The Week in Copiers Five Years Ago

Art Post · 4/26/1611:12 PM

Why I Am Now a Social SellingBeliever by Print Audit Last week I had the pleasure to spend my time with Larry Levine and Darrell Amy in Phoenix, Arizona and San Francisco, California at the Copier Sales Social Sales Academy Roadshow. They have taken a bunch of sales reps, sales managers, VP’s and owners of copier dealerships through a course on getting the most out of LinkedIn. Read more of this post

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Art Post · 4/26/1611:09 PM

Just because you're at work, does that mean you're working? Over my many years in the copier business I've seen many copier sales people come to work, and I guess that's sort of an accomplishment because they at least they showed up. I've also encountered many sales people who don't know how to work. I'm thinking their comprehension of work, is that they showed up, they made a few calls, knocked on a few doors, took a late lunch and then knocked on a few more doors close to home. These sales

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Art Post · 4/25/169:26 PM

Managed Content Services (MCS). Konica Minolta has been recognized as the#1 Brand for Customer Loyalty in the MFP Office Copier Market by Brand Keys for nine consecutive years. Konica Minolta, Inc. has also been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for four years in a row. For more information, please visit: www.countonkonicaminolta.com and follow Konica Minolta on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter @konicaminoltaus. # # # Press Contact: Kristina Marchitto, Public Relations Manager

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Art Post · 4/26/1611:31 PM

a range of IT strategy, support, project and cloud computing solutions across all verticals. Konica Minolta has won numerous awards and recognition, including placement in the Leaders Quadrant on the Gartner 2014 Magic Quadrant for Managed Print Services (MPS) and Managed Content Services (MCS). Konica Minolta has been recognized as the#1 Brand for Customer Loyalty in the MFP Office Copier Market by Brand Keys for nine consecutive years. Konica Minolta, Inc. has also been named to the Dow Jones

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Art Post · 4/28/169:12 PM

computing solutions across all verticals. Konica Minolta has won numerous awards and recognition, including placement in the Leaders Quadrant on the Gartner 2014 Magic Quadrant for Managed Print Services (MPS) and Managed Content Services (MCS). Konica Minolta has been recognized as the#1 Brand for Customer Loyalty in the MFP Office Copier Market by Brand Keys for nine consecutive years. Konica Minolta, Inc. has also been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for four years in a row. For

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Ray Stasieczko (Guest) · 4/25/169:40 PM

I'm not sure if Ray and I have ever met, however, we've been connected on LinkedIn for quit a few years. Ray, is also one of those old copier dogs like me. Just the other day he posted a blog about the good old days of selling copiers. Thus, I asked Ray if I could re-post that blog here. We've got Ray's permission to re-post the blog. Enjoy! “When I get old, I hope I remember my copier salesman days.” I thought it might be fun to share some stories from my career as a copier guy. I will admit

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Larry Levine · 4/24/1611:10 AM

Is there customer loyalty in business today? I sincerely believe it is harder today to keep your clients happy than it was 10 years ago. We can thank all of the social media outlets for attributing to this. It has been engrained in copier sales reps heads retaining your customers is low-hanging fruit. However, understanding how to create loyal customers so you can retain them is one of the most important things for a dealership. For starters, it’s critical to know the fastest ways to lose

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copyme · 4/25/1610:44 PM

Ray, that's a great story! Thanks for sharing it, Art! I do remember those days but initially I was more in theIBM, Xerox, Silver Reed, Sperry Remington, Brother, Hermes typewriter sales arena, then IBM and Xerox memory typewriters, then IBM word processors, then Canon and Sharp and Xerox fax, and finally as a Xerox then Ricoh / Savin copier/mfp rep. Man has technology evolved!

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Art Post · 4/24/167:40 PM

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Art Post · 4/26/1611:21 PM

Tom Koenig posted: Well said Art, I have always appreciated the effort you put in. Thank you, Have a Great Day Thomas Koenig District Business Manager Dealer Division - Northeast Region RICOH USA, INC. 5 Dedrick Place West Caldwell, NJ 07006 Cell: 570-439-2864 Thomas.Koenig@ricoh-usa.com TY Tom!!! I love selling Ricoh's for you!!

