Wandering the Wild Terrain of MpS: An Adventure Beyond Consultancy
...and here's a tale as old as the copier itself, from the summer of '13...
Quick Summary
Embracing a role beyond the traditional consultancy, we engage in a shared journey in the Managed Print Services (MpS) industry, aiming for partnerships rather than vendor relationships.
Proposing a fresh consulting model, we invite a joint venture where risks and profits are shared, challenging the conventional wisdom of industry benchmarks and highlighting the importance of unique, self-created standards.
Recognizing the need for continued relevance, we embed into the business culture to maintain a fresh perspective, acknowledging that providing value to others from outside can be challenging, but ultimately rewarding.
There is a bounce, a resurgence, a renaissance in managed print services. As the fear of Covid fades and offices around the world repopulate, albeit, by 40-60% of pre-Covid numbers, print and copy functions are grabbing temporary attention. But this uptick is fleeting and short-lived and not based on increased volumes or growing fleets of devices. Today's rekindled interest is based on managing the reduction of print and the increase of digital workflows.
Our traditional business theory of pivoting into managed IT or an adjacent niche was an idealistic idea in the MPS Model 2 (see below, Photizo)
Today, expanding or diversifying services is less of an option and more of a survival tactic and a foundational plank of the continuing generation of Managed print Services (MpS).
The circa 2012 model is still relevant, we just need to refocus and recognize new opportunities.
With this in mind, I've updated the model to include new innovations and directions for office technology.
Back in the olden days, 2007 or so, I
came up with three stages of managed print services. This model was designed for my MPS practice,
not necessarily for the industry, and I used it to help explain the MpS
procedure to clients and co-workers. In
less than five minutes, the prospect had a basic idea of the stages, procedures,
and expectations of our program.
As time went by, every OEM, MPS dealership, and software
provider had their version of the MpS process.
HP had a similar idea but the one from Photizo matched and improved upon my vision of the stages. Photizo even came up
with a more detailed approach reaching into a Fourth stage.
I'm not saying this is the ONLY managed print services
model, it was mine. There are just as many MPS models as there are
definitions. All of them are good, each has shortcomings.
Ideally, I was trying to design a process that could be applied
to more that managed print services like workflow solutions and business
process optimization. I figured every
opportunity can be broken down into three stages, Control, Optimize, Enhance.
That makes sense, right?
Unfortunately, many of the models ended up being pure
marketing as deliverables rarely matched the original plan. Like most innovations in the industry, we first
argue “it will never work for me…” then jump on the bandwagon. We then focus
on price, commoditize the service into a box and accelerate the race to the
bottom, dumbing down the concept and cutting pricing.
MPS became little more than automatic supplies delivery and on-site
service, billed per usage. Managed print
services devolved into “managed toner delivery, at the lowest price…”
Regardless, today the industry seeks out pivot points with
many players getting into managed services - something I've been a proponent of
for a decade.
Naturally, because I was building an MPS practice inside a VAR,
I was looking for a way to ease copier dealers into the IT realm, to include IT
salespeople in the MPS equation, and fold managing output devices, business
processes, and IT assets in one agreement.
MpS deserved a screen in the N.O.C. Managed services was the
future and MPS was the way to get there.
Today, July, 2020, I replaced each mention of "MPS" and "managed print services" with "Managed IT Services", just to see if the content would still be relevant.
What do you think?
###
Managed Services is still being defined - or is it?
I am a firm believer in "the best advice is the advice you ask for...", please don't give me any advice - unless I ask.
Long ago, a decade seemed like forever; "1999" was a far-off party, and 2001 was so distant, that it was science fiction.
When I was young, I couldn't imagine where'd I be beyond 2008. Today, decades fade away, "like tears in the rain..."
Ten revolutions around the Sun
120 Months
521.4 Weeks 3,650 Days
87,000 Hours
At its peak, The Death of the Copier was coveted; worth stealing. Not for the plain talk, but for the audience.
In 2008, we were busy back-slapping and congratulating ourselves for selling machines like popcorn. The future was bright; it was never going to end.
