Agent leverages brand recognition into millions in sales.

OVERVIEW:“It’s got to be the lowest cost of entry in the country for owning a business whereyou’re associated with aFortune 500 company.”

So says Erik Smith, XeroxAgency Owner of The DocumentSolutions Company in SanFrancisco. Smith, who is also a Xerox Dealer and Reseller,has a territory that covers San Francisco, Marinand Monterey Counties. As aDealer and Reseller, he inven-tories and sells the full line of Xerox products, including WorkCentre multifunction machines and N-Series digital network laser printers.

During nine years as an Agent, Smith has accumulated lots of other good reasons—in addition to the “low cost of entry”—that have validated his choice to work with Xerox. Among them are the $12 million in sales that he and his 16 Sales Reps write annually.

OWNER PRACTICES:“We’ve worked hard, hired the right people and trained them well to make sure they succeed,” Smith says. “When they first start, for about six months to a year, we manage our Reps really closely before sending them out on their own.

“I don’t pay my Sales Reps more than other businesses, but I do use Xerox management processes and training to show them how to sell more effectively,” Smith adds. “As a result, my retention rate is improving year over year.”

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XEROX SUPPORT:Smith points out that Xerox support for his Agency is consistent and instructive. His Agency has a close relationship with the various Xerox managers and specialists who regularly provide assistance and are true value-added resources. For example, he takes advantage of Xerox Color Specialists and High-Volume Specialists internally for their expertise and technical knowledge.

“Xerox’s Color Specialists and High-Volume and Production Specialists are the people who help make us seem bigger than we are,” Smith says. “We even try to include them in business meetings and recognition events.

“Xerox also includes our people in their training sessions on-site, in the field and at the training center in Virginia,” he says. “The competition just doesn’t provide the same level of training that Xerox does.”

Along with Xerox-paid training, Sales Agents also benefit by not having to carry product inventory, nor do they handle billing, collections and technical service. The Xerox Sales Agent Contract includes these advantages, as well as advertising and promotions, selling assistance, and Co-op and Market Development Funds.

RESULTS:Before joining Xerox, first as a Sales Rep and then as an Agency Owner, Smith worked with a competitive office equipment company, where consistent customer service was not top of mind.

“Xerox really supports the customer, in that they do what they say they’ll do in delivering service and a quality product,” he says. “When you feel good about the product and the brand, you feel like you can get every sale.”

“We absolutely get more leads by carrying a wide range of Xerox products,” Smith adds. “If we were just ‘Erik’s Copiers’ we wouldn’t be exceeding $12 million in revenue a year.”

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