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Art Post · 4/26/1611:29 PM

Could Toshiba be the next Sharp? No mention of copiers and or printers as a core product.

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Art Post · 4/26/1611:17 PM

was 10.2 percent, down 2.5 percentage points. First-quarter operating margin of 7.2 percent was down 1.3 percentage points from the same quarter a year ago.Gross margin and selling, administrative and general expenses were 29.9% and 20.6%, respectively.Adjusted gross margin and selling, administrative and general expenses (excluding certain retirement related costs)were 30.3% and 20.1%, respectively. Xerox used $25 million in cash flow from operations during the first quarter, in line with normal

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Art Post · 4/26/1611:28 PM

equipment business to Canon. Their latest write-down comes after Toshiba wrote down the value of its stake in US nuclear unit Westinghouse in the wake of the $1.3bn accounting scandal. read more here

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Art Post · 4/27/169:59 PM

Productivity hacks are great -- after all, make one small change and you can recover days or even weeks of lost time. But sometimes one quick fix isn’t enough. You need an entire system: A brand-new way of organizing your tasks and time so that you’re meeting deadlines, focusing on your priorities, and maximizing your workday. There’s tons of productivity systems out there, but many of them aren’t ideal for sales reps. We know you’re busy -- don’t waste time figuring out which systems won’t

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Art Post · 4/27/1610:11 PM

Even with the rise of social media and the ubiquity of business email, a phone conversation is usually still the best method of communication, especially for selling and buying. But that doesn't mean salespeople should ignore the preferences of their prospects by insisting on a phone call right away. I think the phone is a superior way to communicate with prospects when I'm selling. But when I'm researching solutions, my personal preference is email. I've been on the receiving end of too many

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Tom Koenig · 4/26/1611:17 PM

Well said Art, I have always appreciated the effort you put in. Thank you, Have a Great Day Thomas Koenig District Business Manager Dealer Division - Northeast Region RICOH USA, INC. 5 Dedrick Place West Caldwell, NJ 07006 Cell: 570-439-2864 Thomas.Koenig@ricoh-usa.com

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Mike Hollander · 4/27/169:37 AM

Art, what a great post! Within this industry I have seen way too many people think they can waltz right into a sales job and start making big money and it will be easy work. Staying motivated and hard work is the best recipe for success.

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Art Post · 4/28/168:53 PM

MELVILLE, N.Y., April 27, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canon Solutions America, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon U.S.A., Inc., today announced it was voted "Company to Watch" by attendees of the Inkjet Summit 2016 , which was held April 18-20 in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. The recognition was presented to the company's Production Print Solutions team during the Awards Dinner on the final night of the event. "The 'Company to Watch' award signifies an intense commitment to the advancement of

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GIntel · 4/27/1612:37 AM

Hey Gang, Try to wrap my hands around the Cash with Order / Check with Order discounts for the various brands. I have a few figured out (Canon 3%, Sharp Toshiba 5%), but trying to understand CWO rates for the following brands: Ricoh (2%?) Samsung Konica Lexmark BSD Kyocera Xerox Any details would be much appreciated. Thanks, Jake

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Old Glory · 4/27/1611:46 AM

Often times, by the time a new rep realizes that there is a difference between "activity" and "productivity" it has become too late.

