Geesh, I grabbed and extra day to stay in San Diego after the Print Audit Top 100 Summit, come home on Sunday to find that Larry Levine, and Darrell Amy already wrote about the happenings of the event (dagnabit).  Can't wait until next year's event!

During one of the open discussions, that's where our moderator threw out questions to the attendees, the first question posed was, "what is your biggest challenge to your business?" 

First Business Challenge

Now, I was thinking along the lines of competition, eroding margins, declining pages, but the first challenge that a dealer principal put out there was, "finding qualified sales people".  As I looked around the room, I saw quite a few other principals give the old head nod that they too were having the same challenge. 

We could interpret "qualified sales people" as those that are successful earners, or successful prospectors and of course those that can earn and prospect, right?

In 36 years, I can probably count the guys and gals on two hands that have stayed in the industry for more than 5 years. Our industry just seems to churn through sales people at an alarming rate. 

Why is that?

Is there something wrong with our process of hiring sales people? I'm no HR person, but I do know of many companies that use the Caliper test to higher sales people. From what I've seen, the test seems to be worthless when you only keep one out of twenty hires for more than a few years!

Pro Scouting

My son Nick starting playing baseball at the age of 5.  For some reason he took a liking to the game and many summer nights would find him and I having throwing and catching games in the yard. That repetition and muscle memory from our catching games allowed him to develop into a decent ball player.  As he got older he was good enough in High School to make the Varsity Team  as a Freshman (they put him on late in the season), and he got his first start as a Freshman. He did pretty well.

At the end of High School, a few Pro Scouts had been in touch, but nothing materialized.  Nick ended up getting almost a full scholarship to pitch at a Division 2 College, and then excelled at that level also.

I had the opportunity to talk with a few Pro Scouts, and with Nick at 6'1" and topping out at 91 mph, being a right handed pitcher, there 500 other guys just like him.  Here's what the Pro Scout told me, "we can't teach 95 mph, we can teach mechanics, we can teach how to locate, we can teach grips and pitches, thus we'll take the guy who can hit 95 and can't pitch, because we can teach him the rest."

Wow, being an avid baseball fan and a coach for more than 20 years, I agree that you can't teach 95mph.

How Were You Hired?

Back in 1981, there was no tests to get hired.  In 1981, I was hired as a technician, after 90 days I was brought in for a review with the dealer principal. That review did not go well, I was told I was excellent at taking the copiers apart, however not so good at putting them back together (ouch). I was being laid-off! 

Before I left, the dealer principal reached into his pocket and pull out a couple of $100 bills. He then asked, "What would rather do to earn that $200, would you like to work another week, or would you like to try to talk me out of it?"

Ok, I thought, I love money and I especially love EASY money. I stated that I would try to talk him out of it. After 10 minutes of trying and failing, I was not able to talk him out of the $200 bucks.  But, I was offered a job to sell copiers!

Desire

Just as you can't teach someone to throw 95 mph, you either have 95 mph or you don't have it.

The same is true with Desire, you can't teach desire!  Desire is innate, you either have it or you don't have.  My innate desire is to make money, always has been and always will be. From having that lemonade stand on the corner, to the paper route, I had the innate desire to make money at an early age.

Desire Test

Is there a test you can take to find if a potential applicant has that innate desire to make money? 

There's only one that I know of, and that's one that reserved for the dealer principal.  Once you've identified an applicant as worthy, then give them the $500 desire test, the same way it was given to me.

Put the $500 bucks on the table and ask the applicant how they would like to make that $500, either by working a week or trying to talk you out it.  If they can give you a couple of minutes of trying to talk you of the $500 bucks, don't give them the $500 , but offer them a job in sales, because those are the applicants you want for sales.

For those that want to work a week, give them the boot!

-=Good Selling=-

Wouldn’t it be great if we humans could program our minds to dream of practical things? My answer - hell no! Although I believe many wish they could. In this information-driven world, we can learn so much today that we had no concept of yesterday. This fact is multiplied when we welcome time for our imaginations. So many of us get stuck in the routine commonality of what they do, their reality, they forget to nourish their most valuable asset their Imaginations. Things which are practical are always known, things which are revolutionary usually have no history to help us decide the merits of taking action. So those who stifle their imaginations or live with tunnel vision, will believe that sticking with what they know is a better gamble.

“In leadership, the void of imagination is cancer to the business. The future is unknown unless of course, you are the gypsy with the crystal ball. For the rest of us, our crystal ball must be our imagination.”

 Imaginations are the keys to finding something new, never get so consumed by the need to know everything’s outcome, before you welcome the time for your own imaginations input. When imaginations collaborate the outcomes will cause change. When imaginations are held prisoner by our need for absolutes, or quickly dismiss things which are unclear we will find ourselves in the dungeon of status quo wondering why things don’t get better.

