Hampshire Road
Mamaroneck, NY [email protected]
BTA Mid-AmericaDave Johnson
G-I Office Technologies Inc.701 Atlas Ave.
Madison, WI [email protected]
BTA SoutheastBill James
WJS Enterprises Inc.3315 Ridgelake Drive
P.O. Box 6620Metairie, LA 70009
BTA WestGreg Valen
Hawaii Business Equipment Inc. Toshiba Business Solutions
590-A Paiea St.Honolulu, HI 96819
Ex-Officio/General CounselRobert C. Goldberg
Schoenberg Fisher Newman & Rosenberg Ltd.222 S. Riverside Plaza
Ste. 2100Chicago, IL 60606
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09OT0406 3/8/06 12:42 PM Page 1
10 | w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | A p r i l 2 0 0 6
by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine
The Solution SpecialistTaking your dealership to new heights?
Today, the first link in the
industry ’s supply chain
remains intact — the
assembly lines continue to churn
out machines to be sold by office
technology dealerships. However,
many industry leaders emphasize
that the traditional method of
selling those machines is falling
by the wayside, giving way to new
sales strategies.
Of course, it appears there are
plenty of sales reps w ho are
content with selling as they have
always sold. That is, primarily
they are waiting for lease terms
to expire and then calling on cus-
tomers with the hope of upgrading machines. The tired
phrases “selling boxes” and “selling speeds and feeds” come
into play here. How long will this sales method persist? Only
time will tell.
As noted, industry leaders say the days of simply selling
boxes are numbered. Instead, they are pointing to new
strategies to ultimately replace the traditional sales method.
The dealership should be positioned as a technology
partner, they say, working to address inefficiencies with
business processes and document workflow. Only then can
the dealership provide customers and prospects with the
right solutions to address their document-related needs.
Many dealerships have made the transition or are in the
midst of doing so. As is increasingly stated in the industry,
they are “selling solutions.” Specifically, they are placing the
right combination of MFPs, printers, software, etc. — and
serving as a consultant to customers and prospects — to
solve document workflow problems. Is your dealership
among those that have made or are making the transition?
Are you providing solutions to
problems? Or, are you simply
selling boxes, speeds and feeds?
With an army of traditional
sales reps still in the field, many
dealerships are making th e
transition through the addition
of a new staff position — the
solution specialist. Increasingly
pivotal in the sales process
these specialists are taking a
growing number of dealerships
to new heights.
Office Technology magazine
surveyed a portion of its dealer
readership via e-mail. Eighty-
eight dealers responded. The
results present a revealing look at the recent rise of the
solution specialist within the office technology dealership.
Certainly, a commonly accepted job description of the
solution specialist remains a bit elusive. In fact, while some
use the job title, others use alternative titles, such as systems
specialist, document solution specialist or solution sales rep-
resentative. And, of course, the duties of these individuals
vary from dealership to dealership. Recognizing these reali-
ties, Office Technology offered a specific description to serve as
a reference point for those responding to the survey: “This
employee is in a separate position than the traditional sales
rep and is responsible for selling or assisting in the sale of
software-based solutions sold in conjunction with
copiers/MFPs. He/she may also have responsibility for imple-
mentation and some ongoing support of software-based solu-
tions.” The survey added: “In responding to this survey, please
consider the job title ‘solution specialist’ as a substitute for
any alternative title used in your dealership for individuals
who essentially have the same duties as described above.”
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13OT0406 3/9/06 9:21 AM Page 1
Following are the results of four of the
key questions in the survey (see the side-
bars on pages 14 and 16 for comments
shared by survey respondents):
� “Do you currently employ a person
or persons in the position of solution
sp e ci al i st?” Th e re sult s : “ yes ,” 72
percent; and “no,” 28 percent.
� “How many individuals currently
serve as a solution specialist at your
dealership?” The results (three choices listed with the ques-
tion): “One,” 57 percent; “Two to five,” 40 percent; and “More
than five,” 3 percent.
� “As compared to the compensation of the traditional
sales rep at your dealership, which of the following best
describes the annual compensation (salary and commission)
of your solution specialist?” The results (three choices listed
with the question): “He/she makes less than the traditional
sales rep,” 24 percent; “He/she makes about the same as the
traditional sales rep,” 45 percent; and “He/she makes more
than the traditional sales rep,” 31 percent.
� “ Which of the fol lowing best
describes the result of employing a solu-
tion specialist (one or more) at your deal-
ership?” The results (three choices listed
with the question): “To date, we are real-
izing no increased revenue and profit,” 19
percent; “We are realizing moderate
increased revenue and profit,” 70 percent;
and “ We are realizing substantial
increased revenue and profit,” 11 percent.
One can easily imagine the potential sources of in-
creased revenue and profit — greater margins on hardware,
software sales and associated residual income for support,
increased clicks and billable professional services. There is
also the opportunity for the “pull-through” of additional
hardware sales.
“Roughly speaking, for every dollar in solutions we’re
facilitating about $6 in workgroup hardware,” says Susan
Gain, director of solution sales and engineering for Konica
Having trouble findingmoney for yourchild’s education?
BTA Can Help.Scholarships for use at colleges or accredited vocational trade schools
are available to the sons and daughters of BTA Retail Dealer and Value Added Reseller members and the sons and daughters of their full-time employees. Scholarship recipients
are chosen by an impartial and independent evaluator. Completed applicationsmust be received at BTA by May 1. To obtain a scholarship application form,
contact Mary Hopkins at [email protected] or (816) 303-4031 or write to:BTA Scholarship Foundation, 12411 Wornall Road,
Kansas City, MO 64145.
®
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“ ... For every dollarin solutions we’refacilitating about $6 inworkgroup hardware.In reality, the solution isactually the ‘box mover’in many cases.”
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15OT0406 3/17/06 12:00 PM Page 1
Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. Inc. “In reality, the solu-
tion is actually the ‘box mover’ in many cases. So, these
days, if you do not have the solution, you are not going to
move easily one eighth of your boxes. Soon, it will be one
quarter of your boxes and then it will be half of your boxes.”
Ed McLaughlin, president of Sharp Document Solutions
Company of America, offers a similar comment. “The appli-
cations are a vehicle that help you sell hardware,” he says.
“When my people on the systems side of the business tell
me about how they have increased applications or software
sales, I cringe. What I want to understand is, ‘How much
pull-through in equipment sales did you have because you
were closer to the customer?’”
Collectively, the increased revenue and profit — from
pull-through hardware sales and otherwise — are a reflec-
tion of the “added value” the specialist brings to the sales
process, says McLaughlin. The individual, he says, “under-
stands the customer’s business process to such an extent
that he knows how the dealership can enhance the cus-
tomer’s ability to be more proficient, more efficient, more
competitive or all of the above.
“The key here is to find a way to bring more value to
your customer,” he says. “If you can accomplish that you
will have a customer that is with you for a long period of
time and you won’t be susceptible to the commoditization
of the product.”
Mark DeSarno, director of network solutions for
Kyocera Mita America Inc., further explains the payoff of
the value the solution specialist brings to the sales
process. “When a lease comes up for renewal, you don’t
have to go down to .006 cents per copy,” he says. “You can
stay at .009 cents or you can go a little higher, because you
are working the complete infrastructure of that business.
You own the capture, you own the output and you own the
maintenance.
