MFP Copier Blog

I'm not sure what the title of this blog will be at this time, and as I get deeper into the story I may come up with it as I write.

About eight months ago I received a lead from my service department about and old Ricoh 1035 that was still in the field. We didn't sell the device new, but somehow ended up as the service provider for a small law firm. No maintenance/supply agreement, just service and bill as needed.

For six months I got not where with phone calls, was never able to get to speak to the DM and was told we'll call you when we're ready. 

Two months ago I decided to pay them a visit while out knocking on doors.  The woman in the office was very friendly, showed me the existing Aficio 1035 and stated that they were just about ready to get rid of that old copier. She asked me to prepare some numbers and she would talk with the DM and schedule a sit down for all of us to review the proposal. 

After asking many questions, and noticing that the Aficio 1035 was not connected to the network, nor did they have a need for 11x17 or stapling,  I thought the best product for them would be the Ricoh MP 501SP with two paper trays, OCR, and Ricoh legal ICE.  I figured competition would come in with A3 devices and try to match the speed. It was a good plan, which also included pricing the system at MSRP.

After many follow up calls, the meeting never happened and I shelved the opportunity for another month out.  About 3 weeks ago I call had a call from that office from an intern.  That intern was tasked with gathering information for the acquisition of the new copier.  We had a few calls by cell and then many text messages in reference to the options. all the while I held my price on the MP 501SP.  We then went silent for about two weeks.

Our intern called and wanted to know why my price was so high? I asked "compared to what", that's when I was informed that he was also pricing the same unit from Amazon. I gave the intern all of the value points and still didn't drop in price, except that I eliminated the OCR and the Ricoh ICE because he believed it was not needed. Okay, so I thought I'm not playing this game any more, I called him back the next day and reduced the price by a few bucks just so I could get this off my plate.

A FEW DAYS LATER, the intern called and left me a message thanking me for the quote and they were going in another direction. I was happy!  I could move on to bigger and better things.

A few days ago I received an email from the same intern.  Seems like they can't get the MP 501SP from Amazon for 30 days or so, and was asked if my price was still the same.  Okay, it's back in my lap,  it's an A4 and it was deleted from my opportunities for the month. This should be quick and easy. I responded with a yes as long as we can wrap it up this week. A few days of silence and I had a call from the women (intern went back to college) I meet many months ago.  They would like to move forward, however they already received the MP 501SP paper tray via Amazon. Could I take that off the price (she also provided with me a part number, how nice). I looked up the part number on google and and saw what they paid. I responded and told her I could take the paper tray, but would only lower the price by $200, they paid $276. She was fine with that. I delivered the paperwork for the purchase, they signed and sent it back. Done!

I'm in the office early Friday and along comes an email from the DM asked me to remove the stand from the quote because they had ordered the cabinet from another supplier.  He stated that they paid $187 for the cabinet and wanted me to reduce that price.  I was like no way am I taking off that much. After a little research I realized they bought the wrong stand, they needed the smaller stand for two paper trays. I told that to the DM and also stated that if he wants me to remove the stand I can take out eighty more dollars.

That worked I got the revised paperwork, copy of the check.  Done again!

What's the moral of the story here? Maybe don't buy from Amazon, or don't let a millennial take charge of buying stuff?  After all of this,  the intern used the internet for all of the pricing. Bought the MP 501SP from one supplier, the paper tray from another and the cabinet from yet another supplier.  My God is this what the future holds for this generation? I thought out loud in the office and exclaimed the intern was more like a silent horse trader. Just searching for the best possible price an oblivious to the value that is provided by a dealer.

Thus, there you have it, if a client tells you they are buying from Amazon, you should make them aware of the wait or just let them buy from Amazon.  Oh, one more thing, at one point the intern had asked me if he bought from Amazon would we provide service for the MP 501SP.  I flat out told him NO.

-=Good Selling=-

Where on the web can you take a walk back down Memory Lane for the Copier Industry? 

