Copier Proposals "What's Not to Like?"

Look at this, I'm on vaca and still writing this blog, guess the toner runs deeper in the veins that I ever thought it did!

Anyway, back to the topic, "What's Not to Like About Copier Proposals?" Just yesterday I ran across a proposal from a Dealer in Chicago. I actually picked up the proposal from the clients web site. The site had included a number of pages from the proposal, could have been all or them or just a few, but since there were so many pages, I'm inclined to think that all of them were included. If you need a copy of the quote you can get this on the Print4Pay Hotel forums.

The bid was for one color system, bidders included Xerox, KonicaMinolta and Kyocera. Total monthly volume was 6K for monochrome and 7K for color. The site where the quote was posted only had the "recommended" bid for the Xerox system which was a Xerox 7346. One sheet has a synopsis of all three quotes from the three vendors. Xerox came in at $1,085, KonicaMinolta at $1,183 and Kyocera at $1,265. All bids included maintenance, toner, parts, drums, labor and a pay off for a current machine.

Now, as I was flipping through the pages of the "recommended" Xerox 7346 there was a page for the lease. The lease was for $1,085 per month for a term of 60 months and included 6,000 monochrome (.007 overage) and 7,000 color (.06 overage) for a term of 60 months. OK, nothing unusually here, standard cpc lease. As I migrated through the other pages of the proposal there was a page noted as "Executive Summary". On this page the "Current Monthly Cost was outlined at $1,478.64, then the "Proposed Solution" at $1,085, then the "Monthly Savings" for $393.64 and then the "Yearly Savings" and then the "60 Month Savings". I'm ok with most of this, here's what I'm not ok with and it's the "60 Month Savings", these numbers were obtained by taking the monthly savings and multiplying by 60 months, BUT in the lease document there is an clause that states;

You agree that we may Increase the Minimum Monthly Payment and/or Excess Per Image Charge for each Image Type each year during the term of this Agreement by an amount not to exceed ten percent(lO%)of the Minimum Monthly Payment and/or Excess Per Image Charge In effect at the end of the prior annual period, or the maximum percentage permitted by law, whichever is lower.

Pretty much this means that the Minimum Monthly Payment or the Excess Per Image Charge could increase by 10% for each year. I understand the word "may" is used, however you've pretty much got to be a fool if you don't think that this will be in effect after the first year, especially since there were no supporting documents or cross outs that stated otherwise. Thus in the second year of this contract the Minimum Monthly will increase from $1,085 to 1,193.50 per month with an annual increase of $1,302. The next year (start of 3rd year) the Minimum Monthly Payment would increase to $1,312.85, this brings the increase to $227.85 per month from the original Minimum Monthly Payment, thus the annual increase for the third year is now $2,734.20. You all get where I'm going right? The start of the fourth year, will see the Minimum Monthly Payment increase to $1,445.13, thus the fourth year would see the increase of $360.13 per month from the original Minimum Monthly Payment and the annual increase for the fourth year is $4,321.56. The last year (start of the fifth) will now see the Minimum Monthly Payment increase to $1,589.64, this brings the 5th year increase to $504.64 per month and the annual increase for the last year at $6,055.68!

Add it all up and the increased cost for the term of this is a whopping $14,424.29 just because of that little paragraph that may have gone unread, not noticed or not pointed out. My beef is that the "60 Month Savings" that was shown as $23,618 is misleading.

Does the new equipment save money, well it seems it does, however nothing near what was quoted on the Executive Summary. By the start of the fourth year the customer is spending just a hair under what they were paying on a monthly basis for the old equipment and in year 5, they would actually be paying more. Plus, this is just looking at the Monthly Minimum Payment increase of 10% per year and not looking at the Excess Image Charge. There's also another disclosure on the sales order that states we can raise your payments or charge you an additional fee if your toner consumption averages 10% more than what the manufacturer calls for.

So, ask yourself when was the last time you actually read the T & C's of a lease or sales order. If you're in the business and selling against these types of contracts, are you aware of these tactics?

Truth of the matter is that most reps will supply a proposal first with out the T's & C's and once it's approved. The contracts are then submitted, and most times these contracts do not mirror the proposal.

If you're in the market for a new MFP, do yourself a favor and ask for all of the documents that are needed to move forward and then carefully review each one.