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Art Post · 4/25/169:28 PM

ability and reliable paper-handling of ID cards, checks, legal-sized documents and long medical forms," said Jim Tamo , senior vice president of global sales and marketing, Visioneer. "We designed the D40 with an extra-wide automatic document feeder to handle warehouse pick tickets, auto dealership contracts and similar forms used with line printers. The Patriot D40 can scan the form without customers first having to tear off the sides of the document, saving a lot of time and reducing the risk of

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Art Post · 4/27/169:55 PM

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) is to hold a sales meeting with Sharp Corp at Foxconn’s plant in Shenzhen, China, next Monday in an effort to help boost the sales of the Japanese company’s products worldwide, a top Hon Hai executive said yesterday. “We plan to discuss sales in Taiwan, Southeast Asia, India, China and Hong Kong during the meeting,” Hon Hai vice chairman Dai Cheng-wu (戴正吳) told reporters on the sidelines of a Sharp product demonstration event at one of Hon Hai’s factories in

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Art Post · 4/27/169:58 PM

Negotiation is sometimes thought of as a competition between two opposing parties -- a process that’s not entirely antagonistic, but also couldn’t exactly be called collaborative. This mindset is particularly understandable -- and dangerous -- in sales. During a tough month or quarter, it’s all too easy to slip into the mindset that your buyer is just a roadblock to hitting your quota, and that attitude lends itself to a combative approach to negotiation. read more here

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Art Post · 4/28/168:49 PM

appliance sales. Part of Japan IT Week, the country’s largest IT show, IST is a key event for risk and security management professionals and those who work in information systems, corporate planning, audit and legal affairs. Japan’s IT security market is the second largest in the world, forecast to grow from $4 billion to $10 billion by 2020. “IST is the leading information security event in Japan, so it is a high-profile platform to showcase our partnership with Canon ITS and our world-leading

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Art Post · 4/25/169:22 PM

April 25, 2016 08:57 AM Eastern Daylight Time MINNEAPOLIS REHOVOT, Israel--( BUSINESS WIRE )-- Stratasys Ltd . (Nasdaq:SSYS), the 3D printing and additive manufacturing solutions company, today announced that it has collaborated with esteemed designers to create the world’s first 3D printed artworks on the company’s breakthrough full color, multi-material J750 3D Printer, launched April 4. The 3D printed pieces – ‘Wolfkiam’ from Nick Ervinck and ‘Polyomino’ from Jose Sanchez – are the first

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Art Post · 4/27/1610:18 PM

, while increasing efficiency. With the HP PageWide XL 8000 printers, RGS has been able to far exceed the print quality of its previous technology, while streamlining operation. RGS, a member of the RGS Group of Cos., selected HP large-format printing technology to handle all of its large-format color printing services because of its quality, speed and versatility. The HP PageWide XL 8000 printers enable the company to produce business presentations, architectural renderings, posters and other color

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Art Post · 4/28/168:57 PM

Tokyo, April 28 (CNA) Sharp Corp. is planning to lay off about 1,000 employees as part of its efforts to strengthen its financial structure after the loss-incurring Japanese firm inked an agreement to sell a majority stake to Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. (鴻海) earlier this month, according to a news report. The Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) said that although Hon Hai had said it would retain as many of Sharp's employees as possible after the acquisition deal, as the Japanese firm's

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Art Post · 4/24/167:19 PM

Get this, I finally get a lead and it's for a new new construction company and they are looking for a wide format copier/printer/scanner system and a color copier. I called and got all of the needs in advance and scheduled an appointment to present and close. For net new we have a special comp plan, pretty much means I make more selling at cost than adding GP (go figure). Thus, I'm walking in with my best pricing scenario, except for another two percent. However, this is a deal for two systems

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Art Post · 4/28/1612:59 PM

Please correct me if I'm wrong. But can't almost any laser printer take a MICR toner cartridge? Meaning I could sell a Ricoh printer as long as there is a remanufacturer that provides a MICR cartridge.

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Andrew Quillen · 4/27/167:16 AM

Art, Ever heard of a battery backup for a Ricoh c6502? I'm involved in a deal for 5 canons and this small canon/Ricoh dealer is throwing in this backup? He asked for 220V so, I am assuming the box is actually the c8002. I'm looking to buy one from a non-competing Ricoh dealer. Andrew

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Larry Levine · 4/25/1610:54 PM

Great one Ray. The first copier demo I did was a Savin 840 liquid copier.