We must allow our imagination time to think about and digest what could be or what should be.

Next time you meet with peers and the conversation is consumed with talk about what it is, lead the conversation to what it could be, what should it be, or even more provocative talk about what happens without the familiarity of what it is, that commonality which ties the group together in the first place.

I was thinking of some of the interesting missed opportunities and how imaginations could create new opportunities. Here are some things I can imagine - imagine along with me. 

Should cable providers be talking about a better cable service or talking about how the social media industry could be the future of video content delivery? Then collaborate their imaginations allowing them to visualize how they live in a world without cable. Or will they wait for Facebook to broadcast the Super Bowl? Allowing fans the ability to communicate online while they watch on their 90" flat screen using airplay. Can you imagine the advertising dynamic? What can the cable industry imagine? Or will the cable industry say we didn’t see that coming? Will they get UBERED?  

Should the print/copy industry be talking about a better printer, or fancy new ink in a dying industry or collaborating their imaginations with those who provide a means to read documents which are void of print? After all, don’t most of us read and distribute more documents on our phones than our printers or copiers? Does this give Samsung an advantage? Samsung sells why more phones then Printers. Can print providers imagine what could be or will they stay stuck in what is? Do they understand the danger of ignoring the word currently and its definition? Everyone knows sooner or later everything ends.

What if the taxi industry was not so stubborn to their way of business, and actually collaborated their imagination with technology companies, what if they used their imagination and welcomed the imagination from those they were confused by. The very first time a cab driver used his phone to navigate to the customer's distention and then collect payment on his phone using Square, the Uber concept was staring them in the face. So what if they used their imagination, what if they collaborated their imagination with those technologies which gave them directions and help collect their money.

 The sad thing is this without collaborating Imaginations more and more industries will get UBERED.

What if Barnes & Noble became a destination for all those home office professionals? Barnes & Noble has fantastic facilities and they proudly serve Starbucks. The square footage in Barnes & Nobel is ten times that of a standalone Starbucks. Over the last few months, as I transition careers, I have worked from many Starbucks across the country. They are always packed many business people call them their office. So what if every town had a Mega Starbucks in partnership with Barnes & Noble. They would have large conference rooms, play areas for Kids, delivery points for Amazon goods. Barns & Noble only sees themselves selling books. If they used their imaginations they would see themselves as the home office destination king which proudly serves Starbucks. After all working from the home model is only gaining in popularity. The question is, can Barnes & Noble imagine a life without dependency on books? Do they continue to fight or collaborate with amazon?

“Those who understand and embrace things which are different and collaborate imaginations will be the disruptors of their industry while those in the borders sleep away in their comfort zone of commonality”

The greatest asset we have is our imagination and when we collaborate with the imaginations of others we will discover the gift of something different, the gift of creating something new.

If anyone wants to collaborate with my imagination, call me.

R.J. Stasieczko

It's obvious that HP's CEO Deon Weisler may not have the pulse of the copier channel especially when he releases a statement that reads:

"What we're doing is disrupting an outdated, old $55 billion copier market with superior multi-functional printing and that's the core takeaway. 

Some questions I'd like to ask Weisler would be:

1.  How is the current copier channel out dated?  

Last time I checked Samsung also uses Xerographic technology to print & copy.

2. Why are you investing into the A3 copier channel when more than 90% of pages printed or copied are not 11x17? 

At a recent Summit held by Print Audit, InfoTrends reported 1.6 trillion pages printed and 821 billion of those pages were printed/copied on A4 devices.  In addition, InfoTrends predicts a drop of 15%-20% of pages printed with the next recession.

3. In a recent statement HP reported that Samsung has built solid A3-sized MFP's that deliver the power, simplicity, reliability and ease-of-use if standard printers with as few as seven replaceable parts.  Can you please elaborate on the "as few as 7 replaceable parts?" 

Last time I check with one of my Samsung dealers there are a whole heck of a lot more parts than seven.

4. How do you plan to disrupt the copier channel with superior copier technology from Samsung? 

Especially when chatter has it that many dealers are unhappy with Samsung and the products.

5. Is your plan to take the best of the Samsung MFP technology and marry it with your PageWide Technology to produce a new hybrid ink based MFP? 

If so, what are your plans to offer the same quality prints that are produced by a laser engine? 

Lastly, there is no "copier" industry anymore.  I don't believe there has been a copy machine manufactured in the last fifteen years.  Yes, there are multi-functional devices that will print, copy, scan and fax, but the death of the copier (copy machine) happened many years ago.

I'm not an industry analyst, nor do I consult or invest with any of the major copier manufacturers.  What I do have is 36 years of experience in the industry and a whole heck of a lot of common sense.

