KIP 700M is the Bees Knees!

The phrase "the bee's knees", meaning "the height of excellence", became popular in the U.S. in the 1920s.  So, I'm rolling back to the roaring 20's to tout the new KIP700M Digital Wide Fomat System.  With an MSRP of $13,595 which includes color scanning, printing and copying at 3"D" Size image per minute could also be called the 'the cat's pyjamas".

Here's some specs:

LED printer with KIP HDP Plus Technology
600 x 600 dpi
100%. No waste
1 roll, Media Bypass, Cut sheet feeder (20 pages - from A2 to A4) (option)
Bond, Vellum, Tranlucent Bond, Film
(W)1245mm x (D) 680mm x (H) 611mm (stand excl.)
Ethernet 10/100 Mbits/s, USB 2.0
AutoCAD 2004 and up
Contact Image Sensor (CIS)
HPGL, HPGL/2, HP-RTL, TIFF, CALS type 1, ED MICS (C4), DWF, CalComp 906/907/951, Adobe ®, PostScript/PDF (optional)

From everything I've found on the internet and a few posts from Print4Pay Hotel Members, it seems the KIP 700M will be a BIG DEAL!  With a list price of $13,595, and all indications that it will include color scan, copy, and print, the KIP 700M is a great value.

Here's a few threads I found on the web:

"I like that it has a cut sheet, you can load that up with 18" x 24" or 17" x 22" and put a 36" or 34" roll in the printer and print C, D and E size prints." http://www.keepitprinting.com/

"A USB PORT to allow printing and saving documents scanned via the USB stick"

"Possibility to integrate a MULTIPLE CUT SHEET FEEDER (20 paper sheets from A4 to A2)"

"A COLOR TOUCH SCREEN USER INTERFACE in front"

Now, I have not seen all of the specs for this device yet. I'm thinking .pdf printing and scanning might be an option, not sure if it will scan2folder or scan2email, plus I'm not even sure of the controller speed, memory or hard drive size.  But at the price point of $13,595, this should be an attractive solution for many low volume users in the AEC market to save money and just may produce additional sales from AEC users who have older inkjet plotters. There are many AEC users that wanted to add copying and color scanning but they could never justify the cost of the current devices on the market.

I'm extremely excited to see this device come to market and I'm convinced the likes of OCE, Xerox and Ricoh will have to follow.  A Print4Pay Hotel Member posted a thread on the boards stating that KonicaMinolta will also be marketing this device. 

-=Good Selling=-

Ricoh 430DN Color Printer "What's the TCO"?

I posted this on the Print4Pay Cafe Blog, it's another Blog that I do, however it's geared towards the end users for printers, color printers, fax, mulituctional copiers, and scanners.

Take a trip here for Ricoh 430DN Color Printer "What's the TCO"?

-=Good Selling=-

Ricoh Wide Format Hits Skid Row

My how the mighty have fallen. With the introduction of the Ricoh 240W, it was one of the hottest wide format systems on the market. Ricoh had taken on the likes of Xerox (XES), OCE, and KIP, and had prevailed with an incredible low volume wide format system.

The key word in the last sentence is the word "had",  fasr forward six years later and the Ricoh Wide Format line is in shambles. There's been no upgrade to the W2400 or W3600 in three years and the promise of an upgrade has now been pushed to the last quarter of this year. In recent months,  Ricoh did release two higher volume systems, the Ricoh MP W5100 (10 "D" size per minute) and the MP W7140 (14 "D" Size per minute). What a time to release high volume systems when we're in the middle of the great recession and the AEC Market has been in the tank for a few years.

I'm thinking the current AEC market may have something to do with Ricoh not attacking a new low volume device, however if that was the case why did they come to market with the two high volumes units?

From what I've heard on the street,  there will be a replacement for the aged Ricoh MPW2400 and MP W3600.  The replacement will have color scanning, along with a USB support, and the ability to use a java card, however there will not be a reduction in the overall MSRP? Again,  this is what I've heard on the street and may or may not be the case. If someone has heard otherwise please post here.