Ikon was a huge channel of 'independent' dealers.
Xerox was like Kleenex.
Ricoh and Canon punched it out for the second and third position.
HP was on the edge with Edgeline.
The rest of the pack was just that, a pack.
Back then, few were 'blogging' about copiers. Out here on the inter-webs, nobody was talking about workflow, managed print services, IT, or business acumen. Newsletters, magazines, and trade shows were the vehicles of delivery.
On this 10th year anniversary, I've traveled back to the future, re-visiting stories of the love, toner, blood, and tragedy that is DOTC.
"5. LinkedIn - MySpace is all grown up. Much more mature than Facebook with real contacts and real business and NO high school moms pretending to be CEOs...well, maybe. Quite by chance, I fell into LinkedIn. Early, I joined MySpace, Facebook, Plaxo, etc. - but LinkedIn, for some reason has held my attention and gets most of my input when it comes to "social networking"."- 2008.
I talked about Managed Print Services, how copier reps won't naturally progress into the niche, how real MpS requires IT and copier knowledge, and something called Business Acumen. It was like speaking Latin.
"A copier salesperson does not directly translate into an MPS specialist.
Nor does an IT Services salesperson translate into an MPS Specialist. It takes both IT experience and copier experience and a great deal of general, C-level, business experience. That holy grail of Professional Selling, "Business Acumen". Someone with the "Big Picture" insight and manage the details of a solution."
Honestly, the more things change, the more they stay the same. It's been ten years and we're still struggling to find managed print nirvana.
We still sell copiers.
How about this one from 2011? Inspired by the movie Jerry McGuire -
"MPS isn't the end-all, it isn't the only reason to exist - it never has been. Still, with everybody getting in and as many as 50% failing, what now? With all the OEMs defining MPS ... and reclassifying direct accounts, how can we continue? Touch More. More Human Touch. Less PowerPoint. No WebEx meetings, toss the 50 slide business summaries. Instead, press the flesh. Draw on a napkin. Do that thing we do as sales professionals, look him in the eye and say "thank you, what more can we do, today?" "Oddest, most unexpected thing..." Success and change aren't always a result of design. Innovation encroaches from another direction; from the left as we look right, from behind as we look ahead. Few ever see it coming. So it is today. As some deny the paperless revolution is near, companies like Alaska Air outfit their 1,400 pilots with iPads. Apple is making the textbook obsolete and banks accept pictures of checks for deposits. Your kids, don't call each other anymore, they use their thumbs. From social media to MpS, everything is new and unpredicted - there are no experts - the world moves faster than ever before. No benchmarks, no 'metrics', no comparison, no rules. Waiting for the revolution? It's already here. "The Me I always wanted to be" - Trust Trust. It is a big word and one of the first MPS Conference keynote speaker attempted to rally behind stating,
"..Trust is something this industry has got to reclaim."
He is new. He doesn't understand to reclaim something, one must have first possessed it. "I had lost the ability to bullshit, ..." Our journey continues. The path is less bumpy when we build partnerships. Partnerships are easier to forge over a foundation of truth. Can you be true? Can you lose the ability to bullshit? If not to your prospects, at least with yourself. Or are you just another shark in a suit? Can you see the entire ecosystem? How about instead of optimizing a smidgen of hardware and some toner, you envision Optimizing Everything? That's right, everything. Managed Optimization Services.
"That's how you become great, man. Hang your balls out there."
Good Stuff.
What have WE, learned over the past ten years?
The Copier is nearly gone
Old ways die-hard
Situations rarely change, people do
My nostalgic jaunt inspired me to seek out memories from the pioneers of the copier-industry social media world.
Before Twitter. Before Instaglam. Before LI took off...there was Ken Stewart, Nathan Dube, Jim Lyons, and Art Post.
