This Week in the Copier Industry 15 Years Ago

Last Week of December 2007

It's official we're down to the last 2 weeks of the year and in two weeks we'll start another weekly series for This Week in the Copier Industry 20 Years Ago. I'm looking forward to see the hot topics from when I just started this site and all of threads from our members.

ENJOY These awesome copier threads from 15 years ago!

This Week in the Copier Industry 10 Years Ago

Last Week of December 2012

We're down to the last week of the month (at least for me) for some of us, while others will end on the last day of this month. My month ends on the 23rd of each month.  At first I was annoyed when that model was implemented many years ago, however I've now grown to love it!  I now have two weeks to drive business because that's what our industry have driven for end of the month business.  In fact we've conditioned about prospects and clients for the last week of the month.

For me, those that close early can close more often!

Enjoy These great Copier Threads from 10 Years Ago This Week!

"A man's character may be learned from the adjectives which he habitually uses in conversation."

Mark Twain

What adjectives are you using when engaging in conversation with your clients?

The words and messaging you use will either connect you to your clients or disconnect you from your clients. Think about it.

The language you are using right now with your clients is it clear, concise and full of familiar words?

To quote John C. Maxwell,

“Connecting is the ability to identify with people and relate to them in a way that increases your influence with them.”

Are you communicating or connecting with your clients?

Interesting statement to ponder, isn't it?

Connecting and communicating often are used interchangeably. It's fair to say those in sales can communicate, however; how many are successfully connecting and with meaning?

Communication occurs with your voice, hands, eyes, and body language. Your words may be heard loud and clear, but... Do your clients feel the emotions behind them?

Connecting with your clients goes beyond your words

To really connect with your clients, you must think beyond your words. You must communicate your feelings and attitudes.

Sales reps communicate to connect on a surface level, sales professionals communicate to connect below surface level. One moves the relational needle. Can you guess which one?

Critical things to consider fostering client connection:

Verbal connection - Your clients will respond to the words you use by the tone of your voice. The way you use your messaging will draw your clients in or push them away.

Emotional connection - How you act has the power to draw your clients in or alienate them. Your attitude speaks volumes! This shows more than your words could ever be heard by your clients.

Visual connection - Well before you speak, your clients have already formed a visual impression of you. It's about how you look, dress, and behave; couple this with your online presence... starting to get the picture?

Intellectual connection - Big fancy sales crapola jargon doesn't make you smarter. Often speaking in simple language and using more common words will build more trust, credibility and connection.

Are you communicating information succinctly, so people understand quickly, without having to decipher complicated sentences or vague sales jargon?

To my sales community... You owe it to the person you are communicating with to engage in conversation simply and clearly. Please remember, the primary goal of communication is to convey information.

Let's stop right here for a moment, and recite to yourself... If people understand more of what I'm saying, would they likely feel that I make sense?

To further drive this home, I will defer to the entrepreneur, Stephen Wang, who said,

“No matter what job you have in life, your success will be determined 5 percent by your academic credentials, 15 percent by your professional experiences and 80 percent by your communication skills.”

Plain, simple language removes barriers between your clients, your future clients and yourself. This will set you apart from all the other salespeople. This allows you to move from communication to connection. And isn't this what you want?

CLEAR COMMUNICATION ALLOWS CONNECTION

"Speak clearly, if you speak at all; carve every word before you let it fall."

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

Was Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. onto something when it came to communication?

Back in the 1800's, he surrounded himself with the literary legends, such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Together, they left a massive imprint within the literary world of the 19th century that flows right into the present.

Why am I bringing this into this message? Because of another one his quotes...

"Language is the blood of the soul into which thoughts run and out of which they grow."

Whether you're a tenured salesperson or just starting out your career, the language you use, how you communicate it and how well you engage in meaningful conversations are foundational skill sets you must master to catapult your sales career.

Salespeople, well over 200 years ago they were writing about it.

Connection leverages influence. Are you influencing your clients? If not, then who is?

Two commonly used phrases in sales, "People buy from people" and "People buy from people they know, like and trust." Many throw these phrases around, but how many are building their people and relational skills to bring these two phrases to life?

