For IT Providers: Managed Print Services Could be the 24th Chromosome

Some who know me, know that I am a First Person Shooter(FPS) enthusiast - PC Gamer.

From Doom to Quake to Half-Life to Day of Defeat, I have been online gaming since 1999.

A few years back, a movie based on the Doom FPS was released. In spite of the predictable mayhem, and The Rock, it wasn't that bad of a flick - pretty good actually.

In the movie, the remains of an ancient civilization have been discovered on Mars. A humanoid civilization is similar to us except for one distinct difference; they have an extra pair of chromosomes, 24 vs. our 23.

The 24th pair gave this race superhuman abilities - great physical strength, speed, and the ability to heal in minutes versus weeks.

Managed Print Services and Doom? No.

But how about this: Managed Print Services is your 24th chromosome.

At one point in the movie, the hot, female, scientist isolates this chromosome and injects it into her dying brother. He awakes completely healed - faster, stronger - and rips up the bad guys.

Imagine your VAR/Dealership as the shot-up, dying, brother - with 23 chromosomes.

WOW! Ever been On Demon Drop?

managed Print services Job Trends

managed Print services jobs

As a kid, I would venture down to Sandusky Ohio, Cedar Point, and ride the best roller coasters in the world.

I remember when Demon Drop opened. It was the "bomb".

A simple trip up and a ten-story drop - remember, this was in 1983, before the internet and online gaming.

Imagine my surprise when I read the Demon Drop had been relocated from Sandusky, to out here, in my neck of the woods

I was checking the updated graph showing job openings with "Managed Print Services" in the description - couldn't help but make the comparison.

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Manage Print Services is On Fire - and 50% of Us are Unsatisfied

2010  DOTC.

Art over at P4P just concluded a non-scientific yet revealing survey: You're now selling Managed Print Services "Your Thoughts Now".

Results:

It's been a great success for us 25%
It's been ok for us 26%
It's not reaping the profits we thought it would 36%
If we had to do it over, we would not have gotten into MPS 14%

Quick math shows 50% in the "Unsatisfied" category.

Juxtapose this with an incredible number of new "MPS Information Portals" coming online, the huge volume of MPS-forum chatter, and enough Managed Print Services consultants to sink the Titanic - it doesn't add up.

Oh yes, it does.

Fifty percent of you don't feel MPS has paid off. You don't see a lot of sales, or profit. You have sent your sales teams to school, evaluated and purchased software, and maybe even hired an outside consultant.

You expected too much too soon.

MPS is not as simple as putting laser printers on CPI.

MPS is a bit more than selling speeds and feeds, triggered by lease-end.

You can't arrange to perform a study through the purchasing department.

Your 30-day, hardware cycles will not apply.

Your manufacturer only wants to sell more units, not engage in MPS, no matter how their MPS program is pitched.

The reason there are so many new portals and an ever-increasing plethora of know-it-alls is that, even after 2-to 3 solid, MPS years, the MPS landscape is fraught with mystery and doubt. This is nothing like when color first came out.

If you're into the second generation of MPS at your practice, here are some recommendations:

1. Join the MPSA, get to know the real Titans of MPS and network
2. Devour every nugget of MPS knowledge out here on the net.
3. Visit your existing clients and ask THEM to define MPS - then sell that.
4. Evaluate your current infrastructure and realign it to your core.
5. Evaluate and change your existing compensation plan.
6. Determine your MPS Selling Funnel. From Qualification to support.
7. Read DOTC, follow me, and join the DOTC Group on LinkedIn

The economy is not going to turn around soon, and when it does, it is not going to rescue our industry - it has changed forever.

Be prepared. Take this time to do some soul searching.

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