Comments, would love to hear from others on this!

-=Good Selling=-

I had the privilege and honor in attending the Print Audit Top 100 Summit in San Diego, California, September 7-10, 2016; as a sponsor and speaker.

This event stamped in my mind, this is one helluva a great time to be working inside the office technology environment. The team at Print Audit led by John MacInnes brought the brightest minds together inside the imaging industry to help chart their own course. From copier dealer principals through to sales teams the business world is your "Oyster". The time is now to unite and work together to help build the business model of the future, a model which will bring back margins, growth and sustainability.

For those who feverishly speak about print is dead... No, print is not dead as some may think it is. During the summit David Ramos from InfoTrends provided some staggering numbers: 1.6 trillion-total office+production pages printed in US | 838 billion-pages coming out of the office (segs 1-5) | 628 billion-pages from A4 devices | 193 billion-pages from A4 color. 

From a pure sales perspective, my take during the summit... the business workplace has changed. No longer is it about the copier, the MFD (Multi-functional device) or whatever copier sales reps love calling devices which kick out paper. The time is now to...

"Innovate in your own Industry"

Industry pundits and experts, inside the office equipment space; continually suggest Copier Dealerships must adopt, repackage, retool and go to market as Managed Service Providers (Managed IT, Managed Network and Managed Print). During the Top 100 summit it was clear to me the business model must change to remain relevant inside an ever-changing office environment.

As a recovering copier sales rep, I am continually blown away as all of the focus is being placed on what copier dealers need to do to succeed inside the office equipment environment. Yes, copier dealerships need a dose of reality and accept the fact they must CHANGE their mindsets and become open to CHANGE if their dealerships are to succeed into the future.

I am here to inform you all if your dealerships are to succeed into the future, one thing has to happen immediately... Your sales reps need to transform!

Haters will hate and this is fine. Dealer principals can spend all the money they want on repositioning themselves with credible looking websites and fancy marketing material, however; the fact of the matter is if you are not making a commitment to helping your sales reps transform then how do you expect to grow your dealership?

The time is now to reunite with your sales team. I urge you to make a commitment to help your sales team transform. Even Peaches and Herb agree!

Successful Copier Dealerships Will Succeed By Helping Transform Their Sales Team

So much focus is placed on managing to the "model", managed service this managed service that, let's focus our attention to the sales team. Help and guide your sales team to succeed in an ever changing business world.

It all starts with making a commitment to bridge the gap between their "analog" sales skill set and their "digital" sales skill set. Bring to them education. Guide them with coaching as they now have to become mini-marketers on behalf of your dealership.

Just as copier dealerships invest in building their credibility online, they must make a 100% commitment to make sure their sales reps look credible online. Heck, they are front and center; the marquee main event to your clients and prospects.

Copier Dealer Principals

Please take a few minutes and look at each and every sales rep within your dealership and ask yourself this question...

Would I buy from them based on how they have positioned themselves on LinkedIn?

To all dealer principals... how your sales reps look online is a direct reflection upon your dealership. Opinions are being formed daily based on what your prospects find or don't find about your sales reps. Foster the environment for your sales reps to build their brand as they are driving the sales revenue of your dealership. It all starts with two key words

COMMITMENT & TRUST

I don't care if you sell Ricoh, Canon, Konica Minolta, Xerox, Toshiba, Sharp, Kyocera or the other multitude of manufacturers; they are all copiers which do virtually the same thing. 

How your sales reps sell it and how they offer it has become THE competitive advantage. I urge you to make a commitment to how your sales reps integrate the use of LinkedIn into the sales process to do one thing... Drive more new business opportunities!

To be effective today your sales reps inside your dealership need to acquire a whole new skill set: self-branding and content magnets! If you want to be perceived as a commodity then continue to pursue being involved in the dog pile; continuing to go to war over cost per page and lease payments. 

I challenge copier dealer principals and their sales teams... time to set the egos aside. Start helping your clients and prospects solve their business problems and challenges. Rise above the copier sea of sameness! I know you can do it!

A special thank you as events such as Print Audit's Top 100 Summit bring bright minds together to discuss business diversification beyond hardware and managed print services. Events such as... 

http://www.socialsalesacademy....-roadshow-announced/

Bring ideas to help transform sales reps.

My commitment, drive and passion is to bring to each and every copier dealership the digital sets of skills needed to help successfully transform sales departments to consistent revenue generating machines inside a digital business world.

It is all about developing a next-gen mindset and skill set. If you all plan on being in this business for any length of time you must learn how to adapt.

If you would like some inspiration I welcome the conversation or send me a message to llevine@socialsalesacademy.net. Your comments, likes and shares are greatly appreciated.

