The EFI M500 control panel.
It’s always fascinating dissecting how an office imaging dealer makes a sale. Recently I received a case study about how Dex Imaging and EFI installed EFI M500 Self-Serve Copy and Print Stations across the various campuses of Barry University, a private Catholic institution in Miami Shores, FL.
The university has over 6,000 students, undergraduates and graduate students. These students attend classes in 54 buildings across 17 satellite locations throughout Florida. The university provides technology resources in labs and campus buildings, and encourages students to bring their own devices to school. Students, faculty, staff, and visitors can connect with the school’s campus-wide Wi-Fi network. Barry University had an existing pay-to-print solution, but discovered it was not meeting its student’s needs nor could it print from wireless devices or USB drives. The need for a self-serve copy and print solution was a big one, particularly one that allowed them to print directly from their devices.
The solution was EFI’s M500. Now users can print in computer labs or from USB drives, mobile devices or cloud accounts. Users can also preview files prior to printing to reduce waste as well as choose from a range of finishing options, depending on the printer.
Britt Sikes, the former CEO of U.S. Imaging Solutions, a company acquired by Dex Imaging a year ago, was closely involved with this sale. His former company covered the South Florida market and focused exclusively on enterprise level clients. One of those clients was Barry University. The discussion about a self-serve copy and print solution was initiated prior to U.S. Imaging Solutions’ acquisition by Dex Imaging, but wasn’t completed until after the acquisition was finalized. At the time, the M500 was a system that Sike’s dealership didn’t offer, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t provide Barry University with a solution.
“We always took the approach that whatever our clients wanted within reason we would find and bring to them,” says Sikes. “It wasn’t something we were actively marketing, but when the need came up we knew who to call.”
Sikes’ dealership had an existing relationship with EFI, but didn’t have a solutions group or suite of products until after the acquisition. Having access to the right resources, particularly being part of an organization with a solutions group and with a solutions focus, made a huge difference.
Barry University had a good idea of what they were looking for. “They already had a couple of student printing systems in place and didn’t like the systems they had,” says Sikes. “They were too clunky from an end-user perspective, and as money changed hands it was still in the dark ages of paying actual cash and having to put money on the cards.
“They were extremely interested in the ability of the system to use a USB, but also to print from personal devices,” explains Sikes. “The appearance of the system and the security of the system were also important.”
Security questions were quickly addressed by EFI. With the experience garnered from selling this solution to Barry University the Dex Imaging solutions team can now address most concerns today while still having access to EFI when needed.
Sikes is quick to point out that there are other applications besides schools and universities for the M500. “We are big in healthcare and there is opportunity in healthcare for that and we’re working with our solutions team now to frame that better,” he says. “The world is more of an on demand convenience type of place and that’s what the M500 has done.”
As far as the skills necessary to sell the M500, Sikes says it helps to have an internal solutions focused group like Dex Imaging does. “I’ve lived through the first part when we didn’t and moved into the second part where we did, so as the conversations got deeper it was nice to have them on board.”
The ability to listen was also essential for selling this solution as was access to the sales and technical expertise of EFI. “My skill set was not advanced enough to put the two together,” admits Sikes. “Not a lot was required from me on the technical side. We engaged EFI and sat in the room and watched the demonstration and they played a role in the dialog.”
Another issue that Dex Imaging had to address with the help of EFI was customization for the appearance of the print stream and some back-end integration. “This was one of those rare situations where we were able to answer yes to 100 percent of the client’s client requests,” notes Sikes. “And we met all their needs in a short period of time.”
Phase one of the roll out took place in fall of 2013 with about 10 systems. Then in the early summer another 18 were added across two different campuses. The other change was expanding from a print only focus to an MFP focus. “In a short period of time they witnessed the benefits they were seeking and expanded the solution,” recalls Sikes.
This sale has inspired him and his team to go out and find other customers with similar needs.
Does he have any advice for other dealers selling a solution like the M500?
“I’ve advised our team to add that line of expiration into the conversation,” he responds. “It’s differentiation. You’re not looking to come in and do the same thing that so many others are. We don’t really have to try to drive the advancement technology or demand of what I want, when I want it, where I want it. That’s happening all around every single day. We just have to pay attention to how that applies to the prospect we’re talking to. This is a specific product that fits a specific need and meets it very well.”
Will Sikes be selling more of these in the future?
“I certainly hope so, I’m talking about it more and more, I know that.”
The day of our interview Sikes had a meeting with another educational institution that’s been interested in the product for the past six months. He’s hoping that taking them to see it in use at Barry University will seal the deal.