In recent months, I've had the chance to speak to several people at Ricoh in reference to my thoughts on a new wide format system (quess, my opinions don't rate well with them) I was asking for a 2ppm or 3ppm LED system, with USB print support, optional color scanning, and of course the embedded print & scan controller. I also stated that an MSRP of $13,995 would be a great price point for the entire system with roll feeder, print, and scan. Alas, we are not going to get something like this. Instead Ricoh gave us the BEAST from the EAST (Epson 7700 and 9700), and NO margins!

Yesterday, I stated I tell you about what I think will be the hottest wide format to hit the market since the Ricoh 240W, if you'd like to find out more follow this link BECOME A PRINT4PAY HOTEL MEMBER

I've probably sold 80-100 wide format systems in my career, most have been down the street sales to commerial accounts. Now, I don't have specific data to back up this claim, however if I was asked to quess how many users were maxing out on the recommended volume of the Ricoh 240w's, MP W2400/3600's, I probably quess about 10%. Users that were over using the Ricoh's, probably about 5%, users at 50% of recommended volume, about 60%.

Over the past year or so, I've had many 240w's come off lease with less than 30k linear feet for 5 years!

The success of the Ricoh 240W is that is was the first low priced\low volume wide format system of it's kind. These systems were leased and purchased due to the fact that the clients were either outsourcing thier copies, scans or prints, and there was a tremdous savings to the end user. Others just wanted the convience of having a system where they could print 4 times faster than a plotter and could easily scan thier leagacy documents.

Point is, at least with the systems I had in the field is that most were under used. Hearing from other Print4Pay Hotel members over the year, I would tend to think that this is true for most of us who placed these units. So, while Ricoh rested on thier wide format laurels the likes of Xerox, KIP, and OCE have made tremendous in roads to the low volume market place. 

Well, at a list price of $13,595 this new system from .......will redefine who is a market leader...... read the rest here Print4Pay Hotel

-=Good Selling=-

Weekend Print4Pay Hotel MFP Industry Threads!

Hello All!

What's in it for Me?

P4P Value Page get access to all forums, rfp's, rfq's, proposals, quotes, and leads! pssst! We've now linked and uploaded leads, RFP's and RFQ's for more than 1,000 systems!



We're still looking for coverage in areas where there are no Premium Members, remember when you sign up for a Premium Membership you get FREE "core" leads!
Please support our Advertisers Polek & Polek, Lucas Distributing, Print Audit, Cybercon Services (Dealer Consulting Service), Ratio

Recent Blogs of Note
Copiers: A Playful Look at How They Work
Top 3 Challenges of Technology for Office Equipment Dealers
Lead with MFP Solutions to the Table and Hardware will Follow!
haha "You Wanted the Multifunctional Copier When?"
MFP Wars "Samsung Poised for MFP Blitzkrieg

Interesting P4P Forum Threads
KIP to launch new 3ppm wide format?
http://p4photel.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/6311092731/m/292109813
KM Promos?
Rumor has it.....
Mark Pollack Joins Konica Minolta!

Most Viewed P4P Forum Threads
Introducing the bizhub C35 "Video"
Konica Minolta Delivers Superior Color and Full Functionality With First A4 Color MFP
Failed Print Jobs on the W3600 with Embedded Print Controller
Single click 11 x 17
New Samsung 11 x 17" Colour MFPs due Oct 01 USA

New Leads, RFP's & RFQ's Uploaded!
RFP for 350 copiers due soon
Lone Star State RFP for 137 copiers
Printers & Toner RFP in Denver
48 Printer RFP in the South Expires 8/9/10
48 month lease for 89 copiers
Large School MFP Bid in the Lone Star

Follow the links for FREE access to the Print4Pay Hotel Forums!

