For most of my career in the office equipment business, I could walk into a building and spot a copier before I found the receptionist. I suspect most experienced copier salespeople can do the same thing. We notice the logo from 50 feet away, whether it has a finisher, and probably wonder who owns the lease before we’ve even been offered a cup of coffee. We take a quick look at the model number and start doing copier math in our heads. Is it three years old? Four? Five? Is that their machine or somebody else’s? What’s the monthly volume, and when does the lease expire? After enough years in this business, it almost becomes a sixth sense.
Here’s the funny part. While we’re staring at the copier, an employee might walk right past us pushing a cart, and we don’t even notice it. Maybe that employee is moving parts from one side of a manufacturing facility to another. Maybe it’s mail, supplies, tools, finished goods, documents, medical supplies, food, linens, components or materials headed from Point A to Point B. The employee disappears down the hallway, comes back 15 minutes later, loads the cart again and repeats the trip. Meanwhile, we’re still staring at the copier.
Welcome to Follow the Cart.
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