Can't remember EXACTLY how Greg and I became friends, but as what seemed like the only two bloggers in the industry back then it was inevitable we'd become friends as well as colleagues. A particular fond memory is when Greg had accepted an invitation to the Lyra Conference (Symposium) - where I'd gone from client to contributor. Greg and I had been in touch quite a bit but had never met face-to-face and several of the team (including Photizo folks in attendance, though this was before the merger) were excited to meet Mr. Death of the Copier. As we anticipated his arrival I remember enthusing that this was a very much-needed "young guy" we were welcomed into the fold!!!
Nothing stays the same, change is constant. There is nothing new in sales even though there are thousands of sales gurus on LinkedIn promoting their success when they haven't sold shit in years. There are many stubborn copier manufacturers that refuse to exit the channel. No one copies anymore. I've learned that life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer you get to the end of the roll, the faster it goes.
Thanks, guys, for reading DOTC and staying true.
Personally:
2008, I was married and living in the mountains of Southern California. 5,000 feet above sea level, an hour from the beach - "...things that have comforted me, I drive away..."
Since 2008, I've moved from SoCali to Charlotte to Oconomowoc, Wisconsin - "...this place that is my home, I cannot stay..."
Over 10 years, I've seen small businesses grow and flourish. I've met the best of the best and the worst of the worst - "...I come and stand at every door..."
I've Failed - "...If you've ever seen a one-legged dog then you've seen me..."
I've Succeeded - "...I always leave with less than I had before..."
I've become an expert at Starting Over - "...tell me, can you ask for anything more..."
Over the long haul, I've seen the extinction of the typewriter, witnessed the evaporation of the mini and mainframe, and bobbed along the turbulent manual-to-PC-to-network-to-internet-to-cloud waters.
I am fortunate to have a place to express myself. I'm blessed to be able to write what I would read and humbled others to find something, interesting and possibly entertaining.
10 Years. How about you?
On what field did you stand? Today, do you still stand?
Where will you be in 2028?
Two, three, four
Have you ever seen a one trick pony in the field so happy and free?
If you've ever seen a one trick pony then you've seen me
Have you ever seen a one-legged dog making his way down the street?
If you've ever seen a one-legged dog then you've seen me
Then you've seen me, I come and stand at every door
Then you've seen me, I always leave with less than I had before
Then you've seen me, bet I can make you smile when the blood, it hits the floor
Tell me, friend, can you ask for anything more?
Tell me can you ask for anything more?
Have you ever seen a scarecrow filled with nothing but dust and wheat?
If you've ever seen that scarecrow then you've seen me
Have you ever seen a one-armed man punching at nothing but the breeze?
If you've ever seen a one-armed man then you've seen me
Then you've seen me, I come and stand at every door
Then you've seen me, I always leave with less than I had before
Then you've seen me, bet I can make you smile when the blood, it hits the floor
Tell me, friend, can you ask for anything more?
Tell me can you ask for anything more?
These things that have comforted me, I drive away
This place that is my home I cannot stay
My only faith's in the broken bones and bruises I display
Have you ever seen a one-legged man trying to dance his way free?
If you've ever seen a one-legged man then you've seen me
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.
“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!”
- Hunter S. Thompson
In 2009, we jumped on the MpS bandwagon, supporting Photizo, evangelizing Preo,Printelligent and the new opportunities MpS could provide...
In 2011, we consulted companies into the world of managed IT services recommending Collabrance and others...
In 2015, confronted with the most turbulent run ever, we heralded in the End the copier industry as we knew it...
Through every turn, zig and zag, one constant remained; there is ALWAYS a tomorrow. So it shall be with our niche. Once everything settles, when leverage money guys leave, and a single OEM remains, when the channel is nothing but a memory, you can prevail.
You can sell this as a service.
As a copier sales professional, you know how to work with leasing companies and construct a complicated finance deal.
You know how to SPIN, how to uncover business challenges and discover new prospects. More importantly, you know how to present a piece of hardware with services and derive revenue from your efforts.
Ask yourself, "What's the difference between a copier and a commercial air conditioning unit or managing lighting usage/costs vs. managed print services?"
What's the difference? You are the difference.