-=Good Selling=-

Copiers: A Playful Look at How They Work

Top 3 Challenges of Technology for Office Equipment Dealers

Challenges of Technology

Our Guest Blogger for July is Rick Backus. I've been able to work with Rick on several projects in the past and with each project Rick work was awesome. Rick's got an excellent piece this month and we plan to have more from Rick in the future!

 The race for new business that every dealership competes in has never been an easy or simple endeavor. However, as the technology of the industry has evolved from analog to digital, copy to print/scan dealers could typically look to their hardware vendors to assist in understanding the changing technology while they got up to speed.

Now dealers are once again facing challenges but this time the circumstances are dramatically different because the technology is considerably more complex.

The introduction and on-going integration of document management solutions into the sales repertoire puts new demands on the dealership infrastructure. Not least of which is how do you keep up with technology in order to offer your clients the best possible combinations of hardware, software and technical expertise?

There are essentially three options to choose from. Continue to rely on your existing hardware vendors who may offer various applications that will meet some level of document management capability. These are typically hardware specific and somewhat limited in their scope of both capability and customization. You may often find yourself trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Not something most clients will buy into as this will result is asking them to modify their process to match your applications functionality (or lack thereof). Clients want and need their vendor to create a solution that will automate, streamline and simplify their process. There will be times when process modification may be warranted, but that is a topic for a future conversation.

The second option is to develop or recruit employees with dedicated time and resources toward discovering, evaluating and testing all of the components that could go into a business solution. These individuals must be the proper mix of:

1) IT professional with network infrastructure, database, development and application skills.

2) Sales skills like articulate communication during meetings and appointments with prospects. Too much “IT speak” and you will lose the client. Demonstration ability to prove the relevant value and benefit of your solution options to clients.

3) Business Analyst with a thorough understanding of general business practices including AP, AR, Accounting/Finance, Inventory and other back-office functionality.

This is no simple task and merely promoting the current “IT person” is probably not the answer. This individual will be a key component in creating customer confidence in your organizations ability to provide and maintain a successful solution for their business challenges.

The final option is to partner with an organization that possesses the technical resources (as described in option two) to support your companies solution efforts either until you get in-house people up to speed or on a more permanent basis. The permanency of this relationship depends primarily on the type of solution practice your company plans to build. The intended level of involvement in supporting additional areas that are directly related to your solution practice such as network infrastructure and hardware play a key role in shaping your solution practice.

While all of these options have their pros and cons the most important take away from this is your company needs to do something. Sitting on the side lines with a handful of clients who are scanning documents to folders is not going to make you a sought-after solution provider. Review your long-term business strategy and decide how solutions and the technology behind them will provide your organization with a broader range of clients and the benefits that they will bring.

Cybercon Services is a technology management consultancy with over 25 years of business consulting, IT and office equipment industry experience. Whether your needs are building or retooling your business solutions practice, becoming a managed network services provider , leveraging best practices to improve your core business or updating your companies network infrastructure, Cybercon Services is uniquely positioned to help business equipment dealers realize their goals and overcome challenges. Visit www.cybercon1.com or call 610.745.2481 today and let us tailor your plan for growth and success.

http://www.cybercon1.com/

Lead with MFP Solutions to the Table and Hardware will Follow!

I've had a few emails in recent weeks to try and get some threads in reference to solutions. There certainly are enough of them out there.

Just today I had an appointment with an IT Manager in New Jersey, company size is about 40 and they have numerous print, copy and fax devices.

The first thing I did was to ask for a tour of the facility. Once I had the ok, I fumbled for the pen and paper and we went to see all of the devices. This is probably the best way to start any appointment when you are engaging with a new client, so much can be learned from seeing how the machines are placed, where they are placed, how they ........... want to read the rest, go here Print4Pay Hotel Forums and become a member for free!

-=Good Selling=-

Copier Rumors Unleashed!

