It’s difficult to absorb any type of media, be it print or digital, without being inundated with news about artificial intelligence (AI). It’s truly permeating most aspects of life, and chances are you are either knowingly or unwittingly tapping into some iteration of AI. As the technology continues to reveal itself, applications grow and evolve.
If you’re already suffering from AI saturation, just know that it’s only going to intensity in 2026. To paraphrase the immortal words of Al Pacino in “Scent of a Woman,” AI is “just getting warmed up.” Fortunately, the tech is going to alleviate many of the headaches we endure in day-to-day business, and the office technology dealer universe is certain to reap some of the benefits.
But don’t take our word for it. This month’s State of the Industry report on winning net-new business offers a look at how dealers can best use AI to their advantage. The tech is certain to raise the stakes as dealers try to secure those highly coveted new logos. Our esteemed dealer panel shares some insight into how they’ve been able to make AI work for them.
For Impact Networking, AI isn’t a bolt-on/ancillary path consideration. In fact, it’s foundational to the go-to-market strategy employed by the Lake Forest, Illinois dealership. Chief Sales Officer Erik Carlsen notes frontline sellers use large language models (LLMs) for rapid client research, competitive analysis and call preparation to ensure high-value conversations.
“What excites me most is what Impact Labs has built in-house: specialized small language models that tailor the Impact advantage to every stage of the employee and sales process,” he said. “From onboarding new hires faster to assessing client environments to accelerating proposal timelines, it’s changing how we compete and win.”
Taking Temps
Some dealers, like DOCUmation of San Antonio, are relying on AI to provide a clearer picture of the variables and challenges that are shaping vertical markets. Hunter Woolfolk, CEO, notes that being fluent about the issues prospects care about the most provides a critical edge.
“It makes prospecting faster, saves time and helps us focus on the right accounts,” Woolfolk remarked. “AI also tracks competitor moves and the economic outlook, so our teams can see what’s coming, adjust quickly, and frame conversations around the things that matter most to customers.”
Changes both substantial and subtle have helped Gordon Flesch Company increase its productivity, approach and focus. Patrick Flesch, president and CEO of the Madison, Wisconsin-based dealership, sees it continuing to be a major asset in helping account representatives elevate their game.
“We have numerous applications we leverage that help us research target prospects, as well as determine the best approaches, messaging and talk tracks to get the decision-makers attention,” he said. “It allows us to craft better emails, proposals and presentations. Additionally, we’ve found a number of other benefits, like note taking, generating slides, images and ideas.”
AI is a valuable tool for The Swenson Group (TSG) of Livermore, California, to identify commonality between the dealer and the company. President Dean Swenson encourages his team to tap AI for researching an account or person within the prospect’s organization to identify any type of “alignment” that can be used as a relationship-building block.
“AI can scour websites and LinkedIn to capture an organization’s core values, mission statement and new product/service offerings,” he said. “We can also learn where the contact went to college, where they worked before their current role, and the like.”
In Sync
Some dealers such as Kelly Office Solutions of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, are using tools for reaching prospects baked into them. Like TSG, Kelly seeks alignment talking points to foster more meaningful appoints. That means using popular tools like Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT in concert with Google’s NotebookLM to generate granular information, notes Kevin Hoverman, regional vice president.
The best part? Hoverman can aggregate the information and consume it in a way that most suits his needs. Hoverman can role-play with some of the AI models, or use it to write email or phone scripts.
“It provides research on what this company’s mission is, how Kelly aligns with their goals, and what does this CFO who I’m meeting with care about the most,” he said. “The research that used to take 45 minutes to an hour can now be done in 30 seconds. I can turn that into a podcast and listen to it while I’m driving to meet with them. That’s mind-blowing, somethings that could’ve never happened before.”
For Systel Business Equipment of Fayetteville, North Carolina, AI is enabling the dealer to work smarter by streamlining research, guiding outreach and prepping account reps more effectively for customer interactions. Michelle Shepard, vice president of sales for Systel, notes that it’s been a huge plus for scripting, refining talk tracks and even role-playing objections—all designed to position a more confident company sales rep in front of clients.
“Balance is key,” she said. AI enhances our strengths but doesn’t replace the human connection. At the end of the day, it’s our ability to listen, understand pain points and deliver exceptional service that wins new business. AI just helps us get there faster.”
Trust the Process
Regardless of the technology, dealers such as Pacific Office Automation of Beaverton, Oregon, believes an assortment of touchpoints are necessary to enhance the process and your odds of winning an account. Christie Wakefield, the dealer’s vice president of marketing, cited research that asserts clients need to notice your brand between 7 and 20 times before they’re ready to engage.
“The goal is to create that steady drumbeat of visibility,” she said, pointing to emails, events, social selling and direct outreach working in concert. “That’s where content marketing plays a critical role. Blogs, thought leadership pieces, advertising, and even social posts help warm the conversation before a rep ever picks up the phone. When prospects are already familiar with your brand and have seen you provide value in their space, your direct outreach is far more likely to get a response. Content isn’t just filler, it’s the credibility builder that sets the stage for meaningful engagement.”