You know how to assess, construct a proposal and present both complex sales as well as simple engagements.
Also, those industries are going through the same pressures we experienced, almost a decade ago; shifting from equipment only sales to services-led engagements. More than managed services or doubling down on MpS, shifting into adjacent industries represents the greenest of greenfields.
Trane is monitoring equipment.
To prove my point, consider this statement:
"...With industry-leading expertise, innovative equipment, and cutting-edge technology, we can help your business operate better than it ever has before. Our clients have found they have the capacity to run smarter and more efficiently. To operate more sustainably and cleaner. To realize better outcomes and provide more for those who live and work in your environments..." If somebody gave you this value proposition to use in your copier/printer/MpS/MNS/toner sales efforts, you could, right? It makes sense.
Which OEM made this statement? Ricoh? Xerox? Konica Minolta? HP? Lexmark? Did the copier dealer across town or a big MpS software company put forth this value proposition?
No.
TRANE, the manufacturer of heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems and building management systems and controls said this, here.
TRANE has been this business since 1885. They've experienced turbulence and transformation along the way and are currently trying to address the IoT, remote monitoring and service of their equipment.
This is ONE example. There are many more and the number is growing every day.
After surviving the Titanic, Rose let go of her past, embracing all possibilities. Exploring West, elephant riding, barnstorming, family - adventures once imagined, lived.
Our industry has deep damage along the starboard side - the ship will sink.
Darkness and gloom lurk. No one is to blame, it is the way of things.
Do not listen to the OEM's siren song of new partnerships and growing print business. Do not believe pundits parroting, "Remain calm, everything is under control..." You are in control, not them.
Back in the day, about four years ago, every OEM, large dealership, consultant, and training house had a managed print services program. Indeed, the big concerns tossed millions of marketing dollars at prospective MPS practices — remember the great Oki motorcycle giveaways and those Ricoh MPS roadshows? How about the Photizo conferences?
Times changed. More importantly, misaligned expectations, shortsighted hiring practices, and lack of ownership commitment killed many practices. The final blow came as OEM after OEM applied shell-game tactics, pitching themselves as services-led, but hamstringing dealers in the form of equipment quotas. How can ANY manufacturer promote a philosophy which endeavors to reduce the number of machines in the field?
So they didn’t. Instead, MPS corporate programs grew like weeds, defining optimized fleets as “machines carrying the same logo” and promising 30 percent savings
Relegated to “supplies and service” management, MPS slid to the background. Especially when the new “shiny object,” Managed Services, took center stage. But a funny thing happened on the way to the NOC — turns out, managing PCs and end-users and selling to IT folks isn’t as easy as it was expected to be. Indeed, quoting, presenting, and closing IT deals is downright difficult — more so than MPS. The selling is different, prospects act differently, and the infrastructure to support service agreements can be daunting. Once again, a great idea gets bogged down in the real world.
So we tried managed services, didn’t like the results, and now are looking at MPS from a different perspective.
Another stage, power point, round table, expert panel and cast of hundreds looking to commune and see the “new MPS” …again. I've witnessed multiple iterations and others broken promises since 2007. I’ve attended many such gatherings and presentations: Lyra, Photizo, ITEX, ReCharger, MWAi Executive Summit. I’ve spoken with thousands of customers, hundreds of resellers all the OEMs and countless dealers about MpS, copiers, printers, toner, managed services and the like.
Now, a new effort is in town. The "Top 100 Summit" focusing on the future of managed print services; "MPS is Changing" is the tag-line.
In the beginning, managed print services was mocked for being nothing more than facilities management or copier-service on laser printers. Something the more “forward" thinking copier providers and OEMs had ‘been doing for decades’ - not really.
But even back then, in the frenzied years of possibilities, there were those who saw managed print services literally; a service that managed print. Some of us understood ‘print’ to be any media - from 8.5x11 to voice mail. Further, we recognized this managed service as a path to higher thought, more relevancy and a foundation for a sustainable business model not increased shelf space, capturing clicks, or trapping clients in 60 month contracts.