Thought I'd take the time to share some rumors that have been posted on the Print4Pay Hotel forums. BTW, the "Rumor has it" thread has now generated over 3,000 page views.

Matt Espe going going gone!

Ricoh employee states Ricoh USA is now Ikon

Ricoh Americas moving to Malvern, PA

Hickling to take top spot at Ricoh Americas

One year ago Ikon had 3,000 MIF for Canon

KonicaMinolta will launch their own color A4 device

1,500 IKON people to be laid off by ......

Ricoh A4 Fleet to hit the street in.....

Samsung to launch A3 color devices in America

Could the next Ricoh Americas CEO come from Xerox?

These were all discussions on the Print4Pay Hotel forums, if you'd like to be a member of the largest social group of copier professionals in the world click here.

-=Good Selling=-

haha "You Wanted the Multifunctional Copier When?"

I tell ya, sometimes this business will drive you mad.  I'll try to make a long story short for you all.

My month closes before the end of the month (special thanx to all you bean counters out there), I'm in this account pretty much mid month, they want "x brand and model multifunctional copier". I've got it, we're negotiating price and it comes down to they'll shop, np I'll walk and you call me when you're ready. Well the end of the month came and gone besides a few emails back and forth with the client nothing was going on.

A week after the month closes the customer calls me and states "we're leaning towards your company, however can we get it for this?" I thought enough of the games. I asked if I gave them that price will they lease from me, answer was yes. I scheduled an appointment to get the paperwork signed.

Now, a little background on this customer, they've been around for 20 years or so, I've called on them before, decent size SMB. I get there, I then find out they are moving and also that they are closing the old corp. and operating under another corporate name that's been around for two years, and then they want the system in 8 business days! I thought I could swing it with a fast approval, so much for the fast approval! They are not registered with D&B, really have no credit under the new corporate name. Let's face it in today's credit market, they are a risk that no one is willing to take.

I called them yesterday and with three days left to deliver I advised them that we'll need to get a PG to consider and move forward. That's were we are now with two days (they stated they may not want to do that, I don't think they have a choice at this point in time), oh forgot to tell you that the administrator told me that if they don't have the system on that day they'll have to pay extra for their network people to come back on site! HAHA

Kinda reminds me of being penny wise and dollar foolish, instead of shopping and wasting time, they should have committed way earlier and it's possible all of the credit issues could have been addressed earlier. There's saying in the Real Estate Industry that your first offer is usually your best offer, well the same can be said here.

To all of the buyers out there, the credit market is tough, especially when you are in business under 3 years! Expect to PG the lease, if you're not willing to do this, then you're wasting your time giving us additional trade references, or banking references. Be up front with your sales person and we can guide you to the right process and get your financing approved. Don't drop bombs at the last moment and expect us to perform miracles and deliver on "x" date. You want it when? haha

-=Good Selling=-

MFP Wars "Samsung Poised for MFP Battle"

Who said Samsung was just selling A4 MFP's. Coming to the Americas in the near future the Samsung CLX-9350ND.

The Samsung CLX-9350ND is a full featured A3 (will copy, print or scan up to 11x17) that will print and copy at speeds of up to 35 pages per minute in color and monochrome. This system will offer a full color GUI (Graphic User Interface), multiple paper banks, document feeder, by-pass, duplex (copy and print) along with stapler finisher. Max print resolution is 9600 equivalent x 600 dpi, standard PCL, PCL5c, Post Script 3 and it will scan at a blistering 60 pages per minute in either monochrome or color.

Rumor has it that this system will be launched in the UK first and then the Americas.

As of right now Samsung is only marketing A4 (systems that do NOT copy, print or scan 11x17) devices in the US, when looking at their web site in Korea there's a treasure trove of A3 devices. Devices like the CLX-9250ND a 25ppm color & monochrome full featured MFP, the CLX-9035 another full featured color and monochrome system, the CLX-9000G  a 28ppm color and monochrome full featured MFP, the SCX-7600PG a full featured monochrome MFP (rumor has it that Samsung will also be coming to market with monochrome A3 devices in the US soon), there's also a 45ppm device and we're still waiting to see if the rumors of a 70 and 90ppm A4 device will come true. 