-=Good Selling=-

Former Ikon Exec Matt Espe Resigns Top Spot at Ricoh

I had a text this morning from a Print4Pay Hotel member (RAC)that Matt Espe had resigned his position. A few months ago in one of my blogs I stated that I thought Espe would be a good fit for Ricoh, and he would be able to re-establish some much needed energy. Maybe the view from 30,000 feet was not looking to good for either Ricoh or Espe? Could the Ikon transition be to much to handle?

Here's a quick look at past Ricoh US CEO's and their reign:

Kevin Togashi     Present
Matt Espe           April 15, 2010 - June 25th 2010
Martin Brodigan                                October 13, 2008 - April 14, 2010
Katsumi “Kirk” Yoshida                    January 1, 2008
Thomas Salierno
Susumu “Sam” Ichioka                      July 1, 2004
Norihisa “Nori” Goto
Jim Ivy

I tried to piece this together with dates from Press releases however it got to be a bear with Ricoh US changing to Ricoh Americas Corp, and then some of the time lines were not matching. With that, I beleive in the last eight years the top spot at Ricoh US, or whatever we want to call it has changed eight times, not at all a history of continuity. But in those eight years Ricoh has still managed it's way to the top of the copier industry and is widely regarded as one of the best.

-=Good Selling=

Rekated:  Today Was a Day Unlike Any Other Day for Ricoh Dealers

Ricoh Being Ricoh "part III"

So, I'm on the phone with a potential account today, already had met with the CEO and Manager about a week ago, gave them what I thought was a fair price for a Ricoh MPC2800.  Tried several times to close on the spot, however they had been renting a machine 60ppm monochrome Canon for $200 per month, but now wanted to get a new color device to lease when they arrived in the new building. 

When I presented pricing for the MPC4000, they cringed, cried and carried on about the price. So, I moved downward with machines since their volume would not warrant the MPC4000 anyway (btw, they were told by a friend to get the MPC4000). Finally we settled on the MPC2800 and I guess they also figured this was too much for them to spend so they decided to shop.

Hey, I got no problem with shopping. However, they decided to call other Ricoh suppliers for a price on the MPC2800.  Yeah, I figure Ricoh Americas Corp aka Ricoh Direct and at least another dealer of Ricoh or Savin would get involved.

Too my surprise when I was trying to find out who else was in the mix, indeed it was Ricoh Americas Corp aka Ricoh Direct (as the rep states), but it took me a few minutes to get the other supplier. Well, it was.......IKON!  I then told the potential customer that Ricoh owns Ikon, they are merging and if you did not like one of them, and then picked one of them over us, you would eventually being doing business with the one you didn't like or care for.

So, the take on this can be Ricoh Direct vs Ricoh Direct, who will win? I'm hoping I can get the deal, however I'm rating it very slim since either one of these "Direct" branches are just buying business and giving clicks away as represented by a quote that was emailed to me from a customer in Sacremento, Ca.  This quote feature two Ricoh C550EX with a mixed color volume of 10,000 per month and a cost per page plan at .04 cents!!!

Anyway, I'm hoping one day someone with some smarts at Ricoh may read this and the light will come on with what's happening in the field and they'll realize they can't keep this up, well they probably can,  however they'll lost most of their dealers and since dealers are subsidizing  the Direct Branches, it would only be a matter of time before Ricoh gets bought by the likes of Canon, KonicaMinolta or how sweet would it be to have Kyocera buy them.

-=Good Selling=-

5 Excellent Copier Sales Tips

Faithful readers....my apologies again for not blogging that much. The excellent weather in NJ has me out an about along with coaching baseball!

A couple of these tips are new and the others you may have read before, however it's always good to review, and remember the basics.

1. I hope you've keep a list of all the accounts you did not sell in past years. Truth be told you may have a leg up the second time around especially if the existing vendor faltered or is no longer in business. Recycle those contacts and accounts and get them in a database so you can manage to start calling on them at lease 15 months prior to end of the lease.

2. Little trick I learned the other day and it happened by mistake! I had been calling on a CFO for months on end and was always dumped into voice mail, the other day I called and by mistake hit the wrong extension. When that person picked up I asked to be transferred to the CFO..guess what? He picked up and we had a great conversation and to say the least he now knows who I am and what I do. At the end of the call I sat back and thought could this happen again, so I dialed another, put in someone elses extension, they picked up and again asked to be transferred, it was a miracle, the CFO picked up again. So, there's the tip when all else has failed and you can't get past VM, try someone else and asked to be transferred!

3. Do you subscribe to CFO magazine? If so....try this.........

4. How productive are you? How many appointments can you go to in one day? Here's something I've switched to, instead of scheduling.........

