Death Of The Copier a Year Later: When does a Blog stop being a Blog?

I had to go back and see what the official date was of my first post. I knew it was close to March, but to my surprise, it was a year ago, yesterday (Feb 20).

So I guess it is fitting that I put down some thoughts a year later.

One of the techniques I have learned to drive traffic to a site, is to use easily searchable words in the title of the post, like "copier", "HP", "Xerox", etc. - this post will not show up on many Google results and that is fine with me.

It's fine because I really write to read what I write - that's how this started, and today it's still true.

I started this little endeavor without really knowing what a "Blog" was - all I wanted to do was put some information "out there", within reach of potential clients. Information strictly around the HP Edgeline. At the time a revolutionary new technology, a "copier Killer" technology.

Well, I never really wanted to talk about what I ate for lunch or how many people came over for Thanksgiving dinner.

Back in the beginning, "driving traffic" to the site meant me telling my family and close friends about my blog and how they should "go check it out". One month, 12 of my friends viewed one page and spent an average of 30 seconds on the site. Today, I have a months with 16,000 and an average time on the site between 2.5 and 3.2 minutes.

Back then a "Blog", the combination of the two words web and log, was considered a diary created by individuals and stored on the internet.

I looked at the Drudge Report as a functional model. Scanning the internet for information regarding my industry and posting.

Pretty simple.

This idea grew into finding more information, again interesting to me, and writing some commentary or reflection. And ultimately, writing pure content based on topical issues.

As time progressed, I started to refer to the blog as "my site" - because it really isn't a blog, it's not a journal or diary. One of the many things I have learned, most successful, business blogs really aren't diaries. Neither is mine - but I must admit I do like to go back and read older posts.

Sometimes I cringe, sometimes I laugh out loud, most of the time I am just as amused as the day I wrote it.

They say any good experience is one you learn something from. This is the greatest learning experience, ever.

Over the past 12 months, together, we have been witness to the beginning of the largest merger in the history of our industry .

We've seen $5.00/gallon gasoline prices grind the economy to a stand still and have witnessed the biggest transfer of private business to government ownership in the history of mankind - this has not been a "ho-hum" year.

I have learned more about smart paper, carbon credits, publishing, killer laser toner, nano-printing, copier leases, copier crimes in Cleveland, winery tours, and recycling centers, soy based toner, Hybrid Dealers, Galactic-Hybrid Dealers, drunk email, umbrellas of silence, Pearl Harbor, and Google Data Barges.

Some of the other things I have learned involve plagiarism, "feeds" vs content, verifying sources and that writing should not be easy, if it is, then it is not writing.

I have also tried to title my posts with a bit more thought - well, I must admit, I do like "The Death of..."

The Death of Xerography
The Death of the Sale
The Death of the Copier Person
The Death of Print
The Death of Kaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhnnnnnnn!
The Death of Socrates
The Death of Windows 3.0
The Death of the "Close"
The Death of the Typewriter
The Death of the Copier Dealer
The Death of Edgeline

I still chuckle, and reflect, when reading "The Death of Kaaaaaaaahhhhhnnnnnn!" I am sure there will be more.

Ah...the people...

This site as introduced me to so many different people. People I would never have met without the DOTC. Great peeps - you know who you are. Collaborators, mentors, contributors, critics - peers. To you, I say thanks.

And the connections...

I have now been published in a new and highly regarded MPS Journal, I have been interviewed by dozens of pundits, industry analysts and peers. I am currently working on articles for a number of industry publications.

I attended the Lyra Symposium and will be attending the Photizo conference in April. I am part of a collection of MPS people focused on helping others make it in this field.

All of this is very flattering and a bit unbelievable. The attention is grand.

And yet, the most rewarding aspect has been receiving emails from folks who read the site everyday - who have made it part of their routine.

The regular, normal, everyday Selling Professional. The people that make EVERYTHING happen. Sometimes it's just a phrase or two and sometimes I receive a nice long letter - and to be honest I haven't received all that many. But a law of marketing says for every "one" response, there are 5.3 people who feel the same.(not sure on the actual figure)

The blog stopped being a blog, the day I received my first "good job" email, back in August of 2008 - since then, its been a odyssey.

And as this writing expedition, this journey into "self" continues to evolve, I am even more honored to have you here along with me.

Thank you, and keep coming back.

Click to email me.

Excellent Discussion over on LinkedIn - "Just What is Managed Print Services?"

2/22/2009

The topic was posted by Michael O'Leary, Director- Document Outsourcing at Info Trends.

A sampling of the responses:

"...I hope I did make this point in my explanation--print management is a services-led sales strategy. You will sell equipment but frequently that revenue stream becomes a fulfillment of the print management engagement rather than the entry point..."

- Tom Callinan

"...One of the biggest problems I find in discussing MPS, or PM or any other name that is developed, is that no one is working from the same definition..."

- Shawn Robison

"...I don’t view print management or MPS as new; they are evolving, but what doesn’t? I sold “fleet management” agreements inside of facilities management (FM) agreements for the last 10+ years (A services-led sales approach). Admittedly, we didn’t look at the cost to print at the individual asset level other than trying to move prints to copier-based products or the production center (a mistake)..."

- Tom Callinan

"... in our definition Print Management is two components: Printing Management and Printer Management.

Printer Management is also mostly known out there as MPS. It has everything to do with the device; meter reads, supplies reporting, supplies fulfillment, break-fix information, and various alerts as to what is happening on the machine..." 

- John MacInnes, President & CEO Print Audit

"...one company I recently interviewed (one of the largest managed print services installations in Europe) had a very good perspective on this. They said (and I paraphrase a bit here): "Most vendors are approaching Managed Print Services as 'wrapping' services around hardware in order to sell more hardware."

"What we want, and where the market is moving to, is for a vendor to offer me all of the services required to manage my fleet and hardcopy strategy just like I manage any other IT technology. And oh, by the way, if they provide the hardware also, that's a bonus." 

- Ed Crowley, Industry Pundit - Managed Print Services

### Update ###

This great discussion is done brewing, having been removed from the group.  It was good while it lasted.


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2/22/09

Do You Sell? You Are a Capitalist, and that's OK.

A long time ago, a few Americans, at great risk to themselves and family, disguised themselves as Indians, and dumped tea into the Boston Harbor - over a 4% tax hike.

Today, the California state budget(for last year) was passed. My taxes are going up - a great deal more than 4%.

One radio personality said on-air last night, "...I know how to change this, but there is an 11 day waiting period in California..."

This is not good.

Since September, regular people, business owners, and employees alike - Capitalists - have been scared. Not scared of competition from overseas, or down the block. They are not scared of losing customers or enhancing their customer experience.

The Russians, or the Taliban, or even Bin Laden don't give these people pause.

Today, millions of us are afraid of our own government.

Worse, some, as they witness failure and bad choices being rewarded - "mortgage bailouts" - are starting to fear success.

I have seen the enemy, and the enemy is us.




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