Filmmaker George Lucas, architect of the Star Wars movie franchise, once observed, “Always remember, your focus determines your reality.” It was, in part, a nod to the notion that our mindset and focus greatly influence our experiences and, perhaps more importantly, outcomes.
While it isn’t known if Mark Stokes and Gordon Running have ever relied on The Force, it’s clear the executive ownership tandem at Definitive Technology Solutions of Bloomington, Minnesota, would have made for fine Jedi, given their ironclad resolve to focus on those elements that create successful outcomes for the dealership. They know their strengths and avoid the temptation to be all things to all customers.
While Stokes and Running are industry lifers of over 30 years, their dealership is barely old enough to drink, so to speak. They’re the new kids on the office technology block, living in a geographic neighborhood that includes tough hombres Marco, Loffler Companies and Coordinated Business Systems in addition to a number of manufacturer direct branches. Fortunately, the Twin Cities is reportedly the 15th-largest print/copy market in the nation, creating more than enough opportunities to go around. DTS keeps its eyes on its own proverbial paper, however, and has enjoyed a winning streak that culminated with the company’s best-ever revenue performance (approaching $15 million) in 2024.
That growth has been partly driven by DTS’ quest to capture net-new business. It’s a pivotal topic in weekly sales meetings and monthly management discussions. But the owners don’t have a secret playbook, nor will they stake claim to a secret sauce or an out pitch. There are no slang phrases, just a disciplined approach to following the fundamentals that have long enabled salespeople in every industry to flourish and take down net-new accounts. Simply put, cold calling—knocking on doors.
“Our company is only 21 years old, so new business is the focus,” said Running, president and COO. “We tweak the compensation for net-new, and like other companies, we do promotions and contests as incentives. But the biggest thing is our industry has an aging sales and service population. They’ve been around forever, and they’re getting ready to retire, so they’re not out there chasing business. Our people are young, hungry and focused, and they’re out pursuing opportunities.”
Stokes, the CEO of DTS, points out that another subset of up-for-grabs clients yearns to escape subpar service and lackluster response times, inaccurate billing and other maladies borne of vendor inattentiveness and complacency. Capitalizing there fuels the net-new growth even more.
“They want to go after it. Our reps are going belly to belly with prospects, and that’s the old-school approach I was taught a lifetime ago,” he said.
Turn Back the Clock
Running and Stokes met in late 1993, handling color solution sales for an IKON Office Solutions branch that was once the largest independent dealership in the country. In 1997, the duo received an offer to guide a small, family-owned operation in Minnesota, which turned into a five-year stint. Eventually, they wanted to add their own signature to a dealership, thus Document Technology Solutions was born in August 2004 (the Document name was later swapped out in favor of Definitive). The business didn’t boast revenue or clients.
Today, the company remains in the same facility but is significantly larger. Its crew of 56 team members help support DTS’ primary lines of Sharp and HP. Managed IT and voice complement a growing base of newer solutions that include interactive displays, audio-visual equipment, projectors and physical security/access systems. DTS’ primary battleground is the seven-county Twin Cities metro area. Up-and-down-the-street business is the main target, but Stokes wouldn’t rule out taking a more vertical approach, particularly as the company seeks to add an additional sales team.
Running credits then-Sharp VP of Dealer Development Mike Brigner for taking a flier on the new dealership as part of their reseller network. “It was a big risk for Sharp,” he said. “We were unique in starting a dealership from scratch with no company ownership, customers or anything else. It was a lot of fun—exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. It paid off, as we’ve been doing a great job for Sharp for many, many years. But it was difficult to get started.”
The company’s watershed event in its brief history was the 2013 rollout of managed network services. Today, it accounts for 45% of the company’s overall revenues, having grown at a 30% annual clip during the past five years. Stokes projects 2025 will be another record year once all the receipts have been tallied.
Managed IT’s role as the primary growth catalyst is undeniable. DTS doesn’t farm out any aspect of the offering. Level-one help desk, network operations center, customer service, managers and engineers—it’s all maintained in-house.
“The key differentiator is that we’ve been able to show people that we’re super responsive because we control the whole process,” Running said. “Even our level ones go out to our accounts to implement laptops or desktops. Clients get to know our techs on a personal level, and they see that we’re here for them.”
Palpable Excitement
DTS’ talent roster, as much as anything, is responsible for the impressive growth. “Our people love it here. They’re energized, and that’s apparent to prospects when they come in for a demo,” Stokes added. “Our people are invested in the accounts and the deliveries. They’re all about getting it right for the customer and jumping through whatever hoops are necessary. They want to take care of the customer, and that’s an attitude echoed throughout the company.”
One of DTS’s bigger challenges in 2025 revolved around the managed voice offering, which grew substantially in the past year. The owners sought to garner momentum with phones via a white-label offering. But when its vendor of choice changed business models and moved away from supporting managed network companies, DTS couldn’t source a white-label option that was a high-margin business with the level of quality the dealer wanted to provide. Now, instead of the white-label route, DTS will be using master agents. Running points out the company won’t be eliminating its voice engineers; they’ll be adding an additional layer to complement the standard support offered by companies such as Nextiva, RingCentral or 8×8.
