{"id":57803,"date":"2023-11-16T11:07:39","date_gmt":"2023-11-16T19:07:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/?p=57803"},"modified":"2023-11-16T11:07:41","modified_gmt":"2023-11-16T19:07:41","slug":"scaling-non-mfp-hardware-striking-a-balance-between-home-grown-knowledge-smes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/the-week-in-imaging-twii\/editors-blog\/2023\/11\/scaling-non-mfp-hardware-striking-a-balance-between-home-grown-knowledge-smes\/","title":{"rendered":"Scaling Non-MFP Hardware: Striking a Balance Between Home-Grown Knowledge, SMEs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Office technology sales reps can sell MFPs all the live-long day. It\u2019s 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\u2019ve 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, does the \u201crising tide lifts all boats\u201d 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\u2019s and O\u2019s are a bit more complex, it\u2019s usually time to signal to the bullpen and bring in your subject-matter experts (SMEs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this week\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Show Your Work<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Josh Salkin, EDGE<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese conversations are far more detailed than copiers and there\u2019s typically a proof of concept,\u201d he said. \u201cWe work with the sales group extensively to identify the opportunities and then turn these over to the specialists.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Sam Stone, Stone’s Office Equipment<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, it\u2019s not so much about having detailed product knowledge. The bigger picture, notes Sam Stone, president of Stone\u2019s 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\u2019s office. When it comes to Sharp\u2019s AQUOS BOARD, ascertaining the proper-sized display is another key factor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou don’t need subject matter experts or special sales teams,\u201d he said. \u201cHowever, you will need someone to take control and assist others on the sales team with the process.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Thomas Fimian, DocuGraphics<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In some instances, it\u2019s 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 \u201cmost of the heavy lifting,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPartnering with a capable structural cabling company is key to accommodate the implementation, unless you can provide that service in-house,\u201d Fimian noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Lauren Hanna, Blue Technologies<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s house to IT, due to networking complexities and environment bandwidth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was really a natural fit for IT, because it gets us into the customer\u2019s network,\u201d she said. \u201cMy engineers can perform an assessment, but our specialists are highly trained. There are so many workflow opportunities and I think we\u2019re just scratching the surface. We have a lot more to learn, and we do rely on Konica to help us.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Office technology sales reps can sell MFPs all the live-long day. It\u2019s 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\u2019ve 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 \u201crising tide lifts all boats\u201d 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\u2019s and O\u2019s are a bit more complex, it\u2019s usually time to signal to the bullpen and bring in your subject-matter experts (SMEs). That\u2019s 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\u2019s 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. \u201cThese conversations are far more detailed than copiers and there\u2019s typically a proof of concept,\u201d he said. \u201cWe work with the sales group extensively to identify the opportunities and then turn these over to the specialists.\u201d Sometimes, it\u2019s not so much about having detailed product knowledge. The bigger picture, notes Sam Stone, president of Stone\u2019s 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\u2019s office. When it comes to Sharp\u2019s AQUOS BOARD, ascertaining the proper-sized display is another key factor. \u201cYou don’t need subject matter experts or special sales teams,\u201d he said. \u201cHowever, you will need someone to take control and assist others on the sales team with the process.\u201d In some instances, it\u2019s 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 \u201cmost of the heavy lifting,\u201d he said. \u201cPartnering with a capable structural cabling company is key to accommodate the implementation, unless you can provide that service in-house,\u201d 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\u2019s house to IT, due to networking complexities and environment bandwidth. \u201cIt was really a natural fit for IT, because it gets us into the customer\u2019s network,\u201d she said. \u201cMy engineers can perform an assessment, but our specialists are highly trained. There are so many workflow opportunities and I think we\u2019re just scratching the surface. We have a lot more to learn, and we do rely on Konica to help us.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":166,"featured_media":57804,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[80,1650,82,1638],"tags":[3769],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57803"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/166"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57803"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57803\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57805,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57803\/revisions\/57805"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/57804"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57803"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57803"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57803"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}