Tagged With "COVID"
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COVID19 "Remote Working" Day Eighty-Three of Sales
Only 5 more days for four full months of selling days that I've been working remote. You may have noticed that I've been skipping a couple of days here and there with blogging on this series. I had no idea that Covid19 would last in to the summer and usually my summers mean less posting of blogs and more time spent enjoying the great weather. Just a short recap for Friday. I was able to secure two orders for two net new companies. However the revenue fell short of what I was hoping for. With...
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Re: COVID19 "Remote Working" Day Eighty-Three of Sales
Always motivating to read your posts Art and to appreciate the grind. We're all in it together, the way things look now, for a while longer yet. 200 miles is a good bit of distance for two appointments, I bet you're wishing you had some time or it was socially acceptable for some cold/warm calls in between! Don't let the blog rule you, enjoy the weather and what helps keep you calm! Have a great rest of your week!
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DocuWare Cloud Solutions Ensure Business Continuity for Thousands of Remote Workers
DocuWare Cloud Solutions Ensure Business Continuity for Thousands of Remote Workers ~As the global work-from-home trend grows, so does DocuWare’s cloud customer base~ New Windsor NY, September 29, 2020 – DocuWare , provider of cloud solutions for document management and workflow automation, saw strong and consistent usage of their cloud solutions during and following the COVID-19 lockdown. Since March of this year, workforces have gone remote and demand for document management solutions...
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COVID19 Remote Working Day One Hundred and Fifty-Two of Selling
COVID19 Remote Working Day One Hundred and Fifty-Two of Selling Copiers Just a few minutes ago I asked my VP of sales if he saw the video I posted with last nights blog. He stated he had not which leads me to believe that the video did not post in the email alert he received about new content. Since it's not a link those who just read the email on their smart phone would not get the full experience. I also have this posted on my You Tube Channel and here's the link if your interested in...
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Re: COVID19 Remote Working Day One Hundred and Eighty-Seven of Selling
Hey Art, Thanks for sharing as always. Question: could you elaborate what you mean when selling content? Is your company providing digital marketing?
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COVID19 Remote Working Day One Hundred and Eighty-Seven of Selling
COVID19 Remote Working Day One Hundred and Eighty-Seven of Selling Copiers It took me ten months but I was finally able to complete my first in office demo. It was one of those most interesting days in quite sometime. I received notice last night that I needed to get to the office early in order to have our wide format ready for a demonstration. COVID19 had reared it's ugly head an one of my team members is quarantined and I was able to pick up the slack. Initially my plans were to arrive at...
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Will the COVID Vaccine kill remote work?
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Re: Five Really Unique Features on the New Ricoh IM 7000 & IM 8000 MFPs
Is Ricoh SOP an acronym for System Operating Panel, the copier's LCD panel?
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Five Really Unique Features on the New Ricoh IM 7000 & IM 8000 MFPs
Five Really Cool Features on the New Ricoh IM 7000 & IM 8000 MFPs I can't remember the last time I wrote one of these, it to be TBC (time before Covid). I think at this point in time we all need to be realize that we'll probably be placing less and less of these devices in the field. The longer larger businesses stay out of the office could ultimately spell the demise of our largest office style MFP's. In fact I could see a future of where they are made to order and the waiting time...
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Re: Five Really Unique Features on the New Ricoh IM 7000 & IM 8000 MFPs
@SalesServiceGuy yes that's correct
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Re: Five Really Unique Features on the New Ricoh IM 7000 & IM 8000 MFPs
SOP is Smart Operation Panel
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Thoughts About the Copier Industry?
Just a little background on this email. Deon (South Africa Dealer) sent me the article from RTM where the original headline was “ Ricoh Says it Will Quit Paper and Shareholders Go Crazy .”. I'm guessing there was some pressure from Ricoh because within 48 hours the headline was changed to Ricoh Transitions From Paper and Shareholders Get Excited. Deon emailed me this thoughts and I thought the time is right to have a discussion based as to where our industry in going. We would love to hear...
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Re: Thoughts About the Copier Industry?
I agree consolidation is a must. One of the recent posts had Ricoh partnering with other A3 manufacturers? Don't know how true that is. We may see some surprises this April which is the start of the new year for all of the Japanese manufacturers. COVID still hanging around here in the East. After the Presidents speech tonight he wasn't giving much hope for an early end to this. We can only hope and pray. Thanks for the comment!
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Re: Thoughts About the Copier Industry?
Consolidation has to occur. There is no way there can be this many competitors selling essentially the same device. Machine hardware has hit a plateau, there isn't really much to advance other than adopting a completely different technology. So they add apps and connectivity which is great but eventually those platforms will also consolidate and there wont be a need for all of this diversification to print a piece of paper.
