Kill it. Chop it up. Let it dry out. Use as fertilizer.
Deja Vu:
a : the illusion of remembering scenes and events when experienced for the first timeb : a feeling that one has seen or heard something before
You're not fooled, are you? You've heard the talking heads. Like those who claimed Trump "would never, ever occupy the White House" - the copier industry has similar know-it-alls.
The establishment talking points are pretty clear:
"Talk about the decrease in images only when necessary and in most cases quote decades-old data."
"Say anything to make your machines relevant - fabricate rationalizations."
"Keep the same processes and 1970's business plan while promoting your new and different business model. "
I know, I know the above doesn't apply to YOUR dealership, does it? You've been expanding while the rest of the industry tanks. You're on a 'growth through acquisition' trajectory and your culture is second to nobody's.
Then why do you still consider A3 and A4 different?
Why don't you commission service contracts?
If you're so cutting edge and ahead of the curve, why do you sell MNS or MIT instead of Managed Services?
They're just questions.
If you're looking to resurrect your MpS, the good news is you recognize a problem - you're not ignorant.
The bad news is, you are probably too late:
Treat A3 and A4 volume the same in every MPS engagement
Find the best MPS vendor for your company. HP, LMI, SNi, PrintSolv, whoever. It doesn't matter, partner with somebody who matches your definition of managed print services.
Roll the MPS infrastructure into Managed IT services
Rename the practice "Managed Services"
Stop calling it 'Managed Print Services'; start referring to Managed Services - even when the only assets under the agreement are output devices
Incorporate an Output Study in every, single network assessment
Rename 'network assessment' to 'Technology Assessment'
Always bill for Technology Assessments
Embed your data collection agent into your network assessment tool
Employe/support a separate team of technicians to service ALL output devices
Separate COMPLETELY, from the existing Service Department
Intake all copier/printer support calls through your IT help desk
Train the Managed Services Team to sell
Fully engage your vendors
Establish Managed Services 'revenue gates' in your sales commission structure
Pay the Managed Services team salaries which make it difficult for them to consider leaving
Pay a monthly residual, for the life of the engagement
Give the MS manager P/L control and responsibility
Compensate the Managed Services Practice managers based on profit(P/L)
Forget about ALL the copier dealership business models
Establish a direct link between the Managed Services practice and your software/document management division. This means incorporating end-user, workflow-oriented questions inside every Technology Assessment. (MpS is BPO)
Insanity:
a : a severely disordered state of the mind usually occurring as a specific disorder b : doing the same thing, expecting different results
Twenty-two suggestions, points of light in the night sky.
How, or even if, your organization can connect the dots, is the biggest query.
It is unlawful to harass a person (an applicant or employee) because of that person’s sex. Harassment can include “sexual harassment” or unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature. Harassment does not have to be of a sexual nature, however, and can include offensive remarks about a person’s sex. For example, it is illegal to harass a woman by making offensive comments about women in general. Both victim and the harasser can be either a woman or a man, and the victim and harasser can be the same sex. Although the law doesn’t prohibit simple teasing, offhand comments, or isolated incidents that are not very serious, harassment is illegal when it is so frequent or severe that it creates a hostile or offensive work environment or when it results in an adverse employment decision (such as the victim being fired or demoted). The harasser can be the victim's supervisor, a supervisor in another area, a co-worker, or someone who is not an employee of the employer, such as a client or customer.
You might remember the days of "The Girls of DOTC". If so, you remember hesitantly opening a DOTC post in the office and rarely, if ever, with the significant other.
For those unfamiliar, this tome was sprinkled with pictures of copiers adorned with vixen-ladies, scantily clad and in interesting poses. As a result, clicks(mouse, not image) went through the roof. To some surprise, after the pictures grabbed attention, visitors read; the average time on a post edged over the 5 minutes. The Death of The Copier was off and running. We, YOU, had a microphone to the realm as well as pretty pictures. During the apogee of viewership, I was approached by a high executive from one of our largest OEMs. She was distraught, nearly in tears and explained, "we need a voice like yours...but those pictures remind me of all I've had to endure because of this industry..." She told me how so often she'd climbed the corporate ladder in spite of sexual advances and harassment. How the pictures on my blog reminded her of so many painful memories.
I was taken back - my intent was to jazz up the blog. To bring something different to our boring industry. I never wanted embarrass, insult or harass. I felt like shit. It took about three and a half hours to remove or replace images.
Are you a victim of Sexual Harassment? Call 800.656.4673 for support.
Today, 2017, sexual harassment is all over the newsfeeds and I've been noodling on how to comment. I guess there's really just one way to say it:
There are sexist pigs and sexual harassers in our industry. Yes, I know other industries suffer leches. Yes, I know this is a male dominated environment. I am not talking about consensual relationships between two adults who happen to be married to other people, this isn't that kind of moral judgement.
I am saying, there are men in our niche who use their position of power to gain sexual pleasure from subordinates.
I'm saddened to say this, but, if your boss, owner, or manager snuggles up to 'steals a kiss' at Christmas party - that's harassment. Even if, at the time, you acquiesce, it is still harassment.
More than a third (35 percent) of American women say they’ve been sexually harassed or abused in the workplace, according to a recent poll by PBS NewsHour, NPR and Marist.
I wonder what our ratio looks like.
Here's another thing - for each boss, dealership owner, manager, and VP who sexually harass, there is a crew of enablers: the HR department that ignores the reports, the personal secretary who arranges travel plans, or that cigar-smoking boys club meeting in Vegas every year at ITEX. Enablers.
Men. What should you do if you witness sexual harassment? Here are three recommendations from Nick Douglas over at LifeHacker:
1. Say something in the moment. Take the risk of saying “That’s gross” or “I’m not OK with this.” If you’re uncomfortable with how someone else is treated, you’re not just standing for their rights, you’re standing for your own. And a sexual harasser will have a harder time dismissing a complaint backed by a third party, especially another man’s.
2. Write things down. Keep a log of behavior so that if you report things to a superior or HR, you have facts to discuss, and aren’t left vaguely describing a “creepy vibe.” This also means “keeping receipts”—logs and screencaps of offensive chats and emails.
3. Consult with the victim. Give them as much control as possible, while taking the responsibility to act. Ask if they’re OK with you reporting the harassment, and how they’d feel most comfortable: if you use their name or not, or if they want to report together, with you as a witness.
