Business Technology Association Unveils

Managed Print Services Connect (Sep 5 2012) Blogs , Resellers

1. 

   Kansas City, MO — The Business Technology Association (BTA;

   www.bta.org)

   has announced two new classroom educational workshops that will provide office

   technology dealerships the guidance and tools they need to establish and manage

   highly successful managed print services (MPS) programs. The two classes will make

   their debut on Nov. 14-15 as front runners to the Capture the Magic event

   (

   www.bta.org/BTAWestEvent), to be hosted by BTA West on Nov. 15-16 at the

   Mandarin Oriental in Las Vegas, Nev.

   The BTA MPS Client Engagement Workshop, designed for MPS sales specialists,

   is an interactive, full-day course that will take participants through the entire sales cycle

   for MPS engagements with clients. Utilizing the eight-step MPS Client Engagement

   Model, participants will learn how to create a compelling value proposition to increase

   success in securing MPS engagements, practice conducting C-level appointments in a

   "live" setting, conduct an efficient and effective assessment process, and build

   compelling, profitable proposals.

   The BTA MPS Survival Guide Workshop, designed for dealership owners and

   executive-level management, is a day-and-a-half interactive, hands-on course that will

   cover the various MPS program options available in the market today, explore the

   resource and skill requirements for each, and highlight the financial impacts of an MPS

   business model on the attendee's current business. Attendees will leave the workshop

   with a personalized business plan outline, a tailored sales compensation plan, and a

   clear understanding of the assets and competencies needed to be successful.

   The workshop instructors are two of the office technology industry's leading

   minds in the area of MPS — Doug Johnson, senior vice president of Supplies Network,

   and Mike Lecak, who serves as director of MPS at Supplies Network. Both Johnson and

   Lecak will serve as instructors for the sales specialists workshop; Johnson will lead the

   owners and managers workshop.

   "We are very pleased to be establishing this new education relationship with

   Doug and Mike, whose credentials and expertise in the MPS arena are essentially

   unparalleled within our industry," said BTA President Terry Chapman. "We are

   particularly pleased to be able to offer the dealer community a very affordable source of

   training to help ensure success with their MPS programs."

   BTA member tuition for the BTA MPS Client Engagement Workshop is only $699.

   The BTA MPS Survival Guide Workshop is only $899. BTA members may also apply

   their $150 or $250 discount coupon received with their membership toward these

   workshops.

   “Mike and I are delighted to be associated with BTA and its MPS educational

   program," Johnson said. "BTA members have long been leading the market in the

   delivery of MPS to a wide range of customers large and small, and we are looking

   forward to helping the membership accelerate their success with this vital business

   model.”

   David Concors, vice president of sales for Supplies Network, expressed his

   enthusiasm for the new BTA MPS workshops as well. "In recent years, many office

   technology dealers have improved the profitability of their dealerships based on the

   MPS program guidance provided by Doug and Mike," he said. "We are very excited that

   they will now have the opportunity to help an even broader group of dealerships through

   this new education alliance with BTA."

   With more than 30 years of industry experience, Johnson was with Hewlett-

   Packard (HP) for 20 years, serving as senior vice president of worldwide marketing for

   the Imaging and Printing Group (IPG), and as vice president and general manager for

   HP's Supplies Imaging Division. He later joined Print Inc. as a startup in 2001,

   pioneering many MPS operational practices. Johnson served as senior vice president

   and COO of Print Inc., and president of its subsidiary, PrintValue Solutions Inc. In 2006,

   Print Inc. was sold to Pitney Bowes. After leaving Print Inc., Johnson had a three-year

   engagement as an MPS consultant, founding RedSage Consulting and RedSage

   Partners. He joined Supplies Network in 2010.

   Lecak has been in the industry since 1983, starting with ComDoc in Pittsburgh,

   Pa., then the largest independent dealership of both Ricoh and Lanier copier/MFPs in

   the East. After a successful 15-year career, he joined Toshiba as a district sales

   manager. After a period of running his own consulting practice, Lecak joined Print Inc. in

   2004 to manage sales for the company's channel-focused PrintValue Solutions program.

   His team was responsible for all facets of bringing MPS practices to Print Inc.'s channel

   partners, including sales, service, training and sales compensation models. In 2009,

   Lecak joined Konica Minolta to manage its West Region for managed print. He joined

   Supplies Network in 2011.

   For more information on these workshops, visit

   www.bta.org/MPSClientEngagement

   and www.bta.org/MPSSurvivalGuide or call (800)

   843-5059. Attend either of the inaugural MPS workshops in November and receive free,

   full registration to Capture the Magic.

   Founded in 1926, the Business Technology Association serves office technology

   dealerships, resellers, manufacturers, distributors and service companies. Its core

   members — office technology dealerships — consult, sell and service hardware,

   software and supplies with the goal of helping businesses maximize their

   investment in devices and technology. Through the association's various

   educational programs, information, research, legal services, publications and

   guidance, BTA member dealerships are positioned to be the premier source of the

   office technology used by businesses throughout the United States every day. For

   more information on BTA, visit its website at www.bta.org or call (800) 505-2821.

   The fax number is (816) 941-4838. You may also write to: BTA, 12411 Wornall Road,

   Kansas City, MO 64145.

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