Channeling Change in 2019 (Part 1)

Keeping up with, and documenting, an industry in the midst of great change can often be a challenge. The upside, of course, is an accelerated learning curve. As mentioned in my “Why Sharp?” article, I am hoping to share some of what I am learning with others in our community here on LinkedIn.

One of the biggest areas of such learning, both internally and externally, is about the Sharp channel partners that help bring our technology to customers. In fact, I have, and will continue to, spend time visiting many of the multifunction printer (MFP) “dealers” as well as our audio visual (AV) distributors.

On those trips, I’ve been accompanied by our VP of Channel Sales, John Sheehan. John is no newbie to much of our channel, but is a relative newcomer to the MFP space, having assumed the leadership of the all channels nationally in 2018 after having driven Sharp’s AV distributor channel.

When we are not throwing sarcastic verbal arrows at each other (which occurs frequently), I’ve been peppering John with questions about the unique needs of both our professional AV distribution channel and our MFP dealer network, and I thought a LinkedIn article addressing some of the things that I have learned might serve other interested parties as well. 

So, I convinced John to sit down and chat with me (here's part one):

Bob: John, first, thanks for doing this with me, and I’m glad we are still on good terms after an inordinate amount of travel time. Wait, we are still on good terms, right?

John: No problem. So far only a few months in we are on good terms. Let’s see how this interview goes.

Bob: Ha. Fair enough. Let’s jump right in then to talk about the channels you manage, and start with our MFP dealer channel. Clearly, the print market is both dynamic and changing rapidly. Given that, as you look forward to 2018, what are your goals for the MFP dealer channel?

John: The team is working to drive awareness of our strong and mostly new line of MFPs. The good news is the job is now easier, as demonstrated by our recent Copier MFP Line of the Year Award from Buyers Lab. We are also working hard to reposition Sharp in the minds of our channel partners. I see a real need for us to better represent the full capability and direction of what Sharp has to offer. While we may have one of the best line of copiers and MFPs in the industry, we are about much more than “just” copiers. From what we see most of our dealers have grown to be more than “just” copier dealers as well. 

Bob: Where else are we seeing things go then? 

John: One critical initiative that Sharp has, and we hear a lot about from our dealers, is the move toward a “smart office.” Sharp’s displays, growing software capabilities, Dynabook PCs and many other technologies – including those from Foxconn – make us a significant force in the smart office as we partner with people such as Microsoft and others to bring it to reality.

Bob: Outside of this industry and Sharp repositioning, what are some other goals you have this year?

John: Every year we try to simplify our interactions with the dealer community, both in terms of our programs, and working with them to ensure a simplified message. I think Sharp has built a very strong relationship with our dealer community, but we’ve not always made it as easy as possible to execute upon our great joint planning. This seems like an important area for the team in 2019.  

Bob: Yes, as you know, I am keen to simplify our interactions with the all our audiences from a communications standpoint, so I think we’ll be well aligned there. Any other MFP-focused goals?

John: I would say if I had to pick just one more, it would probably be to improve training and communication around new technologies and advancements. While we are doing an okay job at this now, I sense that both for our internal channel-facing team as well as the dealer sales reps themselves, can do more and use more novel techniques for success.

Bob: That makes sense, especially if we are in the midst of a market change and reposition. Everyone will need to stay on top of advancements and changes in technology to succeed.

John: Yes. Look, it’s not a huge secret that the MFP space is both extremely competitive and relatively flat from a systems revenue perspective. For dealers, and for Sharp, growth means taking market share in the spaces we are strong in and aggressively entering markets with new technology. The good news is that there are areas that are showing growth. Our MFPs are already critical parts of our customers’ network environment. Engaging our customers in network management and security conversations has been extremely beneficial to our end user customers, and a strong growth area for us and our channel partners. Once you have credibility on the network, you can engage in more of a discussion on smart office and what that means for Sharp and our channel partners.

Bob: I now hear the “smart office” idea a lot, but what does that mean to you in this context?

John: Overall it means helping advance the technology in offices to better leverage information flow. This can include notebook PCs, scanning/imaging and printing via MFPs, and visually with advanced displays and digital signage. A smart office can also mean an office using IoT to better managed meeting space, power, cooling and security. For Sharp, it’s an exciting area as we have the ability to drive innovation through connecting Sharp engineered product, the new Dynabook (formerly Toshiba) notebook PCs and Foxconn’s deep set of offerings that include everything from smart software platforms to network devices, and so much more. 

Bob: Are most dealers thinking the same way? Is this a priority?

John: The majority are not, but it is on us to make them want to take this next step. Admittedly, often the “non-traditional” dealer channel is sometimes more open and receptive than a pure “copier dealer” can be.   The more progressive dealers, however, see that changing customer demands and technology means they need to evolve – and many are well down the path already. I feel it is Sharp’s responsibility to educate and show the available revenue opportunities, as many dealers have already created a profitable business model in MFPs, IT, managed print services (MPS) and managed network services (MNS). I know I would be reluctant to invest in something new unless I saw the true potential. I feel we are close to showing the market how successful this initiative can be.

Bob: What challenges do you see the dealer community facing that Sharp can help with?

 John: As mentioned we (Sharp) need to back up and support the vision. This means investing with dealers in smart office initiatives as well as training and education on the many ways to sell and create aftermarket revenues. I see this as a challenge for some dealers as they will need to pull back some of the day-to-day profitable business and invest time and effort in what can be called a “start up” division within their organization. Sharp can also assist in recruiting new hires that may have more of an “IT” background to support this investment. 

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John and I go on to speak about our AV Distribution channel, what he is most excited about in 2019 and even some thoughts about social media in part two, which will be posted soon.