Point is, with the the recent mergers and acquisitions in the copier/mfp market place, Samsung seems poised to gain market share from the likes of Xerox, Ricoh, Canon and KonicaMinolta. When speaking with a Samsung Dealer Rep the other day, I heard of many success stories with multiple take downs of large accounts with their current A4 devices.  Word on the street is Samsung wants to be a Manufacturer of Choice and not a secondary line for dealers.  Personally, I think the products are awesome and the only way they could screw this up is if they opened up Direct Branches.

BTW, it was a Print4Pay Hotel member that posted information on this device in the P4P Hotel forums, kudos to that member!

-=Good Selling=-

MFP Wars "Bizhub C35 Scores Direct Hit"

With monochrome pages on A3 devices declining by 40% and color increasing by 30%, it's not an attractive model anymore. But the news is different with A4 devices, while monochrome pages are decreasing by 10%, color pages printed on A4 devices will increase by 50%. Konica Minolta referred to a forecast from a market-research firm.

Thus, the birth of the "mini" KonicaMinolta bizhub C35 A4 (not capable of scanning, printing or copying onto 11x17 size paper) which allows users to produce monochrome and color pages at a rate of 31 pages per minute.

What's to like?

Speed 31 pages per minute in monochrome or color
Full Color Display
120,000 page Monthly Duty Cycle
Reversing Doc Feeder that will 50 pages
Auto Duplex
PC Fax
Fax Forwarding
Price

I could go on and on with speeds, feeds and features, if you want see for yourself access the bizhub35 brochure. 

Total Cost of Operation

What I'd really like to focus on is the TCO (Total Cost of Operation). How much does it cost to make a copy of print with this system?

The system requires 4 cartridges of toner be in the machine at all times. Color toner cartridges will cost you $110 each with a yield of 4,600 pages, thus the cost per page for each color cartridge is .0239.  The black toner cartridge has a cost of $45 and the yield is 5,200 pages, thus the cost per page for black is .0087.  Your total toner cost is .0804 which is not that bad for a system with a purchase price of about $3,500.  Keep in mind that printing or copying pages with heavy coverage will increase your costs. 

You'll also need to figure in Imaging Kits.  There are three color imaging kits that will cost $230 each with a yield of 30,000 pages, thus the cost per page for a color imaging kit is .00766. The black imaging kit is $130 and also has a yield of 30,000 pages, thus the cost per page for the black imaging unit is .0043.  Your total imaging kit cost per page is then .0271.

When adding the toner cartridges and the imaging kits we have a total of .1141 (11 cents).  There's two additional consumable items that will be needed.  One is a fuser kit and the the other is a transfer belt, as of right now I've not been able to find a cost and yield for these.  I'm thinking that the total cost per page for this device would come in around .13 cents per page and that would not include any repairs that would be needed. 

This system fills a much needed gap in the color MFP market, between the SOHO and mid market levels and may also generate additional placements for those in the Managed Print Services.

Whats Not to Like?

No Finsihing Capabilities (stapling or hole punch)
High Cost Per Page
Monthly Duty Cycle of 120,000 pages (I don't think so, if you every did 120,000 pages in a month on this device you'd spend over $15,000 in consumables)
Print & Copy Resolution is 600x600 dpi

Even with some of the "not to like" this system should be a winner for reps that need something above the SOHO model and less expensive than the smallest A3 (will copy or print to 11x17) model.

Information was gathered from KM's web site and information posted on the forums of the Print4Pay Hotel.  If you're not a member, consider joining the largest social network of copier/mfp professionals in the world.

