When You Assess You Make an Ass Out of You and Your Prospect (Part 2)

So you want to do an assessment, huh? So you enjoy short-changing your clients? No....then don't do a stinkin' assessment! Look, assessments are like a**holes...Everyone's got one and they all stink!

Okay, not everyone. But 99.9+% do. There aren't many people out there who do more than get toner cartridge cost and run a rapid assessment key. Armed with this high quality data they make assumption after assumption after assumption after assumption that shows, with 100% surety, that they can save this client 30% on their current costs. Oh dear Lord, what a miracle!

I've given up the assessment fight and just decided to find a different word. I'm tired of being lumped in with all the reps that do the same "show up and throw up" story in front of every client. Don't associate me with those limp attempts at "consulting".

The fact of the matter is that salespeople who use a quick and dirty "assessment" not only short change the prospect, but themselves as well. By not doing a thorough job of identifying the true cost of operating the environment salespeople leave costs, and potential margin, on the table in an effort to get pages under contract. When you understand where documents originate from, and the purpose that they serve, worlds of opportunity present themselves. Suddenly you stop playing the commodity game.


Since the CFO is my primary contact point why not choose a term that they are familiar with, something that has some meaning behind it? Of course, if you do not understand the CFO language you can quickly show yourself as a poser trying to use big words you don't understand.



Let's think about this. We want to deliver an impactful message to the CFO. What is a term that they understand and could have some meaning to them? Well, just about every CFO has some kind of accounting background. So what are accountants most known for in business. I would venture to say audits. So let's take a look at the word audit.



au⋅dit 

–noun
1. an official examination and verification of accounts and records, esp. of financial accounts.
2. a report or statement reflecting an audit; a final statement of account.
3. the inspection or examination of a building or other facility to evaluate or improve its appropriateness, safety, efficiency, or the like: An energy audit can suggest ways to reduce home fuel bills.
–verb (used with object)
6. to make an audit of; examine (accounts, records, etc.) for purposes of verification: The accountants audited the company's books at the end of the fiscal year.
8. to make an audit of (a building or other facility) to evaluate or improve its safety, efficiency, or the like.

Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009



Hmmm...how appropriate is this? Let's examine #3 above. "The inspection or examination of a building or other facility to evaluate or improve its appropriateness, safety, efficiency, or the like". Not bad. Obviously we're not examining a facility, but if we substitute process in its place we may be on to something. But what does this mean?



If you talk with auditors about the process of auditing they will tell you that it is NOT about numbers. It is about examining processes. For an auditor to go through and check all the numbers processed in a company would take forever. Instead, what they do is examine the process that figures go through within a given company to determine if the process is appropriate for the desired outcome.



What does this have to do with MPS? The answer is that by engulfing ourselves in meter readings, supply costs, support costs, etc. we are missing the bigger picture. It is a very myopic view of the world. The value lies in understanding not how much is being printed and what it is costing, but rather in understanding the associated processes. What is the purpose of a given document (or better yet the information it contains), why is it being printed, is it necessary to deliver the desired outcome?



If you can understand the answer to these, and other, questions you are begining to uncover the real business opportunity that MPS (or whatever you want to call it) presents. By stepping back and looking at the bigger picture you provide you and your client with more valuable information and the ability to deliver more impactful solutions to address issues of more importance than "What are you paying for your supplies?".



So dump the "assessment". What good is it doing anyway? I guess it's good for prospects who can take your information and write their CPP RFP from it, but what are you getting out of it?



"There are no shortcuts to any place worth going."

- Publilius Syrus (~100 BC)

When You Assess You Make an Ass Out of You and Your Prospect (Part 1)

If you've been around MPS for more than 10 seconds you have undoubtedly heard the term "assessment" thrown out. In fact if you hang around too long you're likely to hear the term ad-nausea.

I recall a debate about what should be a part of an assessment. Is it simply collect meters and toner cost or was there more? It's safe to say that there should be more involved unless you're a drill and fill working out of your garage.

Of course that led into those who questioned whether it was even necessary. But eventually those people saw the latest hardware SPIFF and forgot all about the MPS conversation.

I'd like to question something even a little more basic, the terminology. I have always been a firm believer in collecting hard numbers to eliminate any debate on the validity of the data. What baffles me are those that are advocating a 2-week meter collection and then use average street price to tell a client how much they are spending. And they are all over the place...software companies, manufacturers, even CONSULTANTS. I mean seriously, if you paid some guy and this is what he told you to do you need to go demand a refund.

I know this is silly, but let me put myself in a prospects shoes.

Sales Rep: "Mr. Prospect did you realize that you're spending over $3,000 per month on your printers?"

Prospect: "I'm not so sure about those numbers. How did you come out to that?"

Sales Rep: "Well we took two meter readings and then exterpol.......exptralpo.....etaxper..... calculated what that came to for a monthly volume. Then we looked up the average price for each of your supplies and divided the cost by the yield to get your cost per page."

Prospect: (After coming out of the trance)"Well I pulled my invoices and I only spent about 2/3 that number in the last 6 months. I'm not buying it."

Sales Rep: "Well sir, the software we use takes into account a lot of variables that you or I may not think of."

Prospect: "Like what? I can prove to you how much I spent."

And on the story would go. The methodology described is nothing more than a repackaged hardware mentality. Instead of just sell the copier, it's "just get the volume under contract"...and do it quick before they realize what's going on.

