I was recently speaking with the owner of a service company who had been signed up with our application for a while but had not generated much activity. This is an organization that has been providing toner supplies and traditional printer repair for 10 plus years. They have a good customer base and are located in a fairly large market with potential new customers all around. And yet he has been unable to secure many new accounts because, "companies in our area aren't interested in managed print."
For many customers, moving forward with any business solution requires considerable research, and is often met with hesitation. This is the best time to offer up the concept of moving forward with a “Pilot Program.” We have found that a 90‐day “Pilot Program” is a valuable approach to building a long‐term print management partnership. First, it affords your customer or prospect the opportunity to implement the program with minimal financial exposure or contractual commitment. Second, it allows them to evaluate and experience all aspects, as well as the overall efficiencies of your Managed Print Services Solution - a “Try before you buy!” opportunity.
Typically it will make a lot more sense to first install your DCA (Data Collection Agent) prior to any equipment tagging. This will give you a much clearer picture of the number of devices and locations, serial numbers, etc., and you’ll be in a better position to go to the customer facility and appropriately tag and inspect the devices to be covered. 
There are several methods of dealing with beginning inventory at the start of a Managed Print Services (cost per page) program. The important point is to not allow beginning inventory from being a barrier to getting started. You need to get your solution in place as soon as possible. Below are a couple of common approaches that can be utilized to address beginning inventory. These will help to remove any barriers from moving forward, and can help expedite implementation. See which works best in a particular situation and know that you can come up with any hybrid that meets your customer’s needs and helps to move the deal forward.
Short Answer: as often as you can! Prospecting is a wonderful way to initially engage a potential customer or to expand the service offerings within your existing customer base through deeper automated data collection and analysis including print device over and under utilization reporting. Whether you’re looking to gather data on a print environment in support of a proposal that you are looking to put forth, or just looking to add value to your current offering, it always makes sense to prospect with your DCA. Additionally, just about any account size can make sense to prospect in. It all really depends on just what you’re looking to accomplish. If your DCA is tied to an efficient MPS software solution, it will undoubtedly make you, the Service Provider, more strategic to your customers and prospects. And do remember that every one of your customers is someone else’s prospect! Your DCS should be tied to an MPS software solution that can manage and support any program type; whether that’s a All inclusive Cost Per Page, a toner only cost per page, a service only cost per page, a cost per device, a time and material (break fix) or any combination of the above. Flexibility in billing mechanisms is a key component if your want to reap high rewards from your prospecting efforts. If your end goal is to demonstrate that you can be more proactive and better equipped to understand and respond to devices needs, then prospecting will demonstrate that you have a strategic tool to accomplish this. If your goal is a continuation of traditional services to an account, (toner, service, or a combination of the two), the right MPS application can be configured to accommodate that need. If you are looking to provide an even more proactive, Cost Management offering, then prospecting with the right DCA can position and present your strategic capabilities. Prospecting will almost always lead to additional service within an account and is, therefore, a great sales generation tool. 
An information management tool that not only allows you to track important data relative to your print devices and the services you receive, but it allows you to track bottom line data that impacts your very business, such as costs and device utilization. 
• Over the life of a print device, supply expenditures can total three to five times the actual acquisition cost of the device. 
There are basically two options when selecting an MPS solution: The application and data either resides on the service provider's own network or the data is accessed by accessing remote servers, also called an ASP model.
We all know that good decisions are based on good information; with MPS, this is certainly true and becomes more meaningful over time. With an outsourced approach to print management MPS), the need for meaningful data on an on-going basis is key to strategically managing print as a business process. Real‐time data allows a Service Provider to proactively manage their customer needs, improve service levels, and improve productivity, all while lowering costs. 
Last week, I wrote on the topic “How Do You Demonstrate the Value of Managed Print Services to Prospects Who Seem Happy with Their Current Processes? So now, let’s take a closer look at a print management process, and see how an MPS solution could add value. Let’s look at a “printer swap out process” as an example. Assume that the current process is one in which the customer carries spare equipment to hot swap when a print device goes down. This print management process is more concerned with up‐time than with managing costs and improving processes; this is a process ripe with inefficiencies and unnecessary costs. To start, you should be asking the following question: Why are these devices going down and what can you offer to reduce the frequency of the swap‐out policy currently in place?This series discusses some of the key factors in selecting the right MPS solution for your organization. As an independent, time is precious. Having fewer resources than national service organizations and the OEM's, you need to quickly assess your options, make your selection and implement it. Hopefully, the questions we are posing help you in this process.
Engage your customer and find out what their happy about; what are their pain points and what would they change if they could. What business problems are they facing; be careful, they may not be aware that it’s a problem if they’re not aware that there’s a better approach. Nobody wants to fix what isn’t broken. You need to start by asking questions of their current processes; that’s the only way to understand and uncover the inefficiencies. Only then can you demonstrate how your Managed Print Services offering can help address their issues; saving time and money in the process. Remember that a lesser Service Provider may not be looking to address these problems; they may be ignoring them all together. Either because a mismanaged process feeds their revenue model or their simply are not equipped with the tools and expertise to become a more proactive print management partner. 
Let’s begin with the obvious; every one of us are in this to make a few bucks and that will happen by earning our customers business. To that end, we need to be providing real value; through helping to indentify and lower hard direct and indirect costs and/or soft cost savings; hopefully, a blend of the two. If reductions can be achieved through a combination of the two, it will ultimately keep more margins in the game. With Managed Print Services, you are able to take control; and with control, come ownership over your customer’s entire print environment. This will enable you to divert risk and incremental margins from multiple pieces of business as opposed to one primary piece. If you’re selling the toner, then get the parts; and if you’re getting the parts, sell them the repair services’ etc. And while not providing a bundle solution is no longer an option, remember the old adage. “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket” – diversify! Control how and where your margins are derived and your expenses are allocated.
There’s really little time to waste; Managed Print Services is not going away and you will need to get engaged with your customers before somebody else does. Start the process of becoming a more strategic partner; one that is interested in helping your customers to solve the real business problems that they face every day; problems that are costing real hard dollars, both direct and indirect, as well as soft dollar inefficiencies. Now, you may find that their not ready to hear the entire message about Managed Print Services, or you may not have the relationships within those accounts that are interested in this message; but, start crafting it today and become proficient at understanding what business problems your solution can help address! And remember, MPS will mean different things to different people; it’s just not a one size fits all so make sure you’re your solutions and messaging is flexible and meets the customer where they are in the Managed Print mindset. Just Do Not sit on the side line waiting for another company to get in the ear of the company’s President, CFO, COO, or any other financial and strategic decision‐makers. You will absolutely lose all credibility and you will begin losing accounts if you are not becoming proactive in your MPS implementations. 
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