5. What's in a print driver? When was the last time you downloaded someones..........

Need the rest? I've posted them in the Print4Pay Hotel forums, click the link and become a member today!

-=Good Selling=-

Document Imaging Quiz

Make your own Quiz!

Print4Pay Hotel Weekend Updates 6/13/10

We're almost at the halfway point for the year, I hope everyone else is doing well with business.  From my last updates quotes and business is much better than this time last year, just hoping we can continue to ride the wave for many more months!

Most Viewed Threads:

Print4Pay Value Membership
Rumor has it.....
Canon to Acquire Lexmark? (400 page views already)
Panasonics A3 Exit
At the end of the MFP lease, who pays....?
Who is InfoPrint Solutions and what is it’s relation to Ricoh?
MFP Refurbishing & Recycling

Interesting Threads:

Need Help AgainArmy backs off $243M enterprise.....
Ricoh MPC 6000 "Color Print Control"

smb scanning and 2008 SBS
Canon USA Awarded 40.3 million dollar deal!
Print Audit® to Showcase Benefits of Print Audit for Law

Posted Price Quotes:

Ricoh PRO 906EX
Xerox 6204 with Color Scanner
Xerox 8245 Color Wide Format

Leads, RFP's & RFQ's:

Huge Mid-West Copier Bid
RFP for two 55ppm mfp systems in New York!
MFP Lead in Fairfax, Virgina
Lead for 18 MFP's in Mid-West US 240K per month
ROANOKE RAPIDS — Tomorrow, Roanoke Rapids City Council
Lead in Salina, KS
Ricoh W3600 Wide Format Lead in New England!

The Print4Pay Hotel is the world's only business/social site dedicated to people who work in the office equipment industry. Go ahead log on.....become a member of the Print4Pay Hotel!

-=Good Selling=-

Finding Opportunity in Adversity "Guest Blogger"

While trying to get one of my Real Estate deals approved today, I reached out to an old friend in the leasing business. Kevin Clune of Clune Leasing helped me better understand the leasing industry as a whole and even updated me on some new legistation that's being introduced. Kevin provided the piece below for our "guest blogger" of the month!

"It proved to be the greatest opportunity of my Life," said Colonel Tom Schaefer, one of the U.S. hostages held in captivity by Iranian insurgents for 444 days in 1979-1981. Col. Schaefer was the senior military attaché at the American embassy at that time. He served as the keynote speaker at a recent National Equipment Finance Association Conference (http://www.nefassociation.org/).

At the risk of trivializing the ordeal which Colonel Schaefer endured, I want to attempt to apply the lessons he conveyed to the current business climate.

I felt that Col. Schaefer's message couldn't have been more timely for myself and other business owners who are attempting to adapt to a new marketplace and business environment. The conclusions I found applicable to my business and my reactions to the current state of the economy can be summarized as:

1.Control your attitude.
2.Stay focused on your goals.
3.Learn to be more creative.
Colonel Schaefer spent many months in solitary confinement, cold confinement and in cramped quarters. He stated that the one, and probably only thing, you can control in this kind of situation is your mindset. Thoughts of once again being reunited with his family and hearing the sounds of a baby crying were things that gave him the resolve to endure the pain and discomfort.

If adversity is met with despair, your business will suffer. Once you are determined to adopt a positive and an entrepreneurial mindset rather than one of negativity and restraint, decisions on how to make the necessary adjustments to stay competitive and productive should follow.

•How might you take advantage of the fact that there are now fewer competitors in almost every industry?
•Would upgraded technology and/or a change to your process reduce your overhead costs?
•Can an equipment lease be the answer to the reduction or loss of your bank lines of credit?
•Will you be poised for increased demand when the economy rebounds?
The ability to make a profit by offering a needed product or service at a competitive price is the basic goal of any business. If demand for your product or service has declined, one may wonder if there still opportunity for growth. Colonel Schaefer's goal was to survive the adversity of his situation, regardless of the challenge. He exercised as much as possible to maintain his strength and health. Can you identify the obstacles to your success and ultimate survival?

•Are you staying healthy, nimble, and competitive?
•Has your product or service been weakened in the downturn?
"Necessity is the Mother of Invention" is an often quoted cliché, but it is a good response to the current situation. Colonel Schaefer had charmed his captors into providing him with reading materials. When they brought him some magazines written in German, a language in which he had become fluent while in captivity by reading German language books, he was able to stay informed on the current state of affairs. He learned that an attempt had been made to rescue him and the other hostages, none of whom were confined with him. This gave him the hope he needed to endure the imprisonment.