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COVID19 Remote Working Day Two Hundred and Fifty-Nine of Selling
COVID19 Remote Working Day Two Hundred and Fifty-Nine of Selling Copiers Managed IT, Content and BDR also Today was the first day for the rest of my year. After pumping in a cool quarter of a million for the Q1 the well has run dry. My plan for the next 30 day is simple, it's a minimum of 20 prospecting calls and 20 prospecting email each day of the week. However today the goal was to send forty prospecting emails and 40 prospecting emails because I have three appointments tomorrow and then...
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COVID19 Remote Working Day Two Hundred and Sixty-Eight of Selling
COVID19 Remote Working Day Two Hundred and Sixty-Eight of Selling Copiers, Managed IT, BDR & Content I feel like I'm back to last April when I spent almost every day sending mass amounts of emails. I guess the biggest difference between then and now is that I'm getting somewhat better results. For now nothing has changed in New Jersey when it comes to COVID, most businesses are still remote, most have put lease upgrades on the back burner. I'm now tracking 5 leases that are in renewal...
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The Race to Zero is Over
I can't decide if this will be one of those longer blogs or maybe one of the shorter ones. It's after 10PM and I just finished all of the P4P Hotel updates. What I wanted to write about is my thoughts and ideas about what our industry calls the "Race to Zero". I'm sure the phrase was coined sometime and some place long ago. For the last 25 years we've used that phrase quite often to explain a brief explanation of the copier service business model. It's my belief that the "race to zero" is...
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Supply Chain Day One........Not Really
COVID is still so fresh in everyone's mind. For those of us in the copier industry we jumped from one frying pan to another frying pan at the end of COVID. That second frying pan is the supply chain issues that we've been dealing with for some time now. I believe it's been 8-10 months since the problems really hit home with many of the dealers and sales people. For most of us the back orders are insane! Never in my 42 years of selling copiers did I every quote delivery might be expected in...
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Re: Supply Chain Day One........Not Really
If you really want to know what is going on with the Supply Chain, this is the best source from a University professor who reports on it three times a week. ... https://www.youtube.com/channe...yBgKSiwb3WP4ACPnF5nA ... long story short, the COVID lockdowns in China has made shipping containers a mess that will not resolve before many months. There are 100s of ships off China's coast that cannot load or off load containers. When that does eventually resolve, the USA West Coast is going to be...
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Re: Supply Chain Day One........Not Really
Toshiba Tec's recently revised consolidated financial report says it well, I think for all OEMs. "... and on the profit front, operating profit and ordinary profit declined in contrast with the previously announced forecast owing to factors such as semiconductor shortages, soaring prices of components, tightness in international shipping transportation, increased shipping costs and delays in product supply due to COVID lockdowns in some areas of China."
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Supply Chain Day Two........Not Really
If you didn't catch them, below are the replies from yesterdays Supply Chain Day One blog . SSG gave us two great contributions below..... Yesterday's replies SalesServiceGuy Maven VIP Toshiba Tec's recently revised consolidated financial report says it well, I think for all OEMs. "... and on the profit front, operating profit and ordinary profit declined in contrast with the previously announced forecast owing to factors such as semiconductor shortages, soaring prices of components,...
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Re: Supply Chain Day Two........Not Really
... there might be 40 or so ships directly off the California cost but there are several dozen more slow idling off the Baja coast waiting to move into postion off LA and Long Beach. ... plus the Port of LA has some big contract renogitations to deal with the longshoremen and various port operators.
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Supply Chain Day Thirteen........Not Really
Let me count the ways.....how many clients are opting out re-leasing their copiers, others that want to buy their existing copier from the leasing company and a few additional accounts sprinkled in that they are opting to stay status quo. Yup the last few weeks many of my clients that were playing hide and seek finally got me the goods on where their heads were at. One of the talk tracks today was about a Fair Market Value (FMV) lease and what is the option for the client to buy that device.
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Semiconductor Shortage Update
Before COVID-19 hit, insufficient capacities had already created a shortage of semiconductors worldwide. But the pandemic response, with government rules and regulations generating widespread lockdowns, forced manufacturers to temporarily cease production. Once shut-downs began to ease and production started to ramp back up to normal levels, the demand for these tiny microchips had grown beyond what the industry could meet at normal production levels. The issue was compounded by ongoing...
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Many Good People Have Left our Copier Industry
I was told today that a good friend and a great member of our site decided to leave the industry. I was asked not to make mention of that persons name until it's formal. I hate what the last almost three years has done to our industry. It was great that many of us made it through COVID, however the last 12 months of not being able to get copier/device is the straw that will or has broken many backs. I've never seen it this bad in my 42 years and feel we are losing too many of those good...