Therefore, if you want to elevate yourself to new sales heights, you must hone in on developing your conversational, people and relational skills.

STOP THE SALES JARGON AND CONNECT

Allow this quote to sink in for a moment,

"Jargon allows us to camouflage intellectual poverty with verbal extravagance."

David Pratt, Foreign Editor, Sunday Herald

What's concerning is how many salespeople use the same, overused sets of sales jargon to describe situations as a replacement for just speaking plain old normal language.

Way too many in sales rely on buzzwords to communicate concepts rather than explaining what they mean.

Do you think this makes you sound or look smart? I guarantee it only adds more confusion especially when your clients need clarity.

So, here's my question to you all... Are you using simple and straightforward language to connect with your clients?

Hiding behind catch phrases and buzzwords is not a cool way to lead your sales life.

COMPLICATED WORDS CREATES DISCONNECTION

Allow this quote to sink in...

“The definition of genius is taking the complex and making it simple.”

Albert Einstein

Attention salespeople... Stop hiding behind complex sales phrases, jargon and crapola!

Empty sales reps cover up their lack of understanding and experience with science, jargon, and overly complicated sales phrases, all because they think it sounds good.

Hello! All this does is confuse, alienate and distract you and your clients from business betterment.

You can't hide behind simplicity. Think about it.

Salespeople and yes, even sales leaders... Your clients deserve plain, simple and easy to understand language when communicating with them.

• Simplicity gets your message across.
• Simplicity is understandable.
• Simplicity requires less time to explain.

In other words, using unclear and overly complicated cliche ridden sales jargon reflects upon you with unclarity and canned thinking.

SIMPLE CONVERSATION FOSTERS CONNECTION

Are you connecting or disconnecting when conversing with your clients?

How are you conveying to your clients how you can help?

The words and messaging you use are your tools, choose them carefully.

Your ideas and solutions can be complex and sophisticated, however; you must be able to communicate clearly and concisely to create ease of understanding.

In a conversation, the only thing you can control is yourself, your behavior, and how you carry yourself. Just imagine how your conversation will be if you are speaking effectively and listening consciously. You can leave a conversation energized, inspired and action oriented.

Remember this... Are you communicating with your clients to help them become better or to impress yourself with bug fancy words and catch phrases?

NO SUBSTITUTE FOR SIMPLE BUSINESS CONVERSATION

To quote Albert Einstein,

"If you can’t explain something simply, you don’t understand it well.”

Using plain and simple language is not a sign of sales weakness!

Industry jargon can become a habit. Unfortunately, many salespeople fail to realize they are using complex language.

Salespeople assume it sounds impressive to use big words and flowery sales language.

Salespeople believe that they are “dumbing it down” when they use plain words.

I ask all of you to...

• Ditch your ego - An important part of embracing plain language is letting go of your desire to use impressive words.
• Keep it simple - Use familiar and easy to understand words.

Think about simplicity as you watch the following video, courtesy of Siegel and Gale. They are a brand strategy and design company out of New York City. Its corporate tagline is “Simple is smart.” Each year, they release a study called a "The World's Simplest Brands".

Are you keeping things simple?

Sir Richard Branson said,

"Complexity is your enemy. Any fool can make something complicated. It is hard to make something simple."

Simplicity creates connection and simplicity creates loyalty!

Would you like to increase your sales success and fulfillment?

This was my goal when recording all-new materials for the new Selling from the Heart Masterclass, to increasing your sales success and fulfillment in your business.

If you enjoyed the Selling from the Heart book, you’re going to love this masterclass! It takes the tools given to the next level.

Have yet to read Selling from the Heart? No worries, you will receive an audio version as a part of the Masterclass. As an option you can get a free signed copy of Selling from the Heart (just pay for shipping and handling).

You can get your copy here - https://www.sellingfromtheheart.net/book

Together, we will go on a journey where we’ll dive into how to apply the ideas in the book to help you achieve even greater sales success.