•Are you tuned into the marketplace?
•Can you identify the needs of your customers?
•Are you willing to create a new product or service to meet demand?
This could prove to be the greatest opportunity of your life.

Kevin F. Clune, CLP
www.clune.net

-=Good Selling=-

Ricoh being Ricoh "Part Deux"

I tell ya, sometime when you think you've seen all, along comes another jolt that tells me it's time to think about retiring from this business!

I picked this up today off the web from Albany, Georgia.

The second place bid won the day, Oce had the lowest bid, however was disqualified for having 10 YEAR OLD software??? Automated Business was second and won the day with Toshiba brand units. However, take a look at third and fourth place bidders....

"Automated Business had the second-lowest bid, ahead of Ikon’s four-year bid of $1,415,333 and Ricoh’s bid of $1,719,000."

Yeah, Ricoh and Ikon bidding on the same deal, and Ricoh lost! WTF? How can Ricoh lose to it's self. Really, out of everything I've seen over the years, this really makes you wonder whose running the show? Since Ikon had a lower price you'd tend to think that Ikon is now getting preferential treatment from the new IKON leadership at Ricoh. Has the ship sailed leaving all common sense at the dock with these people? Better yet, it never crossed anyone's mind at the school board that Ikon and Ricoh are the same?

Some will say, it doesn't matter neither Ikon or Ricoh got the business, some will say how it's Ricoh being Ricoh, others like me will sit back and have a good laugh at how inept they really are. What really comes to mind here is something my father-in law always says "what do expect from a pig, but a grunt"

-=Good Selling=-

Closing a Perfect MFP Sale!

I'm watching the Met game tonight and I'm hearing that a pitcher for the Tigers is about to throw another perfect game, that would be #3 this year!

You just don't hear of that many being thrown let alone being at a game where one is thrown. I was able to see David Wells perfect game at Yankee Stadium many years ago and it was the thrill of a life time for a baseball fan like myslef.

Any how, I flip to ESPN to see if they've got the game covered, I watching.... and the last batter grounds out to the first baseman he flips to the pitcher covering the bag and he's out, no wait he's safe!!1 The unpire clearly blew the call! My first thought is that this kid will probably never ever come that close again in his career. A shame, a blown call takes away a perfect game.

It just goes to show you that nothing is given, even if it's earned. Many years ago I had demo'd a duplicator at a print shop in Trenton, NJ. The duplicator performed verything that it needed to do. I had the lease ready for the buyer, handed him the pen, he had started to sign when my boss (who was with me), asked the buyer a question, the buyer obliged answer the question. What happended next you might ask, we my boss blew the call! We were never able to get back to that closing point and the print shop never did buy the duplicator. From that day forward, I never ever let him go with me on any future closing calls of demos.

Like I said, sometimes even if you EARN, you still might have it stripped away from you becuase of soemthing that's out of your control.

Armando, I feel for you!

-=Good Selling=-

Need MFP Salespeople?

For the last seven years, I've had the privledge of being able to be the General Manager and Coach of a Summer Collegiate Baseball Team. That's one of the reasons why I don't blog as much in the summer compared to the fall, winter and spring.

Over the years I've seen some outstanding ball players, with that it seems to be a rare breed that's an outstanding player and person. The game of baseball similar to other sports require dedication, determination and desire (where have you heard that before). I believe that an athlete who has played four years of college sports is exceptionally well rounded in character. It takes a heck of alot of work to get your education and compete day in and day out to keep your position, or your competitive advantage. Plus there are many pitfalls, obstacles and bumps in the road. All of these athletes will pick themselves up, dust themsleves off and they're ready to compete again.

Personally, I can tell that most of these players will succeed in life because of the team values they've learned along with success of winning and and taste of failure in losing. Most have learned that if you work hard good things will come down the road. They have learned how to win and how to lose.

When you're looking for your next sales person, take the time to check and see if they partipated in Collegiate sports. If listed call thier coach for a reference of character, ask about the work ethic and the sportsmanship. Odds are you'll find some excellent talent with the Desire, Dedication and Determination to compete on another level.