In 2016, Larry was recognized by ENX Magazine, “The Difference Maker” as someone who is making a difference inside the copier channel. Larry is passionate about helping sales reps succeed in creating their online brand image

Look for more information within the Social Sales Academy blog site.

I appreciate getting the opportunity to share my LinkedIn stories. Integrating the use of LinkedIn was my “game-changer” in the highly competitive copier world. With great pride I transform and coach B2B Office Technology Sales Professionals to grow net new business by helping them tell their story and communicate on LinkedIn. My commitment is to help office technology dealers thrive in a changing marketplace. You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, as well as at the Social Sales Academy

I always find it refreshing to run from the Status Quo. The leader who if wore a t-shirt describing their persona truthfully would read this “Everything I hear which makes me do something different I have an excuse or reason why it won’t work.” And on the t-shirts back it would read this. “Really I am the reason it won’t work”

We all know these people they find themselves comfortable and with this comfort they develop their protection zone. This protection zone keeps people that will challenge them at bay, this protection zone is where they gather those who think and act like them. I call this protection zone.

 “The Pasture of least resistance” 

The gathering place for the like-minded who insist on keeping things as they are, they feed off their insecurities, they protect each other from outside influences, and rarely do they ever create something new. This pasture is where you find managers who refuse to challenge themselves to become leaders.

 I thought it would be beneficial to list some of the responses to change you will hear from those who reside in this Pasture of least resistance in case they refuse to wear the t-shirt I described.

That will never work, we can’t do things that fast, our budget is already set, our leadership will never change, our customers would never agree to that, our employees will never be happy with that. The list of excuses could fill its own book. 

When you are looking to improve something never discuss those thoughts of improvement with individuals who live in the Pasture of least resistance. When you find yourself at the gate of this pasture go to the farm house and talk with the one who has control over who gets in their pasture. Sometimes those in the pasture just need to be replaced, maybe the farmer thought everyone was happy in the pasture so things must be good. My experience always showed me that the farmer can see more of the future than those in his pasture. However, sometimes the sun, from those bright sunny days gets in the farmers eyes temporarily blocking their vision.

So don’t waste your time with people so focused on why things can’t be done, look for those who focus on why things should be done, and have the ability to use their own imagination, and are enthused in welcoming the imaginations of others.

If you’re in this pasture make the discussion escape or simply wait for expulsion from the old farmer or the new farmer he sells to. The world we all live in is constantly changing when we welcome and accept this fact is when we become creators of change instead of victims of circumstance.

Ray Stasieczko          

"What do you wish for people to associate with you when they think of your name?"

As sales rep,Your brand whether you believe it or not is extremely important to your success in this highly connected, digital business world.

How much time and effort are you dedicating to building your personal brand? 

You do have a brand. It is what people associate with you; it is WHY your professional and personal network seeks you out for information.

Social media is everywhere. It is deeply rooted in our society. You have not only the ability but you now MUST manage your own reputation both online and offline as a sales rep. When you interact with your prospects and clients they'll build up an image of who you are over time.

You MUST be in control of all of those impressions.

Why leave your professional reputation to chance, when you can be your own public relations guru and manage your image?

Attention to all sales reps... Buyers are increasingly googling not just the company but YOU before a sales meeting. More than likely, they will also reach out to their networks or better yet they may open up the digital business door, your LinkedIn profile.

What's behind your LinkedIn door could determine your future sales success. Repeat after me the word, "VET"... Get it?

Personal branding is about taking control of the messages your prospects and clients get back. I guarantee, if you don’t control those messages then someone else will. 

A great article by Michael Simmons, How To Bulletproof Your Reputation In The Digital Age. Online reputation platforms help others understand who we are and what we do. Further into the article...

Why You Need To Understand

• Your online reputation is your reputation
• Who you are in one area will be how you are perceived in all areas
• Reputation is often more important than money
•  Other people can more easily make their opinions of you go viral

The question becomes, how do you become more recognizable? How do you build your authority? How do you build becoming the subject matter expert? How do you create your following?

I encouraged management to foster a branding environment and lead their sales team; guide them to create their professional brand by helping them build their credibility, trust and value through their website; their LinkedIn profile. Foster a "brand magnetized" sales culture. Creating brand magnets directly influences and can escalate your corporate brand as well.

Successful sales reps create their unique brand and rise above the noise! To all sales reps out there, please think about the following...

  "How do we differentiate ourselves enough that they (prospects) want to talk to us and not feel they are getting the same story they hear from every other sales rep?"

Successful Sales Reps Become A ...

Five Creative Ways Sales Reps Can Become Brand Magnets

1. Be your authentic self

How hard would it be to build a brand around a facade? Some do, as you would have to act a certain way, appear a certain way and even communicate a certain way. 