There was a day when men would defined the honor of ANY woman. Where have all the Cowboys Gone?
I mean seriously. There is no way this happens without a wink and a nod from other men. This isn't a club, it isn't something to be proud of or participate. These are daughters, sisters, mothers, colleagues and friends. Its more than a moral question, it is right vs. wrong. Using power over a subordinate for sexual gratification is wrong and gross.
If you need sex, earn it. If your going to be a cheater, hell, be a cheater. The second you leverage your position as a boss over somebody, is the second you move from cheating dog to scumbag criminal. Bill Clinton was wrong. He is a criminal but Hillary enabled for decades and his staff supported his disgusting habit for years.
Don't be Bill. Don't be Hillary. Check out the song Drunk Girl, and be a man.
###
The List, so far(11/2017) of the men accused since the Weinstein accusations emerged:
Entertainment:
Roy Price, the head of Amazon Studios, has been accused of sexual harassment by producer Isa Dick Hackett, according to the New York Times. He has since resigned.
Andy Signore, creator of Screen Junkies and the popular “Honest Trailers” series, has been accused of sexual harassment by at least five women, according to Variety. He has since been fired by Defy Media.
Ben Affleck has been accused of groping actress Hilarie Burton on the set of MTV’s TRL in the early-2000’s, according to CNN. Affleck has since apologized.
Bob Weinstein, super producer and brother of Harvey, has been accused of sexual harassment by Amanda Segel, an executive producer of the Weinstein Co.-produced TV series The Mist, according to Variety. A Weinstein representative has since denied the charge.
Matt Mondanile, the former guitarist for the band Real Estate, has been accused by several women of sexual misconduct, according to SPIN. Mondanile has since denied any wrongdoing.
Oliver Stone has been accused by actress Carrie Stevens of groping her at a party once. She tweeted this allegation in response to Stone tepidly defending Weinstein in the early aftermath of the charges against him.
James Toback, director of films such as Black and White, has been accused by literally hundreds of women of a range of sexual harassments,
according to Los Angeles Times. He has since vehemently denied the charges, while Beverly Hills police have launched an investigation whose scope includes both Toback and Harvey Weinstein.
Lockhart Steele, the creator of popular websites such as Curbed and Racked, has been accused of sexual harassment by a former Vox employee, according to Variety. Vox has since fired Steele.
Mark Halperin, the reporter, author, and media personality, has been accused of sexual harassment by several women going back many years, according to CNN. He has admitted to some misconduct, although his account is in dispute, and he has since been dropped by several of his employers, including NBC News, MSNBC, and HBO.
Andrew Kramer, the Lionsgate executive, has been accused of sexual harassment by a former assistant, according to Vulture. He has since been dropped.
Elie Wiesel, the Nobel Prize-winning author and human-rights advocate has been accused of groping a 19-year-old in 1989, according to Salon. Wiesel passed away in 2016 and is thus unable to confirm or deny the account.
Leon Wieseltier, formerly an editor at The New Republic, has been accused by several female colleagues of sexual harassment, according to the New York Times. Wiseltier has admitted to some “offenses” and funding has since been pulled from the new magazine he had planned to launch.
Twiggy Ramirez a/k/a Jeordie White, the bassist from Marilyn Manson has been accused of rape, according to Variety. He has since been fired from the band.
Tyler Grasham, the Hollywood agent, has been accused of sexual assault and sodomy by actor Tyler Cornell, who has also filed a police report, according to Variety. Grasham has since been fired by his agency, ACA.
Ethan Kath, the producer/performer behind Crystal Castles has been accused by former bandmate Alice Glass of sexual assault, according to the Guardian. Kath denies the allegations.
Chris Savino, the creator of Nickelodeon’s The Loud House, has been accused by multiple women of sexual harassment, according to Deadline. He has since been fired from the show.
Knight Landesman, the Artforum publisher and a power broker in the art world, has been accused of sexual harassment by at least nine women, who have filed a joint lawsuit, according to the New York Times. Landesman has since resigned from Artforum.
Robert Scoble, the veteran tech blogger who has worked with Fast Company before, has been accused of sexual assault and also misconduct, according to The Verge. In a recent blog post, Scoble disputes the accusations.
George H.W. Bush, the former president, has been accused by several women of groping them while making a bad joke, according to the Chicago Tribune. (Punchline: “David Cop-a-Feel.”) Rather than denying the charges, Bush has issued a statement through his spokesperson, introducing the world to the concept of a “good-natured” groping.
Kevin Spacey, the star of Netflix’s House of Cards, has been accused by actor Anthony Rapp of making unwanted sexual advances when Rapp was 14 years old, according to BuzzFeed. Spacey released a statement claiming he was drunk and did not remember the encounter, and Netflix has since suspended production on the sixth season of House of Cards. (Update: several employees on House of Cards have said that Spacey made the show a toxic environment, with one employee outright accusing him of assault. Netflix has since severed all ties with Spacey and is considering killing off his character and moving ahead with the announced sixth and final season of the show.)
Jeremy Piven, the actor most famous for his role on HBO’s Entourage, has been accused by actress Ariane Bellamar of groping her on multiple accusations during the filming of that show, according to Business Insider. Piven has denied the allegations.
Hamilton Fish V, the publisher of The New Republic, has been accused by multiple female employees of sexual harassment, according to the New York Post. He has since taken a leave of absence.
Andy Dick, the famously assault-prone comedic performer, has been accused of sexual harassment by multiple people on the set of the indie film, Raising Buchanan, according to Vulture. He has since been fired from the film.
Brett Ratner, the director behind hits such as Rush Hour, has been accused by six women of a number of sexual offenses, according to the Los Angeles Times. Ratner’s lawyer has disputed these accounts.
Dustin Hoffman, the veteran actor from films like The Graduate and Tootsie, has been accused of sexually harassing Anna Graham when she was a 17-year-old production assistant in 1985, according to People.
Michael Oreskes, a top editor at NPR, has been accused by multiple women of sexual harassment, according to CNN. He has since resigned.
David Guillod, a manager and producer on films like Atomic Blonde, has been accused by actress Jessica Barth of sexual assault. Barth originally raised her allegation in 2012, but Guillod threatened to sue her if she proceeded. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Barth is now ready to press charges.
Adam Venit, an agent at WME, has been cited as the unnamed person Terry Crews referred to in a viral series of tweets about being groped by “a high-level Hollywood executive,” according to Variety. Venit has since taken a leave of absence.