“You may be offering the customer multiple levels of solu-
tions and multiple levels of support,” he says. “So, you will
have a stronger relationship and tighter bond with that cus-
tomer. They are not going to be as willing to bring in an
outside vendor to replace your equipment.”
DeSarno says Kyocera dealers are adding solution special-
ists at a notable pace. “I’m seeing it become more common-
place,” he says. “When they understand the margins and
opportunities that are available with their existing and new
customers, they see it as a value-add for them and a new
source of revenue.”
Gain shares a similar observation. She manages a group
14 | w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | A p r i l 2 0 0 6
Your PerspectiveThe final question in the e-mail survey conducted in conjunc-
tion with this article: “Do you have any general comments youwould like to share on the topic of the solution specialist?”Following is a look at many of the comments received from dealers. (Comments continued on page 16.)
“I am absolutely sure that this position is one of great impor-tance inside an office equipment dealership. The basis of an MFPsale alone is to offer a solution. The revenue possibilities that wenow have because of our software partners are almost limitless,but only if you are able to implement the solutions.”
“We recently created the solution specialist position at ourdealership and we filled it just this month. Our long-term aim is tohave the solution specialist go in after the hardware sale, connectequipment to the network and ask enough questions that he candetermine if any software solutions would benefit the customer.From there, he can write a proposal on the various solutions hefeels the customer might want to consider, either now or downthe road. We envision the job to be a combination of soft sell,customer service and service/networking. As the position is verynew, we'll have to sit back and see how it evolves in practice.”
“We have trained two of our copier techs and pay them extrato advise sales on software-based solution installations.”
“We are very uncertain of this position as most clients wantto deal with the same salesperson for all products they purchasefrom the company. Also, I am very concerned about the individ-ual’s work ethic — a traditional pavement-pounding sales repwill probably not have the technical expertise to handle the‘solution sale,’ whatever that is, while the person in an IT capac-ity will most likely make a terrible sales rep. I don't believe he(or she) will have the perseverance required to get enough busi-ness going at once to cover his costs. I can see him digging adeal up and spending weeks on that deal trying to knock it overand not having anything else on his plate to go get if that dealgets put back or is lost.”
“I believe it has become a necessity to employ a solutions spe-cialist in order to be effective in placing hardware as an ever-increasing amount of hardware sales are tied to some type ofdocument solutions software.”
“We use the OEM's solution specialist at the present time. Heis readily accessible. Until such time as our needs exceed hisavailability we will probably not hire a specialist.”
“I don't feel that the ‘team’ approach to marketing solutions isthe best model since most reps seem to feel that discussing solu-tions may lengthen the sales cycle. So, we are looking at bring-ing in an additional person to be more sales-based with a profi-cient understanding of business processes.”
14OT0406 3/28/06 6:02 PM Page 14
within Konica Minolta that supports
dealers through training, etc., in solu-
tion sales. “We had a goal of 200 dealers
selling solutions for FY 2005,” she says,
within a month of FY 2006. “To date, we
have 216 active dealers.”
What are the traits of solution spe-
cialists? What are their duties? A look at
the results of two additional questions
from the survey provides some answers.
� “Which of the following best describes the person who
is in the role of solution specialist as it relates to his/her
work history and area of expertise?” The results (two
choices listed with the question): “He/she is more of a sales-
person ,” 38 percent; and “He/she is more of a tech-
nical/service person,” 62 percent.
� “Which of the following best describes the person
who is in the role of solution specialist as it relates to
his/her duties?” The results ( four choices listed with the
question): “He/she assists the traditional sales rep in a
team approach when pursuing a soft-
ware-based solution installation with
a n M F P p l a c e m e n t ,” 6 0 p er c e n t ;
“He/she comes in after the traditional
sales rep has made the solution sale
and c onc entrat e s on inst al l at ion ,
training, etc., while the sales rep moves
on to the next prospect,” 23 percent;
“He/she works independent of the tra-
ditional sales rep and has the sole sales
responsibility when pursuing software-based solution
installations with a newly placed or existing MFP,” 9
percent; and “Other,” 8 percent.
Following is a sampling of the comments shared by those
selecting “Other” in responding to the above question:
� “I have an IT specialist who helps with pre-sales and
post-sales. I also have a technical sales rep who concen-
trates on document management software solutions.”
� “At our dealership this person has a blend of all three pos-
sible answers. We are still in the [early] stages of identifying
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“I have an IT specialistwho helps with pre-salesand post-sales. I alsohave a technical salesrep who concentrates ondocument managementsoftware solutions.”
15OT0406 3/28/06 10:22 AM Page 15
[which] scenario will eventually win out.”
� “I have two people on the solutions team. One is sales
and the other is technical. They can work independent of the
MFP team or they can assist on deals the MFP reps uncover.”
As the survey results reflect, it appears that solution
specialists are emerging from both the sales and tech-
nical/service side of the dealership. Either way, while
product and technical knowledge are important, it appears
that an understanding of business processes is, perhaps,
the most critical area of expertise.
“If they don’t understand business and business pain, they
can’t come up with a solution,” says Gain. “So, primarily, they
need to understand the end-user’s business, applications,
goals and objectives. And, they need to be able to communi-
cate one-on-one with the end-user.”
Tom Davis, vice president of marketing applications devel-
opment for Sharp, shares a similar view. “Today, the customer
is saying, ‘You need to understand what my needs are,’” he
says. “So, being a specialist is no longer just connecting the
unit to a network; it’s much more than that. ‘How is this
product that you are selling me going to benefit me and make
me more efficient in doing my job?’
“This individual needs to be someone who is a good lis-
tener, and who has an understanding of applications,” he
continues. “Now, is it a specific application, like document
management? No, it’s an understanding of what the cus-
tomer is faced with in doing his daily job.”
The view is further confirmed by Peter Davey, director of
professional services at Toshiba Business Solutions-Florida.
“Having a general business acumen is critical,” he says, com-
menting on the company’s “business analysts,” who assist
traditional MFP sales reps. “They need to understand how
businesses work and understand the key and critical docu-
ments inside businesses.”
The message is unmistakable: The core of the solution
specialist ’s skil l set should be expertise in business
processes and document workflow. As McLaughlin sug-
gests, “we’re going from a hardware business to a knowl-
edge business.” Do all of the specialists employed by the
dealers who responded to the survey have this expertise?
Or, are some of them simply focused on software imple-
mentation? Whatever the answers, those interviewed for
this article say they are pleased with the results of the
survey. “I’m encouraged that everybody is thinking about
this, and that those who do not have anyone in this posi-
tion are thinking about it,” says McLaughlin. His comment
refers to the 28 percent of survey respondents who do not
Your Perspective(Dealer comments continued from page 14.)
“Having a solution specialist is really the easy part of theequation. My problem is more the front-line salesperson. I don'tfeel we are capable, as salespeople, of truly being able to takethe time to uncover opportunities within an organization. Oursalespeople need better training on how to find these, and thengetting the solution specialist involved to bring a higher level ofcredibility to the whole transaction.”
“Until recently, our more technically minded solution special-ist tried to sell solutions independently, without involving salespersonnel. That was not successful. We have now started usinghim in a team approach, with the salespeople heading up theeffort and follow-up. So far, it looks to be a much more success-ful route.”
“We have been unsuccessful achieving notable solutions rev-enue while depending on the MFP reps to close the deals. Thesales cycles become too long for the average rep. We believeour environment will take a sales and technical focus on solutionsto make it a profitable investment.”
