Are You Selling Problems or Solutions?

In a recent article in ImageSource titled Top 10 Industry Trends, authored by John Mancini, the President of AIIM, outlines what he believes to be the top 10 drivers within the DMS space… Let’s continue our discussion with the number 4 influencer in the DMS space this year:

4. Trend #1, #2, and #3 add up to a dramatic decline in a collapsing price point for core document functionality at the desktop.  As a result, the market is exploding in two directions – across large organizations and into the mid-sized market.  From a cost vs. functionality perspective, this is the golden age of end users.  But we need to remember that the part of the industry focused on large organizations that need to integrate and standardize on an ECM infrastructure is vastly different than the part of the industry typical at the low end that simply is looking for a better solution to paper and/or a mess of network drives.

With the advent of great new focus on the end-user experience, John is absolutely correct in stating “… this is the golden age of end users.” Technology continues to increase its useful applications and simultaneously drop in price. Can I get an “amen” to that!

However, what is, and should be, compelling to the dealer is not only the decrease in the cost of acquiring the technology and the increase in usability, but a distinct divide that is forming between enterprise and SMB opportunities. This gives pause to many a sales manager.

Let’s face it, dealers are still talking about connecting copiers for crying out loud, and if you are in this category – well, you’ve still got a fighting chance. I’m not saying go out and start slinging software just to say you are. However, I am saying that you need to realize the network is what’s important, and PC’s and printers are simply devices hanging off the edges to render information.

That’s an interesting concept, I know, but the whole point of having a network is to exchange information and with the increased usefulness of software solutions, IT is being dispersed into the business units and being forced to use those long-overdue soft skills. This means the old saying, “there’s money where there’s mystery” just got taken out with your recycled paper… executives are smarter and more savvy than ever.

With this division of small and large business, the dealer community as a whole is ill-prepared to take the next step… let alone attempt to compete with the likes of IBM’s FileNet, Westbrook’s Fortis, or EMC’s D5… forget it. You aren’t prepared for the long sales cycles nor are you prepared for the gut wrenching decisions you will be forced to make. Let me tell you that just because you understand how to manage a large MPS client, this does not qualify you to take on IBM. Stick to what you know best.

If you typically sell to the SMB’s, and have a loyal base, you are in prime shape to help your valued customers step into the digital age – all over again (can I get another ‘amen’ to that!). At the very least you can help them reclaim file storage space and find documents more quickly. At best, you can become the new hero that made everyone in the company happier they know you. That’s a novel feeling for a copier jockey, isnt’ it?

Take advantage of the fact that the large players just don’t get the SMB market; EMC for instance thinks any business less than $500 million in annual sales is an SMB… Do you think they understand your $20 million dollar customers better than you do? Guard yourself against the declining margins of hardware, and show your customers you do more than try to sell them what’s in the warehouse that month. 

Show your customer you want to understand their business, their challenges, and their goals. Show them you actually care about their needs, and you may just find yourself in the unique position of being asked for advice. Quit talking about connecting copiers, and start talking about solving a business owner’s problems!

Tommorrow: We discuss “the renaissance of capture.”