We're proud that we have data going back 15 years for press releases, documents, pricing, leads, and our most valued data is the threads from our members over the years.  It's those conversations about pricing, solutions, issues or just needed some help to close a deal that makes the Print4Pay a special place for our members!

Enjoy these threads from 15 years ago this week!

Buyers Laboratory Presents Ricoh

There's an interesting thread below titled A4 Device Poll.  It's a short thread and I disable the poll site years ago. However, from reading the thread it was about ten years ago that A4 devices were starting to talk hold. What I can't believe is that the major A3 manufacturers have continued to lower prices on the A3 boxes and move very slowly with offering full functionality for A4 devices. It's been ten years!

Enjoy the threads from ten years ago this week.

Topic

Weekend Copier Notes from 08/10/08

In the last few weeks, I've had many inquires about the KM 1Rate program.  That's the program that give clients unlimited clicks for a monthly fee. Yes, I stated unlimited clicks.

With the help of P4P Hotel members I've been able to understand the terms and conditions of the program.  Once you understand those you can put together a strategy to point out the good, the bad and the ugly.

In the webinar we'll focus on those terms and conditions and the offer up a strategy to sell against it.

Tentative date for this webinar is scheduled on or around the 7th of September.  Cost is zero for P4P Hotel Premium/VIP members and $19.95 per person for non Premium/VIP or non members of the Print4Pay Hotel.

If you're interested please send me an email and I'll get you on the list. We're looking for fifty or so for the first one. apost@P4photel.com

-=Good Selling=-

Yes, Since Summer is winding down, I thought I'd get back in the groove with the glossary of terms for Color Label Presses.

It was a few months ago when I went cold calling in South Jersey.  I was on the lookout for copiers but also wanted to keep my eyes open for companies that could benefit from a label press or a corrugated press. If you're not familiar with a corrugated press that device will allow a user print graphics for use on card board boxes.

I was able to find three companies that could be deemed as a suspects. Although not a suspect for me at this point in time.

The largest potential came from a franchise operation. One of the items I noticed was cardboard boxes that were covered with ink with the companies branding.  Yes, it was time to ask some questions about those boxes. I found out that this particular location went through and average of 5 boxes per week.  Next question was "how many locations are there?" I was floored with when I heard almost 1,500 locations.  Taking the average of 5 boxes per week and then multiplying by the locations meant that they could be using 30,000 boxes a month.  Annual would be around 360,000 boxes.  That my friends is one hell of a suspect and a follow up is in order.

Ink is all around us, while pages are reducing in the office, ink usage for branding is on fire.  Next time you're at you're favorite gas convenience store, stop and take a look at the opportunities, you'll be floored!

Label Press University

At the top of each blog you'll see .  Clicking that link which is at the top of each blog will then bring you the collection of blogs for Color Label Press University.  It's pretty neat, you'll see all of the blogs that we've posted for an easier read and simple way to toggle from blog to blog.

Color Label Presses can be used as seeding devices in larger Print4Pay opportunities, or help that dealer or rep get a conversation going with an account where they have never had any traction with MFP's or IT services.  In addition, the competition is ripe for takeover.   Let us not forget about the GP!

The market for full color digital labels in huge and the potential to make some serious commissions is enormous.  BTW, isn't that why we're in this crazy business? 