With each of the 10 sessions, you’ll receive questions that will help you increase your sales in a way that also makes selling more enjoyable and fulfilling.

This masterclass is configured with you in mind where you can complete the course in chunks from any mobile device, iPad or computer, based on your availability.

You’ll also discover fun bonus materials throughout the course.

ACCESS THE MASTERCLASS HERE.

This Week in the Copier Industry Five Years Ago

The Last week of December 2017

I'm a firm believer in thanking others that help you.  Last week I was able to win an order for a wide format Contex 36" color scanner. I was able to win because of the support from National Azon.  The peeps at National Azon were able to tell me what I need to meet the needs of the client and urged me to ask the client additional questions that helped us.  Thanx to the team at National Azon

Enjoy These great Copier Threads from 5 Years Ago This Week!

Image

Mita DC 191 Copier

Art Post · 12/28/1711:51 AM

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Mita DC-2055 Copier

Art Post · 12/28/1711:58 AM

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Minolta 450Z

Art Post · 12/28/1710:41 AM

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Mita 900D Copier

Art Post · 12/28/1711:45 AM

HACKED!

12/16/2022

Instagram Looks to Make Regaining Your Hacked Account Easier ....The social media site sets up a new hub meant to help users with hacked or disabled accounts, forgotten passwords, and other issues.

TPG reports thousands of business email accounts hacked | Kalkine Media - YouTube....TPG Telecom says up to 15000 email accounts of business customers hacked.#TPG #TPGTelecom #emailaccounts #cybercrime #hacked #hackers # Mandiant .

FuboTV Says It Was Victim of “Criminal Cyber Attack” in World Cup Streaming Outage....FuboTV was hacked in a "criminal cyber attack" during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, causing an outage, the company says.

Social Blade admits to being hacked - Cybernews....A popular data analytics tool that tracks YouTube and other major social media platforms has admitted to being hacked.

FBI Data and Threat Website Hacked - The Dispatch....The FBI's Information Sharing Portal Has Been Hacked. Hackers have breached the FBI's InfraGard website and are offering to sell the contact ...

-=Stay Safe=-

~ DocuWare receives NF552 certification for DSGVO making it easier for US organizations using DocuWare comply with data privacy laws~

DocuWare is first DMS provider to receive NF552 certification for DSGVO

Beacon, NY, December 15, 2022 - DocuWare, the leading provider of document management and workflow automation solutions, has received the NF552 certification for its Version 7 software solution. It was issued by the French auditors INFOCERT/AFNOR, who are accredited by COFRAC.

Secure digitization of records is becoming the required norm across business and therefore the protection of personal data is a top priority. Since 2018, the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) has regulated the processing of personal data within the European Union, but any public or private organization that collects and stores personal data of EU citizens must comply with this regulation - regardless of its location.

DSGVO is a European law in which 28 member states have participated to further guarantee the protection of personal data in these member states and to offer all EU citizens a uniform level of data protection. As with GDPR, all European and non-European-based companies that process data in Europe must comply. Individual member states can draw up their own additional rules to strengthen data privacy compliance within their own countries.

DocuWare is the first DMS provider whose solution has received the new NF552 certification in France, making it easier for organizations doing business with France to comply to their specific data privacy restrictions.

Max Ertl, President DocuWare Group, states: "We are particularly proud of the new certification for our document management solution. It underscores the quality of our software solution and guarantees transparency as well as a high level of security. It allows us to help our customers meet compliance requirements with minimal effort. This is an advantage that should not be underestimated in today's world. More than ever, companies need to ensure that the data they process and store is handled securely and confidentially within the legal framework."

Once configured at the customer site, DocuWare solutions comply with the "Privacy by Design" and "Privacy by Default" principles which cover:

- Security

- Integrity

- Data availability

- Archiving, cleansing and updating of data

- Proof of consent

- Information to individuals

- Minimization of data

For information on the full extent of DocuWare’s certification in the areas of compliance, data privacy and beyond, visit DocuWare.com/compliance

HACKED!