“Right now our service manager (me) does all of the duties ofa solution specialist. We’ve had a hard time selling the total solu-tion on a regular basis; we can’t foresee hiring someone, espe-cially for this.”
“About four years ago we created a digital application groupwith its own P&L. This group reports to the VP of sales and is pri-marily responsible for working with the various sales groups in ourcompany. Currently we have three dedicated people who work asa team to secure the total — or as close as we can get — printvolume of a particular company. The group’s background: Twofrom sales and one from technical. We would not have been ableto land some of the large accounts without their knowledge andskills. The group’s revenues are derived from all applications andsoftware solutions that go with a particular sale.”
“Solution specialists are a quick way to bring technical knowl-edge to the sales force. Part of their function must be to increasethe knowledge of the sales force, which increases their ability toprospect for solution sales.”
“Our solution sales specialist is a manager. He manages thetwo technical folks on his team and spends a majority of his timetraining the core reps and then assisting them in the moreadvanced software solutions opportunities. We have tried all theother methods — from a total support-only team to separate salesfolks. So far, this seems to have the best traction in moving ourorganization to a more complete solutions provider.”
“A solution specialist is a necessary position, if you want tostay up-to-date with the products currently available.”
16 | w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | A p r i l 2 0 0 6
16OT0406 3/28/06 6:11 PM Page 16
have a solution specialist on staff. The
final survey question reveals that a
majority of these dealers are moving in
that direction.
� “If you do not employ a solution
specialist at the present time, which of
the following best describes your plans
for the future?” The results (three
choices listed with the question): “We
have no plans to create and fill the posi-
tion of solution specialist,” 15 percent; “We are giving some
thought to creating and filling the position of solution spe-
cialist,” 52 percent; and “We have definite plans to create
and fill the position of solution specialist,” 33 percent.
McLaughlin encourages dealers to move quickly in
adding expertise to help customers address problems with
their document-related business processes. “There is not a
lot of time left,” he says. “This is going to accelerate at a
rapid speed. Don’t fall behind too long
or you’ll never catch up.”
What is the initial step? DeSarno
stresses, “you have to have buy-in from
all departments.” Davey agrees, noting
that the move to employing specialists
and concentrating on solution sales is a
significant change in direction for the
dealership. “You’ve got to have a vision
and be set up to succeed rather than to
fail,” he says. “You’ve got to decide to move your company
180 degrees, orienting your business in a
different direction. If you just ‘bring in a
specialist’ and ‘hope for the best’ it’s not
going to happen. You’re just going to waste
a lot of money.” �
Brent Hoskins, editor of Office Technology,
can be reached at [email protected].
w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | A p r i l 2 0 0 6 | 17
“You’ve got to have avision ... If you just‘bring in a specialist’and ‘hope for the best’it’s not going to happen.You’re just going towaste a lot of money.”
17OT0406 3/28/06 10:40 AM Page 17
18 | w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | A p r i l 2 0 0 6
by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine
ITEX 2006Industry exposition held March 15-16 in Las Vegas
Dealers, manufacturers and
suppliers converged in Las
Vegas March 15-16 with a
focus on the latest technologies, sales
strategies and market opportunities
within the office technology industry.
They gathered to attend ITEX 2006,
hosted by Imaging Network and held
at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The show, which featured 75 edu-
cation sessions, drew 3,211 atten-
dees, up from 2,659 in 2005. The
event also featured the products and
services of 245 exhibiting companies,
up from 180 in 2005.
“Thanks to your support, ITEX
continues to grow at an unprece-
dented pace,” said Marc Spring, presi-
dent of Imaging Network, as he
welcomed attendees on the first day
of the show. “Vendor participation is
up 30 percent from last year and ITEX
attendance is up 300 percent since its
inception in 2001. Today, we have the
finest minds in the industry pre-
senting our educational workshops.”
Spring emphasized the changing
nature of the industry and the impor-
tance of dealers seeking learning
opportunities. “We all have opportu-
nities to face and challenges to over-
come,” he said . “ We can be com-
placent or we can enthusiastically
seek new ground together . . . I ’m
proud to say that ITEX has helped
dealers who are making the transition
Clockwise from above left: (left to right) BTA President Mark Naylor, Gestetner
Western Region Vice President Ron Corsentino and BTA Executive Director Bert
Darling display the 2006 BTA Channel’s Choice awards presented to Gestetner for
Corporate Support, Digital Product Line and Superior Performance, primary product
line; Panasonic Digital Document Company National Sales Director Tony Bhandari
(left) and Regional Sales Manager Bob Burke (right) accept the Channel’s Choice
award for Marketing Distribution from Naylor; and Muratec America Inc. Marketing
Manager Lou Stricklin (left) and President and CEO Yutaka Moriwaki (right) accept
the Channel’s Choice award for Outstanding Performance, secondary product line,
from Naylor. The awards were presented during the BTA 80th Anniversary Reception.
Left to right: ITEX 2006 featured 75 education sessions; attendees visit with a repre-
sentative of one of 245 exhibiting companies; attendees enter the exhibit hall.
18OT0406 3/28/06 2:11 PM Page 18
from selling boxes to becoming
imaging technology providers.”
The theme of moving away
from the traditional box selling
strategy was prevalent in the
ITEX show education sessions,
beginning with the first of two
full-day Dealer Business Fo-
rums, “Profiting from Selling
the Total Document System,”
held on March 14 as a front-
runner to the show. (The
second forum was held March
17.) “One of the biggest cha-
rades in this industry is that ‘my box is better than everybody
else’s boxes,’” said industry analyst Richard Norton, president
of DocuTrends, during the forum. “By and large, I think the
true value left the box and moved to the channel in the 1980s.”
With the revenue sources resulting from the box place-
ments as the goal (i.e., software sales, professional services,
etc.) dealers need to move the focus away from the box,
instead addressing business workf low problems, said
Norton. “If you don’t see yourself as something other than a
copier dealer, then your business cannot succeed,” he said.
In various ITEX education sessions, dealers and others
similarly stressed the importance of focusing on the solution
rather than the box. Session panelist Ben Russert, president
of ProSource, for example, cited the payoff of making the
transition. “Approaching business with the solution sale nets
us many more boxes (MFP placements) and aftermarket
dollars than we would otherwise get,” he said. “The biggest
change that we’ve made is focusing on customers and asking
questions. What are their pains? What are their needs?
What are their business problems? We go at it from that
standpoint, rather than, ‘How many boxes do you have?
What’s your volume?’ They don’t want to talk about that.
They want to talk about themselves and their businesses.”
Beyond the education sessions and vendor exhibits, ITEX
2006 also featured the BTA 80th Anniversary Reception.
During the reception, BTA President Mark Naylor presented
awards to the 2006 BTA Channel’s Choice award winners. He
also presented the association’s annual Volunteer of the Year
Award and President’s Award. (See photos and captions for a
list of award winners.) The reception was sponsored by the
following vendors: Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc.,
SYNNEX Corp., Muratec America Inc., Oki Data Americas Inc.
and Greater Bay Capital. Door prizes were provided by
Toshiba and Sentry Insurance.