Your brand must be a reflection of who you are. You must believe it. You must own it. You must know what it stands for. You must know your strengths and your weaknesses. Wear those emotions on your business sleeve. 

People connect with other people. It is all about the personal connection. If you are "blowing smoke" at people what is the likelihood they will come to trust you? 

Constructing your personal brand is first and foremost about developing an understanding of your true self; then sharing this out with the business world. Take off the mask. Don't be afraid of being vulnerable.

Authenticity is a Magnet

2. Speaking engagements

Consider looking for speaking events in your area. Local business groups or not for profit organizations provide the opportunity to demonstrate your expertise while connecting with new audiences.

This helps in developing your communication skills. If you speak in exactly the same manner others do, you will never stand out from the crowd and rise above the noise.

Think about educating as you speak from a place of knowledge. Show you know what you're talking about, and answer questions in a way which serves your audience.

3. Write and publish articles or blogs

In a previous post, "Sales Reps... Why Writing Content Should Be Part Of Your Sales Strategy." I point out writing attracts prospects and builds you up as a credible resource. Salespeople can compile lists of top questions they hear from clients and prospects during sales meetings and answer them in a blog format. Potential prospects researching for those answers online could end up finding your blog posts.

Providing educational content is one the best ways to build a brand and reputation online. As your prospects or clients look for information, they tend to go back to sources most helpful to them. If you can become a trusted source of information through your educational content, over time you'll become collectively known as a subject matter expert within your field. You can start by incorporating the section "write an article" within your LinkedIn profile.

Check out my blog posts here.

4. Build your Online Presence

Have you ever "Googled" yourself? Do you know how you're appearing and coming across online? With a strong, engaging online presence you can reach a wider target audience. Why is this important? Your clients and prospects are online!

Unless you have spent the last 25 years underneath a rock, 100% of your target audience uses the internet. These days, it’s hard to find someone who does not use the internet.

As a sales professional your online presence starts with your LinkedIn profile. Positioning or repositioning your LinkedIn profile is critical as your prospect's first impression of you maybe a digital one. 

If you would like my special report in how to integrate social selling into your current style, please send me an email to llevine@socialsalesacademy.net 

Just as you are conducting research on your prospects, they are conducting research on you. Your LinkedIn profile is one of the first links to appear in a Google search of your name. Therefore, it is imperative your profile speaks to and provides to prospective clients you are qualified to help them. Your LinkedIn profile is a great way to promote your credibility to your prospects online before you meet with them face to face. Thus, they will be more likely to take you seriously when you begin the conversation.

Help your sales team. Provide and guide them in how to build sales credibility. 

5. Promote, Promote and Promote Yourself - Network

Attention salespeople, integrating the use of social media is one huge key to sparking growth to your personal brand. Whether online or face to face promoting yourself fuels professional growth.

Attention! Building out a "rock star" LinkedIn profile and doing absolutely nothing with it is like hanging out in the corner of the room at a networking event.

RIDICULOUS

How you capture, converse, collaborate and connect with the executive buyer will determine your sales success in the 21st century.

Engage with other individuals in your industry, social influencers who have many connections, friends, family and even clients as these people are extremely valuable in helping you spread the word about your expertise. 

Professional networking events can be a great way to meet influencers in your area, as well as within the online community. Engage in community discussions whenever you can. A great place to start is uncovering and joining industry related networking groups within LinkedIn. The more opportunities you have to meet people and talk, the better.

Your personal brand is like a garden. Once you lay the groundwork, plant the seeds, fertilize along with continuous water; you'll be in a great position to eventually reap the benefits of your hard work.

Maintain a positive mindset, it takes time and dedication to nurture your brand creation. As you continue to develop your personal brand, stay consistent turning your routine into a daily habit.  Pay close attention to how your audience responds to your educational content. Continually refine and perfect your direction until your focus becomes crystal clear.

If you would like some inspiration I welcome the conversation or send me a message tollevine@socialsalesacademy.net. Your comments are greatly appreciated.

In 2016, Larry was recognized by ENX Magazine, “The Difference Maker” as someone who is making a difference inside the copier channel. Larry is passionate about helping sales reps succeed in creating their online brand image

Look for more information within the Social Sales Academy blog site.

I appreciate getting the opportunity to share my LinkedIn stories. Integrating the use of LinkedIn was my “game-changer” in the highly competitive copier world. With great pride I transform and coach B2B Office Technology Sales Professionals to grow net new business by helping them tell their story and communicate on LinkedIn. My commitment is to help office technology dealers thrive in a changing marketplace. You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, as well as at the Social Sales Academy 

Oh gesh, do I remember those first gel-printers from Ricoh.  They were cool, priced right, however almost all of the ended up with error codes (I think the code was E-99). The end result of the code was to throw the system in the trash

It's ten years later and I bother with the small ink printers from Ricoh anymore.  Although I'm a pretty big fan of the CW2201 color wide format that uses in.  Placed three of these so far and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they will perform.

