October 2007 Office Technology

01OT1007 9/29/07 11:17 AM Page 1

Do you crunch the numbers, or do the numbers crunch you?

he BTA ProFinance course will teach you how to setthe strategy, track critical performance measures and

manage your assets according to a proven business modeldesigned to improve the profitability of your company.

Instructors John Hanson and John Hey of StrategicBusiness Associates take a holistic approach to theredirection of your business — from sales repcompensation and projecting service revenues toinventory management and an action plan forimplementation — with the short-term goal of achievinga minimum of 14% operating income. You can achievethese results by monitoring 24 key benchmarks andmaking strategic shifts as discussed in the program.

Start planning for improved profitability today! Send allof your strategic decision makers to ProFinance — it’s aninvestment in your company that will help you relieve theend-of-the-month crunch.

To register for ProFinance or get moreinformation on pricing and quantity discounts,visit www.bta.org or call BTA at (800) 843-5059.

Upcoming ProFinance course:

Nov. 14-15, 2007 Cleveland, Ohio

T

ProFinance is designed for owners and executive-level staff who make the critical business decisions that impact your company’s success. Some OEMs reimburse forProFinance tuition through advertising co-op or professional development funds. Check with your OEM.

ProFinance thinker full pg 8/29/07 10:58 AM Page 1

FMAuditadSept07 8/29/07 11:38 AM Page 1

Estate Planning

Take time to organize these

important documentsBy Robert C. GoldbergBTA General CounselIt is important to have estate-planning

documents. Without a written will, the state where you

reside will determine how your assets are distributed.

4 | w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | O c t o b e r 2 0 0 7

CONTENTS

2007 Software Buyer’s Guide

A look at some of the

many possibilitiesBy Brent HoskinsOffice Technology MagazineIn the heyday of the analog copier,

software sales were not even a

consideration for most office technology dealers. To-

day, however, software-based solutions that integrate

with MFPs are prevalent. Is your dealership still selling

hardware like it did 15-20 years ago, focusing on

speeds, feeds and price? Or, has your dealership em-

braced the strategy of addressing your clients’ docu-

ment-related pain points through the effective use of

software and hardware?

D E P A R T M E N T S

Volume 14 � No. 4

22 Successful Trade Shows

Use PR to ‘grease the skids’

for promotion & salesby Jim KahrsPPMC Inc.So you have signed up for a booth

at an upcoming trade show. Your

last trade show did not yield much

of a return and you hope this one

will be better. The show promoters tell you that there

will be plenty of great prospects in attendance, but

what can you do to ensure excellent results? And what,

by the way, constitutes excellent results? Having a suc-

cessful trade show starts with understanding what you

are looking to accomplish and having a strong plan.

10

20

F E A T U R E A R T I C L E S

Muratec Hosts ‘Integrate’

National dealer conference

held Sept. 12-14by Brent HoskinsOffice Technology MagazineWith the goal of providing educa-

tional opportunities to its dealers

while sharing its views on the

changing market, Muratec Amer-

ica Inc. hosted “Integrate,” its 2007 National Dealer Con-

ference, Sept. 12-14, at Planet Hollywood Resort &

Casino in Las Vegas. The event, featuring a Technology

Expo, General Session and nine education sessions, drew

approximately 300 people, including representatives of

207 of Muratec’s 325 active authorized dealerships.

Turning Talk Into Action

James Imaging Systems

prepares for the futureBy Dustin PhillipsThere is a bright future in the office

technology industry for independent

dealers who invest in their dealerships and take the

steps to position themselves for future opportunities.

25

C O U R T S & C A P I T O L S

P R I N C I P A L I S S U E S

24

27 Unique Value Propositions

It helps to segment customers

by buying motivationby Tom KramerStrategy Mapping SellingIn the competitive and complex world

of selling office technology, our fundamental mission is

to win, retain and grow.

S E L L I N G S O L U T I O N S

6

8

30

Executive Director’s Page

BTA President’s Message

Advertiser Index

29 The ‘Ride-Along’ Process

Managing sales

representatives in the fieldby Howard MeltzerSales Tiger Inc.“Instead of giving them a fish to eat,

teach them how to fish.” This old adage perfectly

describes the essence of sales management.

04OT1007 10/1/07 4:12 PM Page 4

PrintAudit June 07 5/17/07 2:58 PM Page 1

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S PAGE

It has been my privi-

lege the past few

years to attend most

of the national dealer

meetings of the MFP

manufacturers that sell

through the BTA Chan-

nel. Like those of you

who attend these meetings, I see the various

software products that are now featured, most

of them offered by independent software

vendors. Are you selling some of the software

you were introduced to at a national dealer

meeting or some other industry event, such as

an ITEX Show? Or, do you remain focused,

nearly exclusively, on hardware sales?

While an increasing number of dealer-

ships are actively selling software-based

solutions, such as document management,

forms printing or variable data printing,

my suspicion is that many dealers are

holding back. Either they simply dabble in

software sales or they continue to sell as

they did in the analog days, prior to the

arrival of the digital MFP and the subse-

quent onslaught of software within the

channel. Please correct me if I ’m wrong,

but I don’t believe any of the hardware

manufacturers set quotas based on soft-

ware sales. It would make sense then that

d e al ers fe e l c omp el l e d to l e ad w ith

pushing hardware. The thought among

dealers and sales reps may be: “Intro-

ducing software into the equation will only

slow down the hardware sales process.”

I do understand the reality of this

industry. At its foundation, this is a hard-

ware sales business. I’ve seen the assembly

lines in the factories of the manufacturers.

They are mass producing hardware, not

software. However, I am increasingly hearing

how software solutions can have the effect of

driving hardware sales and locking in cus-

tomers, while helping the dealership capture

more clicks and make more money.

With this thought in mind, here are the

steps I would take today if I owned a dealer-

ship and had only “dabbled” in software or

had not sold software at all:

� I would visit the Web sites of dealerships

across the country to see what software they

are selling. I would then call a few of them

to ask about their successes and failures.

� I would review the list of vendors in-

cluded in the 2007 Software Buyer’s Guide in

this issue of Office Technology, visit some of

their Web sites and follow up with calls to

select vendors. My goal would be to investi-

gate products that seem to be a good fit for

my dealership and its customer base.

� I would attend the ITEX Show in Feb-

ruary of next year to further investigate

some of the industry’s software offerings.

� In any conversations with software

vendors, I would ask for details on how they

are going to support me in the sale of their

product. I would also ask for references

from satisfied customers and strive to learn

everything I could about the company itself,

in terms of its size, the credentials of its

management, its software developers, etc.

� I would initially establish a relationship

with only one or two software vendors, since

it is best to become an expert with one or

two software products, than to be seen as a

neophyte with a whole slew of them.

� I would have BTA General Counsel

Bob Goldberg review any agreement the

software vendor I select asked me to sign, to

ensure it is fair and equitable.

What steps are you taking?

— Brent Hoskins

The Steps I’d Take If I’d Only ‘Dabbled’

Executive Director/BTAEditor/Office Technology

Brent [email protected]

(816) 303-4040

Associate EditorElizabeth Marvel

[email protected](816) 303-4060

Contributing WritersRobert C. Goldberg, General Counsel

Business Technology Association

Jim Kahrs, Prosperity Plus Management Consulting Inc.www.prosperityplus.com

Tom Kramer, Strategy Mapping Sellingwww.strategymappingselling.com

www.smsap.com

Howard Meltzer, Sales Tiger Inc.www.salestiger.com

Dustin Phillips

Business Technology Association12411 Wornall Road

Kansas City, MO 64145(816) 941-3100

www.bta.org

Member Services: (800) 505-2821BTA Legal Hotline: (800) 869-6688

Valerie BrisenoMembership Marketing Manager

[email protected]

Mary HopkinsAccounting [email protected]

©2007 by the Business Technology Association. All RightsReserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by anymeans without the written permission of the publisher. Everyeffort is made to ensure the accuracy of published material.However, the publisher assumes no liability for errors in articlesnor are opinions expressed necessarily those of the publisher.


®

06OT1007 10/3/07 12:28 PM Page 6

DocuWare_OFFICETECH_BTA_fullpage_Swimming in Circles-Illus10.. 4/26/2007 10:45:36 AMDocuware June 07 5/15/07 4:30 PM Page 1

BTA PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Since the Business

Technology Asso-

ciation was estab-

lished as the National

Typewriter Dealers

Association in 1926, it

has been governed by

its dealer members.

Specifically, the association has always

operated under the guidance and direction

of its elected national officer team and

board of directors. Through the years, there

have been many leaders. George S. Walker

was the first president of the association. I

have the privilege of serving as the 73rd

national president. Our next president will

be Ronelle Ingram. (In case you are doing

the math and wondering, “How could BTA

be in its 81st year with service by only 73

presidents?” The answer: Some presidents

served more than one year.)