We knew the future of print had less to do with copiers, printers, ink or toner hitting paper. We eagerly embraced the talk tracks and value props around ‘more efficiency in the office’, reduction in costs and optimizing the print environment - and we meant it.
We attended new and interesting shows. In April of 2009, Photizo ushered in this bold new concept and talked about managed print services well before ANY other pundit, consultant, training house, OEM, toner remanufacturer or copier dealer - yes there were a few true managed print services providers but most of the traditional imaging industry either explained away the movement as ‘just another gimmick’ or claimed to have been in managed print services for “25 years”.
We believers "...gave the Future to the winds and slumbered tranquilly in the Present, weaving the dull world around us into dreams.” Designing a future of connected devices, less print and optimized business environments. Yet, like most promises, our dreams were burned away by the reality of equipment quotas and dogma; more specifically, in toner and ink.
Spin the dial six years into the future and it seems who can spell “MPS” can sell “MPS”. Bags of ink are the new MpS. Analytics are the new MpS. Copier service is the new MpS. Despite consistently declining equipment placements, shuttered paper plants and industry lay-offs, increasing print volumes are the new MpS. It is an upside-down world.
The Universe according to Greg:
Print Analytics - Who Cares? We do, but do our clients?
Ink vs. Toner - Who Cares? We do, but do our clients?
Print is not dying - Ignorance is bliss.
Managed (IT/Network) services is the future - Oh, really? Even the IT guys understand MS is short term - look up Software Defined Workspace.
Print volumes have been going up - rearranging the deck chairs, nobody is creating new "clicks".
So what about all this?
Is it still the doom and gloom era? Not really. But no matter how many round tables, expert panels, sales classes, consulting services, or business transformations our industry attends or participates, we’re all simply talking to ourselves; alone in the dark. Until we stop looking at our prospects as ‘targets’ to be ‘trapped in an agreement’ or design ‘sticky’ marketing schemes and start ‘solving’ instead of ‘selling’ those who do survive, will wander the the abyss; shadows of the once might ‘copier industry’.
Which brings me to the Top 100 Summit. Will we usher in a new era? Will the sins of our past support positive change or drag us into the depths of irrelevance?
Big questions and unseen answers.
I suspect we’ll have a great time. I see us sharing new ideas and expressions of hope. Ultimately, what really matters, is how everyone feels 72 hours after the show; sinful and atoned or raptured ignorance.
By David Cameron; CEO, Cameron Consulting Group, March 27th, 2012
Greg Walters is a well-known blogger, rebel, truth-seeker, and now a consultant in the managed services field for print and IT.
This article focuses on his leadership and—at times—exasperating experiences in building an MPS practice inside a large West Coast VAR. Adding managed print services (MPS) was an uneasy fit that didn’t demonstrate its value until after Walters took over. As the MPS practice grew more than $1 million, the plan shifted and the practice was folded into the much larger managed services group to leverage common processes and resources. It is an open question whether the MPS practice will retain its edgy personality and strong growth rate as it goes mainstream as part of the VAR services portfolio.
Greg Walters took over the immature managed print services practice
Heartbreak and glory - the times are changing universally. One turn in my personal metamorphosis is stepping down as President of the Managed Print Services Association.
My involvement with the MPSA started at the very beginning, back when a room full of folks voted to form the association at Photizo 1. I am honored to have served and proud of all the accomplishments we've achieved - it has been a great time.
Congratulations to the new Managed Print Services Associations executive board:
President: Kevin DeYoung, Qualpath - owner, managed print services visionary, leader Vice President: Doug Bies, Canon USA - new, passionate, cutting edge philosophy Secretary: Sarah Henderson, West Point Products/Clover Technologies - stalwart, foundational, dedicated Treasurer: Lou Stricklin, Muratec America - solid, fresh, tactician
Today, as I exit the Oval Office, relegated to a Board of Director, I am free from the yoke of compliance, broken are the shackles of other's stunted and spun opinion, open to express my opinions based on observed behavior, not Survey Monkey or the corporate drawer statement.