Face-Cut Label:   Any pressure sensitive label where the face material is cut to the liner.
Face Material:  Any paper, film, fabric, laminate or foil material suitable for converting into pressure sensitive label stock. In the finished
construction this web is bonded to the adhesive layer and becomes the functional part of the construction.
Face Slit:   A slit in the face material of a pressure sensitive produce to facilitate removal from the backing.
Face Stock:  See face material.
Fadeometer:   Instrument used to measure the fade resistant properties of inks and other pigmented coatings.
Fading:   A gradual decrease in brilliance of color. The term is often applied to the change in color produced by exposure to light.
Fan Fold:   See continuous labels.
Fatigue:   A condition of stress created by repeated flexing or impact force upon the adhesive-adhered interface.
Feathering:   A defect which is characterized by ragged, coarse edges, or undersirable irregular edges around a print.
Feed Slots:  Round or rectangular holes or slits put in pressure sensitive label stock to maintain the register of pressure sensitive labels
while they are being printed or imprinted.
Festoon:  Material take-up system usually used with a butt splicer in order to continue feeding a press while the splice is being made
on stationary material.
Fill-In:   Generally used to refer to the open portions of small type and half-tones filled by ink.
Filling-In:   Refers to the filling-in of small reverse areas or copy of a printed design.
Film:   A transparent material used for face stock for pressure sensitive labels. Often used in applications requiring maximum
durability.
Film Master:   A photographic film representation of a specific symbol from which a printing plate is produced.
Film Positive:   A positive contact print on a film base material.
Films:   Face and liner material manufactured from synthetic high molecular weight polymers.
FINAT:   European organization of label printers similar to TLMI.
Fineness of Grind:  The degree of grinding or dispersion of a pigment in a printing ink or vehicle. Extent to which particle size has been reduced
to its ultimate by grinding technique.
Fineness of Grind Gauge:  Instrument consisting of a flat block with two calibrated gradient slots from 0 to 0.001 inch on which ink is drawn down with a steel blade. Undispersed pigment or other particles in ink show streaks starting at their particle size.
Finish:  The surface property of a material determined by its texture and gloss. Also an important physical property of paper. It describes surface contour and characteristics measurable by smoothness, gloss, absorbability and print quality. Finish of paper can be aesthetic or functional.
Finishing:   Usually refers to the last thing done prior to shipping, I.e. rewinding, packing, etc.
Fish Eyes:   Round or eye-shaped deformations in a coating (adhesive, release, protective, etc.); craters.
Flag:  A marker, usually strips of colored paper or board, inserted in rolls of pressure sensitive materials and extending from an edge to designate a deviation from standard, such as a splice, defect or specification change. A warning to the operator handling the material during the next operation in the converting process, usually indicating an area that is to be inspected closely.
Flagging:  Usually refer to the 'lifting' of a pressure sensitive label from the surface to which it has been applied. This condition most often occurs when the label has been applied around a curved surface.
Flame-Resistant Paper:  A paper which has been treated with chemicals which enables it to resist flame. While not actually fireproof, it will not support combustion, will char but not carry a flame.
Flammable:   Capable of being ignited.
Flash Point:   The temperature at which a flammable liquid will flash when ignited by small flame passed over the surface.
Flat Pack:   A continuous web folded at a cross perforation at regular intervals. 
Flex:  Another term for deflection of rolls or cylinders in press. Also, bending qualities or characteristics, of any material, including printing substrates.
Flexibility: A property of face materials, measured under specified conditions, that indicates how readily they will conform to curved surfaces.
Flexible Printed Circuit:  A printed circuit or conductive pattern, on or between insulating layers, which remains flexible after processing.
Flexible Die:  See magnetic die.
Flexing:  Condition that can occur on a die when the die circumference is less than the width of the cross-blades. Causes the center of the cross-blades to fail to cut properly and consistently.
Flexlight:   Union Carbide's trademark for photopolymer plate material.
Flexographic Printing:  Formerly called aniline printing. A method of rotary printing that employs flexible, raised relief image plates and rapid-drying
inks.
Flexography:   Relief printing process using a simple inking system and fluid inks.

-=Good Selling=-

"Choose to focus your time, energy and conversation around people who inspire you, support you and help you to grow you into your happiest, strongest, wisest self."

Karen Salmansohn

Conversations are the strongest sales tool that sales reps have in order to effectively build credible relationships between their clients, their brand and their company.