David Corn, editor and chief executive at Mother Jones, is being investigated for inappropriate workplace behavior, according to Politico. The investigation stems from a pair of newly surfaced emails from 2014 and 2015, which detail offensive jokes and unwelcome touching of female staffers.
Steven Seagal, star of ’90s action films such as Under Siege, has been accused of sexual harassment by actresses Portia de Rossi, Julianna Margulies, and Rae Dawn Chong, according to Jezebel and other sources.
Ed Westwick, an actor best known for his work on Gossip Girl, has been accused by two women of rape, according to New York Magazine’s The Cut. Westwick denies the charges, and LAPD is investigating.
Louis CK, one of the most popular comedians in the world, has been accused by five women of forcing them to watch him masturbate. The public allegations follow years of quiet but persistent speculation.
Jann Wenner, the iconic publisher of Rolling Stone, has been accused of sexual misconduct by freelance writer Ben Ryan, according to BuzzFeed.
Eddie Berganza, Group Editor of DC Comics, has been accused of sexual harassment by multiple women, including former employees, according to BuzzFeed. DC Entertainment has since fired Berganza.
Gary Goddard, a film producer, has been accused by actor Anthony Edwards of molesting him over a period of years in the late-1970s, starting when Edwards was just 12 years old. The allegation emerged in a Medium post penned by Edwards.
Jesse Lacy, frontman for the band Brand New, has been accused of sexual misconduct by a minor 15 years ago, soliciting nude photographs from a woman who was 15 when Lacy was 24, according to NME. Lacy has since apologized for the misconduct.
Matthew Weiner, the writer and director most known for creating the show Mad Men, has been accused of sexual harassment by former Mad Men writer Kater Gordon, according to The Information. Weiner has since denied the charge.
Richard Dreyfuss, has been accused of sexual harassment over a period of years in the mid-1980’s by writer Jessica Teich, according to New York Magazine. Dreyfuss has since denied “exposing” himself to Teich, but confirms that he did try to kiss her and seduce her in a manner he now regrets.
George Takei, legendary actor and internet personality most famous for his role on Star Trek, has been accused of sexual assault by former model Scott R. Bruton, stemming from an incident that occurred in 1981. Takei has since denied the allegation.
Andrew Kreisberg, show runner on The Flash, has been accused of sexual harassment by a young female writer on the show. Kreisberg has since been suspended by Warner Brothers TV, according to Deadline.
Tom Sizemore, star of such films as Saving Private Ryan, has been accused of molesting an 11-year old girl on the set of a film in 2003, according to The Hollywood Reporter. According to the report, the actor was kicked off of the set after this incident, although he later filmed some additional scenes. Sizemore has declined to comment.
Mark Schwahn, showrunner on One Tree Hill, has been accused of sexual harassment by several members of the cast and crew of that show, according to Variety. Update: Schwahn has since been accused of sexual harassment by several members of the cast and crew of The Royals, where Schwahn had been serving as showrunner until recently. (He was suspended after the One Tree Hill allegations emerged last week.)
Jeffrey Tambor, Emmy Award-winning star of Transparent, has been accused of sexual harassment by an actress and a crew member from the show, according to Deadline. He has since denied the accusations and parted ways with the show.
Matt Zimmerman, Senior Vice President of Booking for News & Entertainment at NBC, has been accused of inappropriate conduct with two women in the News division, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Zimmerman has since been fired.
Al Franken, the Minnesota senator and erstwhile comedy writer, has been accused of unwanted kissing and groping by a reporter, Leeann Tweeden, stemming from an incident that took place in 2006, according to The New York Times. The groping allegedly occurred while Tweeden was asleep, and a photo taken at the time supports her account. Update: at least five more women have since come forward with similar accusations against Franken.
Sylvester Stallone, the actor and director most famous for creating the character Rocky Balboa, has been accused of sexually assaulting a minor in 1986, according to The Daily Mail. Through a representative, Stallone denies any wrongdoing.
Murray Miller, a writer formerly of HBO’s Girls, has been accused of sexually assaulting actress Aurora Perrineau, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Miller adamantly denies the charge.
Glenn Thrush, a star political reporter for The New York Times, has been accused of inappropriate behavior by several younger female reporters, according to Vox. Although Thrush has since downplayed what he’s been accused of, The New York Times has suspended him pending an investigation.
Charlie Rose, the longtime television host, has been accused by eight women of sexual harassment. The Washington Post reports that over a period over more than 20 years, Rose allegedly made unwanted sexual advances toward women who worked at PBS’s Charlie Rose show. They allege he made lewd phone calls, groped them, and walked around naked in front of them. Rose (who also works for CBS) has issued an apology in which he acknowledges his “inappropriate behavior” while also questioning whether “all of these allegations are accurate.” PBS and Bloomberg LP have suspended distribution of Charlie Rose, and CBS has suspended Rose while the network investigates the claims.
John Lasseter, head of Disney Animation, is taking a leave of absence from Pixar. He announced the decision as The Hollywood Reporter prepared to publish a story in which several former and current colleagues allege that Lasseter engaged in a pattern of sexual harassment. One longtime Pixar employee claims that Lasseter was known for “grabbing, kissing, making comments about physical attributes.” Lasseter released a memo to his staff in which he acknowledged his “missteps” and apologized if staffers who had received “an unwanted hug” felt he crossed the line.
Nick Carter, member of the Backstreet Boys, has been accused of sexual assault by Melissa Schuman, a singer from the pop band Dream. In a blog post, Schuman, 33, alleges that Carter raped her and forced her to perform and receive oral sex when she was 18. Carter denied the allegations in a statement to People.
Matt Lauer, host of The Today Show, has been fired for sexual misconduct, , according to NBC News, following an internal review. A comprehensive New York Times investigation has reportedly been underway for weeks, and may be surfacing soon.
Garrison Keillor, radio producer and former host of long-running show A Prairie Home Companion, has been fired by Minnesota Public Radio for “improper conduct” with a female colleague, according to The New York Times. Keillor has admitted to running his hand up a female colleague’s bare back through her open shirt.
Russell Simmons, co-founder of Def Jam Recordings and other countries, has been accused of sexual misconduct by two women–first by model Keri Claussen Khalighi, and then screenwriter Jenny Lumet–according to The Hollywood Reporter. Although Simmons initially denied any wrongdoing when Khalighi came forward, he now says he is stepping down from his businesses.