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Andrew Quillen · 4/27/167:48 AM

The rep quoted it as "included" but told him he could only get it from a Ricoh dealer and that it is an $1,800 option. Mind you, he's selling Canon equipment. The accounts print shop is 3 years away, and the account isn't concerned about multiple vendors. I'm glad to see you have the same concerns about this as I did.

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jack carroll · 4/27/169:55 AM

As a senior veteran of the copier wars I can report that you never get the toner out of your blood. Every decade has there bumps, but when I started, SCM only had liquid coated paper copiers ( you know that smelly stuff). Xerox was the only one that had plain paper. Now that was a difficult sale.

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Art Post · 4/27/1610:09 PM

Event

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GIntel · 4/27/1612:19 AM

Hey Gang. Wondering if anyone could sharedetails on Ricoh's Flex Credits, specifically what products are covered right now and what the credit values are. I have this list from 2015 ( http://screencast.com/t/poJSXujk ), do you know if this is still correct or if the products and valueshave changed? Thanks, Jake

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Art Post · 4/29/167:46 AM

This represents a 5% reduction in the workforce.

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Art Post · 4/27/1610:06 PM

( www.bta.org/FIX ) as a post-event workshop to the association’s 2016 BTA National Conference ( www.bta.org/BTANationalEvent ), hosted by BTA Mid-America. FIX attendees will receive free registration to the 2016 BTA National Conference and BTA’s 90 th anniversary event, BTA at 90: A Celebration ( www.bta.org/BTA90 ). Successful BTA dealers use their service departments to maintain profit margins as new equipment sales margins decline. FIX, BTA’s popular service workshop, teaches attendees how to compute

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Techsense · 4/25/169:48 AM

Received this end of last week! " Dear Canon Solutions America Channel Partner, Announcing the Notice to Stop Shipments on the Océ PlotWave 340/360 Products This newsflash announces that the availability of the Océ PlotWave® 340/360 systems are approaching zero inventory. A final Stop notice will be issued once inventory is depleted. A GO bulletin announcing the successor printers to the Océ PlotWave 340/360 will be issued along with the STOP notice." Past experience suggests that they are

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Art Post · 4/25/169:41 PM

Love the crabby demo!!! I had a few crazy demo's too, but can't seem to remember them

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Foxtrot · 4/26/161:07 AM

Great story and the moral of the story is - be creative...

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Art Post · 4/25/1610:07 PM

nothing here, however we're not an OCE/Canon dealer. Has anyone else heard of something new?

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GIntel · 4/28/166:24 PM

Thanks Guys, Art, is Ricoh confirmed at 2%? Is that what you meant in your "should have walked away from this deal" blog?

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Art Post · 4/24/168:20 PM

Ever feel like your dream client is somewhere up in the clouds, completely unreachable? Is it possible to get in front of someone like that? Absolutely: with contact marketing. Not to be confused with content marketing, contact marketing is a fusion of marketing and selling. The term refers to specific marketing campaigns that are designed to connect with specific VIP prospects, whom you would otherwise not be able to reach. We learned about the concept in our recent interview with Stu

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Art Post · 4/25/169:13 PM

Messe Düsseldorf North America 150 North Michigan Avenue Suite 2920 Chicago, IL 60601 drupa cube PROGRAM ANNOUNCED drupa cube, the event and congress destination at drupa 2016, the world's leading trade fair for print and cross-media solutions, will feature some 60 keynote speeches, panel discussions and presentations by international experts (Hall 6, Stand D03). drupa cube sets itself apart from other industry congresses around the globe with its focus on visitor target groups from the

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Art Post · 4/25/169:18 PM

challenges PART 11: Impact of drivers and challenges PART 12: Market trends PART 13: Vendor landscape PART 14: Key vendor analysis For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets....search/gjvn56/global Contacts Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

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Art Post · 4/27/167:58 AM

for the business equipment, imaging, audio visual, and gaming industries. AMETEK Electronic Systems Protection is a unit of AMETEK, Inc., a leading global manufacturer of electronic instruments and electromechanical devices with annual sales of $4.0 billion. To learn more about AMETEK Electronic Systems Protection, visit espsurgex.com