While all national BTA officers and board

members have shared the common bond of

the office technology industry, they have

shared another key characteristic — all have

been volunteers. Like me, most will tell you

that they volunteered to give back to the

association that had given them so much.

Volunteers have not come forward only at

the national level. In past years, BTA had a

number of active locals, each with elected

officers volunteering their time. Likewise,

many have served as officers on the district

level as well. And, finally, there have been

scores of committee members, task force

members and education program instruc-

tors through the years who volunteered to

help their fellow dealers. There is no official

record of all who have served, but, certainly,

there have been hundreds of dealer members

who have given of their time.

Looking back, all of us in the BTA Chan-

nel owe our gratitude to these volunteer

leaders. Collectively, they have ensured the

long, rich history of BTA. But, more impor-

tantly, they have worked in different ways to

help countless dealers improve and grow

their businesses. Many of us can attribute

the success of our businesses to the guid-

ance, information, support and advocacy

that would not have been possible had it not

been for BTA’s many volunteers.

Looking forward, BTA needs your assis-

tance. Currently, we are looking to identify

additional men and women who are ready

to give back to the association. Are you

among them? Have you put to use some-

thing you learned in a BTA education

program? Have you received free, yet valu-

abl e , l egal adv ice from BTA’s gen eral

counsel, Bob Goldberg? Have you learned

something in this magazine that has helped

to guide you? Have any of your children or

your employees’ children ever received a

BTA scholarship? While my list of ques-

tions could go on, I’ ll ask just one more:

Would you consider giving back to BTA?

If so, let us hear from you. You can con-

tact me at [email protected]. Or, if you like,

you can contact BTA Executive Director

Brent Hoskins. He can be reached at

[email protected] or (816) 303-4040.

I should note that BTA is currently

seeking volunteer leadership in the BTA

East District, among individuals whose

dealerships are located from Ohio, east to

Washington, D.C., and north to Maine. How

much time is required? What are the duties

of district officers? Contact me or Brent and

we can provide the details. We look forward

to hearing from you.

— Shannon Oliver

Would You ConsiderGiving Back to BTA?

®

2007-2008 Board of Directors

PresidentShannon Oliver

25 Wheaton CircleGreensboro, NC 27406

[email protected]

President-ElectRonelle Ingram

Steven Enterprises Inc.17952 Sky Park Circle

Ste. EIrvine, CA 92614

[email protected]

Vice PresidentBill James

WJS Enterprises Inc.3315 Ridgelake Drive

P.O. Box 6620Metairie, LA 70009

[email protected]

BTA EastThomas Chin

Accolade Technologies LLC31 Mamaroneck Ave.

Ste. 508White Plains, NY 10601

[email protected]

BTA Mid-AmericaMike Blake

Corporate Business Systems LLC2018 S. Stoughton Road

Madison, WI [email protected]

BTA SoutheastJerry Jackson

All South Copiers (ASC)1325 Cobb International Blvd.

Ste. AKennesaw, GA [email protected]

BTA WestRock Janecek

Burtronics Business Systems Inc.216 S. Arrowhead Ave.

P.O. Box 1170San Bernardino, CA [email protected]

Ex-Officio/General CounselRobert C. Goldberg

Schoenberg Finkle Newman & Rosenberg Ltd.222 S. Riverside Plaza

Ste. 2100Chicago, IL 60606

[email protected]


08OT1007 10/1/07 4:28 PM Page 8

Digital Gateway Oct 07 9/20/07 11:23 AM Page 1


by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine

2007 Software Buyer’s GuideA look at some of the many possibilities

In th e h eyday of th e analog

copier, software sales were not

even a consideration for most

office technology dealers. Today,

however, software-based solutions

that integrate with MFPs are preva-

lent. Is your dealership still selling

hardware like it did 15-20 years ago,

focusing on speeds, feeds and price?

Or, has your dealership embraced

the strategy of addressing your

clients’ document-related pain

points through the effective use of

software and hardware?

Randy Dazo, a director at market

research firm InfoTrends, says there is a compelling reason

for dealers to embrace document solution sales. “Other dis-

ruptive technologies and printer-based products are driving

traditional laser-based MFP prices down, making it more

and more difficult for equipment vendors and dealers to

achieve a profit,” he says. “Therefore, solutions and profes-

sional services have become the Holy Grail of the office

equipment market, as they can be a huge differentiator in a

hardware sale.”

Dazo notes that a software solution can help a customer

solve a problem or facilitate a task, improve a business

process and increase productivity, and create new business

opportunities that can improve a company’s bottom line.

“These attributes make solutions much more difficult to

replace than a non-descript piece of hardware,” he says. “And

this is something that customers are willing to pay for.”

In fact, InfoTrends forecasts that customers will be

willing to pay $2.1 billion in document solutions in the U.S.

market by 2011, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of

27 percent. The growth incorporates all revenue cate-

gories, including software licenses, professional/support

services, software maintenance

and installation services. Software

maintenance will experience the

m o st g row th , at a C A GR of 4 5

percent between now and 2011,

InfoTrends forecasts. Meanwhile,

professional ser vices are fore-

casted to see a 35 percent CAGR

during the same timeframe.

Are you in search of the right

independent software vendor (ISV)

partner or partners for your dealer-

ship? To provide a concise resource

for its readers who are seeking ISV

partners, Office Technology maga-

zine invited a number of software vendors to provide brief

overviews of their products. While most are vendors that

offer software for resale, the ISV overviews, which begin on

page 14, also include companies offering software for use

within the dealership. The list is by no means all-inclusive,

but it does provide a look at some of the many possibilities.

As an introduction to the 2007 Software Buyer’s Guide,

three vendors are profiled in greater detail. Certainly, all of

the software vendors in the guide — not just the three com-

panies profiled — have value propositions that dealers may

want to consider.

DocuWare Corp.For dealers seeking a solution to help clients index, store

and retrieve their electronic documents in a secure manner,

DocuWare Corp. (www.docuware.com) may be the right

company. The company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of

DocuWare AG, Germering, Germany, offers DocuWare 5.1, an

integrated document management solution now sold by

approximately 130 dealers in the United States and 400

dealers worldwide. Currently, the company has approximately

10OT1007 10/1/07 12:49 PM Page 10

Print Audit May 07 4/18/07 2:15 PM Page 1

6,000 installations in more

than 50 countries.

The benefits of the solu-

tions are simple yet far

reaching. They include: one

document pool for all of a

business’ documents; infor-

mation availability around

the clock, even from remote

of f ices; a simple search

capability and fast retrieval;

integration with any work-

flow; and an optimum level

of security. The DocuWare product is scalable and is

designed for companies with between 20 and 500 employees.

“We have a great document management product, along

with add-on modules for things like automatic indexing,

C O LD applications and enhanced w orkf low,” says

DocuWare Corp. President Gregory Schloemer. “But what

really separates us is our go-to-market strategy. We are

totally partner-oriented [DocuWare refers to its dealers as

partners] and we can help our partners be successful selling

solutions in a very short period of time.”

DocuWare’s focus on its partners is ref lected in its

training, support and guidance, says Schloemer. For

example, the company provides written profiles to dealer-

ships that define the role of each person, such as the sales

rep and the solutions specialist, in the DocuWare sales

process. The company also offers its partners online and

classroom training courses. In fact, completion of the

coursework is required to be certified to sell DocuWare.

Schloemer also emphasizes DocuWare’s on-site sales

support. “We have regional managers across the country

who work directly with dealership salespeople,” he explains.

“So, it’s not like we say, ‘Okay, here’s the software, you’ve

been through the training, good luck.’ We work with our

partners day in and day out.”

Those dealers only now considering a document manage-

ment solution should recognize the scope of the opportu-

nity, says Schloemer. “Without exaggeration, less than 10 to

15 percent of the market has been penetrated,” he says. “I’m

not aware of any other industry where you can make that

kind of statement.”

eCopyThere was a day when eCopy’s (www.ecopy.com) Share-

Scan product was only of interest to Canon dealers — given

that the document solution

would only work with Can-

on MFPs. Today, however,

eCopy has partnered with a

growing number of manu-

facturers beyond Canon.

ShareScan can now also be

used with MFPs from Hew-

lett-Packard, Konica Min-

olta, the Ricoh family group

(Lanier, Savin and Ricoh),

Sharp and Toshiba.

Bill Brikiatis, director of

media and analysts relations for eCopy, explains the docu-

ment-related need that eCopy’s ShareScan addresses. “Orga-

nizations can really no longer wait for their documents to be

on paper,” he says. “The Internet has basically changed

everything. You receive an e-mail message in seconds. You

read information on a Web site instantaneously. Likewise,

waiting for a paper document to be couriered, overnighted

or sent through inter-office mail or even by fax is now con-

sidered to be way too slow. That’s the driving need dealers

are facing.”

