Office technology sales reps can sell MFPs all the live-long day. It’s not quite to the level of automotive salespeople, who in recent years have had the benefit of high demand and low inventory emptying dealer lots almost as soon as new models arrive. We’ve had our own supply chain issues, but many dealers have spent this year filling backlogged orders. Even the wait-and-see clients are finding its time to pull the trigger on upgrades.
So, does the “rising tide lifts all boats” aphorism hold true with non-MFP hardware? Are we in an era when it is easier to peddle the entire product and service menu? To answer those questions, maybe and not necessarily. There are challenges to scaling with any offering, and when the technology X’s and O’s are a bit more complex, it’s usually time to signal to the bullpen and bring in your subject-matter experts (SMEs).
That’s not to say sales reps are inflexible when it comes to getting into deep product dives. The veteran sales guru Art Post enjoyed a career year in 2022, when boxes were still tough to source, and part of that was his willingness to learn about a technology (MICR) he knew little about previously. It was (at that time) his biggest post-COVID takedown. When a sales veteran of about 40 years in the game is willing to beef up his knowledge base at this juncture in his career, no one is above going back to school.
In this week’s take on non-MFP hardware, we asked our dealer panel about the difficulties in scaling with their particular products. They also provide hot takes on whether reps can manage the talk track or need SMEs to bring a deal over the finish line.
Show Your Work
EDGE Business Systems in suburban Atlanta has a pair of hardware diversifications in Clear Touch interactive panels and FP Mailing postal accessories. Solution support needs dictate the requirement of product specialists, according to Josh Salkin, a partner at EDGE.
“These conversations are far more detailed than copiers and there’s typically a proof of concept,” he said. “We work with the sales group extensively to identify the opportunities and then turn these over to the specialists.”
Sometimes, it’s not so much about having detailed product knowledge. The bigger picture, notes Sam Stone, president of Stone’s Office Equipment in Richmond, Virginia, is being able to know what questions to ask, and being able to spot the telltale clues when walking through a client’s office. When it comes to Sharp’s AQUOS BOARD, ascertaining the proper-sized display is another key factor.
“You don’t need subject matter experts or special sales teams,” he said. “However, you will need someone to take control and assist others on the sales team with the process.”
In some instances, it’s mandatory to rely on SMEs for items far removed from the traditional office, including security cameras and access systems. That was the case for Charleston, South Carolina-based DocuGraphics when it added Verkada equipment. According to DocuGraphics CEO Thomas Fimian, Verkada boasts a strong sales support structure, which allows it to do “most of the heavy lifting,” he said.
“Partnering with a capable structural cabling company is key to accommodate the implementation, unless you can provide that service in-house,” Fimian noted.
On the subject of cameras and access systems, Blue Technologies of Cleveland finds the challenge of getting traction lies in scaling the workflow creation component of the system, notes Lauren Hanna, vice president of sales. The MOBOTIX cameras Blue carries are not exceedingly complicated, but the creation and architecture of the solution can call for additional resources.
Blue has enjoyed much support from Konica Minolta, but as the offering grows for the dealership, the hope and plan is to control the support in-house as much as possible. Hanna moved the offering from the hardware side of the dealer’s house to IT, due to networking complexities and environment bandwidth.
“It was really a natural fit for IT, because it gets us into the customer’s network,” she said. “My engineers can perform an assessment, but our specialists are highly trained. There are so many workflow opportunities and I think we’re just scratching the surface. We have a lot more to learn, and we do rely on Konica to help us.”
