{"id":65774,"date":"2025-07-24T13:00:58","date_gmt":"2025-07-24T20:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/?p=65774"},"modified":"2025-07-24T13:22:47","modified_gmt":"2025-07-24T20:22:47","slug":"account-vulnerability-fighting-off-the-net-new-wolves-calls-for-vertical-know-how","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/feature-articles\/2025\/07\/account-vulnerability-fighting-off-the-net-new-wolves-calls-for-vertical-know-how\/","title":{"rendered":"Account Vulnerability: Fighting Off the Net-New Wolves Calls for Vertical Know-How"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Every net-new account represents a victory for an account representative and the dealership name on his\/her uniform, so to speak. By the same token, it also signals a squandered account for another vendor, be they a dealer, manufacturer direct operation or managed service provider. Sometimes (but not often) it\u2019s a matter of price. Oftentimes, neglect can cause the account to flip. Plain-old incompetence also can\u2019t be ruled out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, our money is on the takedown resulting from the new provider offering a more comprehensive value package that incorporates elements beyond the MFP. Be sure to check out our October issue, which will fully touch upon coveting (and whisking away) thy neighbor\u2019s accounts. For now, we bid adieu to our State of the Industry report on vertical selling with a heaping helping of what pitfalls dealers should be avoiding to maintain their current book of business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Vince Miceli, Pulse Technology<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

One of the biggest missteps a dealer can make is not being fully fluent in the client\u2019s industry. According to Vince Miceli, vice president of technology for Pulse Technology in Schaumburg, Illinois, it\u2019s often the case where providers take a one-size-fits-all approach that skirts compliance needs, workflow demands and operational pressures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe frequently win accounts from competitors who failed to deliver consistent support, lacked subject-matter expertise, or disappeared after installation,\u201d he said. \u201cClients come to us because we listen, tailor solutions and follow through\u2014every time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond Hardware<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Rich Simons, EDGE<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Another fatal flaw, notes Rich Simons, a founder and owner of suburban Atlanta firm EDGE Business Systems, is the tendency to broach recommendations with a hardware-only flavor. It\u2019s a breach of Sales 101 on several levels, particularly the opportunity to furnish end-to-end solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cClients are looking for comprehensive solutions that address security, compliance, remote printing, scanning to the cloud and cost containment,\u201d Simons remarked. \u201cIt\u2019s important to investigate what software programs and key documents are important and build a recommendation that offers value.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Joshua Wickstrom, SBI<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Now and then, dealer reps need a gentle reminder that their primary value proposition is not one of the low-cost option. Ideally, positioning yourself as the consultative guru who can cobble together an RFP that skips the race-to-the-bottom mentality in favor of a needs-based pitch will win the day\u2014and the business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s so critical to separate yourself and your services and the value you offer,\u201d noted Joshua Wickstrom, co-owner of Sharp Business Innovations (SBI) in Longmont, Colorado. \u201cIf what you offer is greater than the overall price, you\u2019ll never have to discount your services. We talk about more than price, we talk about how our solution will benefit them today, tomorrow and two years from now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the more important subjects Wickstrom leans on are immediate response time, auto toner replenishment and the flexibility to upgrade or downgrade the end-user\u2019s technology. \u201cMake changes to your technology as you go,\u201d he said. \u201cChange is the most consistent thing in life.\u00a0 What works for you today might not work three years from now. With other dealers, you are stuck with your lease and equipment. With SBI you have flexibility to upgrade or downgrade.\u00a0 You give the client control over their technology.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Support System<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Rick Salcedo, KDI<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

A lack of ongoing support can be devastating for any dealer-end-user relationship. Some of the new accounts landed by KDI Office Technology of Aston, Pennsylvania, often began as prospects who were frustrated by slow service and poor communications. Rick Salcedo, president and CEO, points out that KDI provides local support for everything it sells\u2014backed by service and customer support functions ably delivered by its in-house team in the mid-Atlantic region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis ensures that our clients receive timely, responsive, and personalized service, and can count on us as a long-term partner\u2014not just for the initial installation, but throughout the entire lifecycle of our solutions,\u201d Salcedo noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Investing in vertical expertise helps stave off complacency and energizes a dealer\u2019s team. \u201cWithout specialized knowledge, service teams struggle to meet the demands of specific industries,\u201d he added. \u201cAt KDI, we hire experts and train our teams to speak the language of each vertical, ensuring our solutions are as relevant as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Jim Haney, Doceo<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Dated intelligence can signify you, as a dealer, are not closely attuned to what is going on within an industry. Without parroting the punchline to your grandfather\u2019s reminder about \u201cwhat happens when you assume,\u201d dealers must be on the leading edge of a vertical\u2019s talk track. As Doceo Director of Marketing Jim Haney notes, it\u2019s all about understanding what\u2019s happening today as opposed to 1-2 years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIndustries are continuously evolving, making it critical to stay active and engaged,\u201d Haney remarked. \u201cThis involves scheduling regular discussions with key industry stakeholders, closely monitoring trends, reading relevant articles, and maintaining a consistent presence within the specific vertical\u2019s ecosystem. By actively adapting our solutions and strategies to the ongoing, evolving needs of each market, we ensure alignment and sustained success within these verticals.