I am unencumbered by concerns about how a potential sponsor or customer might feel.
Free to ignore conversations geared around the ROI of donating $10,000.00 for a corporate membership.
We were not lying when we said your ROI is measured by your contribution to the industry, not shelf space, or tossing our membership into your sales funnel.
The shackles of self-censorship have fallen away...
UNLEASHED...
My managed print services observations or better yet:
The World According to Greg
Managed print services is Dead and the OEMs killed it -
That's what I said.
It was called 'managed print services' not 'managing printers & service'. Leveraging the 'services' model to increase MIF is disingenuous and prospects see right through the scam.
Customers do not care -
Speaking of customers, they don't give a rip about the toner remanufacturing process. They don't care about the seven steps of xerography, and their eyes gloss when you speak of ink vs. toner; color vs. B/W, or mobile print. Stop doing that.
Find something else to talk about - say business-oriented, like employee morale, the impact of BYOD, and managing print servers.
My advice to the incoming MPSA Executive Board -
Change the definition of managed print services and the direction of the MPSA. Move away from toner, printer, and hardware - to a "Managed Services Association". Expand the horizons, and blow the minds of millions.
Do not fall victim to the procedure, meeting paralysis, Roberts Rules of Order planning on how to do something without ever doing anything.
Once a member proclaims, "...that's not the way I operate..." they've volunteered. The association, like our industry, is at a crossroads. Like times in the past, both glory and ruination await.
Ideas are bulletproof -
Not only is the world on a path to less paper, but the new world will be populated with self-healing devices - no need for as many service technicians.
Managing services for your clients is the future. This core idea is unflappable in a turbulent sea of rhetoric, incorrect research, and marketing talk.
The world of MPS, like life, holds promise and doom - fortune, glory, and tragedy. False promises? Yes. Self-interest? Of course.
When haven't we experienced both?
To make a move, a real move, we've got to take that leap of faith...again and again, and again. Heartbreak, then Glory. Glory, then heartbreak.
When you hear people say things like, "We've been promoting managed print services since the very beginning..." or "Our web-services are the best because we come out of your industry..." or even "We've been there, we've sold MPS and know what you need in lead generation, keyword utilization, and PPC programs. We've been in social media from the very beginning..." remember this video.
That's Ken Stuart and me on the banks of the San Antonio, right after a thrill-packed day of MPS pioneers at Photizo II. The attendees were a collection of "cutting edge" MPS'rs and a great time was had by all.
"I blog because I like to read what I blog..." - GW
Ken and I were there, guess who wasn't. The crusty old guys who today consider themselves oracles of marketing. The self-proclaimed experts of all things "managed" - from printers, users, workflow to IT services (nobody but the uninitiated refer to managed services as "managed network services") are those who mocked MPS back in 2009.
Are you transforming your business away from copiers?
Are you that bold?
Then why is your presence the same as everybody else?
I've put together a constellation of luminaries primarily focused on your success. We've sold toner, copiers, paper, printers, MPS, MS, service, EDM, and fax servers.
Just like you, we've struggled with EAutomate, incorrect meter readings, and billing, OEM quotas, and tardy service technicians. We understand you don't have the time to understand or worry if your web team can translate your value proposition into a solid web presence.
I'm one of their biggest fans, rooting all the way
I just listened to Photizo's, "9 Predictions for 2015" webinar:
#1. Photizo just came off their European event
#2. Interesting
#3. HP and Canon have been breaking up ever since HP cancelled all those orders in 2009
#4. Agreed and not only ink.
#5. What the WHAT?
#6. Well, they've got clients with NDA's right? Name, names! I will - EPSON.
#7. We've helped end-users design and implement self-managed MPS for a while now. They use applications like PrinterLogic and Cirrato. They don't want Printaudit, Printsolv or people who want to sell them more printers/copiers.
#8. Return?
#9. Nail has been struck on the head. Yes.