Enjoy the threads from ten years ago this week!

Kodak Announces New Web-to-Unified Print

Geesh, where do I start?  When I first heard of the MP 501/601SP's, I thought this was just another mediocre  multifunctional (copy, print, scan, fax) A4 device.  I assumed the device was designed for low, low volume and would have a high cost per page. 

I was dead wrong in my assumptions.  In fact, I couldn't be happier with the features, the speed, the hardware cost and the consumable cost of the MP 501/601SP.   BTW, the MP501/601SP will not win any design awards, it looks kinda funky, but the end result is a true winner when it comes to value and cost.

A True A4 device with A3 Cost Per Page Model!

1) Neither of these two devices will scan, copy, print or fax 11x17 size paper. That's not a bad thing, because a vast majority of businesses have no need for 11x17 paper size.

2) The MP 501SP will print or copy at 52 letter size pages a minute.  The MP 601SP comes in with an incredible print speed of 62 pages per minute. 

3) Just today, a client asked about the scanning speed of these devices.   Here's the kicker, most manufacturers will quote scanning speeds at 200 dpi (dots per inch), because the speed of scanning will increase significantly when scanning at a lower dpi.  The MP501SP & MP 601SP boasts a scan speed of 62 images per minute at 300 dpi.  Scanning at 300 dpi will create a larger file size, however you can bet the ranch that scans done at 300dpi will always be readable.  Excellent for contracts that have small print.

4) If you have an average monthly volume of 10,000 pages per month, and you lease the system for 36 months, you may never ever have to purchase any consumables other than toner!!  The drum, developer and fuser system is rated at a yield of.....500,000 pages!!!  Even if you need a drum during the 3 year lease the cost is one tenth of a penny per page.

5) Toner/Print Cartridge yield is an astounding 25,000 pages based on 5% coverage of the page.  You may ask, what is 5% coverage?  The easiest way to explain this is to imagine you could condense all of the black toner that's on the printed page to a square.  That square should not cover more than 5% of the total page.    Thus if you're in that sweet spot of coverage, the cost per page for toner is a low .0054 per page.  A little more than a half a cent per page.  PERFECT MPS device!!!!!

6) If you don't require stapling, color prints/copies, or hole punching and your volume is under 10,000 pages per month then this is the perfect MFP for Healthcare, Legal, Insurance and my fav  the Auto Dealerships!  BTW, this system also has an 8.5x14 platen (that would be the glass where you would put a document to be copied)

7)  You have the ability to add four more additional paper trays for a total paper source of 2,600 sheets.  In addition the tray can accommodate letter or legal size paper. The base system comes with one tray and the other four are optional.

8)  Mobile print from tablet and or smart phone is available with the Ricoh Smart Device Print&Scan App.  I've explained it this way for my clients. I just arrived back at the office, I've got a few minutes before I need to leave and really don't have the time to turn on my PC, authenticate, wait for the boot sequence, then open my email application, read the email, open the file and then send the file to print. My Ricoh Print&Scan app allows me to send a file to the printer in seconds.  Great time save, and we all understand that time is money!

9) Mobile scanning is another awesome feature.  Users are able to put documents in the document feeder or on the platen glass and then have those scans appear on their mobile device.  In addition, the Print& Scan App can also display those scans on Ricoh projectors and Ricoh interactive white boards.

10) I've written about Ricoh ICE (Integrated Cloud Environment) before, ICE allows you to scan to many of your favorite Cloud applications.  Google Drive, MS 365, Box, Dropbox and many more.  What clients like most is the ability to scan as searchable .pdfs and the ability to scan documents back to a word or excel doc. 

Bonus) Can you afford an extra $3.50 cents a day?  What about an extra 43 cents an hour (8 work hours)?  If you can, and you like what you've read then I suggest calling your local Ricoh Dealer (not direct), because dealers can offer better service, better support and they support your local economy.  If you're looking for an awesome Ricoh Dealer and you need help, please feel free to send me an email apost@p4pHotel.

-=Good Selling=-

More and more I find myself visiting LinkedIn several times a days.  I'll hit up Linkedin early in the AM, then about mid-day and then late in the evening. 

One of the ways I use Linkedin is to stay in touch with my connections through the use of the birthday and employment anniversary reminders that Linkedin updates me with.  The Linkedin updates come with automated messages on the mobile platform (have not seen this on the web version), and you do have the choice to put in a personal message.  Thus, with the click of the "send" button, I can keep in touch with connections on a daily basis

When viewing threads from connections and others Linkedin also offers a "Like, Comment or Share" button.  But, I think it's time that Linkedin gave us a few additional buttons to make Linkedin fun.  What, you can't have some fun with social media?

