Paul Macaluso, Ikon Office Solutions sales manager
by Christian Moises
http://www.neworleanscitybusin...tory.cfm?recID=33874
Age: 34 Family: wife, Michelle; two daughters
Education: bachelor’s degree in business, Louisiana State University
Hometown: Harahan
After an eight-year stint in the Army, Paul Macaluso was looking for a job that wouldn’t take him away from his family. With his business degree in hand, he entered the world of sales on the car lot.
“But I realized retail sales wouldn’t afford me the time I wanted with my family,” he said.
A native New Orleanian, he returned home in July 2008 from Washington state to become sales manager for Ikon Office Solutions, where he manages a team of eight representatives who cover the greater New Orleans area selling and servicing document management solutions such as copiers, printers, fax machines and scanners.
Do you ever feel like people forget office equipment is technology?
Definitely. On any given day, people still think the copier is just a copier that makes copies. They’re not embracing the multifunctional equipment that is available.
Do you remember when getting a new fax machine was like buying the newest iPhone?
That goes a little before me.
Is the fax machine dead?
Fax technology is pretty much obsolete. We’re still servicing them, but it’s been a while since I sold a stand-alone machine. We’ll put it in a multi-functional device mostly nowadays.
What’s the oddest thing you’ve seen copied on a machine?
There’s some models of machines, some color copiers, that will not copy money. We sold a machine to the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency), and they needed to make copies of the seized money. They called and said it just would not copy their bills. There was a way we could override it, but it was nothing that had ever presented itself before.
What’s the most annoying call you get?
The most common one is lines on the copies, fine straight lines on the page. It typically happens when people clean the glass and streaks are left behind.
With your sales experience, what’s the No. 1 secret to selling?
You’ve got to develop a relationship and rapport with your customer. People say they can never do sales, but everyone is a salesperson.
Are you a Facebooker or Tweeter?
Facebook for personal use.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
In 10 years, I’ll be 44, so I won’t yet be retired unless I win the lottery. I’ll still be working at Ikon and I hope I’ll advance to be the area vice president.
How’s LSU going to do this year?
I’m more of a realist than an optimist, but I think they’ll finish the regular season 9-3 and probably second place in SEC West. They’ll go to a decent bowl game but no championship this year, I think, as much as I’d like it.•