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Re: Many Good People Have Left our Copier Industry
I hate to see it! This business has a lot of good years left in it but people have to make money and it’s hard to make money when you can’t process orders. From a manager standpoint it is hard to get creative on paying people when orders are not being processed and money coming in and that has proved difficult for everyone. I will say it is a great time for people to start diversifying and selling other products that they can get their hands on, Although for some it will be too late in the...
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COVID Killed the Traditional Office, Not Traditional Office Needs
COVID Killed the Traditional Office, Not Traditional Office Needs Response to the COVID-19 pandemic changed the world. While some businesses saw the potential for permanent change and began adapting, others waited patiently for things to return to “normal.” Unfortunately, two years on, most major employers are discovering that “normal” may never be the same as back in 2019. Despite governments relaxing most restrictions, the majority of employees expect to work remotely for at least a...
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Copier Leases Unlimited Pages "If it sounds to good to be true"
Copier Leases Unlimited Pages "If it sounds to good to be true" Just happened today and I tried to explain the pit falls to a current client that's believes working with a new vendor was advantageous because of unlimited page for black and color prints. Thus I thought i's time again to renew the pitfalls of many copier leases. Unlimited Pages The thought of unlimited black and color pages is extremely inviting. The client thinks that getting one price per month for the lease and the...
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Re: Covid Killed The Copier Industry
Covid pushed offices to adopt technology that would have otherwise been a least a decade away. I'm in my mid 30's and don't anticipate that I will be selling copiers in 15-20 years.
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Re: Covid Killed The Copier Industry
yup, I agree as well. The future is still bright for the industry as a whole
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Covid Killed The Copier Industry
Late 2007 It was late in 2007 that I had our first taste of the Great Recession. The housing bubble burst and I was one of many copier sales people that were affected by professionals and businesses going belly up. One day they were there and the next day they weren't, at one time the leases were paid on schedule and the next month many stated there was no income to be had. Many think the Great Recession was from 2007 to 2009, however with my feet in the trenches living that horrid dream it...
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MPS Providers Must Transform Digital Services – Study Finds
MPS Providers Must Transform Digital Services – Study Finds MPS providers have been thrown many curve balls over the last decade. Covid-19 was just the latest in a string of circumstances and technological transformations facing MPS. These difficulties have disrupted the managed print services industry and they likely won’t be the last. Business automation requirements for vendors have steadily increased, requiring that MPS providers keep up with digital transformation and technology...
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The Rise Of The Remote Work-From-Home Workforce
The Rise Of The Remote Work-From-Home Workforce The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic created chaos in the workspace, forcing companies to find new ways to operate outside the traditional workspace. For most of us, working from home was considered to be an impossibility. Few businesses had reason to consider a remote workforce as something worthy of research, investment, or consideration as a part of their future development. Yet, as of December 2020, around 71% of employed adults performed at least a...
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Remote Work Still Preferred – How Print Services Help Offices
When the pandemic hit in 2020, global governments implemented extreme lockdowns. As a result, businesses that weren’t considered “essential” were forced to find new ways to do business. And a large part of that was moving employees to remote workspaces wherever possible. Both businesses and employees reaped the rewards from this maneuver. Perhaps the most important benefit was that companies were able to stay open despite mandates. As such, employees were able to ditch their daily commutes,...
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Printing Industry 4.0 – Changes For Managed Print Businesses
The first industrial revolution was mechanization through water and steam power. The second was the development of mass production through assembly lines and division of labor. The third was spawned by the introduction of computers, electronics, and automation. Now, experts say, we are in the fourth revolution, or “Industry 4.0.” Welcome to the age of Big Data, Machine Learning, and the Internet of Things. In this transformation, worldwide commerce is being significantly reshaped by the...
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Five Things I Like With the New KIP C780 Wide Format MFP
I believe it was the late spring of this year when KIP released their new C700 series color wide format devices. The release was massive with the launch of 12 new color models. The models consisted of five print only color devices, five color MFPs and two color production devices. Indeed it was quite the roll out and I'm still trying to get familiar with each device. Tonight I'll focus on what I like with the C780 when compared to other wide format devices. The KIP C780 is a multifunctional...
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Prospecting and the End of the Day
After sending out at least 20 emails and around 20 calls the bell rang for me to quit my day.... It was also a day that I spent in the my home office with some type of viral bug. However with the quarter ending in less than two weeks, the touches had to be made. In the past we used to state it was at least 7 touches to get the appointment. Since COVID it's more than 15 touches, yes more work and more touches. When the bell rang and I found my-self were I started in the AM, nothing new, no...