In addition, Spring presented
ImageSource magazine’s Perfect
Image Awards during the recep-
tion. The winners and the
award categories: Advanced
Imaging Solutions Inc., Out-
standing Service Program; Copy
& Camera Technologies, Out-
standing Community Involve-
ment; Centric, Best Use of the
Web; Imaging Concepts of New
Mexico Inc., Most Innovative
Customer Service; R.J. Young
Company, Outstanding Marketing Campaign; Stargel Inc.,
Outstanding Sales Program; and Thermocopy, Best Imple-
mentation of Technology Strategies and Dealer of the Year. �
Brent Hoskins, editor of Office Technology,
can be reached at [email protected].
w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | A p r i l 2 0 0 6 | 19
Left: Lou Slawetsky, president of Industry Analysts Inc.,
accepts the 2006 BTA Volunteer of the Year from BTA
President Mark Naylor during the BTA 80th Anniversary
Reception. Right: Brent Hoskins, editor of Office Tech-
nology, accepts the BTA President’s Award from Naylor.
19OT0406 3/28/06 7:46 PM Page 1
20 | w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | A p r i l 2 0 0 6
by: John Flesch, Gordon Flesch Company Inc.
Service. It’s what most office equip-
m ent c omp ani e s c l a im to of fer.
Service excellence — many claim to
have that level of commitment to service as
well. But how do customers know for sure?
How can dealers back up their service excel-
lence claims? In the age of complex and
ever-evolving technology, the ability to truly
deliver high-quality customer service distin-
guishes office technology dealerships from
competitors.
Customer loyalty is critical. Without your
customers’ satisfaction you have little room
for growth and development. Healthy rela-
tionships with customers play an important
role in the success of a business. Because
companies are now using multifunction
office machines to perform a variety of net-
worked tasks that keep their businesses moving, customer
service expectations continue to grow. Companies cannot
afford lost hours caused by a down machine.
These increased customer service expectations create the
need for your service technicians to have multiple skill sets.
The base elements to attaining quality customer service and
benefiting your business are three-fold: knowledge of your
customers’ needs, a solid knowledge of the technology that
addresses those needs and the interpersonal skills neces-
sary to deliver high-quality service. By continually seeking
new learning and training opportunities for your employees,
you as a dealer can offer the added value of proven quality
service and dedication resulting from years of continual
demonstration of best-in-class service.
Knowledge is KeyAs we know in our industry our customers usually only
think about their office equipment when something is
wrong; either their machine is down or they
are unhappy with their current operations or
costs. Often, a down machine results in lost
hours and added stress for everyone. For this
reason alone, proactively seeking solutions
and developing a dependable knowledge
base to react quickly to any situation can
result in quality customer service.
At the Gordon Flesch Company service is
so critical to our business that we have set a
priority to have the largest and best-trained
service technician team in the country. In
fact, service technicians make up nearly one-
half of our employees. This allows us to get to
the customer as quickly as possible with the
right parts to fix the problem. The goal is
always to fix the problem on the first call.
Customers want that — and expect that.
Needless to say, training is a key component of developing
effective, confident service technicians. Within our com-
pany, our training focuses on real, everyday situations. But
keep in mind that a fully trained service technician does
not happen overnight. It takes months of investing in
training to develop service technicians who are operating
at their peak performance.
Once service technicians are trained well, we provide a
supportive company culture to keep them fulfilled, moti-
vated and appreciated. We want to ensure that we maintain
a strong technical team; our technicians’ average tenure is
more than ten years with our dealership. This is vitally
important to sustain and build on the close customer rela-
tionships our technicians have developed.
Invest in your teams and encourage certifications, such as
Canon’s Association of Technical Services Professionals
(ATSP) Certification, to ensure that your company is building
a solid knowledge base and increasing the effectiveness of
Service ExcellenceDeveloping skill sets to meet customer expectations
20OT0406 3/28/06 7:34 PM Page 20
your service technicians. The ATSP pro-
gram is designed to uphold the high
performance standards intended to
support the needs and expectations of
Canon customers. It provides assurance
that its certified members have attained
a level of knowledge and performance
that is second to none in our competi-
tive business.
Dealers should arm not only service
technicians, but also the sales force and call center
employees, with a continual flow of knowledge through
training — not only to prepare everyone to react to cus-
tomer issues in an organized manner, but also to facili-
tate problem prevention practices. Building knowledge
around preventive maintenance and seeking to uncover
patterns and issues can be used to predict potential prob-
lems before they occur, thus increasing the up-time of
office technology.
Building Long-term RelationshipsIn any industry it is important to consider who is
spending the largest percentage of time in front of the cus-
tomer and to be confident in their customer interactions
and ability to address individual customer needs. In
today’s rapidly changing market, if you fail your customers
a new competitor will quickly find opportunity in your
misfortune and pick up your lost business.
Service technician training should go beyond equipment
repair. It should also include interpersonal training that
creates a skill set to help build long-term customer relation-
ships. In most cases the service technician is your com-
pany’s face to the customer. We have come to know that a
salesperson makes the first sale; the service technician
makes the second, third and fourth sales.
The ongoing service technician and customer relation-
ship has the potential to create the familiarity, personal
dedication and immediate attention that customers want
and need. Customers who realize that the service techni-
cians understand the sense of urgency and the implica-
tions resulting from a down machine have the added
comfort of working with a dealership they can be confident
of in terms of quick reaction and service. Technicians
familiar with the customer’s business understand their
equipment usage and can apply their knowledge to the
next level of predicting patterns of service and formulating
preventive measures to increase up-time.
The Service Delivery SolutionWhile traditional customer service
is often focused on the service techni-
c i a n s w h o sp e n d t h e h i g h e st p er -
centage of time with the customer, the
sales force and call-center employees
c a n c o m p l e t e t h e t o t a l c u st o m e r
service package to optimize a dealer-
ship’s quality of service. Call center em-
ployees and salespeople should be held
to the same service and relationship-building standard
and training as technicians in the field. For instance, the
more accurately the call center is able to immediately
diagnose a customer’s need, the more quickly and effi-
ciently the on-site service technician is able to solve the
issue. Similarly, sales team members confident in their
service technicians provide more strength to their sales
pitches when working to address customer needs.
A strong relationship between sales and technical service
teams creates accountability and reduces risks of empty
promises. Completing the service package develops a solid
core for a reliable dealership known for its knowledge base
and best-in-class service capabilities.
The FutureAs the office technology industry continues to move
forward in the customization of technology to meet indi-
vidual customer needs, service must continue to evolve.
Individual customer needs should be addressed through a
thorough understanding of the customer’s business and
by delivering the appropriate service needed to make
certain that the requirements of the office technology
equipment are achieved.
By developing an effective knowledge base and building
solid customer relationships, the complete sales/call
center/service technician team can provide new levels of
proactive (preventive) and reactive service. Dealers who
strive to better serve their customers increase equipment
reliability and up-time, which leads to customer loyalty, con-
fidence and satisfaction — and, ultimately, your growth. �
John Flesch is executive vice
president and treasurer
of Gordon Flesch Company Inc.
Based in Madison, Wis., the
dealership has 800-plus employees
working from seven branch locations and
12 satellite offices. Visit www.gflesch.com.
Service techniciantraining should ... alsoinclude interpersonaltraining that creates a skill set to help buildlong-term customerrelationships.
w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | A p r i l 2 0 0 6 | 21
21OT0406 3/28/06 7:36 PM Page 21
As religious beliefs become inter-
twined with social and political
issues it is important to know
where to draw the line in your dealership.
