Big or small, all dealers struggle to keep up with the pace of technology change. If that’s hard for even the top dealers, imagine how new technology confuses your customers. Many of the ENX 2016 Elite Dealers said rapidly changing technology is one of their biggest challenges, not just in terms of what they sell, but what they use to run their business as well. Here’s their advice for keeping management and staff informed.
As Gordon Flesch Company pointed out, printers and copiers are now doing more. Multifunction devices have become a means to convert paper documents to digital so they can be cataloged, stored, searched, and shared. Networking of these devices has also increased complexity, as has the greater demands for mobile connectivity and collaboration.
To meet these challenges, Gordon Flesch is focusing more resources on selling the technology that links machines into networks, integrates legacy software with document management software, provides security for printed output, reduces paper usage overall, and routes copies to the most efficient machines. The end goal is to use the right technology that delivers efficiency and ROI to the customer.
The bar for dealers’ tech savviness has been raised by the wide availability of online information, Gordon Flesch believes. By the time customers engage a dealer, they already have a high level of knowledge of their needs. Dealers will need to provide deeper context in order to be seen as authoritative and credible.
On the marketing side, dealers need to master new social media tools and concepts as well as marketing platforms. Gordon Flesch believes this is critical in order to reach real prospects with information that is relevant to their needs. The company is taking that one step further by rebuilding its CRM tool to better target its marketing efforts.
Elite Dealers emphasized the need for ongoing training. Centric Business Systems had gone so far as to engage industry consultants to conduct employee training. Its senior management team regularly attends industry seminars to stay current with industry trends. Eakes Office Solutions has a training coordinator who provides research and develop training programs to keep its sales team informed about the technology it sells. Braden Business System also invests in training, but encourages knowledge sharing across all areas of the organization to enhance its effectiveness.
The best way to understand the technology you sell is to use it yourself. That’s what Imagine Technology Group does whenever possible. “We don’t want to just talk about the technology, we want our employees to experience the benefits of it first hand,” stated a company spokesperson.
The Elite Dealers agreed that it takes a company-wide commitment and management support to effectively stay current on the technology they use and sell. Image Matters, for example, said that they believe they need to be willing to change as an organization as the industry redefines itself. LDI Color Toolbox said that it spends a great deal of time mapping its technology path, which helps them develop the right strategic partnerships. James Imaging Systems budgets and assigns resources to seek out and evaluate the latest equipment, software, and services that will enable the company and its clients to excel.
A positive attitude toward the pace of technology change helps. Braden Business Systems sees knowledge of new technology as an opportunity to add value for its customers. That may be the best reason of all to stay informed.
