01732 759725
48
Q&A
View from the channel
Q:
What are your customers most
interested in?
A:
We have seen a huge increase in
demand for data and document security.
As companies are becoming more aware of
the impending EU directives on GDPR, they
have attached greater importance to data
security and document management. We are
now implementing a strategy of including
data encryption software onto all our new
machine placements to help our clients
ensure they are GDPR-compliant when the
new laws come into force in May 2018.
Q:
Do clients have the same
understanding of industry terms, such
as BYOD, MPS or MDS, as we do?
A:
During discovery meetings a greater
number of clients now understand the MPS
& MDS industry acronyms, however, their
actual interpretations of what these terms
mean in practice can differ. This is often
dependent on who they have spoken to;
a stationery supplier will mean they can
supply the cartridges for all of their different
machines at a preferential price, to the
MFP reseller and service provider we are
able to offer a single unit price to cover all
hardware, software, supplies and support to
enable clients to maintain a tighter control
of print costs. We're seeing that BYOD is
more often referred to as “Air” or “Android”
printing during discussions – our more
IT-literate clients are now expecting this as
part of a standard offering!
Q:
Where are you seeing most
traction at the moment, are there
any verticals that are particularly
strong?
A:
Aside from the “bread and butter”
services supplied to fulfil SMEs’ office
requirements – typically A3 colour MFDs
with two trays and copy, print and scan
functionality, we have gained traction within
several niche sectors. For example, within
the legal, insurance and medical markets we
are experiencing fantastic results in multi-
device placements, coupled with software
solutions to include document storage and
retrieval. Managed print services and cost
controlling software like Papercut are also
proving incredibly popular across the board
– of course, print can be a major expense for
many companies, so they are keen to look at
new technological solutions that can make
them more productive and efficient.
Q:
When selling MFPs, what are the
most popular software solutions you
provide and why?
A:
Print Management solutions like
Papercut, as well as many of the
manufacturer propriety document storage
solutions we have available are proving
popular. We are currently in the process
of implementing Umango, a document
archiving solution, together with Microsoft
Sharepoint as part of a multi-device
placement, as more of our larger clients
are starting to look at ways to boost
productivity and facilitate teamwork
throughout their organisations.
Q:
Where do you get information on
the latest products and solutions,
and do you feel that the OEMs are
doing enough to educate their
channel partners?
A:
We are normally notified of the
latest products and solutions through
marketing emails and manufacturer
training programmes, which are usually
delivered through “in house” training
sessions. It really depends on the OEM
in question, some are really excellent at
keeping us abreast of the latest products
and solutions. However, I’d say that in
general OEMs need to improve their
communication and reseller understanding
by performing onsite training at their
channel partners to promote maximum
understanding and delivery of their new
offerings. Ultimately, as a reseller if our
sales team aren't aware of all the latest
products and features then we aren’t in
a position to sell these services to our
customers.
Colin Ayres,
Operations Manager – Head of Sales,
Blackbox Solutions
Q:
Is your patch particularly
competitive – is it national or local
competition that you face?
A:
Our home patch is Kent where there are
more than 15 local dealers all claiming to
offer a similar service, including document
solutions, IT services and office technology
products. This in turn has created a highly
competitive market with prospective clients
using search engines to compile a supplier
list. As a result both hardware and service
costs are driven down, which may seem
like a good deal for the customer, but the
negative side is that service performance
can suffer as a result and we’ve seen plenty
of competitor’s contracts that are imply too
good to be true! Customer service is our
primary concern and we try to set ourselves
apart from the competition by providing
high service levels and developing long-
term relationships with our customers, built
on trust and mutual respect.
Q:
How do you spend your week –
time on phone, face to face meetings
with customers etc.?
A:
All of our sales team aim to have a
minimum of 10 to 12 client-facing meetings
a week spread across three days. Either
side of these we engage in “old school”
sales practices – literally knocking on doors
and calling potential businesses – to try
and gain maximum traction in a particular
area. The remaining two days in the office
are normally spent on the phone making
appointments or working on proposals.
Q:
What would make your job easier?
A:
If we didn't have any competitors! But
seriously, better communication within the
market from manufacturers to resellers, to
ensure we are offering the best solution for
the device, software and service package.
Technology is moving forward rapidly
which is fantastic, but business users don’t
have the time to keep up to date with the
latest developers – arming resellers with
the information they need to offer the
customer what they want is crucial.
Manufacturers also need to provide a
standard pricing structure to all partners.
For example, if all partners went through
an ISO type training and examination
structure to ensure correct representation,
this would in turn ensure greater stability
within the market and promote a valued
proposition from any supplier.
Customer
service is
our primary
concern and
we try to set
ourselves
apart from the
competition
by providing
high service
levels and
developing
long-term
relationships
with our
customers
