Print.IT Reseller - issue 50

01732 759725 40 INTERVIEW “The main objective is still to sell print, but to do so in a mutually beneficial way by providing an expanded portfolio and more value to the customer,” he said, adding: “Since we started selling AV on the direct side two and half years ago, the sales volume through that channel has multiplied by a factor of five.” Stanley acknowledges that the take- up on the MFP dealer side has been less. “Because the change you are asking them to make – what they must do to develop the capability and the capacity to sell something beyond print – is definitely an ask. So, while they recognise the opportunity in AV, many dealers decide it’s not for them,” he said. There are however other dealers that recognise they must move beyond print and, by diversifying into AV, are enjoying the same benefits Sharp sees in its direct sales organisation, particularly in opening doors, as AV allows them to have conversations at any time. “Then, when they then move up to the solutions level, for example Sharp boardroom displays integrated with cloud and print, they find that they can move from mid- management type conversations to more strategic, C-level discussions,” Stanley points out. Whilst on the surface, selling large format displays does not look like a complicated business, Stanley recognises it takes some courage to move out of an area you might have been in for many years and to enter discussions with a customer in another area that is completely new. “Conversations that start out simple often become complex, so even where you have good Two years ago, Sharp encouraged its MFP dealers to diversify and start selling its AV products as well. Sid Stanley, General Manager – Visual Solutions Europe, argues there is a real opportunity for the channel. Since he joined the business in 2014, its AV business has grown 150 per cent management intent and a programmatic approach to motivating the salesforce, convincing the sales person to take that leap is where you really need to work hard,” he counsels. “That said, there’s a real need in the market for collaboration and better meetings – those trends are genuine. So, we encourage dealers to bring in one or two specialists and operate an overlay model. The print account manager can do the simple stuff and create simple packages – for example, a reception area screen or a simple screen in the boardroom. Then, when things get more complex, they bring in a specialist,” he continued. Sharp would support the bigger projects. Its UK business has launched a high-touch demo pre-sales service, where it brings in the screen and unpacks it. “But ultimately dealers need to develop the confidence, the capability and the mindshare within the sales team to become self-sufficient. The ones that do this, as we have seen in our own sales organisations across Europe, will benefit,” Stanley said. Probably the biggest weakness of AV for print dealers is that it doesn’t have an annuity, or at least not one that’s obvious. “So, when they make a simple comparison between the typical print model and AV, I can understand why for some dealers it doesn’t look attractive. That’s why we make clear that it’s more about the strategic benefits of having a diversified offering and what that says about a dealer’s overall capabilities,” he explained. According to Stanley the next phase of development needs to be about adopting higher services, like content on-screen and in the classroom and content creation, broadcasting and estate management in retail signage. “But this takes time,” he said, adding: “For now, Sharp urges channel to recognise the opportunity in AV Ultimately dealers need to develop the confidence, the capability and the mindshare within the sales team to become self- sufficient Sid Stanley