-=Good Selling=-

MFP Wars "Copier/MFP Manufacturers to Buy Printer Manufacturers"

With the recent aquisition of Oce by Canon, what's next for the likes of Xerox, Ricoh, Canon and KonicaMinolta? There's no more Ikon, Danka and Global like companies left for them to buy. Could it be possible that the next wave of consolidation comes from Printer Manufactuers, or better yet do some of the Print Manufacturers secure thier market share with the aquisition of low level players such as Muratec, Toshiba, Sharp, and Kyocera?

I count at least 13 prominant players that need to capture printed or copied pages, they are Xerox, Canon (Oce), Toshiba, Ricoh, KonicaMinolta, Kyocera, Sharp, Samsung, Epson, Okidata, Lexmark, Brother and HP. The all want to capture as many pages as they can.

On the printer side you've got Epson, HP, Lexmark, Brother, Okidata and Samsung. Heard on the street is that Lexmark and Oki were hit hard with the recession, while Epson and HP and Samsung remained strong. Ricoh has InfoPrint and has somewhat of a relationship with Lexmark, do we look for Ricoh to acquire Lexmark somewhere in the not to distant future. Copier companies purchasing printer companies is not uncommon and has happened before. In 1998 QMS was purchased by Minolta Corp and in 2000 Xerox purchased Tektronix, we all know the old saying "what comes around goes around". Thoughts are this will be next round of consolidation for the imaging indsutry.

But, we can look at this another way, what really defines the captured page? Can we also look at this as a "managed page"? If so, could the Giants of the Industry look to acquire some of the largest Managed Print Providers in the not to distant future? I tend to think some of the largest Managed Print Providers are a good bet for takeovers, or acquisition and maybe the quickest road for expansion for either the printer or copier manufacturers. Anyway you slice it, there's still trillions of pieces of paper that can be captured, question is who is gonna make fire the first salvo.

-=Good Selling=-

Selling Copiers and MFP's "Great Copier & MFP Recession"

Through out the last six months I've been holding off with touting that the "Great Copier/MFP Recession" is kaput! After hearing from other Print4Pay Hotel Members and what I've seen and sold the last six months,I hearby decree that the "Great Copier & MFP Recession" is now over!!!! Hurray!!

What's it been, about two and half years? It's seemed alot longer for me and some others. For the first time in two and half years, I'm maintaining my numbers, but what really clued me in was the last 45 days or so. The opportunities for new devices are off the charts. That's the good news!


There is some bad news however, it seems the average selling price is lower than it's ever been before. Direct Branch pressure, quota pressure and the presence of A4 devices has squeezed the heck out of the industry.

So, how do you combat average lower selling prices? For starters you need to sell more, sell more hardware, sell more solutions and find more opportunities, there's no other way around. Find ways to work smarter and be more productive.

Some titles I'm working on for this week:

Copier Manufacturers Need to Purchase Printer Manufacturers

10 Tips to Work Smarter and Increase your Productivty

-=Good Selling=-

Copier Hard Drives & Security "Easy Solution"

There's been a tremendous amount of traffic on Twitter and Google in reference to theft of identity and theft of corporate secrets from copier hard drives.

Almost all of the Copier Manufacturers have released statements in recent weeks in reference to how secure their new systems are and there are options for new systems that will scrub, erase and delete the data on these drives. Any company considering a purchase or lease of a new copier/MFP should ask about the options that are now available.

With some of the manufacturers such as Ricoh, they have a removable hard drive. The hard drive actually sits outside of the system and can be removed by an authorized user. The hard drive is secured in place by using a provided key lock system allowing for authorized removal and quick and easy storage. However, this feature/option is not available with all of the Copier/MFP's that Ricoh offers.

As the industry moves forward, the all manufacturers need to offer a removable hard drives for all of their models no matter how big or how small. At the end of the life cycle of the copier, the hard drive can be removed and owner of the MFP keeps their hard drive with their data and they can do what they want with it.

Removable drive makes sense for the customer; they get to keep their data, the leasing company; they get the system back with the original OEM hard drive still in place; the dealer; gets to keep it simple for all parties involved. A few weeks ago a Print4Pay Hotel member stated that even if a hard drive is broken into chunks data can still be retrieved. So, unless you are going to shred your hard drive, you're probably better off keeping your old drive with your data.

But, what about that copier that was shipped back to the leasing company a few years ago? My thoughts, most likely it was either dismantled for parts, still sitting in the warehouse or was sold to dealer that has already re-sold the system and its back in a new office making copies and prints.