Israel Horovitz, a veteran playwright, has been accused of sexual conduct by nine women, according to The New York Times. Horovitz has apologized ” to any woman who has ever felt compromised by my actions.”
Bruce Weber, the venerable fashion photographer, has been accused of forcefully kissing and groping a male model, according to the New York Post.
Dylan Howard, the top editor for the National Enquirer, Us Weekly and other major gossip publications, has been accused of sexual misconduct by several former employees, according to the Associated Press.
James Levine, legendary Metropolitan Opera conductor, has been accused of molesting a teenage boy for a period of years in the 1980s, according to the New York Post. He has since been suspended by the Met.
John Hockenberry, a now-retired public radio icon, has been accused of sexual harassment by several female colleagues, as well as a guest of his radio show, Suki Kim, according to a report Kim wrote for New York Magazine’s The Cut.
Leonard Lopate and Johnathan Schwartz, two longtime hosts at WNYC, have been put on leave effectively immediately pending investigations into allegations of inappropriate conduct, according to WNYC.
Jon Heely, the director of music publishing at Disney, has been charged with child sex abuse against two young girls about a decade ago, according to Variety. Heely’s attorney has denied the charges.
Mario Batali, world famous chef, has been accused by four women, three of whom once worked for him, of inappropriate touching over the last two decades, according to Eater. Batali has said the allegations “match up” with ways he has behaved, and he has since stepped away from his empire.
Ryan Lizza, a star reporter for The New Yorker, has been let been go by the magazine for engaging in improper sexual contact, according to The Daily Beast. Lizza has not yet commented.
Politics:
Donald Trump. At least 15 women have come forward with a wide range of accusations against Trump, ranging from sexual harassment and sexual assault to lewd behavior around women. Of the women, 13 say Trump attacked them directly and two others say they witnessed behavior that made them uncomfortable. All the alleged incidents took place prior to his assuming the presidency.
Florida Democratic Party Chairman Stephen Bittel — Accused of sexually inappropriate comments and behavior toward a number of women, Bittel resigned. Meanwhile, Democratic state Sen. Jeff Clemens resigned after a report that he had an extramarital affair with a lobbyist, and Republican state Sen. Jack Latvala is being investigated by the Senate over allegations of harassment and groping. Latvala has denied the allegations.
U.S. Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) — Accused of sexual harassment toward staffers in his office, and has settled one claim of harassment. He has denied the allegations, even the one he settled.
Two Minnesota state lawmakers — Democratic Sen. Dan Schoen and Republican Rep. Tony Cornish — said they would resign after they were accused of misdeeds that ranged from groping colleagues to persistent unwanted sexual advances and sexting.
British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon — Accused of inappropriate advances on two women, the Conservative resigned. Sexual harassment and assault allegations have also emerged against a number of other U.K. political figures. Labour Party legislator Carl Sargeant is believed to have taken his own life after harassment allegations cost him his post as the Welsh government's Cabinet secretary for communities and children. He had asked for an independent inquiry to clear his name.
Also, Labour Party member Ivan Lewis has been suspended over an allegation of sexual misconduct; Lewis disputed the account but apologized if his behavior had been "unwelcome or inappropriate."
Kentucky House Speaker Jeff Hoover — Stepped down as speaker this month after news surfaced that the Republican had settled a sexual harassment claim from a GOP caucus staffer. Hoover denied the harassment allegation but said he sent consensual yet inappropriate text messages. He remains in the Legislature.
U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore (R.-Ala.) —Accused of sexually assaulting two women decades ago when they were teenagers; about a half-dozen other women have accused Moore of inappropriate conduct. The former state Supreme Court chief justice denies the allegations. He has rebuffed pressure from national Republican leaders to step aside; the state GOP is standing by him.
Johnny Anderson, a staffer for Democratic Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards — The deputy chief of staff for programs and planning resigned to avoid becoming a "distraction" to the governor. Accused of sexual harassment, he denies any wrongdoing.
###
"Drunk Girl"
Couple of cover charge stamps got her hand looking like a rainbow
In and out of every bar on a whim just like the wind blows
She's either a bachelorette or coming off a breakup
Take a drunk girl home
She's bouncing like a pinball
Singing every word she never knew
Dancing with her eyes closed like she's the only one in the room
Her hairs a perfect mess, falling out of that dress
Take a drunk girl home
Take a drunk girl home
Let her sleep all alone
Leave her keys on the counter your number by her phone
Pick up her life she threw on the floor
Leave the hall lights on walk out and lock the door
That's how she knows the difference between a boy and man
Take a drunk girl home
You leave her drive for a dive
You get something bad to eat
They're singing closing time at that little bar across the street
Then two by two strangers and lovers headed for the covers hooking up
That TV in your two bedroom sounds turned off
Through the paper thin walls you can hear the neighbor's cigarette cough
There's a million things you could be doing, but there's one thing you're damn sure glad you did
Take a drunk girl home
Let her sleep all alone
Leave her keys on the counter your number by the phone
Pick up her life she threw on the floor
Leave the hall lights on walk out and lock the door
That's how you know the difference in a boy and man
Take a drunk girl home
Took a drunk girl home
In the sober light of dawn
She left you a message she thanked you on the phone
Cause you picked up her life she threw on the floor
You left the hall lights on walked out and locked the door
That's how she knows the difference between a boy and man
Take a drunk girl home
You know you aren't copying as much as you once had been.
WE know you aren't copying as often, too. Heck, we've known for decades you rarely, if ever, copy or print on tabloid, 11x17. So why have we been selling you devices capable of melting plastic on larger sheets of dead tree matter?
Because bigger machines look more impressive, that's why. You've been fooled into believing 'those little printers can't keep up with the bigger copiers...' You've been lied to.
Here's why we've been overselling you for decades:
More sales commission - Entry-level salespeople are compensated on REVENUE. Bigger devices have bigger price tags supporting larger commissions.
Manufacturers quotas - Dealers purchase toner and parts from the manufacturers (OEMs) they sell. These OEMs contract a certain number of devices to be purchased monthly. When a provider fails to meet these commitments, the manufacturer will the cost of toner and parts, thereby reducing margins on the bread and butter of EVERY copier dealer-service contract.