Here's some additional buttons I wish Linkedin would add to the site!

• boo, hiss button:  As much as I would root for a baseball player to get a hit and then boo them when they stink, I think there's a place for a "boo-hiss" button. I would enjoy throwing out a boo or a hiss every now and then for content that should not be posted on LinkedIn! (I'm sure I would get a few of them also).

• OMG Button:  Profile pictures are awesome,  it helps to put a face to a name.  Most profile pictures present the person in a professional light.  However on more than a few occasions I had to think, Dude, where the frack did you get that picture from?   Did you even look at the picture you just posted of yourself?

• awesome button: If you've really enjoyed a thread, blog or column give it an even better rating with an "awesome" button.  Make LinkedIn Fun Again!!

• thumbs down/dislike button: I'd like to be able give a thumbs down (not the person), but to the article, link of thread. When there's a "like" button then there should be a "dislike" button right? Thus, for all of those annoying political threads, I can give them the old thumbs down and hopefully they will get the hint.

• kick or boot button:  I would use this for those Linkedin users that fill my wall with senseless threads that they should have posted and facebook.

All kidding aside, I've found Linkedin to be a great resource to see who I may be connected with.  I'm a BIG believer in Six degrees of separation and if we dig deep enough we can get connected the right person when we need to.

-=Good Selling=- 

It's official!! 

John Anderson and I are booked to attend Graph Expo 2016 in Orlando as members of the Press! 

Ok, you may not be excited about us our press credentials, however John Anderson and I are stoked! 

What you can get exciting about is that John & I will be the only two copier dudes reporting about what matters most to those of us in the copier channel. 

To date there are 357 Exhibitors, out of those 357 we've identified 24 of the exhibitors that we want to have a conversation with about their offerings to the channel. 

I'm flying to Orlando Sunday morning, John's going to pick me up at the airport and then we'll have a 20 minute ride over the Hyatt Regency.   We'll start reporting on Sunday afternoon via twitter.  We'll be using two accounts, @P4PHotel & @artpost, be sure to follow us for all of the awesome updates we're going to supply you with.

In the evening, we'll be posting content and video to the Print4Pay Hotel and then pushing those updates via facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.  Stay tuned, I may have to finally get an Instagram account (lol). 

What We Want to See

Both John & I are wide format guru's, yes we sell our fair share of regular copiers, however we know that the wide format market is where you can set yourself apart from the pack.  We plan on visiting HP to get our first real look at HP's PageWide XL printers, in addition we'll have many questions and plan to critique the XL series like no one else can.

KonicaMinolta is next on our hit list, for me, I'm especially interested in the bizhub PRESS C71cf Label Press. I'm curious about the speed, the cost per label, the quality and if the system comes with an applicator option.  I'll admit, I'm a novice with the Label Presses, however I plan to become a Guru in the near future.  Look for a special blog in September about my visit to see the Muratec Label Press a few nights ago.

Ricoh, Ricoh and more Ricoh, yes, both John and I have a hard core love affair with Ricoh devices. Why wouldn't we love what we sell?  I'm interested in seeing color samples from the new MP C2201sp, in addition I looking forward to having hands on for the C9110.

We've also got our eyes on EFI (attending their Press Conference @12PM on Tuesday), Riso (heard there is something new), Xante (Envelope Press), Anajet (Specialty Printers), Epson, Graph-Tech, KIP, Mimaki, Mohawk, Oki Data and whatever else tweaks our curiosity.

This will be my first Graph Expo, and I believe it will be John's also.  Most of the past events were held in the McCormick Center in Chicago.  Once I heard that the show was going to move to Orlando, it became a no brainer for me.

I hope to have many video shots for the site, in addition I'm hoping to get some video of John Anderson.  John is our Business Development Manager, but the real reason to get John on video is because I believe he sounds just like Hank Hill (cartoon character) in King of the Hill.  Matter of fact, I'm going to post a poll for everyone to vote on.  Haha, John, I know you're going to read this! 

Here's the survey for Hank Hill & John Anderson

All kidding aside, I believe that there's no better site and people to follow than the Print4Pay Hotel.  We're hardware junkies, always looking for an edge, always looking to push the envelope and we're willing to share all of that with our members!!!

-=Good Selling=-

I know what you all are thinking.... 

Rationalization runs rampant as mental justifications sets in...

• "We are three years behind major cities in technology"
• "This is small town USA, very few of our clients have LinkedIn profiles"
• "Our clients aren't social"
• "We have a great client base"
• "Can't expose our competitor's to what we are doing"
• "I am too old for this social stuff" (Attention Boomers)

More rationalization from sales reps...