Just yesterday, I had to print a copy of my taxes to the Copier/MFP and I actually thought twice about hitting the print solution. Thoughts ranged from; will and image be retained on the hard drive forever, where will this copier/mfp be in a few years from now? What it came down to is that I needed it to print the documents, thus I sent the file. Personally, I consider printing to a copier/mfp as very low risk and would rate giving my credit card to a gas station attendant a higher risk (Here in NJ, we get our gas pumped for us, and we pass less at the pump for a gallon of gas.... go figure).

So, when selling a new system, advise your customer of how or who will delete or remove their old hard drive data, and if you're in the market for a new system, don't be a cheap skate, spend the extra bucks if it's an option. If you turned in a system a few years ago and nothing has happened with your corporate secrets or your identity, I'd let it go, odds are nothing will happen.

-=Good Selling=-

Professional Copier & MFP Proposals & Quotes

Take it from someone in the business, the copiers of the past are long gone! Today's multifunctional copiers are a marvel of engineering, today users are able to scan, copy, print, and fax from one system at a very low cost per page.

But, how do you go about getting the right system for your needs? How do you protect your data on the system? You can do all the research on the Internet, however how do you know that you're getting the right system for the right job, or better yet a system or professional corporation that will increase help increase your productivity with out breaking the bank.

The multifunctional systems of today require extensive knowledge for support and maintenance.

Our P4P members are best of breed professionals that can consult on hardware, and software applications that are designed to run embedded software within the multifunctional unit.

There's plenty of places on the Internet where you can fill out a form about speeds and feeds of a system. Once those Internet sites have that information they sell it to multiple vendors in your area. The next thing you know you're hit with a bevy of emails, phone calls, and sale people trying to sell you a box., they couldn't care less if it ever worked right , nor if it was the "right" solution for your company.

If your business is focused on it's core business, you need to surround yourself with Valued Added Partners that will consult on best practices and reliable solutions that will increase productivity and ease your pain with paper.

Our site offers to connect you with the top consultant in your area, they are the best of the best and have a continuing education program that keeps them on top of the latest technology and trends in the industry. You owe it to yourself to click here and get connected with one our our P4P "Docusultants"

Take it from me a 30 year veteran in the business, when you lease or purchase a multifunctional system, you'd better have the best support, service and knowledgeable consultants, if not you're wasting your time and money.

Click here to connect with a Professional Imaging Vendor at the  P4P Cafe

Art Post

Print4Pay Hotel Weekend Updates for 5/21/10

Another killer week for opportunities, appointments and sales. Let's keep our fingers crossed seems like things are finally heating up here in the East and so is the weather. Blogging has been hard to keep up with lately, I've had 15-20 appointments each week!

Most Viewed Threads:

Print4Pay Value Membership
Rumor has it.....
What will come of this?
Are Step Leases ethical business practise?
Congress to get involved with Copier Hard Drives
Ink jet printer CPP
Daily Sales Philosophy

Interesting Threads:

Ricoh Convergence 2010
Need Help Against Konica
KM Promo
Xerxo 6605 Color Scan
marketing Wide Format Color?
How to Justify a Large-Format Scanner, Part 1

Posted Price Quotes:

Scottsboro, Alabama 35768
Yarnell Justice Precinct
Toshiba Bid fpr Muni

Leads, RFP's & RFQ's:

Lead for 20-25ppm in Lousiville, KY
Lead for multiple MFP's in Jacksonville, FL
Ricoh W3600 Wide Format Lead in New England!
Multi MFP's needed in Indiana
Lead for 45ppm MFP in Virgina
MFP & MPS Bid in Southern Cal
Hot Lead for 30-50ppm MFP in Raleigh, NC

The Print4Pay Hotel is the world's only business/social site dedicated to people who work in the office equipment industry. Go ahead log on.....become a member of the Print4Pay Hotel!

-=Good Selling=-

Remember When Leasing Office Equipment Was Easy?

An ongoing topic on the Print4Pay Hotel forums titled "Time in business requirements" has many members talking about the how the Copier Equipment Leasing Business has changed in recent years.

I can remember when 97% all deals were approved, and if you were giving one leasing company first crack at all of your apps, most of the times they would approve the good, the bad and the ugly (maybe not the ugly, however they would take almost everything you gave them).

Fast forward to today and we find that during the last two years all of the major Copier Leasing Companies are pretty much creaming all of the applications, if the deals got a spot or blemish it's not going to get approved by them. Although some dealers have had some success with newer, smaller office equipment leasing companies that are taking some risk. A few dealers have even turned to thier local banks or the customers local bank for equipment financing in order to get the deal done.