Unfortunately, many in sales believe their customers enjoy working with them because they have the best products and best customer service. You kidding me!

The way sales reps open up new conversations has a direct bearing on the close. They way sales reps open up conversations, the direction they take those conversations along with the strategy behind those conversations; all will have a direct bearing on the close of the sale.

"You never know when one conversation will lead to exponential sales growth."

This is why conversation starters are so important. Because conversations build relationships, and relationships build businesses.

The question to all sales leaders...

How well are your sales reps opening up new conversations?

CONVERSATIONS START IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS

Technology is playing an extremely important role in how sales reps communicate with their clients and prospects. In today's digitally enhanced business world, sales reps must learn how to drive business conversations leveraging many different communication tools.

These conversation starters can be:

• Face to face
• Text messages
• Emails
• Social media posts
• Phone calls

What’s important is that your sales reps create conversations, and whichever channels work are the ones they should use. I hate to tell you this, it's all of them!

WHAT'S BEHIND A VALUE PROPOSITION

What's the value proposition of each and every one of your sales reps? Quite frankly, this is the opening act of their business conversation. Get this wrong and the curtains have closed before the first act!

A value proposition is a promise by your sales reps on behalf of your company. It is an easy-to-understand statement to engage a prospect and or a client to say, "Interesting, can you tell me more?" A value proposition should be a clear statement explaining how they can solve a certain business issue while communicating the message in a convincing manner. The ideal value proposition is concise and appeals to a customer's strongest decision-making drivers.

Simple exercise for all sales leaders, one by one have your sales people share with you their value proposition.

Listen, learn and say with me, "I have some work to do!"

LAZY VALUE PROPOSITIONS

Ask anyone is sales what their value proposition is and watch their reactions. Listen for words such as: "Um", "Well", "Insert laughter"... I'm here to tell you most sales reps have weak value propositions.

All this nonsense around I can save you money has to stop! Sure, this may get some heads to turn but I guarantee it will create a transactional encounter. A transactional encounter will lead to a transactional relationship.

KNOW THY VALUE

By understanding their value, your sales reps will start to open up some amazing new conversations.

Here are a few ideas to stir the new conversation pot...

• "I have some ideas to help you drive more revenue"
• "I have some ideas to help make your business better"

When your sales reps lead with real ideas and real insight they now set the stage for differentiation.

"What are your sales reps bringing to the business table?"

CONTENT STARTS CONVERSATIONS

In a socially connected and digitally driven business world, content opens up new opportunities to drive new conversations. Sales reps must start researching the business problems inside the industries of their clients and prospects.

With a simple Google search, sales people can uncover a ton of information to help them kick start a professional business conversation.

Let's say a sales rep calls into the legal community... imagine opening up a conversation like this...

"In a recent IDC study, lawyers and paralegals lose as much as 2.3 hours a week searching, but not finding, the right documents and another 2 hours recreating documents that can’t found. All told, time wasted in document creation and management activities cost firms $9,071 per lawyer a year or a 9.8% loss in the firm’s total productivity according to the study. Can you imagine the impact this could have on your law firm?"

The question now becomes, do you want your sales reps starting conversations around I can save you money or take the value approach which I guarantee will 10x their results?

"Sales reps won't get to the close unless the open up the conversation correctly"

KNOW YOUR CLIENTS

How well do your sales reps understand their clients, their business and their competitive landscape?

How much do your sales rep care about their clients and prospects? Are they someone who truly cares about improving their business lives? Do they give a rip about them?

Your clients and prospects can see sincerity in your sales reps eyes. They can smell sincerity but all too often what they smell is commission breath spewing out their mouths.

How can your sales reps improve the business lives of their clients and prospects? Quite simple, just ask them. Make it about them.

FINAL WORD

Conversations are the most powerful tool your sales reps have at their disposal to foster relationships with their clients and prospects. Having meaningful conversations is something that can be learned, with focus and practice, all those in sales can become better at it.