The take-aways:
The BTA channel will take a hit, finding more consolidation or outright attrition as more and more end-users bypass the salesie, sales people and go direct to the subscription model. The power is now in the hands of the client as they will are empowered to reduce the number of printers, copiers and toner cartridges they purchase while transitioning into a paperless world.
All without us.
Photizo is out on a limb, but when you think about it, they've always been. Is there anywhere else they should be?
The Executive Summit has been in existence for three years, this is my first one. For context, I've attended and spoken at every domestic Photizo MPS conference, I attended and spoken at a few ITEX get-togethers and a BTA meeting - I 've attended more shows than I can remember.
I've known of MWAi and the group for years, meeting Mike Stramaglio at a Lyra back in ....2009 or 08, I forget. Mike and I have broken bread and on occasion, we've even solved many of the world's problems over whiskey, Cabernet, or some other variation of libation.
...this is a rant...good for the soul...from July 6, 2013
During the first 12 months, of our incorporation, we've explored the many nooks and crannies of a sector of our niche typically haunted by trainers, coaches, advisers, analysts, gurus, sages, and prophets.
Often, when we attempt to tell people what it is we do for a living, we get one or more of the following responses:
"Oh, you must be consultants like Photizo..." - understood, but no.
"Oh, you work with end-users, helping them weed out MpS programs..." - goodness, no.
"Oh, you're trainers like Strategy Development..." - nope.
"Oh, you're providers like Preo..." - huh?
"Oh, you're an MpS Practice, like OnePrint..." - sorta, only not.
"Oh, you're analysts like IDC..." - not even close.
"Oh, you're recruiters..." - again, sorta, only not.
"Oh, you're writers..." - isn't EVERYONE?
These responses make sense because folks think of us as people who have answers. To be fair, with a combined 40 years in this nutty business, we easily slip into the consultant role.
I love the phrase, "It ain't bragging if its true..." - my high school football coach used it often.
I've noticed a trend over the past few months in our little niche: Robo-Boasting.
Self-promotion is great. I get that and if you're proud of your MpS, I say get that story out there. But don't do it through a robotic channel.
Bragging -
So many software, OEMs, dealers, toner pirates, distributors, consultants and analysts either claim to be or report to know the best Managed Print Services something-or-other. The twitter-feed is chock-full of MPS robo-brags and self-promotion, it is blinding. Observed from the outside it looks like one huge Love-fest. (I was going to use 'circle-jerk' but that might seem offensive)
In the beginning I did not make a living writing. I understand that most everyone has a dream to be a writer ‘someday’ – I did not share that vision, it just fell into place.
My technology roots run deep by way of the technology/accounting system/VAR arena MicroAge, Inacomp, IBM, Novell, Great Plains, Timberline, ACCPAC, etc. - I've been in since 1988.
Along the way, I’ve been fortunate enough actually get paid to write – one of the more colorful stories around this subject involves Xerox, UBM and a persona name “Paige Coverage” , that story is for the next book.
With DOTC, I've been pontificating about since the beginning of the current MpS model.
When it gets right down to it, I am nothing more than a guy who used to sell copiers, sitting in front of a computer writing really goofy stories.
Four MPS Conferences under the belt. Hundreds of shows, Webinars, meetings, seminars, interviews, presentations, symposiums, training sessions and program rollouts.
Thousands of words, blogs, tweets. And one MPS practice later, what do I see as the current status of our little niche, imaging?
In a phrase, contracting-expansion.
From this year’s iTEX to Photizo’s Transform in May, I’ve found
For the third year in a row, it is my great honor to be presenting at the Photizo, Global MPS Conference, Transform2012.
The first year, I talked about selling MpS internally, last year I chatted about building an MpS practice inside the traditional VAR.
This year, we'll have a palaver around remote work-forces, mobility and that nefarious or benevolent eye in the sky, The Cloud. We'll throw in a dash of Big Data, for good measure.
A thrill packed 45 minutes bursting with goodness beyond MpS - oh the Joy!
Below you'll find a "teaser" (someday I will figure out how to build trailers) of my upcoming presentation.