As can be seen from two recent cases the
lines are neither straight nor clear.
Not So ConservativeA young woman was hired by a dealer-
ship and at the time was conservative in
dress and appearance. She had pierced ears. Over the next
months the employee added eleven ear piercings, an eyebrow
piercing and a nose piercing. The dealership had in its
employee handbook a policy statement requiring a “neat and
professional appearance.” The dealer was concerned that the
excessive piercings were inconsistent with the company’s
values in regard to professionalism. The employee was asked
to remove any ear piercing in excess of two and to cover the
nose and eyebrow piercings. If she did not wish to place a
Band-Aid over the facial piercings, she was told clear plastic
spacers would be acceptable.
The employee refused to take any action, stating she was a
member of the Church of Body Modification, whose members
believe that the practice of body modification strengthens the
bond between mind, body and soul. The employee filed a
claim for religious discrimination that ended up in federal
court. The court rejected the notion that the Church of Body
Modification was not a bona fide religion. The law requires
that an employer accommodate a religious belief regardless of
one’s view as to its validity.
The law actually imposes three requirements in regard to
religious beliefs and the workplace. An employer: (1) May not
take an adverse employment action against an employee on
the basis of religion; (2) Is required to extend reasonable
accommodation to an employee’s religious beliefs or practices;
and (3) Has a legal obligation to avoid creating a hostile work
environment based upon religion.
Lacking Discriminatory IntentIn the second case, a salesperson worked under a sales
manager with strong religious beliefs that he did not keep to
himself. The manager recruited sales-
people from his church for they all had a
“close religious bond.” The sales team
from the church sang religious songs, left
Bible verses and Bibles on their desks and
constantly sought to have the non-affili-
ated employee join them. The salesperson
found the constant religious references
offensive and requested the company
instruct the employees to stop. The com-
pany refused to take any action stating the conduct was not
offensive and did not interfere with the religious employees’
job performance. The salesperson quit, claiming a hostile
work environment and brought suit.
The court found that in order to establish a hostile work
environment an employer’s conduct must be motivated by dis-
criminatory intent and be severely abusive or disparaging
toward the affected employee. Here the court observed there
was no discriminatory intent. Many employees sing at work
and such is clearly not a violation of one’s civil rights. The
employees had religion in common and discussed it at work in
the same manner employees might discuss families, hobbies
or sports. Furthermore, the employees never disparaged the
other person’s religion. The conduct complained of simply did
not rise to the level of creating a hostile work environment.
As society drifts towards more traditional values and
beliefs, the courts often lean in that direction as well. Here the
salesperson clearly was uncomfortable in the situation, but
despite the conduct alleged, as noted, it did not arise to a
hostile work environment.
The lines between acceptable and unacceptable positions
regarding religion in the workplace are certainly not clear. If
you are a BTA member and have any questions, please do not
hesitate to call the association’s Legal Hotline (800-869-6688)
for assistance. �
Robert C. Goldberg is general counsel
for the Business Technology Association
and a partner in the Chicago law firm
of Schoenberg, Fisher, Newman
& Rosenberg Ltd. He can be
reached at [email protected].
by: Robert C. Goldberg, General Counsel for the Business Technology Association
COURTS & CAPITOLS
22 | w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | A p r i l 2 0 0 6
Religious ExpressionWhat is acceptable in the workplace?
As religious beliefsbecome intertwined withsocial and political issuesit is important to knowwhere to draw the line ...the lines are neitherstraight nor clear.
22OT0406 3/27/06 11:34 AM Page 24
EDUCATION CALENDAR
w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | A p r i l 2 0 0 6 | 2 3
BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION • April 2006
EDUCATION CALENDARMay6 Ann Barr Selling Supplies Seminar Lisle, IL
Ames Supply Company is sponsoring this full-day seminar/workshop. Resellers ofimaging supplies are encouraged to attend. Learn how to write attention-gettingopening statements, sell against discount warehouses, find additional business inexisting accounts and much more. Limited to the first 20 who register. To register,contact Ann Barr directly at [email protected] or call (757) 463-0924. Visitwww.sellingsupplies.com. (BTA member coupon applies toward this class.)
18-22 Sales Management Workshop Caribbean Cruise (departing from Tampa, FL)Motive8s is offering a two-day workshop (four-day cruise) coupled with ongoing tele-phone coaching and Web seminar follow-up that provides office technology sales man-agers with ownership of increasing revenues/gross profits. This workshop is designed foroffice technology sales organizations, specifically for sales executives, owners, sales vicepresidents, managers and sales supervisors. For more information, contact Paul Straussat [email protected]. (Cruise included in the workshop tuition.)
20-21 BTA FIX: Cost Management for Service Spokane, WALearn proven service management and customer service strategies to use in yourcompany. Costing out the service hour, effective and profitable maintenance agree-ments, efficient vehicle operations, reducing personnel turnover, competitive compen-sation plans and identifying profit-making opportunities through the service operationare issues that are critical for success. Receive service department worksheets andaction plan templates, sample maintenance agreements, cost/price spreadsheet tem-plates on diskette and a handy workshop reference manual.
June7-8 BTA ProFinance Washington, D.C.
Analyze current business practices and evaluate strengths and weaknesses. Partici-pants will explore important issues surrounding profitability benchmarks, asset man-agement, expense controls and employee productivity. They will leave with a clear setof benchmarks and proven strategies for successful implementation with a target goalof 14 percent operating income. This course is sure to help you take control of andimprove the financial performance of your company.
For more information and to register for BTA seminars visit www.bta.org or call (800) 843-5059.
23OT0406 3/28/06 7:38 PM Page 23
One of my responsibilities as
vice president of sales at
Global Imaging Systems Inc.
is to help our company recruit ,
develop and retain the next genera-
tion of successful sales managers. We
focus on the next generation because
in our fast-changing industry, pre-
paring for the future is the only way
to survive. We focus on success be-
cause if the sales manager and his or
her team members are not suc-
cessful, they will not remain with us,
and we will need to spend time and
resources replacing them instead of
developing them.
We are after that special, multi-talented individual who
wants to make a career out of this industry, who understands
what today’s customers demand and what it takes to meet
these demands. This, of course, also means he or she knows
how to manage the new generation of sales representatives
who deal with these customers on a day-to-day basis.
The problem, as we all know, is people with these skills and
commitment are in short supply. There are only two sources I
know of where we can find these high-demand individuals. We
can either hire them away from another company or we can
develop them internally. At Global, we have chosen to follow
the second strategy. In this article I will share the main
reasons why we selected this course and some tips that have
helped us make this strategy work.
First of all, let’s take a quick look at today’s customer. That
is how I often start sales training sessions, by asking our
people to describe their customers and their needs. After
several moments of deafening silence, the answers begin. Cus-
tomers today are less loyal and less patient. They are more
educated and working with tighter budgets, and they are
looking for far more than only the lowest price. Most of them
know the service after the sale is critical, especially since our
industry has moved from the analog to the digital world. They
need a partner who can determine the best total technological
solution for their specific company’s situation and who will be
with them for the long haul.
Now, let’s examine the new breed
of sales representatives our sales
managers must understand, moti-
vate and train. They are computer lit-
erate and embrace the concept of
total solutions. Like our customers,
they are often less patient and while
not n ecessari ly less loyal , th eir
loyalty is motivated by more than
just money. They are definitely not
afraid of change. Inst ead , th ey
implicitly know if they do not con-
tinue to grow and constantly keep
learning, they cannot hope to keep
up with either their customers or their competition.
