Print.IT Reseller - issue 47

01732 759725 48 Q&A View from the channel Q: What are your customers most interested in? A: Security is the big buzz word I’m hearing during my client reviews, and that ranges from small companies all the way up to enterprise. Security affects everyone trying to protect and build a business, so we need to be much more aware of the issues affecting their market and how we can remove some of their pain points. There is so much talk about GDPR compliance and securing networks, that it’s raised quite a few eyebrows over the last six months. Much of it is scaremongering, as most MFPs combined with supporting software have the ability to cover the minimum GDPR requirement. At ABC, we tend to raise the bar and focus on security at a much higher level, as it tackles all the potential business breach points. Q: Do clients have the same understanding of industry terms, such as BYOD, MPS or MDS, as we do? A: On the whole, yes. IT people, CIOs, CTOs, we all speak the same language in today’s digital world. We’re all exposed to so much information, through a multitude of mediums, that most business people have a greater knowledge of their operating environment than they did 10 years ago. Granted, there are varying levels of technical knowledge, but as a sales professional, you learn to speak the same language as your audience. I’m never too surprised if a CEO wants to have a technical discussion these days, it’s just the way the world has changed. Q: Where are you seeing most traction at the moment, are there any verticals that are particularly strong? A: As an organisation, we operate across all the key verticals, but we’re finding that businesses taking advantage of technology to grow are creating better opportunities for us. Some of this is down to the fact that we’re very much solutions rather than hardware driven. Our conversations are about process improvement, automation and driving efficiencies across a business. It’s a much smarter discussion to have than simply talking about cost reductions and click charges. You lose credibility as a sales professional the moment you pursue this route and frankly, it’s more challenging working on a project that shows tangible benefits to a customer’s environment. I take a lot of pride from that. Q: When selling MFPs, what are the most popular software solutions you provide and why? A: We take the view that the solution David Johnson, Sales Director, ABC Managed Business Solutions we offer has to complement the client environment, and these days there is a solution bolted onto about 65 per cent of our deployments. In terms of print management, we are not limited to one particular product, it really does depend on the customer’s needs as there are slight variation in all these products. Whether it’s Papercut, PrinterOn, Equitrac, Cirrato or Uniprint, to name just a few, it’s essential to take the user environment into account first and foremost. There really isn’t a one fit for all if you’re doing your job properly.. 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: Information about products and solutions tend to come from a mix of our marketing team, technical team and the OEMs, but I do also take the time to do lots of reading about tech in our industry. It all tends to have an impact on our business and the client eventually. A good example is 3D printing, AI and blockchaining. It’s the future, so understanding how it can help your client is essential as a sales professional. OEMs on the whole are taking channel education more seriously than they did, but their dealers need to embrace what they’re being told, and integrate it into their value propositions if they are going to benefit. It’s a two-way street. We need to have relevant information and products that can make a difference and add value ultimately. Q: Is your patch particularly competitive – is it national or local competition that you face? A: To be more effective in my role, I tend to focus my own time in the North West but we have coverage across the whole country. With so much consolidation in our industry, you tend to come across national and local competitors everywhere, especially in the bigger cities like Manchester and Liverpool. I do believe medium sized businesses like to know their partners are relatively nearby geographically, so we make a point of having that ‘local feel’ as a business, but our engineers and technicians cover the whole country. A personable, local company with a There is so much talk about GDPR compliance and securing networks, that it’s raised quite a few eyebrows over the last six months.