I understand, I get where you all are coming from. Every day, I walk in your shoes. I am fully committed to helping your sales team integrate social aspects and modern strategies into your current sales process to grow new business. I want you to get results. This is why I am passionate about doing this the right way, the genuine way, the authentic way!

I'm writing a book. The title is Selling From the Heart! I'm pouring my heart into every page of this book and I think you're going to love it.Enter your email address here in this hyperlink and you'll be updated as the book is released. You'll also become part of our launch team. As a thank you, I'll have some special bonuses waiting for you! 

You can find more advanced training material inside the Social Sales Academy website.

I appreciate getting the opportunity to share my stories. Integrating the use of social and sharing my story on LinkedIn was my “game-changer” in the highly competitive office technology world. With great pride I transform, challenge, coach and inspire sales teams to grow new business by helping them share their story and how they communicate it out by integrating the use of social inside the sales process. You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Social Sales Academy and on my podcast by clicking on Selling from the Heart.

A little of news this week is that the US Dollar is growing stronger vs the Japanese Yen.  When this has happened in the past Japanese copier manufacturers have decreased pricing here in the States.  When you couple this with the Chinese tariffs that may go into effect this week, it could mean that our industry may not see price increases.  Japanese manufacturers might just bite the bullet on the increases in order to keep boxes moving out of the plants.

BTW, the dude in the picture, had just a few too many drinks at the after party from the award night. Can ya tell!

Enjoy the threads from ten years ago this week!

There's an interesting thread below about the Riso V8000 which was a dual color single pass duplicator. At the time I was selling the Ricoh products and all we had was the Ricoh TCII. Where Riso developed a single device that was able to print colors, Ricoh came out with an optional slave device.  You could not print to the Ricoh TCII, in order to get two colors in a single pass, you had to make the masters on a single color Ricoh duplicator.  Once the masters were made you then had to transfer the drums with the masters to the slave unit.  Not the best scenario, however I was able to quite a few of these in printshops.

Enjoy the threads from 15 years ago this week!

To Launch Holding Company

8/5/038:57 AM

-- Canon (nyse: CAJ - news - people ), Fuji Photo Film (nasdaq: FUJIY - news - people ) and Ricoh (otc: RICOY - news - people ). The operations of Konica and Minolta are due to be regrouped in eight business sectors, including the camera and communications equipment divisions, and placed under the control of the holding company. The two firms will cut 4,000 jobs, or about 10% of their combined workforce, on a group basis by 2005. Konica Minolta Holdings is expected to post consolidated sales of

Topic

Court Rules Against Xerox

8/4/037:31 PM

not expected to have any immediate affect on the company's funding of the plan, the company said. The ruling comes as Xerox looks to grow sales of its equipment after enduring years of troubling issues, including a federal probe into its accounting practices. Earlier this week, the company posted slightly lower second-quarter earnings, as weak demand for supplies and services overshadowed improving sales of new copiers and printers. Shares of Xerox closed on Friday at $10.65, off 15 cents.

Topic

Kyocera tops with Technicians

8/4/037:34 PM

This document has been archived, please send me and email if you wouldlike to purchase this document. art @p4photel.com Kyocera Tops with Technicians (August 2004)

Topic

Print Friendly Message Board

8/1/034:57 PM

I was wondering if it would be possible to offer a printer friendly option on the message boards. I often like to print messages or press releases from the boards, but part of the message gets cut off. Great site! Keep up the good work. Tyler

Topic

2035/2045 Print Drivers

Ted · 8/7/0310:28 AM

Has anyone else had this problem? All three of the 2035/2045S/P machines we have gotten in have had only the Scanner/Document Solutions CD, NO Print Driver CD. It is getting real old having to download the drivers at the customers locations when I install. Let us know.