That driving need led to the development of ShareScan.

eCopy promotes that the software “enables users of a

departmental or enterprise network to share the digital

copier’s ability to turn paper documents into digital files,

which can then be distributed down the hall or around the

world over the corporate network or Internet.” Using

ShareScan at the MFP (copier), the scan options include

sending the document to e-mail, the user’s desktop, a

network fax or to a back-end enterprise application.

Having the MFP serve as the on-ramp to a back-end

application should be particularly appealing to dealers,

says Brikiatis. “Oftentimes, these back-end applications are

in the six-figure range when it comes to cost and have a

huge impact on the business,” he says. “eCopy allows the

dealership to hard-wire its MFP into one of these systems.

This is a way for dealers to differentiate their offerings and

lock themselves into the account by providing tremendous

value for the customer.”

In the case of both Canon and Ricoh, ShareScan can be an

embedded solution. For the other MFPs, a second piece of

hardware is currently required — eCopy’s ScanStation, which

attaches to the MFP and includes an integrated, free-

standing touch screen, keyboard and PC. For Canon and

Ricoh MFPs, the customer can select either embedded or


“Without exaggeration,less than 10 to 15percent of the markethas been penetrated. I’m not aware of anyother industry where you can make that kind of statement.”

— Gregory SchloemerDocuWare Corp.

12OT1007 10/2/07 9:20 AM Page 1

FIX full pg 10/2/07 9:29 AM Page 1

ScanStation. In addition,

eCopy and members of its

developer program offer a

series of “connectors,” which

enable documents to be

scanned and distributed

into selected document

management systems and

other enterprise applica-

tions. Currently, there are

approximately 170 connec-

tors either available or in the

process of being developed,

including 18 developed and offered by eCopy.

FMAuditIn recent years, FMAudit (www.fmaudit.com) has become

relatively well-known within the dealer community, given its

presence as an exhibitor at various trade shows and dealer

meetings, public relations efforts, etc. And, like eCopy, it has

aligned itself with a growing number of MFP and printer

vendors as partners and customers, including Canon, Dell, HP,

Imagistics, Konica Minolta, Kyocera, Océ, Pitney Bowes, Ricoh

group (Lanier, Savin and Ricoh), Sharp, Toshiba and Xerox.

“We automate the collec-

tion of print asset data ,”

says Rich Piper, president of

FMAudit, describing the

focus of the company. “And,

we package our core tech-

nology providing dealers

c h o i c e s o n h o w b e st t o

engage their customers.”

One of the choices is the

initial product launched by

FMAudit, its Viewer USB

Rapid Print Assessment key.

The product is intended as a highly portable means of gath-

ering customer device information. By inserting the key into

a customer network PC, the dealer can gather information

on networked and locally connected printers and MFPs. The

data is used in many ways — to produce reports, export in

.xls and .csv formats, import into third-party applications

and/or for contract billing.

Since the launch of its assessment key, FMAudit has intro-

duced two additional products — its workstation-based OnSite

product and its Internet-based WebAudit. Specifically, the prod-

ucts provide the dealership the ability to easily and automatically

American Printware Inc. www.apwi.com

APWI has been servicing the network and high-volume

print market for more than a decade, offering a broad range

of software products and custom engineered solutions that

manage a broad array of printing needs. Its recent products

effectively manage print networks, lowering end-user cost,

increasing employee productivity and increasing dealer rev-

enues. It provides free technical support to its authorized

dealer partners.

Britannia Inc. www.britanniainc.com

Britannia offers complete business software to help start-

ups and small dealers manage operations and improve prof-

itability. The company’s hosted software provides service

management, order entry, inventory, a complete accounting

module and a fully integrated e-commerce package. BritNet

can also manage sales of supplies and furniture. Britannia’s

goal is to help small dealers leverage technology to grow

their businesses.

Captaris Inc. www.captaris.com

Captaris provides software products that automate busi-

ness processes, manage documents electronically and

provide efficient information delivery. Its products (Captaris

RightFax, Captaris Workflow, Captaris Alchemy and Castelle

FaxPress) are distributed via a global network of technology

partners and are installed in all Fortune 100 companies and

many Global 2000 companies.

ClearStory www.clearstorysystems.com

ClearStory Systems provides high-performance content

management solutions for digital media communications. Its

software manages the enterprise digital media supply chain —

from creation and collaboration to lifecycle management and


“eCopy allows the dealership to hard-wire its MFP into these one ofthese systems. This is a wayfor dealers to differentiatetheir offerings and lockthemselves into the accountby providing tremendous value ...”

— Bill BrikiatiseCopy

2007 SoftwareBuyer’s Guide

14OT1007 10/2/07 9:31 AM Page 1

collect meter readings from

customer MFPs and printers,

as well as monitor toner levels

and receive and generate

responses to service alerts.

Piper notes that having

various options for gathering

data from MFPs and printers

allows the dealership to over-

come any customer objec-

tions that may exist. He

role-plays the customer

string of responses to the

technology offered by FMAudit that would lead, for example,

to the selection of the WebAudit product: “‘You are not plug-

ging anything into my USB port and you are not loading any-

thing onto my network or workstation. But, yes, we use the

Internet all the time, so that’s no problem. Let’s use WebAudit.’”

Whichever the customer’s preference, Piper says the various

capabilities that FMAudit’s products offer will greatly improve

the efficiency and accuracy of traditional processes. Of partic-

ular note is the bidirectional synchronization to ERPs, such as

OMD’s Vision and Digital Gateway’s e-automate. Piper illus-

trates the capability. “Let’s use OnSite as the collection vehicle

example,” he says. “Without

human intervention, OnSite

captures the data and auto-

matically submits it into the

FMAudit Central repository,

typically hosted at the dealer

location. Central is config-

ured to intelligently coordi-

nate with their ERP. As a

result, the right meter is

mapped with the right serial

number at the right time.

Immediately, an invoice is

generated and sent to the customer, even on the same day.”

Piper summarizes: “Accurate, timely and automated billing sub-

stantially impacts the dealer’s profitability through reducing

credit and re-bills, DSO and costly reconciliation practices.”

As is the case with many software solutions available to

the BTA channel, Piper says the market served by FMAudit

lies largely untapped. “Market research indicates less than

10 percent of the companies in the United States that could

use this type of assessment technology actually use it; even

less when it comes to automated metering,” he says. “We are

still just scratching the surface of this opportunity.” �

w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | O c t o b e r 2 0 0 7 | 15

“Market research indicatesless than 10 percent of thecompanies in the UnitedStates that could use thistype of assessment technology actually use it ... We are still just scratching the surface of this opportunity.”

— Rich PiperFMAudit

delivery — to give companies a competitive advantage, mar-

keting agility, cost avoidance and maximum efficiency.

ColumbiaSoft www.documentlocator.com

ColumbiaSoft is a leading provider of enterprise docu-

ment management solutions deeply integrated with

Microsoft Windows and Office applications. Users can

capture, manage and share electronic and paper docu-

ments, e-mail and faxes to improve efficiency and collabora-

tion, and reduce risk by meeting higher standards of

compliance and business continuity.

Compass Sales Solutions www.compasscontact.net

Compass Sales Solutions is a sales-force automation and

fleet management software developer. Its clients are dealerships

looking to launch fleet management programs. The company’s

solutions include sales-automation software and training.

DDMS www.ddms.com

DDMS provides complete business software for managing

equipm ent sales and ser vice, automating machin e

sales/leasing, contract billing and renewals, service depart-

ment management, purchasing, accounting and more.

Dealers can also manage additional lines of business, such

as office products or contract furniture, with the same com-

prehensive, integrated system.

Digital Gateway www.digitalgateway.com

Digital Gateway provides total business management

software solutions for imaging and business equipment

dealers. Its f lagship product, e-automate, helps dealers

better manage common business processes like accounting,

sales, service, inventory and more. While robust and sophis-

ticated, the system has an eye toward being intuitively easy

to learn, understand and use.

docSTAR www.docstar.com

Powered by Microsoft SharePoint, docSTAR-Eclipse is a

comprehensive Internet solution that captures, manages

and preserves documents. Designed with enterprise

15OT1007 10/3/07 12:26 PM Page 1


customers in mind, docSTAR-Eclipse is a great fit for small

offices. It is an ASP document management offering that is

easy to learn and faster to sell.

DocuLex www.doculex-usa.com

DocuLex provides instant document access. With the

software creator’s PC-based Archive Studio, dealers can

provide clientele both paper and electronic document

capture capability with image processing, content indexing

and custom foldering functions fully automated for ease of

use via Goby Capture (suitable for use with any document

scanning device). DocuLex’s WebSearch provides access to

server-stored documents from any Internet-accessible loca-

tion with the operational simplicity of a search engine.