In the last two years, it's probably been the worst times for both the copier industry and the office equipment leasing industry. Hey, who are ya gonna pay first, the payroll and ultilities or the copier lease? Pretty much, that's been the sign of the times. Real Estate, Mortgage, Construction, Title Companies are treated like Plague by the leasing companies.

Things you can do to help get those deals approved:

1. Always submit a fully completed application
2. Have the customer agree to a much shorter term lease, 24 and 12 months
3. Have the customer pay down the lease, if it's 10k for the equipment, ask if they'll put down 3K or so.
4. Get a PG


I've also got a sure fired way to help close deals when leasing...........want the details send me and email (art@p4photel.com)  and make sure you're a member of the Print4Pay Hotel.

-=Good Selling=-

The 3D's of Selling Copy Machines & MFP's

It's been a long time since I've been around "rookies, newbie’s" or whatever you'd like to call new people breaking into the MFP/Copier business. I'm not a manager or owner; I'm working commercial & major accounts right along with them.
As many of you know our business is constantly changing, whether it's hardware models or solutions software, nothing stays the same for long!

What are the 3D's?

Put them in any order you want, it takes all THREE to be successful in our business. DESIRE, DEDICATION & DETERMINATION

So, what is DESIRE?

–verb
1. to wish or long for; crave; want.
2. to express a wish to obtain; ask for; request: The mayor desires your presence at the next meeting.
–noun
3. a longing or craving, as for something that brings satisfaction or enjoyment: a desire for fame.
4. an expressed wish; request.


DESIRE

Well, I thought this would be EASY! LOL

The satisfaction that you are the best at what you do to make a living. You present solutions with PASSION and can paint a picture of the future for your existing clients or your new prospects! Losing is not an option! As Ricky Bobbie put it "If you're not first you're last"!

How about DEDICATION?

noun
1.the act of dedicating.
2.the state of being dedicated: Her dedication to medicine was so great that she had time for little else.
3.a formal, printed inscription in a book, piece of music, etc., dedicating it to a person, cause, or the like.
4.a personal, handwritten inscription in or on a work, as by an author to a friend.

Dedication

You'll take the extra time to figure out a solution or educate YOURSELF to make you more knowledgeable for your clients and your company. I love what I'm doing and I'll do it better than anyone else and if you don’t believe me just watch me. Our job is not a 9-5 job, if you want 9-5 money go work for Burger King. Always ask yourself "Am I working as hard as I can"?

While we're at it DETERMINATION

noun
1.the act of coming to a decision or of fixing or settling a purpose.

2.the quality of being resolute; firmness of purpose.

Determination

When it's a quarter to 5 and you're on your way home, and you pass that business that you've called many times and got nothing, do you continue to go home or do you stop for one more cold call? Well, we stop for one more cold call. You're always moving forward with new promos, following up with calls until you have the answers whether it's good or bad. Selling is similar to playing chess, you're always thinking about the next step, or the next objection and what if's, determined people always have a plan to get where they want to be.


-=Good Selling=-

Print4Pay Hotel Weekend Updates for 5/8/10

It's been busy out in the field and with the better sales and weather in New Jersey, I haven't had as much time to blog as I'd like to. It's been busy with at the P4P Hotel forums with over 31,000 page views, and 68 new members in the last month.

Most Viewed Threads:

Print4Pay Value Membership
Rumor has it.....
Does your Copier Service Contract still reflect 1970's Analog Copiers?
Additional Insured?
What do the CEO's of Ricoh, Xerox, Canon & KonicaMinolta have in common?
When NOT to save money...
Daily Sales Philosophy

Interesting Threads:

Are Step Leases ethical business practice?
Sheriff's Deputies Raid LMI Solutions!
Konica Minolta Previews bizhub 423 Series
New Xerox Wide Format Device Offers High-Speed Precision Printing; Ideal for Construc
How to Justify a Large-Format Scanner, Part 1

Posted Price Quotes:

Scottsboro, Alabama 35768
Yarnell Justice Precinct
Toshiba Bid fpr Muni

Leads, RFP's & RFQ's:

Managed Print Services PROPOSALS DUE: May  2010
2 45ppm systems in San Bernadino, CA
lEAD FOR A 70PPM DEVICE IN Oregon
Lead in Atlanta for 30-50ppm color
A fleet of approximately 500 total networked devices MPS Bid
PA is seeking a vendor to provide Printing Services for use by the District's schools
74 -- Office machines, text processing systems & visible record equipment

The Print4Pay Hotel is the world's only business/social site dedicated to people who work in the office equipment industry. Go ahead log on.....become a member of the Print4Pay Hotel!

