One of the more common refrains that has been repeated throughout 2019 is the suggestion to “stay in your lane.” In other words, don’t deviate from what you know or stray from your core competency. Stick to what you do best.
That philosophy can be problematic. As an office technology dealer, it is vital to impress upon clients the importance of viewing the office holistically. Sure, MFPs may be focal point of your offerings, but straying beyond the box, past managed services, software and workflow/document management does not necessarily mean you are out of your depth, so to speak. Any spoke in the wheel of office business should be considered in play by both the dealer and the customer.
In short, where a need exists, a solution should be proffered. Overcoming client objections is the key, and the need for security can unlock many doors…but not all.
When Vision Office Systems of Charlotte, North Carolina, began selling surveillance camera systems from Canon, Jason Habbal quickly learned that price would be one of the biggest objections. After all—as we chronicled in the October issue—the systems he proposed were in the $3,000 to $4,000 range, and some clients were saying they could get by with the $200 types from a Costco or Sam’s Club, the kind intended for home use.
The Dreaded Backburner
But one of the biggest obstacles is the procrastinator client who will get to it, eventually (which often never happens). One such client for Vision Office Systems was an automotive repair shop, which expressed some interest in the idea of installing the system, but decided to table it. Sadly, an irate customer paid an unexpected visit to the repair shop with a shotgun and began firing. While no one was killed, the shop closed its doors.
“People really need to see the value of not having it. They don’t realize that spending a little money today may have saved them a ton down the road,” Habbal noted.
Physical security and cybersecurity are two of the hottest in-demand services for businesses across the vertical spectrum, and getting clients to opt for professional-grade/enterprise
Herein lies the rub: when it comes to cybersecurity, there are no safe zones. According to a report released by Cisco earlier this year, “Small and Mighty,” SMBs have become prime targets because “…it is more difficult for them to coordinate resources and mitigate attacks before they cause damage.”
Budgeting for Security
For Bob Ferland, president of Axion Business Technologies of Cranston, Rhode Island, whose dealership offers managed security services that protect clients from the latest advanced security threats, budgeting is the biggest obstacle. “Most SMBs start off with a cable modem and router, which is fine for home use, but it shouldn’t be relied on for true business security,” he said. “Enterprise firewalls come with subscription security, so the biggest objection is always the budget. Clients know they need it, but at the time they find it hard to justify from a cost standpoint. They assume nothing is wrong with their network, and they’re kidding themselves.”
Many end-users still find it difficult to accept that cybercriminals can hack into a copying machine. Dr. Dawn Abbuhl, president of Repeat Business Systems in Albany, New York, points out that many of their products “allow us to open and close different ports in the copiers, which could be a potential point of entry for security breaches.”
Repeat offers a product that allows it to provide security updates and patches remotely. For a client with, say, 700 machines, such a solution is an invaluable time saver.
“People are afraid to not address security and the fact that our products have so many ways to address it has been a good way to encourage people to look at us and make a change,” she said. “The fact that we have an unbiased indicator of our service has really helped a lot. If it has anything to do with backfile scanning, the issue of security and respecting the fact that you can really lose documents if you don’t pay attention to how safe and secure they are is critical.”
Demonstrating Value
Lee Flood addresses solutions with a simple equation: Value equals benefits minus costs. The director of sales for Pearson-Kelly Technology of Springfield, Missouri, doesn’t like to coax clients down any given path, but helps them to recognize that the long-term effects of a solution will help propel their business to the next level, even if the product or service is viewed more as a want than a need.
“Today’s market is extremely competitive,” he said. “People are demanding technology, and your workforce is demanding it. And if you’re not providing it, your competitors may be. It’s these ancillary technologies are the things that can set you apart and really do come into play for our customers.”