ECI2 www.eci2.com

ECI2 is one of the largest providers of technology solutions

for equipment dealers and service companies. ECI2 software

is used to manage dealership operations and improve prof-

itability. Through its Britannia, DDMS, La Crosse and OMD

subsidiaries, ECI2 offers fully integrated management soft-

ware and service automation solutions for dealerships of

every size and business model.

EFI www.efi.com

EFI, a world leader in customer-focused digital printing

innovation, offers integrated solutions that deliver in-

creased performance, cost savings and productivity —

including Fiery servers; MicroPress and Fiery Central for

production printing; proofing, Colorproof XF and Fiery XF;

Web-to-print Digital StoreFront; corporate, DocSend/Send-

Me and embedded Fiery servers; and PrintSmith for print

management.

Equitrac www.equitrac.com

Equitrac Office 4 is a solution for print and copy manage-

ment that enables effective networked control of an office’s

entire printer and copier fleet. Providing real-time device

monitoring, black-and-white and color print quota manage-

ment and automated reporting for accurate and detailed

analysis of device usage, Equitrac Office is compatible with

every major office equipment manufacturer.

FabSoft www.fabsoft.com

Reform Enterprise by FabSoft streamlines business work-

flow by automating document management, enhancement

and distribution. It can capture forms from any operating

system, application or device, enhance them and automati-

cally route them to printers, fax, e-mail and archive systems

all around the user’s office and/or the world.

Falcon Technology Solutions www.efalcontech.com

Falcon Technology offers the Soaring suite of SQL server-

based sales and business management software designed

specifically for the office equipment industry. With more

than 6,000 users, Soaring Sales is a leading sales force

automation program in the copier industry. Soaring Busi-

ness Management is a new, innovative program encom-

passing accounting, dispatch and field service, inventory

management, contract management and online tools.

Hyland Software Inc. www.onbase.com

Hyland Software Inc. is the developer of the OnBase

enterprise content management (ECM) software suite.

OnBase helps organizations create greater value from the

content driving their business processes. With OnBase,

organizations can streamline operations and improve busi-

ness outcomes while lowering costs and minimizing risk.

InfoDynamics www.infod.com

Intact by InfoDynamics is a feature-rich, connected docu-

ment solution software. Leveraging your MFP, Intact

includes cover page/barcode scanning, role-based security,

document auditing, folder monitoring and a full-text/key-

word search. Intact also stores both scanned and electronic

documents.

Kofax www.kofax.com

Kofax is a global leader of intelligent capture and

exchange solutions. Its leading-edge capture and exchange

technologies and solutions enable business process automa-

tion by managing the transformation and exchange of busi-

ness-critical information (residing in various formats such

as paper, fax, electronic documents, e-mail, SMS) among

people, applications and devices. Kofax products are widely

used in finance, government, insurance, healthcare and a

broad range of companies and agencies that must capture

critical business information from paper and electronic doc-

uments and forms.

Laserfiche www.laserfiche.com

Founded in 1987, Laserfiche develops scalable electronic

digital document management solutions that enable a wide

range of organizations, including healthcare, finance and

16OT1007 10/2/07 9:51 AM Page 1

government, to operate more efficiently. Supported by a

network of more than 1,000 certified VARs, Laserfiche solu-

tions can be found in more than 23,000 offices worldwide.

Laserfiche products are known for being both broadly appli-

cable and easy to acquire, easy to use, easy to implement

and easy to integrate with other applications. As the world

continues to go digital, Laserfiche will strategically seek to

comply with the market mandates for convergency, which is

key to implementing intelligent solutions.

LibertyIMS www.libertyims.com

LibertyIMS developed LibertyNET Office software specif-

ically for multifunction peripheral document management

implementations by independent office technology dealers.

The office product can seamlessly scale up to larger Liber-

tyNET Enterprise systems. Hosted (or ASP) LibertyNET is

also available.

LMS www.lacrossesoftware.com

La Crosse Management Systems (LMS) is a provider of

automation software for copier dealerships. La Crosse

Nextgen is the flagship product, which uses the latest in

software technology from Computer Associates and

Microsoft. SQL-based Nextgen allows dealers to easily incor-

porate all of today’s desktop technologies to streamline their

business processes.

Meadows Publishing Solutions www.meadowsps.com

The DesignMerge Professional Bundle is a suite software

module for Adobe InDesign and QuarkXPress that provides

sophisticated variable data printing and data publishing

features. The software works within the application for ease

of use, and is compatible with most popular VDP output

formats. Used by professionals worldwide, it simplifies mar-

keting personalization for both the novice and expert.

Miracle Service www.miracleservice.com

Miracle Service software interfaces with accounting pack-

ages such as QuickBooks and Peachtree. Its strength in

meter billing and service dispatch provides a value-priced

system that offers full business reporting and intelligence.

The Web and wireless portals offer advanced functions and

features for customers and staff.

MWA Intelligence Inc. www.mwaintel.com

MWA Intelligence Inc. delivers enterprise-class and

leading-edge M2M (machine-to-machine) solutions and

services that center around managing companies’ em-

ployees, systems and physical assets. MWA Intelligence

offers dealers and end-users greater operational efficien-

cies, reduced expenses, additional revenue capture and

improved customer satisfaction. Solutions include: Intelli-

gent Service Management, Intelligent Workforce and Intelli-

gent Device Management.

NewspaperDirect www.newspaperdirect.com

NewspaperDirect is a world leader in multi-channel

newspaper and magazine content distribution and moneti-

zation. With more than 500 publications and 1,400 print sta-

tions in 80 countries, NewspaperDirect’s software and

extensive distribution network help publishers increase

audited circulation, access new revenue streams and better

serve their in- and out-of-market readers.

Notable Solutions Inc. www.nsius.com

Notable Solutions Inc. (NSi) is a leading provider of


17OT1007 10/3/07 12:23 PM Page 1

distributed content capture workf low and business

automation solutions. NSi’s flagship product, AutoStore,

enables users to automate their business processes by cap-

turing paper and electronic documents from a variety of

sources, processing them into usable information and

storing that information into business applications and

databases for fast, easy retrieval and distribution. AutoStore

offers the flexibility to capture and process documents,

along with security features that ensure information accu-

racy and accountability while increasing staff productivity.

NSi’s workflow products are adopted by such companies as

Canon, HP, Kodak, Kyocera, Ricoh, Sharp, Xerox and others,

and used by numerous industries. NSi’s products enable

organizations to reduce costs, increase security, address

compliance and add value to their businesses.

nQueue www.nqueue.com

nQueue provides software-based solutions to help profes-

sional services firms manage and account for their digital

transactions. nQueue offers a complete line of expense

recovery and production workflow systems designed to

track, manage, report and charge back costs associated with

office equipment and other administrative services.

Objectif Lune www.objectiflune.com

Objectif Lune develops and commercializes solutions for

transactional and promotional variable-content document-

printing with the added benefit of advanced automated

workflow for output to local and remote printers, e-mail, fax

and archive. The company’s solutions portfolio includes

PlanetPress Suite, PrintShop Mail and PrintShop Web.

OMD Corp. www.omdcorp.com

OMD Vision software integrates more than 1,500 business

processes to help manage dealership growth and meet profit

objectives. OMD Corp.’s wide range of customers includes

companies that provide sales and service of office equipment

and supplies, mailing equipment and point of sales systems.

Open Text www.opentext.com

Open Text is one of the world’s largest independent

providers of enterprise content management software. The

company’s solutions manage information for all types of

business, compliance and industry requirements in the

world’s largest companies, government agencies and profes-

sional service firms. Open Text supports approximately

46,000 customers in 114 countries and 12 languages.

Print Audit www.printaudit.com

Print Audit develops print tracking software and hard-

ware solutions that enable organizations to analyze, reduce

and recover their printing and photocopying costs. Print

Audit is a print management company that designs all of its

products to help office equipment dealers sell more hard-

ware and increase their post-sales revenue.

PrintFleet Inc. www.printfleet.com

PrintFleet Inc. is one of the world’s leading developers of

print management software solutions, training and support

programs for dealers in the BTA and imaging channels.

Managing more than two billion pages monthly, across

200,000 imaging devices, PrintFleet offers data collection,

data integrity and back-end support within its family of

print management software.

PrintMIB www.printmib.com

PrintMIB offers automated meter and supply data collec-

tion software. At set intervals (monthly, bi-weekly, weekly

daily or hourly), QuickMIB scans all print devices on an end-

user’s network and automatically sends a report to as many

as four designated e-mail addresses or stream to an SQL

database. QuickMIB’s model-specific scanning engine dis-

covers: manufacturer, model, serial number, IP address, type

of print device, page counts, supply 1, 2, 3 and 4 data,

console messages and alerts, missing print devices, newly

found print devices and MAC addresses.

