Today’s hybrid dealer wants to sell managed services and software solutions to existing hardware clients.  No matter how much the hybrid dealer has invested in new partnerships, personnel and training, when current clients perceive the dealership as simply a hardware provider, success can be limited.  As a result, good marketing becomes a critical part of an effective hybrid strategy.

How Berwicks Became BBC Digital

Berwicks had established a solid reputation as a Canon dealer throughout the east coast of Australia.  However, as the company moved toward Managed Print Services, they realized that their market position as a hardware provider could be holding them back.

"We knew that our market positioning as a copier company really limited us when it came to pursuing new MPS contracts,” commented Mark Clough, National Sales Manager. “We also knew that we needed to do more than just change our name—we wanted to make sure we did this right.”

By now, just about every competitor in your market is talking about managed print services (MPS). So, what makes you different? If your competitive advantage centers around a predictable pitch (“We provide better customer service than our competitors.”), you are in trouble.

How can you differentiate yourself from the competition? And, once you have an MPS client, how can

The Managed Print Services (MPS) value proposition can sometimes seem quite elusive. In one moment it seems like we can clearly articulate it. Then, in front of a potential customer sometimes it seems like the true value of the program gets lost in the details of the conversation. Then, we inevitably slip into the “my-cost-per-page-is-lower-than-your-cost-per-page” trap.

The value proposition for MPS has strength. However, it needs to be communicated clearly and often throughout the buying process.

Check Out This Dealer's Website

“When we began the process of building our new site, we knew three things were needed: simplicity, functionality, and something to catch the eye. Dealer Marketing not only gave us what we needed, their staff also provided a clear plan of action, consistent updates, plenty of patience, and much more. Just three months later, and ahead of schedule, we have a brand new site that we are proud of and believe will take our company to the next level online.”

Boring Business Systems

Here is a great article from my friend, Ken Stewart, on the deployment of OCR in small businesses.

OCR, itself, can mean various things. Wikipedia offers this definition:  … the mechanical or electronic translation of images of handwritten, typewritten or printed text (usually captured by a scanner) into machine-editable text (2008).