Obviously, this combination results in a dynamic, highly-
charged, extremely competitive environment, calling for a
sales manager with unique capabilities and drive. Here are
some of the skills on which we place a premium, which define
not only a successful but also a great sales manager:
� The ability to create a high-energy, fun work environment.
� The ability to create a team of capable, professionally
motivated people.
� The organizational skills to manage the business on a
week-to-week basis by meeting with each team member in
group meetings and in one-on-one sessions.
� The ability to use database management to review rep
forecasting and prospecting needs.
� The ability to create a team environment with unwa-
vering focus on a common goal.
Jeff Jenney, sales manager for one of Global’s core compa-
nies, Electronic Systems (ESI), is a prime example of one of
these great, “home-grown” sales managers. Jeff started with ESI
in November 2000 as a territory representative. He was quickly
transitioned to federal government sales and then to the major
accounts team. In little more than four years, he was promoted
to sales manager of an entire product division, where he con-
tinues to thrive. Jeff ’s experience at Global is not unique. We
work hard to make sure we are able to spot our top producers
as early in their careers as possible and then work with them to
by: Dan Cooper, Global Imaging Systems Inc.
SELLING SOLUTIONS
24 | w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | A p r i l 2 0 0 6
Successful Sales ManagersA look at Global’s recruiting & retention strategies
24OT0406 3/28/06 11:37 AM Page 24
w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | A p r i l 2 0 0 6 | 25
give them the opportunity to rise as fast
and as far as they can.
Regarding his rapid rise and success,
Jeff states: “If you would have told me on
day one I would be managing my own
team in only four years, I never would
have believed it. It required a lot of hard
work, to be sure, but the training and men-
toring I received along the way gave me
the necessary support and prepared me
for the transition. I can’t think of a better way to create
longevity within your sales force than to empower each
member to create his or her own success.” Jeff adds that as a
company becomes known for promoting from within,
recruiting top-notch sales representatives becomes a whole
lot easier as well.
I think his comments go a long way toward explaining why
we chose to grow our own sales managers. We have found
time and time again that people like Jeff, who we invest in, pay
us back by staying with us. They know their long-term
prospects are limited only by their own initiative and talents,
and we will support them with training and reward them with
promotions as they continue to grow. This helps us fight the
“grass is always greener” syndrome and to retain our people. It
also helps us recruit some of the most talented individuals in
the industry. This strategy has proven to be far more cost-
effective and beneficial to employee morale and customer
service than trying to hire away other companies’ superstars.
To us, especially in today’s environment, that seems to be a
zero sum game where companies are simply bidding up the
price of top talent without encouraging their loyalty.
So, now that you know where we find our sales managers
and why we look to our ranks to supply them, I’d like to briefly
explain how we identify them and how we continue their
development. The secret to our success is our benchmarking
model. This operational tool, which I’m sure most of you have
heard about, consistently evaluates all our employees and
measures their performance against a precise set of standards
for each department, from sales to service. It lets us know
exactly how employees are doing, as well as how they rank
among their peers and where even the most successful may
need extra help and support.
When we find sales representatives who are not only
meeting but exceeding their benchmarks — people we feel
have the potential to move up to the management ranks — the
next step is for us to assign them to the major account team.
Here they face a different level of performance standards and
training where the stakes, and rewards, are higher. If they suc-
cessfully meet this challenge, management
begins working with them to provide an
in-depth understanding of the financials
behind sales. Once this is mastered, we
make them a mentor to one or two other
promising sales representatives, so they
have a taste for what it is like to manage
others. At this point, it soon becomes clear
whether this added “people responsibility”
is a good fit or if they are better suited for
and prefer sticking with sales. If the mentoring process goes
well and they feel comfortable with the management aspect,
the next step is to make them a selling manager, with the
responsibility to manage a greater number of sales representa-
tives but a smaller territory (and corresponding personal sales
quota). Here they have the chance to get a real taste for what
“life as a Global sales manager” is all about, and we both are
able to find out for sure if they are up to the task.
It is actually this continuing education and training that our
sales managers tell us is the most important motivational tool
we provide. All of our courses, from those they receive from
their earliest days (such as Getting Inside Your Customers’
Head) to the more advanced courses in our Global Leadership
Institute, are customized and provide real-life, hands-on expe-
rience. In addition, we provide regular opportunities for sales
managers from throughout our organization to gather for
group training sessions and to share best practices, along with
our annual Global Leaders Conference for our top achievers.
In addition, Global’s top-rate employee benefits give us a
distinct advantage while also motivating employees and cre-
ating an immediate sense of responsibility. We also encourage
participation in our manufacturing partners’ meetings and
training, furnish top quality marketing materials and support,
provide customer service we feel is second to none and award
individual incentives such as the ESI President’s Club Trip for
top performers.
So there you have it — what we have found to be the for-
mula for creating, motivating and retaining a winning team of
sales managers and leaders who are thriving on the chal-
lenges facing our industry today. I hope some of these tactics
and thoughts fit your company and your situation and
welcome any questions or suggestions
(because I ’m eager to learn from you as
well) that you may have. Good luck and
good selling. �
Dan Cooper is vice president of sales for
Global Imaging Systems Inc. He can be
reached at [email protected].
“... Their long-termprospects are limitedonly by their owninitiative and talents, andwe will support themwith training and rewardthem with promotions ...”
25OT0406 3/28/06 8:36 PM Page 25
While the entire office tech-
nology industry is discussing
the transition from copier
dealership to document solutions
provider, there is at least one Virginia
dealership that is actually doing some-
thing about it. The company is not only
making an investment in training its
people, but it is also reaching out to its
customers and prospects in an effort to
educate them.
“ We’re not sel l ing copiers,” says
Freddy Cobb, president of Cobb Tech-
nologies, an independent dealership
headquartered in Richmond with mul-
tiple branches throughout the state.
“That’s a big difference from a year ago
and it currently separates us from our
local competition.”
Most dealerships around the country
are making an effort to train their sales-
people to sell solutions, whether it is
through a manufacturer program, BTA
or an outside consultant. However, very
few are making the investment to ripen
the market for a solutions presentation.
“It makes sense to have both buyer
and seller talking about a solution or an
all-encompassing corporate document
strategy,” adds Cobb, whose dealership
was named one of the Top 15 Richmond businesses for which to
work. “I can’t see putting all the effort into training our people
to sell solutions and still have the customers buying copiers.”
Cobb Technologies has taken steps to make sure the sales
people are adequately prepared. The dealership currently has
three salespeople who have received CompTIA’s CDIA+ certifi-
cation with another three in the queue. However, it is Cobb’s
interest in educating the marketplace that has been respon-
sible for double-digit growth.
“The overall strategy is to focus on the prospect’s business,
not on the salesperson’s process,” says Toni Gorveatt, Cobb’s
chief operating officer. “In 2005, we had success with educa-
tional customer events and getting involved with some
industry-specific trade organizations. At one event, we got
three new net customers and at another one we sold $70,000
off the showroom floor.”
