Our discussion on A4 sales strategies that began in the June issue of The Cannata Report continues with insights from Jose Estébanez, VP, corporate marketing group, Kyocera Document Solutions America. During our conversation, he cited three strategies that dealers should consider for selling more A4.
Understanding the customer’s new environment, especially after the pandemic. People that used to work in a single building now may be working in different offices or in smaller groups. “Probably, the setup of these teams is totally different,” said Estébanez. “They might not need big A3s anymore. A4s may be more suitable.” What these customers are looking for, he added, is a dealer willing to learn about their environment, how they work, the number and size of their teams, and that’s interested in helping them optimize their print fleet.
Ensuring that the customer is aware that just because it’s an A4, that doesn’t mean fewer features, less functionality, or lower quality. “That’s not the case anymore,” said Estébanez. “Our A4s are as good as our A3s. They have similar features, speeds, color, cost-per-click, and finishing options. Our A4 is very competitive with our A3.” And that’s an argument other OEMs can make as well.
He understands that dealers make a good point that they can make more money selling A3 but Estébanez suggested that dealers be more demanding of their manufacturers to develop A4 products with many of the same features as an A3 but at a price that allows them to make a good profit and protect their bottom line.
Explore new ways of selling and new business models. “A4 is the best product for e-commerce,” opined Estébanez. “That’s an alternative way of selling.” E-commerce was one of the topics at the recent Kyocera dealer meeting and Estébanez revealed that since then dealers have been calling to learn more about how to get started in e-commerce.
E-commerce is a good option for selling smaller A4s that a customer can install themselves as well as devices that require less maintenance. “If the customer wants maintenance the dealer can support them,” said Estébanez. This, he added, is also a good strategy to capture new customers who you might want to upgrade to higher-end products as their needs change.
Estébanez also noted that A4 provides dealers with an opportunity to sell additional products, especially for small offices or businesses that want one, two, or three devices or have multiple locations such as a restaurant chain. “You can place an A4 device and predict the cost of that service long term,” he said.
Bottom Line
“There’s no rocket science here,” concluded Estébanez. “It’s just understanding what the customer wants, understanding their pains, and solving that for the customer.”
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