Last month on this page, I wrote about how digital transformation (DX) is nothing new. I’m going to continue this perspective again this month about diversification. In case you are unaware, The Cannata Report is on a mission to preach the gospel of diversification in 2023. However, do office technology dealers need to hear this message repeatedly? I’ll answer that later on.
Most office technology dealers don’t need a history lesson about diversification, but for those who may be new to the document imaging industry, there was a time when dealers didn’t sell copiers. Those were the days when dealers sold typewriters, adding machines, and mimeograph machines. Initially, copiers did not fit into that equation. Next thing you know, they had become an integral part of the equation. I’d certainly call that diversifying. Fax machines? More diversification there. Electronic calculators. Yes, diversification.
I won’t call the evolution from manual to electronic typewriters or from copiers to digital copiers and MFPs diversification because that was just refining existing products. I haven’t been around this industry as long as Frank Cannata, but I have 37 years under my belt, and between what I’ve seen and Frank’s stories, dealers have been diversifying their product offerings since Day 1. However, with declining clicks and industry consolidation, some say the need to diversify is more pressing than ever, particularly for dealers not ready to exit the business in the foreseeable future.
Although diversification is not new, what is new is the ever-expanding offerings that allow office technology dealers to diversify beyond traditional office print. Indeed, there is something for everyone. Managed services, check. ECM, check. Label and barcode printers, check. VoIP, check. Pro AV, check. Production and industrial print, check and check. You get the idea.
This month we are spotlighting an array of diversification opportunities, perhaps allowing you to view some in a new light. Maybe you are already offering customers some of these products and services. If not, you might want to ask why not, especially as you consider the future of your dealership.
So, do office technology dealers like yourself need to continue hearing and reading about the need to diversify? Even if you are diversifying, there’s always the need to hear about new and exciting ways to offer your customers something different. The answer to my question then, is yes, it’s time to mix things up.
