Breaking New Ground: Dealers Share the Ways and Means Behind New Logos

It may sound like a broken record, but it’s become accepted as gospel among office technology dealers: net-new business is essential to growth in a world where print demand continues to dwindle. Everyone wants new logos, and the optimal way to accomplish it is to take business away from incumbent providers.

But there’s an inconvenient truth. Competitors who aren’t adept at taking care of their clients are a vanishing breed. Each year, (promo alert) our Elite Dealer listings are full of examples where unhappy prospects are wooed away via tailored dealer assessments that help right-size MFP fleets. Throw in a few software solutions and a service agreement, and you’ve earned a new client for life.

That sounds great, but it’s easier said than done. Winning larger accounts is a formidable challenge for dealers like Fraser Advanced Information Systems. The West Reading, Pennsylvania-based firm often targets midsize businesses that are ensconced in long-term vendor relationships. Michael Macri, vice president of sales operations, notes that breaking through requires making a compelling need-to-change argument.

What Fraser has found to be effective is its Strategic Account Big Hit Team, targeting opportunities within the $75,000 to $300,000 range. “Rather than asking one salesperson to manage everything, we bring in the right specialists and leadership at the right points in the sales process,” Macri said. “That helps us understand the customer’s business and approach the opportunity as a partnership, not simply an equipment replacement.”

The approach has been productive: Fraser has garnered three net-new takedowns above the $1 million plateau. “Sales tools and better data help us find and prepare for opportunities, but with larger accounts, getting the right people involved at the right time has made the biggest difference,” Macri added.

The net-new target for Pearson-Kelly Technology of Springfield, Missouri, is 20% year-over-year net-new growth. According to Bill Fernandez, director of sales, the dealer had eclipsed 35% for the year heading into Q4, which he attributes in part to the focus and training the team has done in all its lines of business.

“We’ve got good brand awareness. Getting out and in front of people has made a big difference,” he said. “I’ve been blown away by the numbers and where we are from a net-new perspective.”

The Challenge

Garnering net-new accounts certainly has its challenges. Mike Lepper, CEO of Impact Networking, will attest to the notion, stressing that “anyone who says otherwise isn’t tracking it separately.” Trigger events that unseat incumbent providers are infrequent, he said, and cold outreach generally doesn’t yield the biggest win percentages. As such, Impact employs an omni-channel approach.

The dealer has a net-new component in its quotas, with 60% tied to new logos. “If you only measure total revenue, reps will find it in the base every time, and eventually, the base stops being enough,” Lepper said. “What works for us is having our net-new logo team, print team, and client experience team all working together. We’ve also brought on a channel to drive business across all services to have a diversified stream of revenues.”

Net-new business is certainly important to many dealers like Green Office Partner, but the Chicago dealer emphasizes the importance of growth within existing accounts. As the company has grown its base of capabilities, it opens the door to solving additional customer challenges, notes Chris Gallagher, company co-founder. That places retention expansion and cross-selling on par with new logos.

“We’ve found that leading with a business problem is much more effective than leading with a device,” he said. “Our strongest conversations happen when we uncover complexity, inconsistency or unnecessary cost and can show the prospect a better way to manage it. That is especially true with multi-location organizations. If we can simplify multiple locations, technologies and vendors under one accountable partner, it creates a much more valuable conversation than simply asking when their copier lease expires.”