Topic

Ir 105/Ir 105 drawback

8/5/034:24 PM

Both of these Canon systems can not print onto pre-punched three hole paper in the portrait mode! (the system wll go into misfeed). My customer has to run the stock in the 8 1/2 x 11 R (landscape). The system then slows. He then bought a 2105 and 2090 from us! Our 90 and 105 run prepunched throught the RT at full engine speed! Art [This message was edited by Docusultant on Wed August 06 2003 at 05:50 AM.]

Topic

60/75 FYI

8/5/033:49 PM

For those of you who do know and those of you that don't!! The 1060/1075 can run up to 23.5" paper through the bypass. It is really cool. I have a print shop that it going to use it for banner printing!! Happy Selling Melissa

Reply

Re: 400 DPI IMAGE MOVEMENT!!!

Old Glory · 8/1/039:39 AM

We must not forget the Riso V8000 2-color single-pass system. I also can't speak for registration variance Riso vs Ricoh nor TC-II vs. 2 passes. I'm mearly suggesting that it makes for a compelling argument...whether it actually holds water, I don't know. Riso quotes a +or- one millimeter as an "acceptible variance on their current product line not counting the V8000. I don't sell the Ricoh nor do I compete against it so I can't speak to the registration or lack thereof.

Reply

Re: 400 DPI IMAGE MOVEMENT!!!

8/1/0310:07 AM

I thought that 1 mm would be acceptable as well. I think that it is hard to compete trying to sell a dup and a tc11 when there is competitive 1 pass system that will lay two colors well and consistently. I wonder if, in the long term, the RICOH will stay consistent with a certain margin on movment, and the riso will start going all over the place. That I do not know, but that is the argument my higher ups are sticking to. I appreciate everyones input. Thanks again, Brian

Reply

Re: Print Friendly Message Board

Graham · 8/4/0310:00 AM

Try printing landscape and that should help keeping the messages from getting cut off along the right hand side of the page. Graham

Reply

Re: Tattoo Parlors

8/4/031:23 PM

i have always thought about this. I have some friends who own tatoo parlors and I was trying to figure a way to do this. Out of curiosity, what type of paper are they using. I always thought vellum would be great for this, like screen printers do it.

Reply

Re: CDIA TESTING

Scott Holloway · 8/5/037:34 AM

Ricoh University is offering the course study material for $ 325.00 I am looking into the course also.

Reply

Re: Halftones w/JP8500 & Quark

JasonR · 8/5/038:43 AM

thing, since there are only so many dots in the image on the duplicator, and means your files will print faster. When printing to a color copier however, this is a bad thing, since they don't use dots, a low LPI setting will result in "jaggy" images due to the low resolution. Last, i've noticed the LPI setting greatly affects the smothness of Color Blends in Quark. THis only applies to actual blends you create in Quark. Make a box 10 inches long, half an inch wide and tell quark to fill it with a

Reply

Re: Ir 105/Ir 105 drawback

8/6/033:25 PM

I'm not sure, maybe the Canon's don't have three hole punch option on their booklet maker finsiher. He buys pre-pucned paper and was running it throught the Canons Art

Topic

HP 9000MFP Service

Graham · 8/5/032:56 PM

Here's a case study for all of you who find yourselves up against this system (The HP9000MFP Copier/Print/Scan/Fax at 50PPM) Since we are in HP country here in Boise (The home of the HP Printer Division) my church about a year ago was given for free an HP9000MFP on the HP Delta program. When this machine goes down (About bi-monthly it is a secondary device and only has 95000 copies on it) it is down for a week before we can get any kind of resolve. This latest problem was a hard drive failure

Member

Billh

Reply

Re: Does anyone know

8/6/039:31 PM

You must print out the config page and get the accurate page volume. From there you have to find out when the unit was purchased and the 'assume' the monthly volume. I do not know of any other way to get the iformation, unless there might be a way through HP jet admin. Art

