It’s usually not all that surprising when a high-profile dealer such as Jerry Blaine of LDI Color Toolbox in Jericho, NY, makes a case for MPS. That’s exactly what he did in a recent interview when I asked him to identify the reasons why business has been good of late. “We’ve had enormous success with MPS,” responds Blaine.
That success is coming in a market that is ripe with competition no matter what product, service or solution an office technology dealership is selling. And with everyone and their brother selling some form of MPS, LDI Color Toolbox is going head to head on a daily basis with big competitors, small competitors, and mid-size competitors selling MPS as well as those still trying to figure it out and those who know what they’re doing.
“Count us right on the front of that line,” says Blaine. “The competition is ridiculous.”
Although LDI’s approach may not be novel, it’s prudent. “We pick and choose our spots with respect to identifying the clients and understanding which ones are going to appreciate our value,” states Blaine. “Every deal is not for us, and that’s a very hard notion to swallow at the outset. We’ve all been around long enough to understand that. We have a particular complexion of a client and the bottom line to that is they appreciate value.”
A good portion of LDI’s sales reps have been with the organization from the outset and have honed their skills in the traditional copier industry. Yet all are capable of presenting LDI’s managed print practice often with a little help from their more knowledgeable friends. “In terms of selling MPS, nobody is doing it alone, it is an absolute team effort,” explains Blaine. “We have some unbelievably good resources that understand MPS top to bottom.”
One of the biggest impediments to selling MPS remains competitors who are practically giving clicks away. That’s one of the reasons so many dealers have mixed feelings about the MPS opportunity. How does LDI compete with craziness?
When things get crazy, sometimes the only option is to walk away, and LDI isn’t afraid to do that. “Most of what we walk away from [are deals that are] price driven,” states Blaine.
By walking away from those deals, LDI has found that they’re thriving and surviving to sell another day while spending the time to find MPS deals where they can actually make money rather than lose it.