-=Good Selling=-

Canon & Oce "Good Deal or Not a Good Deal"

I've always been a fan of Howie Mandels "Deal or NO Deal", I find myself trying to use my super psychic powers to pick the "right case", well, it seems I have better luck betting on the ponies, they'll be NO million dollar case for me.

A few months ago we (Print4Pay Hotel) posted a poll here on the MFP Solutions blog about the recent Canon & Oce Deal. We asked our readers.

Canon & Oce "Was this a good deal or a not so good deal?"

Here's how our readers responded!

Good Deal 55%
Bad Deal 32%
Not Sure 13%

More readers thought it was a good deal for both parties and I'd have to agree. From preivious threads from Print4Pay Hotel members, it seems that Oce had been courting a buyer for quite some time, at one point KonicaMinolta was rumored to be buying to shares of Oce over in Europe. Anyway, the business continues to consolidate and margins are still tight, talk is that's there's another major move to be made before the end of the year. The only hint I can give is that both companies have manufactured cameras.

-=Good Selling=-

Copier Hard Drive Security "Give it a Break"

A few weeks ago a story broke from a CBS reporter that traveled to New Jersey (of all places he had to pick New Jersey) to a copier bone yard aka used copier warehouse. Well, one thing he got right, New Jersey is one of the most corrupt states in the nation. However when it comes to copier hard drive security there were many Print4 Pay Hotel members that picked a few holes in his story.


Being an expert in the industry for over 30 years and being an avid Twitter user, I started seeing the comments come fast and furious about business and personal information on copier hard drives. I was aware of this years ago as were many copier manufacturers, most if not all manufacturers closed this loophole in the hard drive security many years ago.

The machines in question were bought for a few hundred dollars each, we all found it quite coincidental that all 4 machines had so much information. Here's what one Print4Pay Hotel member stated, "Not much chance that you'd buy 4 machines at random and then find out that you hit the jackpot with a police sex crimes division, a health care company and an architecture firm with plans of a building near ground zero, all on the day CBS decided to follow you with a camera", and another "I wonder how many copiers in that NJ warehouse have shipping paperwork attached or simply lying under the ADF. Wouldn’t an identity thief looking to purchase a copier be able to browse the NJ warehouse looking for shipping paperwork from financial institutions and turning down copiers being returned from “Mom & Pop” businesses?"

Another point with the report, in the video it showed the documents, I paused the video several times to get a date on the papers and none of them seemed newer than 2008, meaning that these copiers were most likely leased in 2003 time frame. Prior to 2003 Digital Copiers were in the infancy of development with only a few manufacturers had addressed security with hard drives on their units.

It's time to stop beating up on copiers, what about all of the old pc's that were thrown out or returned to leasing companies over the years, did anyone take the time to scrub those drives or remove them. Here's another post from a Print4Pay Hotel member "Did you know that if you format a hard drive that the data can still be recovered? There are wipe methods to prevent software recovery and hardware recovery. The dept. of defense has a specific 7 pass sanitize method that Sharp utilizes. That will prevent hardware recovery. However no matter where the hard drive comes from there have been documented cases of reverse engineering to bypass the wipe method. If know the wipe method used. This is why the specific methodologies are top secret and you can customize your sanitation method that is unique to prohibit this reversing process. The maximum security is 35 passes to sanitize the HD. This is based on Peter Gutmanns' paper "Secure Deletion of Data from Magnetic and Solid-State Memory". The method is designed to erase data regardless of disk raw encoding. It effectively removes the magnetic remnants from disk, preventing hardware recovery tools from restoring any data.

I knew someone that had a HD in which they took a sledge hammer to. Broke the HD platters in many chunks & pieces. Guess what? That was not enough. Data was still recovered from chunks that were encrypted.

So the best thing to do is pulverize your HD's to dust then you can rest assured everything is gone. Sharp was the first to address security in digital imaging and received the first Common Criteria Validation for an MFP in 2001."

Over at the Print4Pay Hotel there were over 25 threads in reference to the above topic, general consensus, the report made good TV, also its old news in the copier industry and the industry has incorporated numerous security measures on the latest devices.

BTW, when was the last time you checked to see if your high end laser printer had a hard drive? Most likely it does, but it's easier to bash copier companies.


-=Good Selling=-