According to Gorveatt, these customer events have received
very positive feedback from both customers and the sales-
people. “We conduct a brief survey following the event and
we’ve had people say, ‘I didn’t know you guys did all this,’ and
‘The seminars are great,’” she says. “We even have our sales-
people asking, ‘When is the next one?’ Our goal in 2006 is to
Customer EducationCobb Technologies is making the investment
by: Dustin Phillips
PRINCIPAL ISSUES
26 | w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | A p r i l 2 0 0 6
Current and prospective customers learn about the products and services offered by
Cobb Technologies during a recent open house.
26OT0406 3/28/06 12:05 PM Page 24
w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | A p r i l 2 0 0 6 | 27
have executive luncheons on a quarterly
basis in all the branches.”
Cobb took its show on the road by be-
coming a sponsor of the Association of
Legal Administrators (ALA) luncheon. For
a modest fee, the dealership was able to
attend, network and give a brief presenta-
tion. From the one luncheon, Cobb gener-
ated two new customers and still has
several leads it is working on.
The dealership has also made an impact in the non-profit
arena at its regularly scheduled events. Recently, Cobb partici-
pated at a luncheon at which it made a 45-minute presentation
to an audience that included all of Virginia’s high-profile non-
profits, including the Catholic Charities, the Red Cross and the
United Methodist Family Services.
“We have a presentation that points out how technology
can add to the bottom line,” says Gorveatt. “At the recent
luncheon we focused on how more dollars can go to the bene-
ficiaries of the non-profit rather than office expenses. We were
able to solidify existing relationships and picked up a couple of
great leads.”
At another event a CPA gave a presentation on what Cobb
had done for his firm, starting with a workflow assessment.
The presentation had tremendous impact since Cobb had
saved his organization more than 3 percent of overall rev-
enues, including $18,000 on one printer alone.
“That type of presentation is priceless,” says Gorveatt. “It’s
powerful because it’s a real customer and has even more credi-
bility because it was a CPA. Plus, it made me very proud of our
sales team knowing they’re performing for our customers.”
Although the intent is for Cobb to continue participating
and sponsoring these vertical market events, the on-site
luncheons are the real focus. It provides a captive audience,
allows them to explore the showroom before or after they eat
and it doesn’t take the entire sales force out of the field like an
open house.
“We had an executive luncheon recently around scanning,
document storage and retrieval entitled ‘Manage Your Docu-
ments,’” explains Gorveatt. “We were able to make the solu-
tions real by focusing around a customer case study. We had
representatives from our manufacturers present along with a
few salespeople. The majority of our sales teams remained in
the field, so we didn’t lose any selling days. To keep with the
theme, we gave away an iPod, which communicated the
concept of digital storage and retrieval.”
In addition to believing it is important to educate the mar-
ketplace about better business practices through more efficient
document management, Cobb’s manage-
ment believes that mass media advertising
is required to promote the fact that the
dealership is further along the technology
curve than its competitors. The concern
for educating customers and the dealer-
ship’s high profile are major reasons why it
has the credibility to participate in such
events as the non-profits luncheon.
“We’ve used a lot of radio to impact our
markets,” says Cobb. “We’ve had some fun doing it, but we keep
it professional and informative. We don’t want our customers
and prospects to be intimidated by advancements in tech-
nology. We truly believe that given a chance, we can help our
local business people reduce their monthly overhead as it relates
to copying, printing, scanning and faxing, plus use our knowl-
edge and resources to make their workday more productive.”
Like many other dealerships around the country, Cobb is
using a print assessment or document assessment to get a
better feel for the document workflow of an organization and
to uncover more applications. But the dealership has taken it
to a whole new level. Cobb’s CDIA+ certified representatives
are very adept at evaluating a company’s entire output system
and how it is being utilized. There is also a service/support
analysis to uncover inefficiencies and lost productivity.
“These assessments have been very effective in helping our
customers streamline processes and ultimately lower their
operating expenses,” says Cobb. “Our competitors seem to be
more interested in a quick hit, rather than spending the time
to educate the prospect and truly examine their current situa-
tion. Our people have done some amazing things with forms
applications, but unless we spend time with the prospect to
completely understand their situation, we’re just guessing and
that’s a disservice to our customer.”
“The key is to have educated customers and prospects,”
adds Gorveatt. “The more they know about the process and
what we’re looking for, the better we can do our job and the
more benefit they will derive from their Cobb relationship.”
Most office technology dealers are talking the talk. Some
are even walking the walk. However, very few are taking the
time, energy and dollars required to educate the market that
there is a better, faster and potentially less expensive method
of managing document workflow.
Count Cobb Technologies as one that is not only ahead of
the technology curve, it is making sure customers and
prospects are also educated and ahead of that curve. �
Dustin Phillips is a freelance writer
based in Costa Mesa, Calif.
“Our competitors seemto be more interested ina quick hit, rather thanspending the time toeducate the prospect and truly examine theircurrent situation.”
27OT0406 3/28/06 12:09 PM Page 27
Editor’s Note: Throughout 2006, Office Technology magazine
will be inviting the copier/MFP OEMs that sell through the
dealer channel to submit articles regarding their dealer support
initiatives and/or training programs. The intent is to provide
each of the OEM’s authorized dealers — and the channel in
general — a better understanding of some of these cur-
rent initiatives and programs. Following is the third of these
OEM submissions, from Anthony Codianni of Toshiba America
Business Solutions Inc.
Acompany’s workforce is its No. 1 asset. Investing in
developing world-class leaders and teams is critical
t o a ny b u si n e s s’ su c c e s s i n t h e 2 1 st c e n tu r y.
Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc. (TABS) realizes
the importance of comprehensive employee training and
education , and has made a signif icant investment in
ensuring that our dealers have the tools they need to achieve
maximum sales success.
All 13 members of the TABS education and development
team are professional educators who understand adult prin-
ciples of learning and instructional effectiveness, and create
training programs that deliver the information required by
every type of learner. Because different people learn in dif-
ferent ways and at different rates, our education and develop-
ment team has created a corporate university that provides a
variety of learning tools to reach all types of learners.
Toshiba Digital UniversityToshiba Digital University (TDU) is designed to facilitate a
more personalized learning environment that aligns with pre-
ferred learning methods. TDU offers a 24/7 learning environ-
ment, using a blended learning approach combining
synchronous (live) and asynchronous (archived) methods,
utilizing e-learning and mobile learning, or m-learning,
strategies and providing on-demand training content to
anyone, anywhere, at anytime. Delivering the information by
way of a variety of methods ensures that individual sales-
people can choose the method that works best for them,
thereby increasing learning retention. Additionally, this
blended learning approach allows dealers to choose how,
when and where they want to train.
TDU ’s three-part structure is comprised of facilities
throughout the United States and Singapore, Asia; virtual
training through our FYI Internet Portal; and mobile training
Close-up: ToshibaOEM provides dealers a variety of learning tools
by: Anthony Codianni, Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc.
PRINCIPAL ISSUES
28 | w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | A p r i l 2 0 0 6
Top image: The Training To Go “training in a box” units include
everything TABS’ trainers need to conduct a hands-on, technol-
ogy-based training course. Bottom image: E-learning programs,
such as the one pictured here, can be conducted online through
TABS’ FYI Portal 24/7.
28OT0406 3/28/06 8:42 PM Page 29
w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | A p r i l 2 0 0 6 | 29
programs that are delivered at our dealers’
locations. Mobile training also is offered
using m-training methodologies, which
utilize devices such as iPods and Toshiba
Gigabeat MP3 players. By employing a
variety of training methods, TABS is able
to ensure that its dealers are best pre-
pared to understand and meet the needs
of the customer.