Prism Software www.prism-software.com

Prism Software offers four key applications that help

printer dealers sell solutions, professional services and

printer hardware and clicks: DocSystem, a rules-based dis-

tributed print and departmental workflow application;

DocRecord, a scalable document management system

designed for both local and Web document retrieval;

DocForm, a variable data solution for promotional and

transactional printing and digital document creation; and

DocTransform, designed to fix, modify and adapt trouble-

some legacy and enterprise print and data streams so that

they will work with newer MFPs and printers.

Questys Solutions www.questyssolutions.com

With Questys Solutions’ document management soft-

ware, companies from all industries can easily integrate

paper documents, electronic files, e-mails and business

records into a secure and searchable database. Designed to


18OT1007 10/2/07 11:39 AM Page 1

improve efficiencies across all operational areas, the

Questys Solutions software platform helps businesses cut

costs and exceed profit and performance objectives.

Ribstone Systems www.ribstoneusa.com

Ribstone Systems has developed the next generation of

document imaging and processing software. The Ribstone

suite of products allows its clients to perform the full range

of document imaging and processing tasks quickly and

accurately. Ribstone Systems software fits seamlessly with

the existing photocopy production workflow. Litigation

scanning, image processing and printing can now be per-

formed by one operator, from one workstation, in a few

simple steps.

Rochester Software Associates www.rocsoft.com

Since 1986, Rochester Software Associates has enhanced

the print workf low of thousands of enterprises. RSA

delivers on the promise of convergence and an automated

Print Center through electronic and hardcopy job submis-

sion (WebCRD, QDirect.SCAN), legacy datastream trans-

form (M.I.S. Print, IPDSPrint, RDOPrint), enterprise output

management (QDirect), plus legal solutions (BatesPrint,

CDPrint).

Solimar Systems Inc. www.solimarsystems.com

Solimar Systems Inc. is a developer of enterprise output

management, data stream transformation and electronic

document delivery technologies. The company’s solutions

streamline the document delivery process and reduce the

costs and inefficiencies commonly associated with tradi-

tional distribution methods.

StructuredWeb www.structuredweb.com

StructuredWeb’s mission is “To empower small- and

mid-sized businesses with the best in affordable and easy-

to-use eBusiness services that integrate their sales and

marketing processes.” StructuredWeb’s managed solution

integrates a ready-made suite of Web-based applications

that includes CRM/SFA database, Web site management,

vendor catalogs, e-mail marketing, portals, interactive

forms and online customer service functionality so that

dealerships may use the power of the Internet as a valuable

business tool.

Thomson Scientific www.thomson.com

Thomson Scientific develops solutions that advance

research, writing and publishing. Millions of users depend

on EndNote, ProCite and Reference Manager on the desktop

and EndNote Web on the Internet to collect and organize

their references and create bibliographies instantly. RefViz

helps users search for and analyze references visually.

ZyLAB www.zylab.com

ZyLAB helps users secure their data, enhance efficiency

and operate according to compliance initiatives. ZyLAB’s

ZyIMAGE Information Access Platform offers a comprehen-

sive document archiving, searching, retrieving, organizing

and sharing solution for professionals in the legal, security,

corporate governance, local, state and federal government,

and financial fields. �

Brent Hoskins, executive director of the

Business Techology Association, is editor of

Office Technology magazine.

He can be reached at [email protected].


19OT1007 10/2/07 12:14 PM Page 1


by: Brent Hoskins, Office Technology Magazine

Muratec Hosts ‘Integrate’National dealer conference held Sept. 12-14

With the goal of providing educational opportuni-

ties to its dealers while sharing its views on the

changing market, Muratec America Inc. hosted

“Integrate,” its 2007 National Dealer Conference, Sept. 12-14,

at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The

event drew approximately 300 people, including representa-

tives of 207 of Muratec’s 325 active authorized dealers.

On the morning following the conference’s Welcome

Reception & Technology Expo, Jim D’Emidio, vice president

of sales and marketing, welcomed attendees during the

opening General Session by explaining the theme of the

meeting — Integrate. “What does integrate mean?” he

asked. “The true definition of integrate means to coordinate,

to form, to blend or unite.”

It is a definition that also serves to describe Muratec, he

said, given the company’s ability to “unite” with its dealers.

D’Emidio shared a PowerPoint slide that provided a “defini-

tion” of “Mur� a:� tec.” The “definition” included the dictionary

definition of “integrate,” but also reflected the long-time

strategy and image of the company. Among the entries: “To

not compete with the dealers for their customers (no direct

sales or purchase of dealers)” and “To stay in one channel of

distribution (independent office equipment).”

While he began by emphasizing Muratec’s commitment to

the dealer channel, D’Emidio spent most of his presentation

commenting on the changing nature of the market Muratec

serves. In particular, he noted the strides of Hewlett-Packard.

He referenced numbers reported by Lyra, the market

research firm. “They say that in 2004, HP had less than a 1

percent market share in Segment 4,” he explained. “In one

year, in a mature black-and-white market, they increased

that to 11.5 percent. Today, they say HP is close to a 20

percent market share in Segment 4.”

HP’s advancements in a f lat market have occurred

because HP has “made the pie bigger,” said D’Emidio. “They

are not going out and replacing MFP copiers. They are

replacing their printers and bringing in MFPs. Why should

we be concerned? Well, Lyra expects that by 2010, HP will

have an 8 percent market share in Segment 2, an 18

percent market share in Segment 3 and a 14 percent

market share in Segment 4. Almost all of the street prices

on these products will be under $4,000 — what we call A4

letter/legal products.

“What is HP’s strategy?” D’Emidio continued. “Have they

finally figured out how to sell copiers? Well , they are

replacing printers with a new class of MFPs. You may not

have lost a placement yet, but you might in the future.”

As a result of HP’s strides in the A4 product category,

competitors have followed suit, said D’Emidio, citing new

products from Lexmark and Xerox. “Is this the competition

Above: Muratec America Inc.

Vice President of Sales and

Marketing Jim D’Emidio

(standing, far right) speaks

during one of the conference’s

nine education sessions. Right:

D’Emidio addresses attendees

during the conference’s

opening General Session.

20OT1007 10/2/07 11:42 AM Page 10

you are going to see in the future?” he

asked. “You have to develop your own

A4 MFP strategy. You could do it like

you did with printers, just walk away ...

Or, you could convince them to stay

with an A3 black-and-white MFP.”

To help dealers develop their A4

strategy, D’Emidio announced Muratec’s

launch of a new 45-page-per-minute

(ppm) MFP, to be called the MF-4550

Professional Edition, available to Muratec dealers through a

partnership with the product’s manufacturer, Samsung. “We

want you to go out and sell this to your customers as a CPC

model,” he said. “This is a strategic product ... It will allow

you to compete with HP, Xerox and Lexmark with your own

protected 45-ppm machine.”

The addition of the MFX-4550 to the manufacturer’s existing

Segment 1 and 2 MFP products provides Muratec dealers “with

the strongest A4 product line on the market,” said D’Emidio,

noting, however, that dealers will need to

sell beyond the box. “You are not going to

beat HP just on printing. But you can beat

them when you introduce scanning,

because scanning provides the need to

support something, whether it’s docu-

ment management, document workflow

or even a print management scenario.”

As noted, the conference also fea-

tured a Technology Expo, highlighting

the company’s product line and the products and services of

other exhibiting partner companies. In addition, there were

nine education sessions, ranging from “Xerox Acquires

Global — The Consequences and Opportunities for the

Independent Dealer” to “Remote Data Collection — Adding

Value While Keeping an Eye on Your Competition.” �

Brent Hoskins, executive director of the

Business Technology Association, is editor of Office

Technology magazine. He can be reached at [email protected].

“You are not going tobeat HP just on printing.But you can beat themwhen you introducescanning ... scanningprovides the need tosupport something ...”


21OT1007 10/2/07 11:46 AM Page 1


by: Jim Kahrs, Prosperity Plus Management Consulting Inc.

Successful Trade ShowsUse PR to ‘grease the skids’ for promotion & sales

So you have signed up for a booth at

an upcoming trade show. Your last

trade show did not yield much of a

return and you hope this one will be

better. The show promoters tell you that

there will be plenty of great prospects in

attendance, but what can you do to

ensure excellent results? And what, by

the way, constitutes excellent results?

Having a successful trade show starts

with understanding w hat you are

looking to accomplish and having a

strong plan. By definition, a trade show

is a public relations (PR) event — not a

sales or promotional event — and must

be run under the principles of PR. So let

us look at what PR is. PR is defined

nicely in the Hubbard Management

System, which states that it is done “to

make the company, its actions or prod-

ucts known, accepted and understood.”

One way to determine if you are accom-

plishing this is to ask yourself what a prospect who just left

your booth is thinking. Does he (or she) really know what

your company does and why you are better than your com-

petition? Or did he walk away thinking he has just met a

sales rep that only wants to sell him whatever he can?

Focusing solely on selling the prospect something

without doing the prerequisite PR steps causes the latter. If

done properly, PR greases the skids for promotion and sales.