Cheaper cost per image - This issue is especially evil because it is based on truth. Copiers have a less expensive cost per image. Meaning, you'll pay less for USING a copier vs. printing on a traditional printer. If your volumes are in the 10k/emp range, this is a consideration. When calculating YOUR true cost per image, roll in the amortized equipment or machine lease cost into your service cost.
More retail value - Tricky issue, this. Let's just say the retail(which nobody ever charges) value of a device can determine how much soft costs can be shoved into your equipment lease. "Soft cost" is defined as anything from existing buyout figures, software & installation costs, or profit.
Reasons you don't need a copier:
You don't copy any more
At one point in history, employees generated about 10,000 images a month on copiers and printers - this was a per-employee figure.
Today, employees can generate NO images per month let alone copy. Look at your processes. Do you email invoices? Do you accept online payment? Do you still make copies of every invoice you receive?
You never print on 11x17
One of the determining factors when deciding to buy a copier is paper size - original and finished. In the olden days, books and manuals were routinely copied. "Book Copy" was a standard or sought-after feature. A scanner the size of 11x17 was convenient but a bigger scanner means bigger rollers and trays. More power consumption for larger bulbs. Almost twice the size of a 'little printer' - with twice the manufacturing costs.
We knew this. But it was easy to see 'bigger is better and good for everyone on this side of the table. Paper is slow
Chances are your competition is looking into automating manual processes like Accounts Payables/Receivable. Nobody looks to invest in software to save trees. Your business is nimble and responsive and paper-based business functions are slower and more apt to mistakes than digitized processes.
Are you moving at the speed of thought or the speed of paper?
In the end, the market will determine winners and losers - somebody somewhere will need or require copiers. Indeed, right now there is somebody purchasing buggy-whips.
Everything dies, baby that's a fact, but just because something doesn't last forever, doesn't mean it wasn't perfect. Proclaimed back in 2011, the fading of managed print services continues. Don't believe me?
Ask your customers/prospects and you'll hear the truth. Whispers from the Abyss:
"We've really cut back on the number of printers and copiers we use."
"We don't print as much."
"We once had a copier on every floor and printers at each desk. We don't anymore."
I could go on - hell, if you're in the field and honest, YOU can add to the above list.
So here it is - what follows is a list of industry influencers and players with reflections and status according to DOTC.
The year is 2017; just about 10 years after managed print services arrived on the scene. Much has changed.
Last night, I was scrolling through XM and came upon an oration that caught my ear. The host was articulating his experiences with the Hollywood elites/liberals.
I spent some 12 years on the coast and loved every second of it. I did find it odd that the land of Regan and Nixon had so many conservative 'haters'.
And "hate" is the right word.
At one Christmas party, high in the San Bernardino mountains, the hostess went on to explain how she wished, "President Bush would die." Over and over she said this - so often that I felt threatened by the President. I skirted around the issues at hand, the Iraq War, and tried to discuss the food, the drink, the Christmas tree, or the weather - anything but the politics of the day.
In an episode of Seinfeld, Jerry's gorgeous new girlfriend's lovely breasts become the subject of conjecture; are they real or implants. Elaine thinks they're fake so Jerry decides not to see her again. Elaine changes her mind after tripping and falling into the ample bosom.
Again, the "paperless office will never exist" debate is grabbing headlines and copy. Good stuff, if not factually spun.
I've been face-to-face with organizations that significantly reduced the number of copiers, printers, and reams of paper utilized.
A major retail company went from 100 or so devices to 10
Health network(s) go from huge file rooms to no filing cabinets at all
Manufactures shifted away from paper-based job jackets to digital files
These companies didn't feel compelled to save the trees or Chewbaccas. Prospects tell me they squeeze paper out of the process because "paper slows everything."
She is a great storyteller; visual and engaging she spun tails and related her history to an audience of risk-taking, aggressive, selling professionals. #ImpactNetworking
The fit was perfect.
Shannon told how she encountered sexism in the military, facing the wind and climbing to the pinnacle - against the odds. She expressed the tension felt while flying night missions in South Korea and leading soldiers. How in order to lead others well, one needs to own their personal story.
Know thyself.
Writer, pilot, leader, mother, wife - Shannon took us on a journey around the world.
Once finished, she opened the floor to questions.
At first, nobody spoke - we've all experienced that awkward segment of silence - hands finally took flight, banal questions flew: "...how did it feel...", "...what is it like...", and my favorite, "...what is your favorite missile?", "Well, the HellFire, of course," she answered.
Gotta love the Hellfire.
I was moving from boredom to angst.
Here we had a bonafide American Hero, a female who led men in military missions speaking to a group of technology professionals - an industry heavily populated by men - and the best we could come up with is "What's your favorite missile?"
So, in the silence just before the speaker asks, "are there any final questions?" my hand shot up and I asked,
"Can you give me three differences between female leaders and male leaders?"
I heard a few nervous giggles, as a broad smile spread across Shannon's face - I knew she got it.
Her response, "First, I feel it's the individual, not the gender." - I'm paraphrasing, but you get the point. Her answer was the necessary one, eliciting requisite applauds.
Still, I felt the cool gaze of many - it felt good.
Her second and final answer is more powerful and like a Hellfire, flew over most heads - which I find disappointing.
Shannon put on her game face, looked me in the eye, and said,
"One thing I've noticed is that men tend to volunteer for missions before and even though, they are not necessarily prepared. Where women tend to train and prepare to a point they feel 100% ready for a mission."
I didn't ask the question to get the room in an uproar or receive, "You're a douchebag for asking that question." statements.
No.
Today, there are more women decision-makers, and insight into how women leaders may operate differently than their male counterparts, I felt, would be relevant.
Her answer was perfect.
So yeah, after she left the stage and during the bio-break, sales professionals, comrades-in-arms, expressed a bit of shock. Some saying, folks were remarking,
"Who asked that dick-head question about male and female leaders?"
Wow.
In this age of the eternally offended, I guess assuming men are from Mars and women from Venus, is considered a microaggression. So, at the very least my question made some uncomfortable and might have actually offended others. HUH?
I didn't ask, "Who are better leaders men or women?" The underlying sensitivity, in my opinion, is the current generation's misunderstanding of equal and identical.
I guess it does need saying, "Men and Women are different." I said it, I meant it, I'm here to represent it.
Strategic Selling -
If we assume Shannon's observation can be translated into the business realm, would you approach a female decision-maker/leader differently?