Training To GoOne of the best examples of TAB S’ commitment to
investing in programs that maximize our dealers’ sales poten-
tial is our unique mobile training program, Training To Go
(TTG). TTG is a four-day training program designed for newly
authorized dealers who have added Toshiba products to their
sales offerings.
TABS developed TTG based on the challenges we had faced
with more traditional, classroom-only based programs. In
TABS’ previous method of training employees of newly
authorized dealerships, the transition team would use the
industry’s standard immersion process: bringing sales staff, as
available, to remote locations for intensive classroom training
at the expense of the dealer. There were many challenges with
this previous process, including: salespeople disliked being
out of the field due to lost sales and time away from home;
training such a large number of salespeople was becoming
unmanageable; and travel and accommodation costs made
this method expensive for dealers. The reality was that new
dealers were sending only a few select sales reps for training,
so we knew our training delivery methods had to change.
After conducting an analysis of our sales team, we discov-
ered that untrained sales reps were selling three times less
than trained reps. We realized we needed to develop a new
training program that would allow all the salespeople at
newly authorized dealerships to quickly learn the information
necessary for immediate sales success. Thus, the Training To
Go program was created, distilling previous training methods
into a highly focused, four-day program consisting of only the
elements that were immediately critical for newly authorized
dealers’ sales staffs.
With the knowledge that our dealer sales reps already were
proficient at selling digital office products, the training team
focused on a highly concentrated, mobile program that
allowed newly approved sales teams to gain the knowledge
essential to begin selling Toshiba products immediately and
confidently. We created five mobile training kits that travel
from dealership to dealership with the training teams,
ensuring they have all the tools they need,
right when they need them, for effortless
trainin g usin g our own t e chnolog y
resources. Thus, in 2004, the TTG pro-
gram was assembled, marking a signifi-
cant departure from any “sales training”
program in our industry.
TABS has employed several methods to
ensure the TTG program was well de-
signed to meet the learning needs of our
dealer sales reps. This was accomplished by incorporating the
following program benefits:
A Mobile Program that Delivers Content to the Dealer —
Making the program mobile eliminates the cost, lost sales and
personal stress of constant travel that were previously put on
dealerships and their sales teams. This approach is made pos-
sible, in large part, by our company’s position as a leader in
the technology industry. Our trainers bring the training to the
students with our “training in a box” units. These mobile
training “classrooms” include everything our trainers need to
conduct an effective, hands-on and technology-based training
course, including laptop computers, a wireless network and a
projector, among other training materials. And because much
of the information is completed at the dealership, partici-
pants are more willing to participate and can immediately
apply what they’ve learned out in the field — further rein-
forcing their learning.
A Blended Learning Approach — TTG incorporates a
blended learning approach using visual, audio and kines-
thetic modalities. We combine Web-based training with self-
study, audio-visual, print and classroom methodologies. Our
program consists of listening to presentations online, viewing
demonstrations online and hands-on experiences in the class-
room. Our blended learning methods are a result of our
promise to our students to “make you free, make you mobile
and make you successful.”
An Efficient Learning Approach — In only four days, sales
associates who previously had no experience with our brand
are able to sell confidently. They learn how to sell Toshiba
products and gain valuable hands-on experience, all while
remaining in the field. Overall, they become highly knowl-
edgeable representatives of the Toshiba brand and are well
poised for success.
A Flexible Learning Approach — With learning also con-
ducted online through our FYI Portal, learning can be com-
pleted anywhere with an Internet connection — even at
home after hours. Sales reps can participate in synchronous
e-learnings or, if their schedule does not permit live viewing,
... We discovered thatuntrained sales repswere selling three timesless than trained reps.We realized we needed to develop anew training program ...
29OT0406 3/28/06 8:45 PM Page 29
asynchronous Webinars are archived for
reference at a later date.
A Program that is Affordable for our
Dealers — With Training To Go, we have
made a 180-degree turnaround from our
previous training methods by making
dealer learning a corporate investment
and eliminating dealers’ monetary obliga-
tions. TABS eliminated travel expenses by
bringing the training to the dealers’ loca-
tions and reduced training time so that salespeople could
begin selling right away. Dealers not only appreciate this shift
in financial responsibility, but now can afford to train their
entire sales staffs as opposed to just select salespeople.
Best of all, our experience has shown that our dealers love
the TTG system. Without question, dealers are pleased that
the learning model is effective, that the program costs
nothing and that it is convenient due to the elimination of
travel. Additionally, at the end of each training program,
online evaluation forms allow for imme-
diate feedback on the program with
responses provided to our training team.
This has enabled us to continually modify
the program so that it consistently meets
the needs of our dealers.
With Training To Go, we have created a
training program that is more desirable
to our dealers by making it free and
making it mobile. Our corporate motto is
“Don’t Copy. Lead.” and it extends to all facets of the organi-
zation, including training, as demonstrated through our
commitment to increasing dealer sales by providing the best
trainin g and supp or t mat er i a l s in th e
industry 24/7, and developing our dealers’
capacity to grow. �
Anthony Codianni is director of education and
development at Toshiba America Business
Solutions Inc. Visit www.copiers.toshiba.com.
Ames Supply Company 19
(800) 323-3856 / (630) 964-2440Fax: (800) 848-8780 / (630) 964-0497www.amessupply.com / E-mail: [email protected]
Azerty 15
(800) 888-8080, Ext. 21223 / (716) 662-0200Fax: (716) 662-7616www.azerty.com/bta / E-mail: [email protected]
Business Products Council Association 2
(800) 897-0250www.businessprouductscouncil.org
Color Imaging Inc. 17
(800) 783-1090 / (770) 840-1090 / Fax: (770) 840-7029www.colorimaging.com / E-mail: [email protected]
CompTIA 31
www.comptia.org/breakaway
DocuWare Corp. 11
(888) 565-5907 / (845) 563-9045 / Fax: (845) 563-9046www.docuware.com / E-mail: [email protected]
FMAudit 9
(573) 632-2461 / Fax: (573) 632-2465www.fmaudit.com / E-mail: [email protected]
InfoDynamics Inc. 32
(888) 446-8228 / (317) 578-2167 / Fax: (317) 913-4580www.infod.com / E-mail: [email protected]
MKG Imaging Solutions Inc. 7
(800) 881-7545 / (905) 564-9218 / Fax: (905) 564-9225www.mkg.org / E-mail: [email protected]
NER Data Products Inc. 13
(888) 637-3282 / (856) 881-5524 / Fax: (856) 881-2393www.nerdata.com
Print Audit 5
(877) 412-8348 / (403) 685-4932 / Fax: (403) 249-9471www.printaudit.com / E-mail: [email protected]
Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc. 3
(949) 462-6165www.copiers.toshiba.com
ADVERTISER INDEX
With Training To Go,we have created a training program that is more desirable to our dealers by making it free and making it mobile.
30 | w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | A p r i l 2 0 0 6
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PRSRT STDU.S. Postage PaidEaston, PA 18042
Permit #31 Office Technology MagazineBusiness Technology Association 12411 Wornall RoadKansas City, MO 64145(816) 941-3100www.officetechnologymag.comwww.bta.org
32OT0406 3/22/06 3:51 PM Page 1