When you have reached a prospect with effective PR during

a trade show, he is much easier to promote and sell to when

he is ready, whether that is next week or next year. Trying to

turn every trade show attendee into a prospect right on the

show floor leads to most of them being totally turned off to

your company. So, how do you handle this?

There are some specific strategies that can be utilized to

achieve the PR goal of trade shows. It starts with planning

for your booth. Unfortunately, most trade show booths that I

have seen feature random equipment and some manufac-

turer brochures. Those that have a professional trade show

booth typically have company logos and pictures of more

machines. Though these help tell part of your story, they do

not cover the basics of PR.

An effective booth should help you tell the story of who

you are as a company and what you do well . I suggest

having a display with pictures of your office and staff along

with captions explaining what each one is. This will allow

you to give a virtual tour of your facility and company capa-

bilities. Because they typically only meet one sales rep and a

22OT1007 10/2/07 11:50 AM Page 10

technician or two, many customers and

prospects often have trouble visualizing

and understanding the full scope of a

dealership. They are often amazed

when they see how many people you

have on your staff. It is very common to

hear customers say something like,

“Wow, I didn’t realize you guys were so

big.” The pictures should also show

things like your equipment and parts

warehouse, shop area, administration areas and lots of

smiling employees.

In addition to the pictures, I suggest having customer ref-

erence letters on display as they demonstrate what you do

and how successful you are. When you are giving a prospect

a tour of your booth, you can show him references from

people and companies that he knows. If you have won any

awards, you want to make sure these are displayed or repre-

sented and explained as well.

If you are going to have equipment on display, make sure

you have the ability to demonstrate the equipment in

action. Be prepared to run jobs the attendees will relate to

and understand. Many trade shows have industry-specific

audiences making this much easier to accomplish .

Remember, pointing at a piece of motionless hardware does

not make your company, its action or products known and

understood — it actually causes more confusion as the

prospect tries to understand what this thing is and exactly

what it does. It would be better to not bring any equipment

if you cannot show it in action.

One other important aspect of your trade show booth is

its connection to your ongoing marketing and promotional

campaigns. We have many clients who do regular postcard

mailings to promote their dealerships. One way to increase

your long-term exposure and future sales results is to

display your ongoing promotional materials in the booth.

We have accomplished this by using a postcard image to

create a banner for display in the booth. A prospect who

tours your booth and sees this ad will be reminded of your

company every time he receives a mail piece from you. This

can also work to bring people into the booth if the promo-

tion strikes the right nerve, as people will come in for the

answers you promise in your promotion.

Now that you have created the perfect trade show display,

keep in mind that none of this matters at all if you do not get

people to the booth and through your presentation. The

only way to make anything known and understood is to

start communicating with people. The

biggest mistake I see dealers make at

trade shows is being passive on the

trade show f loor. Often, dealer per-

sonnel stand idly by waiting for people

to come into the booth. You need to get

your employees out of the booth and

meeting passers-by in the aisle with an

upbeat greeting and an invitation into

the booth. Another key principle out-

lined in the Hubbard Management System states that

people will respond to commands. Do not ask if they want

to see your display; simply direct them. It goes like this: “Hi!

How are you today? Step over here and let me show you

what we do.” You then lead them into the booth and begin

your presentation. If you do this with a very positive and

strong intention, people will simply follow along. When they

leave the booth they should know who you are as a com-

pany, what you do and how well you do it.

Of course, the reason we do PR is because it is a required

step on the way to sales. So, if you are going to participate in

a trade show, you need to plan for future sales. This starts

with making sure you have the ability to collect as many

names as possible. If the trade show provides ID scanners,

make sure to scan every badge you can. If they do not offer

an automated method for capturing names, you need to

have a back-up plan. One very successful method for col-

lecting names is to have a business card raffle. Raffle off an

item that the attendees will be interested in and require a

business card be turned in to qualify. This list of names will

then be added to your database for future marketing and

sales efforts.

If you follow these simple steps, you will have a successful

show. You will get some immediate prospects and will have

begun the process of securing future business with others.

You will have accomplished the goal of making your

company, its action and products known and understood.

Dropping any of the above steps often leads to frustration

and poor future results. So put these PR tools to work for

you and start to really enjoy trade shows. �Jim Kahrs is the founder and president of Prosperity Plus

Management Consulting Inc. PPMC

works with office technology companies

in building revenue and profitability.

Kahrs can be reached at

[email protected] or (631) 382-7762.

Visit www.prosperityplus.com.

If you are going to haveequipment on display,make sure you have theability to demonstrate theequipment in action. Beprepared to run jobs theattendees will relate to ...

w w w . o f f i c e t e c h n o l o g y m a g . c o m | O c t o b e r 2 0 0 7 | 2 3

23OT1007 10/1/07 8:11 AM Page 1

The importance of having

an agreement setting

forth the terms of your

business relationship with your

co-owners has been established.

It is equally important to have

estate-planning documents.

Without a written will, the state

where you reside will determine

how your assets are distributed

and that distribution may not

follow your wishes. Add in the

tax implications for not planning

your estate and you are well on

the road to justifying time to

plan your affairs.

The first factor to determine in estate planning is the size of

your estate. Currently, federal estate tax laws exempt

$2,000,000 in assets from your estate without taxation. This

exemption is scheduled to increase to $3,500,000 in 2009.

There is an unlimited exemption amount for one year — 2010,

but then the exemption is set to be reduced to $1,000,000 in

2011. But there has been a congressional proposal to keep the

exemption at $3,500,000.

A well-structured estate plan requires certain essential elements:

� Revocable Living Trust — A revocable living trust is now a

standard part of most estate plans. For a married couple with

combined assets of less than the estate tax exemption amount,

with most of their assets held in joint tenancy or with a

payable-on-death provision (such as insurance or retirement

plan benefits), a revocable living trust is still appropriate so

that the surviving spouse has a trust in place in the event of

incapacity and to avoid probate proceedings on his (or her)

death. This also applies to a single person.

For a married couple with combined assets that exceed the

estate tax exemption amount, a living trust is generally struc-

tured so that upon the death of one spouse, assets equal to the

exemption amount will be used to fund a trust (a “credit

shelter trust”) that shelters the exempt amount from estate

tax upon the death of the second spouse. This allows each

spouse to protect the amount exempt from estate tax.

Presently, a married couple can

shelter a total of $4,000,000

($2,000,000 each) from estate

tax, but with a possible

$1,000,000 exemption in 2011,

only $2,000,000 w ould b e

exempt from estate tax.

� Pour-Over Will — Every

estate plan also requires a will

that covers any assets that are

held individually. This type of

will is called a “pour-over” will,

as it provides that any assets

held in a person’s individual

name at death are to be distrib-

uted to the trustee of the living trust, to be administered and

distributed as provided in the trust document. For persons with

minor children, the will is also used to designate who should be

the court-appointed guardian for children under the age of 18.

� Power of Attorney for Financial Matters — The third basic

element of any estate plan is a durable power of attorney for

financial matters. This is used to appoint an agent to handle

financial matters for the principal. This would include filing

income tax returns or dealing with Medicare, social security or

other retirement benefits. This power of attorney eliminates the

need for a court-supervised guardianship proceeding if a person

becomes unable to make his own decisions. The agent can also

be granted the power to make gifts for tax planning purposes.

� Health Care Power of Attorney — The fourth basic prong of

any estate plan is a durable health care power of attorney. This

document is used to designate an agent to make health care

decisions if a person becomes unable to make his own deci-

sions and allows a person to provide advance guidance on the

level of medical treatment that he desires.

We are all very busy and have little time to devote to mat-

ters such as estate planning. However, for the

sake of your family, take the time to organize

your estate. �Robert C. Goldberg is general counsel for the

Business Technology Association. He can be

reached at [email protected].

by: Robert C. Goldberg, General Counsel for the Business Technology Association

COURTS & CAPITOLS

Estate PlanningTake time to organize these important documents


24OT1007 10/3/07 12:22 PM Page 26

There is a very bright fu-

ture in the office tech-

nology industry for in-

dependent dealers who invest in

their dealerships and take the

st eps n ecessar y to posit ion

themselves for future opportuni-

ties. This is common knowledge

in the dealer community, but

very few have “pulled the trig-

ger” on any change issues.

Sure, they talk about chang-

ing the name, developing and

maintaining a consistent brand,

updating the logo, moving into a

more client-friendly environ-

ment and hiring an effective

sales manager, but th ey get

caught up in the day-to-day

closing of deals or personnel issues and never get around to it.

They talk about having facilitated annual management

retreats, joining a local businessman’s group to have a modi-

fied Board of Directors or joining an industry group to

exchange ideas with peers, but they never put any of these at

the top of the list, so they never get around to it.