=Good Selling=

Print4Pay Hotel's Weekend Updates 7/4/10

We've made it halfway through 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.....
Duplo DB280 Perfect binder
What is "Ricoh Infoprint"
Global Image Charge Wording
matt espe quits
How to beat Global Industries aka Xerox

Interesting Threads:

New color copier paper from Canon
Canon expands imageRUNNER ADVANCE-series lineup in Japan with two new color and three
DigiDocFlow is taking forever to OCR documents
Ricoh "Smart Accounting"
Awesome Futuristic Technology: 17 Cool Concept Printers

Posted Price Quotes:

Xerox 7346 Color MFP Proposal
Xerox 7346_lanier 550_kyocera color Proposal
Canon Color imageRUNNER C2550 proposal
Canon Color imageRUNNER C3080i proposal
Canon Color imageRUNNER C3480i proposal
Ricoh C550EX proposal
Leads, RFP's & RFQ's:

2 MFP's Bid RFP for Mid West America
Color Copier Bid in South Africa
Major NJ Bid MFP "College"
Request for Proposals for Document Image Scanning Services
Large School MFP bid in Southwest, USA
50+ MFP RFP in Southeast, USA
Wide Format Bid in Arizona due July 7th, 2010

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=-

Top Ten Copier or MFP's Do's and Don'ts

You've just received your new system, the operators manual is boring you to tears, the rep they sent over for training had a hard time finding the BIG GREEN Copy button, so what do you need to know to keep your system in tip top condition?

1. Damp Paper is one of the most common problems in copiers and MFP today's. How do you know if your paper is damp? Pretty easy to tell, copies and or prints will have blank (white) splotches where there is no print. Want to confirm it? Turn the paper over and copy or print on the back side,  if the copy or print is good, that means the paper was damp. Go get your self a few of these neat anti moisture Gel packs and keep one in every paper tray of the copier or MFP, thus if the AC is off for the weekend or night these Gel packs will solve the issue once and for all!

2. Did you know that the wrapper for a ream of paper also acts as a moisture barrier? Seal open reams with tape or place open reams of paper in a plastic container and throw in a few of the anti moisture gel packs.

3. Avoiding paper jams: Make sure you are using the stock and weight that the manufacturers recommend (check that dam boring op manual or go to the manufacturers web site and check the specs). We see it all the time,the previous copier we had or the copy/printer from my last job was able to feed 80lb cover, can't understand why this one won't!

4. Leave your copier on 24/7. In today's "green" world, most technology has a power-saving mode and an auto off feature. When in doubt shut it down, and if you forget the system will most likely do it for you!

5. Avoiding paper jams: Read the wrapper of the paper, most of the wrappers will have a statement that reads "copy or print this side first" with a little arrow showing which side.

6. Avoiding paper jams: After opening that new pack of paper, hold it with both hands on the long edge and gently bend and then fan the paper a few times, then place the paper in the tray and make sure the side and stop fences in the paper tray of firmly resting on the edges!

7. Avoiding paper jams: Check the paper drawer of the copier some of the older system have a mechanical dial to set the paper size, putting the wrong paper size in and not changing the dial will result in jam or misfeed. Most newer systems will auto read the paper size and some others you may have to program into the system.

8. When using the by-pass tray, you know the little tray on the side of the copier that the rep stated you could feed envelopes and when you did all you had was misfeeds or wrinkled envelopes. Never ever leave the tray open with paper in it for more than a few hours, dust, dirt, staples and other objects will lay on top of the paper. Thus using the copier or printer this will damage the equipment.

9. Do not put your copier near the office thermostat, the copier will produce heat, thus throwing off the thermostat.

10. Do not make copies with the lid open! You'll waste toner and cause premature wear of consumables.

Lastly if you're in need of consulting for a new fleet of equipment or just one or two, feel free to send me an email. I can get you through the do's and don't's of leasing, buying, maintenance agreements and can give you creative alternatives to reduce paper or right size your systems!.

-=Art Post=-

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=-