Reply

Re: TRUE Volumes for 90-105 Units

8/7/034:34 PM

VOLUME 360k Between Scheduled PM 125k month is the EXPECTED VOLUME And now for the IMPORTANT number... The MCBF (Mean Copies/Prints Between Service Calls) is 98,000. This is the number that we really need to know. Hope this helps out, these are reality figures that I just got in our Lanier High Volume training. Thanks Graham

Reply

Re: Does anyone know

8/7/036:21 PM

This might be more than you asked for, but here goes... The Configuration page lists current settings and properties of the printer. Print a Configuration page from the printer, the embedded Web server, or the HP Color LaserJet 2500 Toolbox. To print the Configuration page from the printer, press (GO) and (CANCEL JOB) simultaneously. (The Supplies Status page also prints. If an HP Jetdirect print server card is installed, the HP Jetdirect page listing the HP Jetdirect information prints as

-=Good Selling=-

Note from Art:  This blog was not written by me, however, I received permission from FP to repost on our site, I thought this would be a good read for everyone.  Enjoy!

To quote Brent Hoskins, Executive Director and BTA Editor, “Our industry [business technology] has a rich history of significant transitions…the inherent nature of change is that new, lucrative opportunities abound.” I couldn’t agree with this sentiment more. Change means new opportunity and in the business technology industry new opportunities are on the horizon. As this industry continues to consolidate and the sales environment gets more competitive, one of the key issues I hear from the dealer channel is: how do I differentiate from the competition so I don’t have to sell everything only on price?

In order to differentiate you have to be open to new ideas and to potentially changing what you’re used to doing. Expanding your thinking could lead to expanding your installed base into other markets in order to get ahead of the competition.

Did you know, there are approximately one million meter customers in the United States? If you’re a mailing dealer you’ve been thinking about this number from the beginning. But if you’re not, you’re probably not aware that in any given year, there are hundreds of thousands of meter customers who are in need of new equipment. This could be due to their current meter contract expiring, poor service from their provider or failing and faulty equipment. The opportunity in the mailing industry is open for hunting season.

ADVANTAGES OF INTRODUCING MAILING

Mailing has been around for a long time in the copier and print world, but many dealerships haven’t spent the time or been educated on understanding the advantages of what mailing can do for their business. If you look at a copier dealer’s installed base, I would venture that 90 percent of those customers have mailing equipment. That means that up to 20% of these customers are looking for new equipment each year, and additional revenue opportunity is being missed. The same is probably true for your installed base.

Another missed opportunity is your competitor installed base. By not having mailing in your product catalog, you are less likely of getting a foothold in your competitor’s base is obsolete. Imagine offering mailing and going after your competitions customers, how many meters could you place?

Since their not currently offering mailing your chance to win the meter sale is high. Now the relationship is in place to replace their competitive copier and printers with yours, adding a whole new level of revenue to your stream.

MANUFACTURERS

When looking to diversify into any new product lines, you need to consider your manufacturer very carefully. Some things to consider from a meter manufacturer are market opportunity, product quality, service, support, pricing, compensation, market development funds, quotas, dealer structure and potential channel conflict. As a dealer, you want to make sure that the manufacturer is well-equipped to support its dealers. Do your research, get references, ask other dealers about their experience, and then make your decision. After going through this process, the answer should become fairly clear.

OUTLOOK

Mailing is still a very good industry that provides dealers with plenty of revenue and margin opportunity. However, to really grow will require some level of diversification of product offering. If you are not in mailing today, you should take a look as there is a great opportunity to grow your installed base and grow revenues from your existing base. What’s great about mailing is it’s a complimentary product line to copiers and printers. It also provides great differentiation from your competition. It provides
additional revenues – sales and recurring – from your own installed base. It also provides an avenue to grow your installed base of customers. It is a winning formula.

http://www.fp-usa.com/transiti...t-ahead-competition/

It's hard top believe that Global has been around for more than 15 years now.  There's a thread below about them making their 60th acquisition.  My how time flies.