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Every net-new account represents a victory for an account representative and the dealership name on his\/her uniform, so to speak. By the same token, it also signals a squandered account for another vendor, be they a dealer, manufacturer direct operation or managed service provider. Sometimes (but not often) it\u2019s a matter of price. Oftentimes, neglect can cause the account to flip. Plain-old incompetence also can\u2019t be ruled out. However, our money is on the takedown resulting from the new provider offering a more comprehensive value package that incorporates elements beyond the MFP. Be sure to check out our October issue, which will fully touch upon coveting (and whisking away) thy neighbor\u2019s accounts. For now, we bid adieu to our State of the Industry report on vertical selling with a heaping helping of what pitfalls dealers should be avoiding to maintain their current book of business. One of the biggest missteps a dealer can make is not being fully fluent in the client\u2019s industry. According to Vince Miceli, vice president of technology for Pulse Technology in Schaumburg, Illinois, it\u2019s often the case where providers take a one-size-fits-all approach that skirts compliance needs, workflow demands and operational pressures. \u201cWe frequently win accounts from competitors who failed to deliver consistent support, lacked subject-matter expertise, or disappeared after installation,\u201d he said. \u201cClients come to us because we listen, tailor solutions and follow through\u2014every time.\u201d Beyond Hardware Another fatal flaw, notes Rich Simons, a founder and owner of suburban Atlanta firm EDGE Business Systems, is the tendency to broach recommendations with a hardware-only flavor. It\u2019s a breach of Sales 101 on several levels, particularly the opportunity to furnish end-to-end solutions. \u201cClients are looking for comprehensive solutions that address security, compliance, remote printing, scanning to the cloud and cost containment,\u201d Simons remarked. \u201cIt\u2019s important to investigate what software programs and key documents are important and build a recommendation that offers value.\u201d Now and then, dealer reps need a gentle reminder that their primary value proposition is not one of the low-cost option. Ideally, positioning yourself as the consultative guru who can cobble together an RFP that skips the race-to-the-bottom mentality in favor of a needs-based pitch will win the day\u2014and the business. \u201cIt\u2019s so critical to separate yourself and your services and the value you offer,\u201d noted Joshua Wickstrom, co-owner of Sharp Business Innovations (SBI) in Longmont, Colorado. \u201cIf what you offer is greater than the overall price, you\u2019ll never have to discount your services. We talk about more than price, we talk about how our solution will benefit them today, tomorrow and two years from now.\u201d Some of the more important subjects Wickstrom leans on are immediate response time, auto toner replenishment and the flexibility to upgrade or downgrade the end-user\u2019s technology. \u201cMake changes to your technology as you go,\u201d he said. \u201cChange is the most consistent thing in life.\u00a0 What works for you today might not work three years from now. With other dealers, you are stuck with your lease and equipment. With SBI you have flexibility to upgrade or downgrade.\u00a0 You give the client control over their technology.\u201d Support System A lack of ongoing support can be devastating for any dealer-end-user relationship. Some of the new accounts landed by KDI Office Technology of Aston, Pennsylvania, often began as prospects who were frustrated by slow service and poor communications. Rick Salcedo, president and CEO, points out that KDI provides local support for everything it sells\u2014backed by service and customer support functions ably delivered by its in-house team in the mid-Atlantic region. \u201cThis ensures that our clients receive timely, responsive, and personalized service, and can count on us as a long-term partner\u2014not just for the initial installation, but throughout the entire lifecycle of our solutions,\u201d Salcedo noted. Investing in vertical expertise helps stave off complacency and energizes a dealer\u2019s team. \u201cWithout specialized knowledge, service teams struggle to meet the demands of specific industries,\u201d he added. \u201cAt KDI, we hire experts and train our teams to speak the language of each vertical, ensuring our solutions are as relevant as possible.\u201d Dated intelligence can signify you, as a dealer, are not closely attuned to what is going on within an industry. Without parroting the punchline to your grandfather\u2019s reminder about \u201cwhat happens when you assume,\u201d dealers must be on the leading edge of a vertical\u2019s talk track. As Doceo Director of Marketing Jim Haney notes, it\u2019s all about understanding what\u2019s happening today as opposed to 1-2 years ago. \u201cIndustries are continuously evolving, making it critical to stay active and engaged,\u201d Haney remarked. \u201cThis involves scheduling regular discussions with key industry stakeholders, closely monitoring trends, reading relevant articles, and maintaining a consistent presence within the specific vertical\u2019s ecosystem. By actively adapting our solutions and strategies to the ongoing, evolving needs of each market, we ensure alignment and sustained success within these verticals.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":166,"featured_media":65775,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1650,82,87,1638,3729],"tags":[3923,3821,3189,3521,4597],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65774"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/166"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65774"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65774\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65778,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65774\/revisions\/65778"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65775"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65774"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65774"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65774"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}