12/14/2022

FBI's Vetted Info Sharing Network 'InfraGard' Hacked -....FBI's Vetted Info Sharing Network 'InfraGard' Hacked. December 13, 2022. 1 Comment. InfraGard, a program run by the U.S. Federal Bureau of ...

TPG reveals emails of 15000 iiNet and Westnet customers exposed in hack - ....Data and computer security · Cybercrime · Internet · Medibank · Hacking · news

Australian internet services provider hacked - Business Insurance....Internet services provider TPG Telecom Ltd. became the latest Australian company to fall victim to a high-profile cyberattack, ...

Uber Confirms Data Breach after Third-Party Vendor Gets Hacked | Spiceworks .....According to a series of data leak posts on the hacking forum BreachForums discovered and reported by BleepingCoumputer, a threat actor calling ...

Hackersera'S Research On Canbus Hacking Draws Attention Of Cybersecurity Experts....BlackHat Middle East and Africa (BlackHat MEA) held the world's largest annual cybersecurity and hacking convention in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Payment Giant Exposed 9 Million Credit Card Transaction Records - HackRead....Hackers show US Police Department Vehicles can be hacked ... Surveillance and Hacking News with full-scale reviews on Social Media Platforms ...

-=Stay Safe=-

I always like to start these Christmas blogs with a post with some snippets about Christmas tradition in other countries.

Ireland

Christmas for Irish people, who are Catholics, lasts from Christmas Eve to the feast of Epiphany on January 6th, which some Irish people call 'Little Christmas'. Epiphany isn't now widely celebrated in Ireland.

In Ireland, many people will put up their decorations, including the Christmas tree, on December 8th, which is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

There is an old tradition that in some Irish houses (although now not many), people put a tall, thick candle on the sill of the largest window after sunset on Christmas Eve. The candle is left to burn all night and represents a welcoming light for Mary and Joseph.  you can read more here

This blog will mark the fifteenth blog that I've posted over the years for "What I Want for Christmas" from Ricoh.  Over the years I've asked Ricoh to supply me with new products, and services that could help me sell more Ricoh stuff! There's ac couple of retreads from last year because I still need these! That's all I want is some cool new stuff for Christmas.

Geesh, what do I want this year, hmmmm…..now some of these are replays from last years wishes, but if you don't ask you don't get!

To Ricoh "What I Want for Christmas 2022"

1. I could really use some inventory on A4 MFPs both color and black this would make an awesome gift for the new year!  This way I would not have to turn away clients for 2023.

"Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?"

2. What about giving us a 70/80/90 page a minute A4 black MFP's?  Ya know something we can crush the market with?  But they would have to come with finishing capabilities and have the cost per page model of A3 devices!

"Remember the night we broke the windows in this old house? This is what I wished for"

3. Year after year I keep wishing for a toner based color wide format MFP that will print 36 rolls of paper. In addition could you make this device print onto different substrates rather than bond paper?

"Now, you listen to me! I don't want any plastics, and I don't want any ground floors, and I don't want to get married - ever - to anyone! You understand that? I want to do what I want to do. And you're... and you're..."

4. I know I'm asking a lot, but how about some faster print speeds for black (more than 6.8) and color wide format (ink) MFP's? I've got devices in the field due for upgrades and there is no path to help those clients.

"Merry Christmas, movie house! Merry Christmas, Emporium! Merry Christmas, you wonderful old Building and Loan!"

5. How about some more videos of your products on YouTube.  However not those generic ones with the nice music and graphics.  I'd like to have more detailed videos that show features and how they will help my clients with their business processes. The world is all about video now.

"You've been given a great gift, George: A chance to see what the world would be like without you"

6. How about one single A3 model that can cover both black and color, along with speed licensing from 20-60 pages per minute?  In addition all of the accessories would be the same.  This would be awesome because we would only have to stock one MFP and dealers could buy and sell annual speed licenses (turn the speed up or down).

What is it you want, Mary? What do you want? You want the moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down. Hey. That's a pretty good idea. I'll give you the moon, Mary.

