It is an interesting time to be in sales across every business sector. In the COVID era, meetings have increasingly become remote, and reps in all fields have been polishing up on the nuances of making a pitch over platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams. It is a skill unto Read More

Two years to the day after selling MWA Intelligence to Konica Minolta, company founder Mike Stramaglio quietly announced that he was stepping away from the company. When industry colleagues heard the news, Stramaglio was inundated with a flurry of well wishes that was tantamount Read More

Note: As of last Friday afternoon, the Canon U.S.A. website is back online. We will provide more updates as they become available. Add Canon U.S.A. Inc. to a growing list of major corporations that have been stung by a cyberattack. The Melville, New York-based firm reportedly is Read More

At a time in business when the sale of bread-and-butter offerings such as copiers and MFPs have been severely curtailed by COVID-induced conditions, dealers may be seeking to supplement their revenues by branching into ancillary offerings or even products that are far removed Read More

The great Russian writer Leo Tolstoy once observed, “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” But with all due respect to the man who penned “War and Peace,” Oscar Sanchez is a living and breathing embodiment of the notion that it is possible Read More

At some point in the not-too-distant future (which we can only hope is more near-term than the opposite), businesses will resume operating at some level of normal. While the definition of “normal” may undergo a metamorphosis during the ensuing months, purveyors of managed IT Read More

In the early stages of his career, Chris Polek quickly appreciated the value of finding a better way of doing something. As the CEO of Polek & Polek, a wholesale distributor supporting the independent dealer, he is always thinking of ways to better serve the customer. His Read More

It’s not enough to identify the vulnerabilities and strategic miscues that can take precious dollars from the bottom lines of dealers and resellers. We’ve asked our panel of manufacturers, suppliers, leasing companies, et al., to highlight the tools, products, services, training Read More

In the face of the biggest economic challenge since the Great Recession of 2007-2008, businesses can ill-afford to leave any unnecessary lights on, so to speak. COVID-19 has turned the nation into change-counters, and with businesses facing reduced net-new business and a Read More

Judging by most metrics, Lexmark was playing above the rim relative to the market when COVID-19 paid a visit to the world. However, at a time when its Business Solution Dealer (BSD) partner channel was being inundated with information about what markets and verticals would not be Read More

When it comes to loyalty and support, Stephen Valenta clearly comes across as a foxhole-worthy business partner. The president of Offix, based in Gainesville, Virginia, related story after story about his company going to unusual lengths in support of loyal customers, wheth Read More

If the last four-plus months have taught us anything, it is that we, as office technology dealers, need to take care of ourselves just as much as others. That sounds terrible in an era when we’re all asked to make sacrifices and contribute to the greater good in any way we can. Read More

It’s tough to discuss COVID-19 in the past tense when it continues to linger well beyond its “welcome,” like a drunk uncle at a holiday cookout an hour after everyone else has left. However, roughly four months into our shared experience, industry dealers of IT-based goods and Read More

The generic job description for a marketing director is an individual who is responsible for providing guidance, direction and leadership to the marketing department of an organization or business. Taken to a granular level, it entails functions that can be qui Read More

Anyone who has visited the beach with a young family in tow knows the experience can be taxing. It’s not a gas-and-go proposition; the level of preparation involved in delivering more than one child to the shore for a day of fun can be time-consuming.  Sunscreen is only the Read More