"Prospects are not returning my emails so I will stop sending out emails"

"Prospects are not answering their phones so I will stop using the phone"

"Cold calls yield zero results so I will stop cold calling"

With the utmost of respect to the sales world...

" Sales reps today have hypnotized themselves into believing what they aren't doing doesn't work"

Go ahead stop using LinkedIn, stop cold calling, stop using the phone, stop emailing as you find yourself looking for a new career.

"The no. 1 reason most sales reps don’t see any success with social selling is pretty simple – they get lost in the platforms and have no clear direction around what they are trying to achieve."

Jack Kosakowski

Stop justifying the why not and start accepting the WHY!

“All organizations start with WHY, but only the great ones keep their WHY clear year after year.”

Simon Sinek

Playing on Simon Sinek's quote, let's make this sales rep centric as I say

"All sales reps start with WHY, but only the great sales reps keep their WHY clear year after year"

If you want to be successful in sales today YOU must create the mindset and skill set around WHY. Successful sales reps understand their WHY as they continually develop new sets of skills to adapt to the changes inside a highly social, digital business world. 

Incorporating LinkedIn or for that matter social selling is not the answer if you have poor prospecting skills, poor phone skills and poor sales skills. Sales teams, stop the fantasy that social will save your sales career. This only adds to the frustration. Seek out the education and develop your sales skills in a digital world.

"If we operate in a digital society then why do we still train sales reps to prospect and develop their sales skills using analog only methodologies?"

This mentality only fosters an environment of WHY sales reps stop doing the things necessary for them to succeed in sales, prospect. Thus the "I will stop doing mindset sets in"

Let's transform these old school ideologies by invigorating them with new school methodologies.

Focus on WHY to start adapting to a changing business environment as opposed to focusing on the WHY not!

Today's buyer, routinely conducts their own research online, solicits advice from their friends and their own network, assesses sentiment within multiple social media outlets; all of this goes a long way towards shaping a decision before they ever connect with you or your brand. They do not need to rely on single sources of information any longer. This means YOU!

Attention to the tenured sales teams, convince-and-convert, all about "how great you are presentations" and old-style sales calls have become largely ineffective. Not only has the buyer already learned what you’re telling them, they have gathered an opinion, and shaped an emotional feeling about you or your brand before they buy. Let's get real... If they’ve not yet heard of you, forging personal value in a cold call is darn near impossible.

So what’s the new path for a sales professional? First of all, stop it with WHY you won't do something to grow your career and come to grips by meeting the buyer on their chosen turf, "The Online Sandbox"

Successful sales reps learn to adapt. YOU must learn how to adapt inside a digital sales world. 

Buyers are looking for an unbiased, “non-salesy” opinion. They want to judge and form their opinions from a variety of sources and expertise.

“We live in a ‘review based’ culture now where our successes (and particularly our failures) will be talked about online, and broadcast to the world, so we need to ensure that we have enough positive content online to present the message that we want to share about our brand or business,” says Glen Smyth, host of the Sales Professionals Podcast.

Stop it! Stop WHY it doesn't work because it's all about the brand, YOU!

You, as a sales rep, must build your own personal brand, become a trusted expert with your client and prospect relationships. You must take a position not of a seller, but of a helper. This seemingly counterintuitive attitude is what now takes the place of the old sales call.

Build up YOU by leveraging the single best branding platform to help transform YOU; LinkedIn. Why...

Your career is worth it

Your future connections are worth it

Your future sales, exposure and opportunities are worth it

Your message is amplified

Your differentiation is the key in standing out in the "sea of sameness"

The branding of yourself is worth it

If you would like some inspiration I welcome the conversation or send me a message tollevine@socialsalesacademy.net. Your comments are greatly appreciated.

In 2016, Larry was recognized by ENX Magazine, “The Difference Maker” as someone who is making a difference inside the copier channel. Larry is passionate about helping sales reps succeed in creating their online brand image

Look for more information within the Social Sales Academy blog site.

I appreciate getting the opportunity to share my LinkedIn stories. Integrating the use of LinkedIn was my “game-changer” in the highly competitive copier world. With great pride I transform and coach B2B Office Technology Sales Professionals to grow net new business by helping them tell their story and communicate on LinkedIn. My commitment is to help office technology dealers thrive in a changing marketplace. You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, as well as at the Social Sales Academy 

Reading through some of the most popular threads is something I enjoy each week.  Some of these threads will jog the memory, one of those threads is in reference to the Ricoh HQ7000 and Ricoh HQ9000.  Hard to believe that it's been ten years since those units were launched.

Enjoy the threads from ten years ago this week!

Kodak Announces New Web-to-Unified Print