7. Oh boy, if could supply us with the one A3 MFP to cover replace the eight devices we have to buy now. The I hope you could also give us a variable speed license to sell.  Just think how awesome that could be for clients to speed it up or slow it down when needed!

Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?

8. Can we please get wifi added to all of our devices as a standard feature?  This would make life so much easier in hybrid work office environments.

"HOT DOG"

9. I would like you to call George Kurtz and cut a deal to buy Crowdstrike!

For all of our readers that sell different brands, we would love to hear what you would like from your manufacturer.  Merry Christmas to all!

To Ricoh "What I Want for Christmas in 2021"

To Ricoh "What I Want for Christmas in 2020"

To Ricoh "What I Want for Christmas in 2019"

To Ricoh "What I Want for Christmas in 2018"

To Ricoh "What I Want for Christmas in 2017"

What I Want for Christmas from Ricoh 2016

What I Want for Christmas from Ricoh 2015

What I Want for Christmas from Ricoh 2014

What I Want for Christmas from Ricoh 2013

What I Want for Christmas from Ricoh 2012

What I Want for Christmas from Ricoh 2011

What I Want for Christmas from Ricoh 2008

What I Want for Christmas from Ricoh 2006

-=Good Selling=-

HACKED!

12/13/2022

TPG Telecom says up to 15000 email accounts of business customers hacked ....Australia's No. 2 telecom provider TPG Telecom Ltd said on Wednesday its cyber security adviser Mandiant notified the company of unauthorised ...

BMW "Hacked" In Weird Teaser Campaign For Something Called Dee - Motor1.com....At first, it had more than a few people wondering if the German brand had actually been hacked. Commandeering multiple social media channels at once ...

HR tech firm hacked | HRD America....Sequoia Benefits and Insurance Services has announced that it was recently hacked, and that customers of its Sequoia One business may have their ...

Stan Swamy's computer was hacked since 2014, says U.S. forensic firm - The Hindu....The forensic investigation has connected that the same attacker hacked the computers co-accused Rona Wilson and Surendra Gadling in the Bhima ...

Lockbit ransomware gang hacked California Department of Finance - Security Affairs....LockBit ransomware gang hacked the California Department of Finance and threatens to leak data stolen from its systems.

Twitter denies it has been hacked again - Fudzilla....Data circulating was stolen in an old hack Twitter confirmed that a "new" leak of millions of members' profiles, including private phone n...

Twelve Days of Hacking: Cyber crooks geared up for holidays - Fort Worth Business Press....Get ready for the Twelve days of Hacking. Cybercriminals are gearing up for the holiday season and they're after your money.

-=Stay Safe=-

HACKED

12/12/2022

Shocking! Samsung Galaxy S22 hacked in less than a minute - Mint....Interestingly, the Galaxy S22 phone was hacked four times during the event held from December 6 to December 8.

Elite Hackers Made Almost $1 Million Last Week, Here's How....The Sonos One smart speaker was also hacked. Hacking is not a crime. None of the zero-days are sold or redistributed by ZDI, instead, the ...

Uber has been hacked yet again with code and employee data released online...The unimaginative hacker goes by the name of “UberLeak” with a post on BreachForums that reads “hacked by autistic fisherman Arion and scammed all ...

This DeFi Protocol Just Got Hacked for $6.9 Million – Here's What Happened - Crypto News....Lodestar Finance, a DeFi protocol built on Ethereum's Arbitrum network, lost $6.9m in an exploit this weekend where an attacker manipulated a ...

NFT Project SATO's Proof all set to recover 1132 hacked BTC - AMBCrypto....Recently, the Twitter account “Where is my 1132 BTC” has received a lot of attention, describing the incident of 1132 BTC lost by hacking in a ...

Is Your Money Safe? Capital Region Bank Accounts Being Hacked....Trustco Bank's Executive Vice President, Robert Leonard, explains that a relatively small amount of debit cards were hacked, and that those who ...

Black Hat Europe redux: The top web hacking talks for 2022 | The Daily Swig - PortSwigger....Among other things, the researchers explained how “failing harder” requires “lots of time spent researching systems before they can be hacked”.

-=Stay Safe=-