Marketing Magic
The push for new logos was augmented by significant marketing investments, such as the implementation of Salesforce and the addition of a full-time marketing director, both of which occurred roughly a year ago. It’s enabled the dealer to pivot and gain momentum through email campaigns, database scans and proposals. Stokes believes it’s made DTS more competitive and has more than justified the financial outlay.
“When it comes to the bigger opportunities, you have one shot to put your best foot forward,” he offered. “We can turn things quicker and polish proposals in a more professional manner. It’s made a difference. Plus, when we’re able to win a client on the imaging side, within about nine months they’re asking about our other offerings because they’ve had such a good experience with us.”
Tammy Brandt, director of administration for DTS and a 19-year team member, sees the marketing push as a continuation of the evolution that’s been unfolding since the company went through a rebrand 10 years ago. “That opened us up to all the different markets we’re in now,” she said. “We feel adding the new marketing head, attacking social media and communicating with our customers better and more frequently will take us to another level and open more opportunities.”
DTS is still in the discovery phase when it comes to artificial intelligence (AI). Running sees Microsoft’s Copilot as having the potential to enhance multiple departments. In terms of sales and support, he sees the company possibly leveraging Rewst to open and close level-one service tickets and boost efficiency. Sales and marketing can reap benefits from pitch scripting and client research to campaign construction, and Running sees a great opportunity for automated customer support and perhaps copier setup functions.
One area DTS is unlikely to explore in the near future is growth through acquisitions. Despite the ongoing erosion of office clicks, Stokes sees plenty of opportunities to expand significantly within DTS’ back yard for decades to come, eliminating the need to explore other geographies. But while they’re not looking, that hasn’t stopped the constant flood of calls from competitors inquiring about their interest in selling DTS. Some weeks, the call volume reaches double digits. And the response is always “no thank you.”
“We’re fairly unique, fitting in that space where buyers look to add solid revenue,” Stokes remarked. “There just aren’t a lot of independent dealers in our revenue range, and the smaller dealers have already been gobbled up. So there’s not a lot of us left to pick from.”
Service Extraordinaire
Another point Stokes feels sets his company apart from the pack is its demonstrated service acumen. DTS is highly decorated, having achieved Sharp’s Platinum Level Service for 14 consecutive years. The company is also gunning for a 12th straight AAA Platinum Service Provider rating, and Stokes points out that only about 25 dealers nationwide achieve the AAA standard.
“Much of that success can be attributed to our first employee and director of service, David Lloyd,” said Stokes. “David brings exceptional technical expertise and a true client-first mindset—he’s focused on not just repairing the equipment but also ensuring a great customer experience.”
The honors aren’t just a nod to technical knowledge and the ability to turn a wrench, according to Stokes. It reflects the aforementioned dedication to customer service that extends from bow to stern within the walls at DTS. Not to mention it keeps the customers coming back.
“It’s contagious, a domino effect,” he said. “We’re all trying to get to the same place.”
It’s that same attitude leadership seeks to instill in the next generation of service technicians. Running notes that two years ago, it became clear some of the more veteran techs were approaching retirement age. That led to a concerted recruitment initiative to bring in younger team members to be trained as techs. Their success dispels the popular notion that millennials and Gen Z youngsters are conditioned to pursue IT roles.
What’s most heartening is the tech candidates are being referred by DTS team members, who in essence act as de facto recruiters, further underscoring the positive “DTSers” attitude (the company also pays a “significant” referral fee). And the referrals cross over into every department, ensuring the dealer is adding personnel aligned with their culture.
“I wasn’t sure how the recruitment would go, honestly, because it’s a pretty antiquated business and fairly commoditized,” Running added. “Judging by the smiles on their faces, I’d say they’re excited. They’re still learning, but they’ve been going on calls here and there. It’s fantastic to see.”
Future Planning
The groundwork is being laid for continued success at DTS. Last spring, the dealer added its first vice president of sales, who will eventually have oversight of imaging, IT and telecom. The addition of a marketing professional and the second full sales team (a process currently under way) will also go a long way toward meeting the company’s stated goal of doubling in size over the next five years.
However, it can’t be accomplished at the expense of the corporate culture. Brandt notes the personnel buy-in will be simplified by giving the newbies ownership in what they do, much like what’s done with incumbent employees.
“We really help them understand our business and our goals, where we’re headed,” she said. “We give them a great vision for the future. I feel that helps people not only want to work here but also stick around long term in order to be a part of it.”
From an offering standpoint, Running believes the key to fulfilling the growth initiative will be the proliferation of “smaller product sets” including voice, AV and physical security. That will complement the already-significant opportunities that exist for copiers and managed IT, which he estimates to be a billion-dollar market in Minnesota for each offering.
“There are a lot of opportunities for us, and it’s just a matter of dedicating the financial resources we need,” Running said. “We don’t have any private-equity backing, so it all comes through cash flows. So we need to grow responsibly as well. But everything looks good moving forward.”
“It all comes back to focus,” Stokes added. “The goals are there, and the plans are there. It’s now a matter of following those steps and putting in the work.”