Now don't get me wrong, I am all for a fast and efficient sales cycle, but how about we be a little more intentional with what we do.

So, let's look at the definition of "assessment".

Assessment

1. The act of assessing; the act of determining an amount to be paid;
2. A valuation of property or profits of business, for the purpose of taxation;
3. The specific sum levied or assessed.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.

Is it just me or does that sound like you're setting up a prospect to screw them? So what do we do? What is or is not applicable to the cost of printing within an organization?

In the second part of this article we will take a look at how to approach the "assessment" and work to find a better definition of the first step in an MPS engagement.

Now I know what heaven must look like......

How about we use the definition as described here. I mean c'mon.....if everyone from the CEO to the purchasing agent is interested in it shouldn't that tell us something???


http://www.channelinsider.com/c/a/Managed-Services/Printing-The-Untapped-Services-Opportunity-142413/

Revolution or Evolution.....

"Necessity is the mother of invention" - Plato

Here we go again. Another day, anther product launch...another revolution!? It seems that with the latest Xerox product release (ColorQube) the copier industry has found the Tiger Woods of output technology.

Admittedly, I don't know a ton of details on the technology. Further, I don't particulary care...too much. Whether it's pixel counting, solid ink, sustainability or any other feature, I just don't see a problem as an MPS provider.

I seem to recall several years ago HP releasing a new product that changed the way color clicks could be profitably billed by both manufacturers and dealers. And, last I recall, I still got up this morning and went to work.

So what does this mean for the MPS industry? It's actually great! When Tiger hit the PGA tour what was the result? A bunch of guys who hadn't been challenged in quite some time got off their hind-quarters and started working hard to keep up, and hopefully overtake, the 800-lb. gorilla.

Now I am not saying that ColorQube is what Tiger was to the PGA tour (time will tell us that), but anyone who brings a new approach to the industry does those of us in MPS a favor. While the hardware world will be scrambling to do their competitive analysis, we can sit back and realize the benefits of this and future innovation. Should Xerox's latest release become the new standard then guess what......we will all probably go make sure we have the capability to provide that service to our clients. If not, it will at the very least challenge other manufacturers to think outside the box and create their own innovations.

It will certainly be interesting to watch what happens with the new release, but for the real MPS providers of the world, sit back, relax and watch the innovation happen. After all, who cares where it comes from as long as it happens.

Of course if it does succeed I will need to go and buy a bigger tool box to put it in.

"Necessity is the mother of invention" - Plato

Chicken Little Lives...

"It's the end of the world as we know it".........or is it?

http://www.channelinsider.com/c/a/Printers/Will-Printer-and-Printer-Supply-Sales-Ever-Recover-203744/?

What's in a name?

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet? - Romeo and Juliet (II, ii,1-2)

Start looking on the internet for a definition of managed print services (MPS) and you will quickly drive yourself insane. Google it and you will come up with at least 25 million results. Start reading the blogs and the debate rages on.

So where do you start? Everyone seems to agree that MPS does include service and supplies for a fleet of print devices. After that.....not so much. Most will say that it involves a "strategy" for managing, monitoring and optimizing the devices. Okay, but it sure sounds a lot like the traditional fleet management services agreements.

A significant, but smaller, group say that you have to consider workflow and how the fleet of devices are utilized by the client. Then you can add document management and change management and behavior modification and outsourcing and the print shop and document lifecycle management and content management and I've already lost my mind.

Now the newly formed Managed Print Services Association is taking aim at providing a "definition" of MPS. I'm all for the creation of the MPSA and hope to be very involved, but you couldn't pay me to be the one to try and come up with that definition. My guess is that finding a definition will be like the pursuit of peace in the Middle East. It really sounds great, but for some reason every one keeps arguing anyway.

So how does one navigate these waters? Probably the most insightful comment I've heard regarding MPS was made by Randy Elliot from Dow Chemical. He made the comment during the creation meeting for the MPSA. His comment was something to the effect of he didn't see much point in any definitions or standards from the MPSA because what does it mean for him.......as a CUSTOMER.

I could feel the collective shock in the crowd of dealers, vendors and manufacturers as the comment was made. In the background was the sound of shattered dreams and crashing ivory towers. The MPS true believers (I'm still one of them by the way) had been challenged and struggled for a legitimate reason why it was needed.

So, what do we take from this. There is clearly value in MPS, whatever definition you choose to use (don't forget MPS is really the combination of many disciplines that had previously had a market in and of themselves). But maybe we all should step back and remember why we are all having this debate. It is about winning! We are all pursuing this to win at each of our own respective businesses. And how do you do that? By providing what the CLIENT is looking for and not what YOU are looking to sell them.

Do you need all of the vast capabilities that could encompass MPS? Honestly, no. Maybe you're happy being a resident of the cost per page world. Well, guess what? That is a part of MPS. Is that the total of what MPS is? No, but is a part.

At the end of the day, I think we all need to remember that the name MPS is nothing more than marketing. No doubt created by the same people who come up with the commercials that will make me skip a part of the Super Bowl for a bathroom break rather than a single commercial. It's just a repackaging of solutions that have been in existence for a while.

So go forth in peace and don't worry about the stinkin' definition. To quote my one of many sales managers.....

"Shut up and go sell something!"