Or would you feel the need to find a safe place, squeeze Play-doh, and tear down 100-year-old statues?
For as long as I can remember, I've played this video on 9/11. Super Bowl 2002, months after the attack, our country was numb and jumpy.
Well before self-loathing americans started calling our movements in the middle-east "invasion" and "occupation", patriotism was on every street corner.
I remember that night; I remember seeing it live. I can't tell you the football teams playing, but I can say it was one of the deepest, moving TV moments, ever.
U2 - that Irish rock band, stood up on the world stage, honoring the greatest country on earth and her fallen citizens. Names float to the sky, as the rousing "Where the Streets Have No Name" beats on. The song, second of the half-time set, was written about a place without class stigma, where the distinction between religions and income are no more; a World Without Sin?
Bono ends the tune exposing the Stars and Stripes - Triumph.
Here we are, 15 years laters - The Twin Towers, replaced by that defiant Freedom Tower, slip deeper into fog with each passing 911. The threat remains the same, if not more pronounced.
Do you honestly feel safer now than you did that faithful day of empty skies, September 12, 2001?
Day of cogitation: What have we learned?
On this day of reflection, consider not only the ones who've helped you see who you are, but remember the hearts you've "imprinted"; son's, daughters, mothers, fathers, friends, lovers and ex-lovers, customers and co-workers.
Be gratified knowing you've changed somebody's life for the better - we all have.
Take time to remember those on the 98th floor, at 8:47 AM, sipping a Starbucks, considering a sales forecast or the regret of not saying "I love you, I always will..." on that morning, 14 years ago.
"We are made of matter and nothing more, just another tiny, momentary spec within an indifferent Universe."
Open your Eye.
Today, the sales profession drowns in self-help tomes, and big-tent evangelical, esteem-building events. From redefining selling, establishing social sales, and seeking disruption, the new professional is inundated with seemingly fresh advice.
Just like copiers, the books and classes are now, and always have been, the same; Universal. Everything has been said before.
Cutaway the self-indulgence, fluff, psychobabble, and nascent veneer, what's left is basic, simple core behaviors. First-rate selling approaches possess timeless notions.
Here are three:
Unchecked Ego is bad
Going with the Flow is good
Your Competition isn't Fear of Change or lower pricing
"Silence Your Ego..."
Ego -
Our manipulators bank on the thought of the Ego driving behavior. Why so many contests, glass trophies, stack rankings, and business plans? Every 'win' feeds the Ego - we need Ego, without it, we dry up, wither and fade. Sell more, no matter the cost to your pride, standards, or personal values.
Everybody does it. We sell answers, as long as the solution sports our logo. You know what I say is true.
Too much ego leads to unfulfilled expectations, and insecurity causing lives to "skyrocket downward"; long work hours, missed anniversaries and divorce. The experts don't tell you that, do they?
Can you be a successful selling professional and balance the ego? I say the Greatest Salespeople do.
Treat others nicely and be Polite...
Ask permission
Don't speak unless spoken to...You've got two ears, one mouth.
"You cannot beat a river into submission. You have to surrender to its current, and use its power as your own. "
We call it the Funnel, the Submarine, The Sales Process - and we fight it every, single day of the month.
"On the 1st we sell solutions, on the 15th, we're moving boxes..."
Yes, you are responsible for a projection and filling quota - you're compensated on hardware. Yet focusing on the 30 days, is like looking at life through a keyhole. Broaden your view.
I'm not advocating sacrificing the short term, I'd suggest expanding the view to include everything.
Be the river, not the stone.
Get to know EVERY lead in your territory. Own it through research, face-to-face engagements, and total immersion of the environment. Forget about networking groups like the chamber of commerce - you're not doing MLM, are you? Get to know the ebb and feel of how decisions are made inside your clients, prospects and even YOUR DEALERSHIP.
This is not easy. This is not taught. People will think you're crazy. This will elevate you over your peers and management.
Find the flow of your world then master the tides. It is not impossible.
Competition -
"All Things Age. All Things Die. People think in terms of good and evil...when really Time is the true Enemy of us all. Time kills everything"
Learning how to sell is complicated - systems, techniques, objections, rejection - all play a part, let alone talking to strangers who do not believe a word that comes out of your mouth.
It's a tough racket.
Our number one obstacle isn't an ornery gatekeeper, amorphous board of directors, aloof C-Level know-it-alls, or fear of change.
No.
Our enemy is Time. Time, both finite and infinite, consumes All. But like the river, we cannot overcome Time. Can you manage Time? No. Can Time be bent to our will? No.
We can control what we concentrate on during our stay on this plane. It comes down to qualification. Not just the qualification of your prospects, co-workers, colleagues, and bosses.
Who deserves your Time?
I say again, "Who Deserves Your Time?"
Dark Forces will beguile with unspeakable treasures.
Take heed, for many sorcerers hunger for the souls of the living. They will say things like, "It's a numbers game, kid." or "work the process, it's how this company was built" and "this is how we've always done it..." This is insidious. Inside each statement, shards of truth entice.
It is true that the more people you contact, the better chances you have of acquiring a client.
It is true that the process is proven.
It is true repeating a known and proven flow delivers results.
The trick is equilibrium, not resistance. Attend all the classes your employer will fund. Dutifully, jot down soon forgotten notes. Then go out into the world, discover something new and find problems to solve.
Beware. The imbalance will be your demise.
P.S.
There are three books about selling, I strongly recommend for beginner or seasoned veterans:
I'm writing this three weeks after the Executive Connection Summit and I’m still feeling the effects. Intel, SAP, Cisco — foundational members of the technology industry, stalwart believers in all things connected, came to speak here in our backyard. To be sure, it stands as the best show in the industry, with superior content. As Gavin Williams said, “The goal was really to educate as much of the industry as possible about the innovation available today.” The bar is officially higher, but there’s something more recondite just under the surface.
I comment about the players at center stage, but I’ve always enjoyed getting a feel for what the attendees find attractive - the dialogue between the talks. That’s the gold.
I thought of the Internet of Things conversations, how independent dealers are capitalizing on the technology not only in implementing but offering those same services to clients. It wasn’t until I remembered an onstage conversation when things started to click.
After one panelist on stage lamented the challenges of converting to a new accounting system, I chatted with a few people about moving to different CRMs and the difficulty of data conversion. One company decided to operate both the old and the new systems in parallel as legacy data is weaned over to the new system. Another is hiring a staff of “keypunch operators” to input all existing contracts and customer information into Forza.