There is one dealer who did get around to all those items

and turned the talk into action: Tom Tegeder of James Imaging

Systems, headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., a suburb of Mil-

waukee. But he did not try to tackle everything at once.

Tegeder spent the good part of two years methodically putting

the pieces together and executing initiatives that others have

only verbalized.

“Most entrepreneurs don’t have the patience to allow for

gradual change,” says Tegeder. “They want instant gratifica-

tion. One business lesson I learned a long time ago was ‘Don’t

try to eat the whole elephant at once.’”

The first item on Tegeder’s future checklist was a new

facility. He ended up finding space that offered a better loca-

tion and gave James Imaging Systems instant credibility.

“When clients and prospects come to our facility, one of the

first comments is ‘Your competition made you sound a lot

smaller,’” says Tegeder. “We’re finding that our in-house demo

activity has increased dramatically but the biggest benefit of

all is our employees really enjoy coming to work.”

Changing the name from James Office Equipment was

Tegeder’s next activity and it was not just to alter the percep-

tion of the dealership in the market. Tegeder felt his employees

needed better direction from the name they represented.

Turning Talk Into ActionJames Imaging Systems prepares for the future

by: Dustin Phillips

PRINCIPAL ISSUES


25OT1007 10/2/07 11:57 AM Page 26

“I didn’t want my employees thinking we

were just an office equipment reseller,” says

Tegeder. “We offer so much more and our

capabilities as they relate to software and

network support are expanding and our

clients are benefiting by getting more func-

tionality out of the products they acquire

from James.”

Knowing your own limitations is another

concept entrepreneurs struggle with.

Tegeder looked around for support and found plenty. As a 10-year

member of the worldwide CEO organization Vistage ( formerly

The Executive Committee [TEC]), he understands the value of

having others provide their input into his business decisions and

bringing in experts to provide guidance in their specialties.

Tegeder retained John Hey and John Hanson to facilitate his

annual planning retreat, hired Orange Label Art + Advertising

( formerly Hunter Barth Advertising) to handle the branding

and marketing elements, joined the Select Dealer Group (SDG)

and attended the BTA-sponsored ProFinance course.

“The ProFinance course was huge because it provided a

model to follow and forced me to focus on the company/client

relationship,” says Tegeder. “I tell my employees that I don’t

pay them. Their paychecks are paid by our clients.”

Tegeder is also complimentary of SDG and the opportunity it

provides to share views and provide assistance to one another.

“It’s great because you have peers that relate to your

industry but may have a unique perspective on something,”

says Tegeder. “The fact we can e-mail each other about certain

issues makes business easier from an emotional and psycho-

logical perspective. And, of course, the opportunity to have

benchmarks for our dealership lets us know where we’re per-

forming well and what’s lacking. It also reinforces the fact that

even though hardware is involved, we’re really measured by

our people, their performance and how we service each and

every client.”

Understanding that James Imaging Systems exists to serve

clients was a message Tegeder wanted to communicate and

what he wanted his brand to represent. For this task, he

enlisted the services of Orange Label Art + Advertising to tap

into their 30 years of helping office technology dealers. Since

then, James Imaging Systems has a new logo, new signage on

delivery trucks, a radio campaign, a new Web site in develop-

ment and is about to kick off new sales collateral.

“I wanted a firm that could not only execute the work, but

also understood my industry,” says Tegeder. “We’ve accom-

plished a lot together and we’re very excited about our new

brochures that tell the current James Imaging Systems story.

Plus, our trucks are now moving bill-

boards. I’ve never bought into the philos-

ophy about competitors knowing your

accounts. The advertising value far out-

weighs any negatives.”

The Web site is the current item on

Tegeder’s plate. Being one of the final

pieces of the puzzle does not reflect how

important this initiative is for the future of

James Imaging Systems.

“Our Web site will bring everything together and be an integral

part of our marketing and client service experience,” says Tegeder.

“We’ll have special landing pages to make it easier to navigate

and clients will have the ability to view all the details of their

accounts, place service calls, order supplies and much more.”

Fulfilling his initiatives for change has earned Tegeder a

great deal of credibility with clients, vendors and especially his

employees. “When you deliver on what you say you’re going to

do, you get rewarded,” he says. “Our team is embracing the

changes because they see them as a means to a better quality

of life for both them, and by extension, our clients. We’ve been

able to keep the tremendous staff that got us to this point and

have been able to attract a higher caliber employee as we con-

tinue to build our team.”

Tegeder is excited about the future and has already started

reaping the benefits of an action-oriented two years. James

Imaging Systems’ presence in the major account arena is

growing significantly and Tegeder sees a definite correlation.

“Major accounts want to see stability and a consistency in

doing business from their vendors and I know we’ve achieved

that in their eyes because our existing accounts are referring

us to others,” says Tegeder. “Plus, we’ve picked up a consider-

able amount of business from IT people leaving one company,

going to another and bringing us along. That’s a great feeling

because it means we’re delivering on our brand.”

With James Imaging Systems on a rock solid foundation and

very well positioned for 2008 and beyond, the ongoing initia-

tive is internal training and making sure that everyone con-

tinues to deliver on the brand.

“From sales to service to administration, we want the entire

team to know we’re not selling copiers, but rather using

copier-centric and printer-centric products along with various

software packages to create maximum productivity in our

client’s environment,” says Tegeder. “It’s a lot of fun to see it

working. But the great thing is the payoff has only just begun

for James Imaging Systems and our clients.” �Dustin Phillips is a freelance writer

based in Newport Beach, Calif.

“Our team is embracingthe changes becausethey see them as ameans to a better quality of life for boththem, and by extension,our clients.”


26OT1007 10/2/07 12:01 PM Page 1

In the competitive and complex world of selling office

technology, our fundamental mission is to win,

retain and grow. Win new business, retain

present installations and grow our revenues and

profits. We should focus all our resources on

working in collaboration with our customers to create

value that will help them run their businesses

better, increase their reliance on us and give

us higher margins. Everything your mar-

keting, sales, service, operations and admin-

istration teams are engaged in should be

focused on this critical mission.

In the profession of sales and sales man-

agement, this raises the following questions:

� Have you developed a unique and

compelling value proposition for each of

your customers?

� Are your account sales strategies

properly aligned with your customer’s

procurement strategies?

� Have your account representatives

properly identified their customer’s pre-

ferred buying strategy?

Creating a unique and compelling value

proposition is not as easy as it may seem.

The key here is not to pursue the things

that will make you different but to create

those capabilities that will make you dis-

tinctly differentiated. What is more, your

uniqueness must be valued by your customers. One of the great

myths of selling value is to think that the more value you can

offer a customer, the better. Actually, value that works is unique

and compelling, enhances your customers’ competitive position

and ensures that they clearly understand your contribution.

Are you selling the same way you did 10 years ago? Are your

sales managers managing the same way they did years ago? Are

they asking your sales reps to do what made them successful in

the past? Well, office technology selling has changed dramati-

cally because technology has evolved (remember the digital

transition?) and customers have changed. Customers are far

more sophisticated, they have more information available to

them (in fact, it is just a few mouse clicks away) and

their expectations of your sales organization are

higher. Customers expect you to propose reliable,

workable and cost-effective solutions to meet their

business needs — solutions that will help them

manage their businesses better. Asking

your reps to work the way they did in the

past is a recipe for failure. It puts your

organization in the downward spiral of

endlessly rehearsing the past — not

creating the future.

To develop a unique and compelling

value proposition, top-performing sales

organizations spend time finding out

how their customers define value and

what their customers are trying to

accomplish, such as reducing costs,

increasing productivity or increasing

sales. Once identified, the sales repre-

sentatives create differentiating value

propositions that will help the customers

achieve their goals. In the business of

selling office technology, you should posi-

tion yourself as the one who consistently

creates competitive advantages for the

client. We will address this in more

detail later in this article.

To keep things simple , let us

segment our customers into three

fundamental categories — transac-

tional buyers, relationship buyers and organizational buyers.

Each category is defined by different buying motivations and

your sales strategy should be aligned with your customer’s pre-

ferred buying motivation to ensure that you are deploying your

sales resources appropriately.

Let us take a look at the characteristics of each of these

three customer classes.

First, we have transactional buyers. These customers buy the

offer. Simply put, price is usually their primary motivator, although

they also consider the product specs and delivery details.

Second, we have relationship buyers. They live higher up on

Unique Value PropositionsIt helps to segment customers by buying motivation

by: Tom Kramer, Strategy Mapping Selling

SELLING SOLUTIONS


27OT1007 10/2/07 12:03 PM Page 29

the hierarchical scale and, in addition to

price and product fit, they value the other

capabilities that surround the product offer

such as good customer service, technical

consulting and problem solving resources.

Last, we have organizational buyers who

are at the top of the buy-sell hierarchy.

These customers are looking for an organi-

zation-to-organization relationship. They

want deep business relationships at mul-

tiple levels throughout the organization and look at their sup-

pliers as strategic business partners.

