In this episode, Founder Frank G. Cannata asks a somewhat rhetorical question: Have we been here before? Oh, yes, we have, he reassures. Meeting the challenges of a changing market is nothing new for resilient office technology dealers. While we haven’t been at this precise moment in business history, the channel has faced major difficulties in the past. He cites the example of the fax machine “explosion” back in the day, noting that today’s dealers need to create demand for new products and services. He believes growth opportunities are out there, and the upside is that you can sell through your existing customer base. Frank mentions four people with present-day messages filled with optimism:
- José Estébanez of Kyocera
- Kay Fernandez of Katun
- Frank Mallozzi of Konica Minolta
- Barry Simon of Datamax
In which direction will you take office technology?
Estébanez and Simon have been recent guests on “Fridays with Frank” (see the recorded links above). On our video schedule are Mallozzi, with an encouraging message about labels in the production printing space, and Fernandez, who believes there are numerous competitive advantages from which to choose. Preaching upbeat messages is why we do these videos every week, Cannata explains. He urges dealer leaders to stop listening to the negative naysayers and pessimistic, so-called industry experts. Today is May Day, but don’t sound the mayday distress signal just yet, he concludes. Instead, carpe diem (seize the day) and take advantage of the opportunities coming your way.