The underlining tension, the Wookie in the Room, was simple: People know a better accounting system is out there, but getting to it is difficult because of our old school investments. Time and again, I spoke with people who recognized the need to switch but anticipated huge costs in labor and time with the transitional project of moving to a new CRM/accounting system. The tension was palpable.
Imagine needing to have a leg broken and reset because the original setting was primitive. At one time, healing a broken limb was as easy as tying the bone together with tree branches and twine. Years later,
Impact Networking received the 2017 ITEX Perfect Image Award for Outstanding Managed Print Service Program.
“Each award recipient demonstrated exceptional innovation and outstanding performance,” said Mark Spring, deja-vu owner of the once monolithic gathering. “We applaud Impact Networking...”
“It is a great honor to receive the Perfect Image MPS Dealer of the Year award twice in a row", said Vice President of Managed Print Services Jeremy Fordemwalt. " Reception of this award demonstrates our MPS team and company are on the right path to continue succeeding in this space along with providing clients a top tier program helping them control and manage the entire document ecosystem.”
###
Soooooo...
Impact MpS is growing in breadth and scope. The number of users supported has increased. Services layered on top of the traditional MpS idea help clients reduce the costs associated with moving data.
Impact's MpS program integrates their Strategic Services(BPO), Production, Managed IT Services, and Creative Services departments creating Print Policies that adhere to ITAM and speak ITIL.
As the universal list of MpS providers shrinks, Impact is attracting net new opportunities and converting competitively supported, disgruntled MpS customers into long-term, business relationships.
"The Impact MPS Program, led by Vide President of Managed Print Services Jeremy Fordemwalt, has grown more than 55% year-over-year for three years running. The MPS team assesses client office environments to uncover inefficiencies in the way users print, store and retrieve documents. They use that information to create solutions that improve processes, reduce documents, increase office productivity and contribute to increased profitability. The department continues to add additional solutions based on client demand..." Full release, here.
###
Jeremy is an industry veteran in managed print services and has managed to build a true, customer-centric, managed print services powerhouse. Impact MPS travels together with clients formulating plans to assist in the natural move away from the printed document.
Utilizing Impact's proven, market driven specialties in Creative Services, Managed IT, Production printing and document management, Impact MPS weaves a tapestry of solutions designed specifically for each client. The MPS program has evolved beyond automatic toner fulfillment and service delivery into a cutting edge, paper-to-digital transformation force.
If copier OEMs are Missionary, HP is Reverse Cowgirl. It's Over and HP Wins
Anyone who knows me, remembers me lambasting HP for past gaffs and missteps: Hawk and Ikon, The "Long March" that was Edgeline, firing Hurd, Leo, and the all too infamous, TouchPad.
And who can forget "The Great Toner Purge of 2013"
During my talk at the Photizo conference back in 2012, I was asked if I thought HP would survive. My quick answer was "No, not as we know her today." That was then, this is now and HP ain't what she used to be.
Which brings me to my point: HP is going to win the war for the remaining clicks. HP will beat Canon, Ricoh, Xerox, and those who attempt to overtake her as the predominant provider of MpS and devices.
I've spoken there, and pulled a camera crew along.
I've criticized and mocked the event. I've promoted and exclaimed the value of the show.
They've hosted MPSA events for us.
I just don't know what to make of it today.
New leadership with promises of "being different" yet every scrap of news makes me feel like Tom Cruise in The Edge of Forever.
The schedule looks the same. The venue looks the same. The class structure looks the same.
What has changed?
Is it better? Does it matter? Is the show RELEVANT?
Looking at the agenda and training classes(Let's see if you get trained or sold)there are few I recommend:
How to Earn an A+ on Assessments for MPS (MPSA Exclusive Content)
Learn from successful dealers who have increased their net income by adding complimentary business solutions such as Managed IT, 3D, and VOIP
Aldo Spensieri
VP MPS Solutions, Clover Imaging Group
New Blood: How the Kids are Taking Dad’s Dealership to the Next Level
This panel of new blood owners discusses dealer culture, millennials and how these dealers built on the success of their parents and are taking their companies to the next level.
Andy Slawetsky
President, Industry Analysts, Inc.
Tyson Stargel
VP, Stargel Office Solutions
Ryan Jones
Executive VP, Advance Business Systems
Johnathan Garlow
President & Owner, Ford Business
The keys to successfully incorporate Infrastructure, Platform and Software into your Managed IT Services
Learn how to make money, add value, maintain ownership and still deliver best in class on-premise and cloud solutions, all while offering your services as a 100% operational expense.
Greg Van De Walker
Sr Vice President - IT Channel & Services, Collabrance, LLC
Brian Wells
Director of Product Development, Collabrance, LLC
Ryan Shea
Owner, Info-Flow
SMI: Supplies Management Investigation
The aftermath of growth of MPS and the promise of just in time fulfillment may sometimes make your business processes feel like a crime scene. What are the ways dealers can clean up an often neglected area of supplies fulfillment? How can MPS Providers make changes to drive higher revenues and reduce waste? Meet your lead MPS operations investigator and dealer program leader for a rare look inside an MPS program that reduced administrative processes and eliminated waste while growing in devices being monitoring and overall revenue.
Sarah Henderson
Director - MPS Solutions, Clover Imaging Group
I'm sure the SBB session will be packed, no need to recommend.
I don't know if the show is stale or industry on a glide-path into the past, and can't judge - but I am asking.
If you have an opinion, lay it out here. Otherwise, enjoy the sun and sin that is Las Vegas.
Leave the churches, funeral homes, print for pay, non-profits, municipalities, schools, day care centers, three-person real estate and insurance offices for the five, ten and even the fifteen million dollar dealerships. That once fertile, bottom land is transforming. The SMB does not print like it use to and will be serviced by drones; not men and women.
“What once was our greatest strength, one day, becomes our most severe weakness”
We're great at selling to the small business owner. We use to drag machines around and demo in the lobby, not returning to the office until that unit was placed.
Not anymore. This type of selling is losing relevance.
Sure, you’re going to hear colleagues, and sales managers say things like, “I don’t know about Ricoh, but our copier business is booming…” and “We just sold more devices than ever before!”
Here’s the dirty little secret in the SMB - they buy devices, they just don’t use them. Again, I know what you’re thinking, “Greg, all my customers are printing like crazy!” - No. No they are not. Nobody is printing like its 1999.