To maximize the investment in your sales resources, your

sales team should recognize these different buying motiva-

tions and create account strategies that match or align with

the customer’s preferred buying pattern.

For the transaction buyer who treats your product as a com-

modity, your sales representatives need to adopt a strategy that

offers the customer a competitively low price by stripping as

much cost out of the transaction as possible. You should not be

offering a lot of your resources — such as

equipment trials or free workflow assess-

ments — to these customers.

For the relationship buyer — the cus-

tomer who values services beyond the

product — you should engage in efforts

that create new value for the customer. To

accomplish this, your sales representa-

tives must develop a comprehensive

understanding of the customer’s organiza-

tion, management structure, business direction, long- and

short-term goals, business issues and buying motivations.

What is more, it is imperative to show how your hardware and

software solutions will have a positive impact on the cus-

tomer’s operating performance.

If you can show relationship buyers how you can increase

their sales, employee productivity, bottom-line profit or reduce

their costs, then you will be perceived as a valued business

partner. In short, by making your customers more successful,

you will become more successful.

Finally, for the organizational buyer — the customer who is

interested in an extremely high level of value creation — you

must be willing to invest and deploy a very high level of your

own management resources to assist your sales representa-

tives in creating a significant and positive business impact on

your customer’s business outcomes.

It should be noted that not every customer will want this

type of enterprise relationship and since it takes a large invest-

ment on the part of both parties, you should be very selective

and choose those customers who will give you the most return

on your investment.

Approaching your customers with the right value proposi-

tion and aligning your sales strategies with your customers’

buying motivations will ensure that you are deploying your

sales resources effectively and focusing on what is valuable

and important to them. Following this strategy, you will be

meeting the value demands and expectations of all your cus-

tomers, selling smarter and developing customer relationships

based on substance and value which, in the end, will translate

into more profitable and sustainable business for you. �Tom Kramer is affiliate partner for Strategy Mapping Selling.

He has more than 30 years of sales, sales management

and marketing experience with IBM, the

Eastman Kodak Co. and Canon USA Inc.

He can be reached at

[email protected].

Visit www.strategymappingselling.com

or www.smsap.com.

If you can show relationship buyers howyou can increase theirsales ... or reduce theircosts, then you will beperceived as a valuedbusiness partner.


28OT1007 10/2/07 12:04 PM Page 1

“Instead of giving them a fish to eat, teach them how to

fish.” This old adage perfectly describes the essence of

sales management, particularly when working with

sales representatives in the field.

Here is an example of what I mean: After three weeks on the

job as a rookie dealer sales rep, my manager told me to set up

four qualified prospect appointments for both of us to call on

the following Tuesday. I set up the appointments and off we

went. The first, second and third calls went reasonably well

and he gave me a wealth of pre- and post-call input that really

helped. After the third call critique, he asked me to brief him

before the fourth call. It was then that I had to tell him that I

had not been able to get a fourth appointment. Without

another word, he got out of the car and walked away, called a

cab and went back to the office.

I cold-called the rest of the day and then returned to the office.

I asked him why he had left me and his answer was very concise:

“You committed to four calls and failed. You let me down and

owe me $45 for the cab ride. Do it again and you are fired.”

Obviously, it did not happen again but I still vividly

remember the incident more than 20 years later. He taught

me how to fish, and I have not gone hungry since.

Every dealer has a sales management structure. No matter

how large or small, someone is responsible for training and

managing the sales team. That function is literally the core of

the business. Whether senior manager or owner, someone has

to inspect the sales team. All too often, we find that the

process of working directly with the sales force in a profes-

sional, scheduled, hands-on manner is neglected. And when it

occurs, everyone loses — the sales force is cheated in the

process of learning how to fish, the responsible manager loses

sales performance and the owner is not receiving the produc-

tivity he is entitled to expect.

We have found that far too many sales managers consider

“field rides” a hit-or-miss area of their job responsibility, yet

they are one of the most effective ways to both identify indi-

vidual problems within the sales force and quickly develop

solutions that will move them forward in their careers.

Both the problem and the solution are very simple to

address and require only one decision: manager commitment.

First, a few things not to do when setting up a “ride” program:

� Do not find out who has an appointment or two and tell

them you are going to ride with them that day.

� Do not jump from one appointment to another without a

clear understanding of the purpose and objective of the next

call (ie. pre-call planning).

� Do not take over the meeting and sell the deal for the rep.

Do not give them a fish!

� Do not fail to coach and counsel what happened after

each and every call.

To make the ride-along process work, the first and most

important step is to make a decision; a decision to accept

responsibility to develop and stick with a simple and effective

“ride” program with each rep. Having made that decision and

committed to it, set up and execute this simple program:

� Create a monthly calendar devoted to the program. Plug in

the name of each rep you will be working with for a full day on a

specific date four to six weeks in advance.

The ‘Ride-Along’ ProcessManaging sales representatives in the field

by: Howard Meltzer, Sales Tiger Inc.

SELLING SOLUTIONS


29OT1007 10/2/07 12:07 PM Page 29

� Notify each rep that you expect him (or her) to set up four

appointments for that date. Ideally, he should schedule one

appointment each for an introduction meeting, a proposal pres-

entation, an in-house demo and a closing call. The mix is not crit-

ical, but there should be some variety.

� Take the time to help the rep understand each prospect;

then develop a strategy and an objective before each call.

� Use the time between calls to critique, coach and counsel

with the rep.

� At the end of the day, complete an evaluation critique and

rate the rep’s performance in each important area of the selling

process. It helps to have a checklist that lists all of the elements

needed to properly evaluate and a rating scale for each element.

The checklist will serve as a tool to identify problems and rec-

ommend techniques to improve his performance.

Simple and effective, this process works and is well worth the

time. If a manager works four days a week in the field, calling on

four prospects per day, it can affect 64 situations per month. The

critical element goes right back to the beginning — manager

commitment. Once ingrained, you might even find that you

enjoy the process. �Howard Meltzer is managing partner of Sales Tiger Inc.,

a company that provides goal-oriented sales management

consultation and on-site sales training to office equipment

dealers nationally. He has more than 20 years

of successful sales management experience.

He can be reached at [email protected].


ADVERTISER INDEX19 • Ames Supply Company

(800) 323-3856 / (630) 964-2440 / www.amessupply.com

28 • BEI Services

(307) 587-8446 / www.beiservices.com

13 • BTA FIX

(800) 843-5059 / www.bta.org

2 • BTA ProFinance

(800) 843-5059 / www.bta.org

30 • Business Equipment Quota Index

(800) 843-5059 / www.bta.org

31 • Business Products Council Association

(800) 897-0250 / www.businessproductscouncil.org

9 • Digital Gateway

(866) 342-8392 / www.digitalgateway.com

7 • DocuWare

(888) 565-5907 / www.docuware.com

3 • FMAudit

(573) 632-2461 / www.fmaudit.com

32 • GreatAmerica Leasing Corp.

(800) 234-8787 / www.greatamerica.com

17 • Innowave

(800) 723-3426 / www.innowave.com

21 • Niche Equipment

(877) 446-4243 / www.roto-shredders.com

5, 11 • Print Audit

(877) 412-8348 / www.printaudit.com

30OT1007 10/2/07 12:08 PM Page 1

The BPCA was founded in 1963 with the vision of

forming a best practices organization that unites

leaders of independently-owned office equipment

dealers. The concept is quite simple - bring the

leaders of these companies together so that they

can share ideas, learn from each other, and take

their businesses to the next level.

Our members will attest that it’s well worth the

investment by making each of them better leaders

and bringing more value to their dealerships.

Feel like there’s something missing from your

organization? Let BPCA bring together all the

pieces of the puzzle.

Piecing Ideas Together.

If you’d like more information about our

organization and how to join, please send

us an email or give us a call.

Phone: 800.897.0250

Email: [email protected]

Website:

www.businessproductscouncil.org

Membership Director BPCA

c/o BTA

12411 Wornall Road

Kansas City, MO 64145

“Better Dealers Through

Learning and Idea

Exchange.”

31OT0107 12/18/06 2:51 PM Page 1

PRSRT STDU.S. Postage PaidEaston, PA 18042

Permit #31 Office Technology MagazineBusiness Technology Association 12411 Wornall RoadKansas City, MO 64145(816) 941-3100www.officetechnologymag.comwww.bta.org

800.234.8787 | www.greatamerica.com

[Now offering FleetView®, the perfect solution for remote meter and device monitoring.]

Which Way? One Way.

“GreatAmerica always works closely with us to meet our business needs. They create custom programs that exceed a traditional leasing relationship. We also use the GreatAmerica FleetView® product which provides many benefits to the sales and administration side of our business.”

Steve JacobsInfomax Office Systems, Inc

Des Moines, IA

Great America June 07 5/14/07 10:04 AM Page 1

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