Nobody. Go into any OfficeMax, Staples, if you can find open locations, and walk down the printer or toner isle. Depressing, isn't it?
Don’t fall for the fake reports showing an increase in “print”. (books)
Don’t be bamboozled by the OEM sponsored studies evangelizing “Millennials prefer print.” (Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot?)
When your OEM rep/BDM spouts off how, “last year was our best year ever” - check out their earnings reports and remember Ricoh, Sharp, Kodak, Oce, Panasonic, and Ikon. Reflect upon the ColorCube from Xerox($7.21 a share) or HP’s($17.72/share, forever) Edgeline.
Don’t believe any of them.
If things were half as good as the pro-copier, pro-paper pundits say, HP would not have split, Xerox would be the darling of Wall Street and Lexmark still American.
I feel bad for the good folks at Ricoh, as I did for the just as good people at HP and their worthy colleagues over at Xerox when they both purged.
And the paper plant employees.
And the liquidated newspaper staff.
And the book stores.
Two Roads
The lines have been drawn for a few years now - you’re buying businesses or lining up to be sold.
That’s it.
For us still in the industry, what’s the best path?
I believe in technology, not in print. I believe in people, not corporate elevator pitches.
Today, more than ever, deciding to stay in this mixed up realm, demands you act in YOUR best interest. Not in a stingy or self-centered manner. Self improvement in terms of helping yourself and those around you. A rising tide, floats all boats and the best way to improve the world around you is to make the best of yourself.
Keep going, focus on solving, not selling. Evolve.
Our space is turbulent, vibrant, and self-indulged. Most of all, our world, the place of toner and fuser oil, is Hope.
...work or activity that is wasteful or pointless but gives the appearance of having value.
In 2007, I traversed the sun drenched thoroughfares of Southern California - from the 'Bu to the Border, Laguna Beach to Victorville.
I was part of a new movement, "Managed Print Services", working for a big VAR, part of HP's flex into the copier niche(sound familiar?) with an MPS program and a new copier-killer, Edgeline.
Like most VARs, we were built on value added services attached to hardware sales. Unlike most, our newly built NOC helped the move to services based revenue streams. In addition to classic T/M contracts, email hosting, backup/disaster/recover, remote management and remediation, and help desk were part and parcel of our value proposition.
At the time, managed print services fit well into our portfolio; the notion was to integrate all services and bill per user, per month. I didn't consider this a 'good' or 'bad' idea, it was simply the established method.
We folded our per click model into the per user or 'seat' amount and soon ran into challenges -
What if we calculated the per seat cost but users printed MORE than we anticipated?
Could we discern between "high-volume" users and provide tiered billing?
How do I get EAutomate to bill by user?
There was risk.
“...A good friend of mine(Greg Walters), talked about SBB back in the olden days, and I told him it wasn’t going to work - but when Print Audit and West started bringing in high powered guys like Luke Goldberg, I knew it was going to fly”.
"If dealers don’t jump on this, they should just call their bankruptcy attorney today. "
- Anonymous
Unfortunately, back then, SBB for MPS, found few advocates. In 2008, industry know-it-alls labeled managed print services a fad; the latest scheme by some to remake the copier industry. The successful copier dealers could barely spell 'MPS'.
Since then, I've been inside VARs, across the country learning one thing - even if an MpS program is 'out of the box' easy, or well established, most IT providers treat print like 'fly-over' states. Separate in practice, structure and billing.
Has the time come? Is per user invoicing the second coming?
Yes and No.
Boon - "Cause your's is the best in the county, isn't it 'mam?"
Billing per user is easier for the client. No meter reads, or confusing invoices. When faced with a quote of $9.00/emp/month, prospects find the decision to move forward, easier.
Imagine a business with 150 employees; 75 are knowledge workers. This account would generate $675.00 each month, no matter how much they print/copy. (Not sure if that is big or small for you.)
Indeed, as prints decrease, and head count remains constant, costs fall against steady revenue.
This fits nicely in the true goal of a solid, contemporary managed print services engagement: reducing output.
Boondoggle - "...and you sir, in the yellow shirt, come on up on stage..."
Across industries, the best sales people rarely, if ever, discuss pricing.
Converting cost per image into cost per user and presenting this idea as a 'value-add', reduces(once again) the conversation to price, moving away from business solutions, focusing on cost as a primary motivator.(I know, I know...)
Same race to the bottom, different vehicle.
So what can you do? More importantly, who do you go to for real world advice? A sinner.
"Who can lead you off that crooked road? You need real sinner, people. A sinner of such monumental proportions that all your sins wrapped up in one couldn't possible equal the sins of this King of Sins..."
Listen to A Sinner - "...I have danced with the demon satan..." How To Implement a Per User Model for MpS
Create SBB in-house
Our industry either builds or subs out services - MpS and Managed IT can be provided by aligning with outsourced programs like Collabrance, Continuum, PrintSolv, and others. Soon there will be SBB programs sponsored by toner remanufactures.
Is this right for you? I'm not sure. I once believed the only way to offer SBB was to rely on distributors. Only they can spread the perceived risk over large amounts of devices/toner.
But today, the risk isn't in toner delivery. Aligning with toner suppliers for SBB my be as counter productive as partnering with transactional copier dealers when designing a print reduction program. The motivations are diametrically opposed.
So do it in-house.
Work closely with your managed IT services practice. MpS is IT.
Approach through IT, present as a managed program, not "toner and service just like your copiers"(upchuck). If you're not providing any IT services, stop reading this now and go feed your pet dinosaur.
Sell one more service(IT). MpS and Trees.
Embed MpS with backup disaster recovery or remote monitoring and management. Expand your current MpS services to include "remote output monitoring" or something similar, utilizing the full capacity of your data collection agent. If you don't know what I mean, stop reading this now, and go feed your dinosaur.
Line of business integration? Forget 'bout it.
Of course you want to integrate your even existing CPI billing structure with the new managed IT and SBB programs. But it isn't easy. All it takes is a spreadsheet and a separate P/L - your MpS practice has its own P/L, right? Tsk, tsk.
In the end, SBB is a good idea to protect your revenue from the continued reduction in 'clicks'. But per user billing is a temporary fix - nothing is going to stop the decrease in placements and clicks.
Not even the Supercharged Grenade Launcher of Love...
