One of the Worst Things a Customer Can Say to a Sales Rep?

“I didn’t know you do that!”

For office technology dealers, this isn’t just a missed sale—it’s a symptom of a deeper problem.

• Lack of Awareness – Customers aren’t informed about all the solutions you provide.

• Missed Sales Opportunities – They may have gone elsewhere for a service you could have delivered.

• Ineffective Communication – Sales and marketing efforts didn’t fully educate them.

For many dealers, growth depends on diversification—MPS, Production Print, Document Management, Managed IT, VoIP, and Security Solutions, just to name a few.

Some have even expanded into water purification and EV solutions to stay ahead of evolving workplace needs. Yet, many customers still see dealers as just "copier vendors."

If your customers don’t know your full range of services, you’re losing revenue, market share, and long-term retention.

Where Dealers Are Losing Ground

Office technology dealers are evolving beyond traditional hardware, yet many still struggle to gain traction with their expanded services. If customers don’t see you as more than a copier vendor, you’re already at a disadvantage. The biggest risks dealers face today stem from missed opportunities, increased competition, and lack of awareness.

Here’s where dealers are losing ground—and how to fix it:

1. Lost Revenue Opportunities

• Many dealers now offer IT services, security, and automation, yet customers remain unaware.

• When customers go elsewhere for IT or workflow solutions, the dealer loses both sales and recurring service contracts.

2. Increased Competition from IT Providers & MSPs

• Traditional IT providers are bundling MPS, cloud solutions, cybersecurity, and IT support, targeting SMBs.

• If dealers fail to market their diversified services, customers will look elsewhere.

3. Customer Retention Challenges

• If customers don’t know you provide MPS, Production Print, cybersecurity, cloud services, or automation, they may bring in a competing vendor—making it easier to replace your dealership entirely.

• Proactive communication is key to keeping customers engaged and preventing outside competition.

4. Misalignment Between Sales & Diversified Solutions

Sales teams often assume customers already know about all available services—leading to missed conversations.

Some reps hesitate to introduce additional solutions because:

• They believe their customer relationship is fragile and don’t want to risk further strain.

• They lack confidence in selling technical solutions like IT or cybersecurity.

• They’re not incentivized to sell beyond hardware—income drives behavior.

• They default to what’s comfortable instead of positioning the dealership as a full-service technology provider.

5. Failure to Capture Recurring Revenue Streams

• Many diversified solutions (MPS, Managed IT, VoIP, software) generate predictable monthly recurring revenue (MRR).

• If customers don’t adopt these services, dealers remain stuck in transactional hardware sales—a shrinking market.

Beyond Imaging Hardware: What Else Are Dealers Selling Today?

As the industry evolves, dealers are expanding into new office solutions beyond hardware:

• Managed Print Services (MPS): Fleet management, predictive maintenance, and cloud-based print solutions to reduce costs and improve security.

• Production Print & Wide Format: Serving signage, packaging, and high-volume print applications.

• Document Management & Workflow Automation: Helping businesses digitize, store, and manage documents with cloud integration.

• Unified Communications (UC): Providing VoIP, video conferencing, and collaboration tools for hybrid workforces.

• Managed IT & Cybersecurity: Offering network monitoring, IT help desk, and compliance solutions for SMBs.

• Cloud Services: Supporting businesses with cloud storage, SaaS management, and disaster recovery solutions.

• Other Emerging Opportunities: Some dealers are diversifying into water purification systems, EV charging stations, and textile printing—tapping into sustainability, workplace infrastructure, and specialized printing markets.

By expanding their portfolios, dealers can increase recurring revenue and customer retention—but only if customers know these services exist.

How to Eliminate “I Didn’t Know You Do That!”

If customers don’t know about your full range of services, it’s not their fault—it’s a sales and marketing alignment issue. The key to fixing this is proactive communication, strategic education, and intentional sales conversations that make your expanded offerings clear and valuable.

Here’s how to ensure your customers never say, “I didn’t know you do that!” again:

1. Educate Customers Regularly

Use email campaigns, social media, and direct conversations to reinforce your full range of services.
Don’t assume they know—make sure they know.

2. Ask Open-Ended Questions

Train sales teams to ask, "Are there any challenges you’re facing that we might help with?"
Identify gaps and introduce relevant services naturally.

3. Cross-Selling & Upselling Strategies

Build a process where reps introduce additional services in every conversation.

Show how these services work together to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

4. Showcase Real-World Success Stories

Use customer testimonials and case studies to demonstrate how businesses have benefited from your lesser-known services.

5. Strengthen Marketing & Sales Alignment

If customers still don’t know what you offer, your marketing isn’t effectively supporting sales.
Marketing should raise awareness both for customers and internal sales teams. 

The Role of Effective, Personalized, & Branded Marketing

To ensure customers are aware of your full suite of services, it’s critical to implement marketing strategies that are:

• Personalized – Tailor messages based on customer behavior and industry needs.

• Branded – Maintain a consistent, recognizable identity across platforms.

• Not Template-Based – Ditch generic messaging and create customer-focused content.

How Marketing Can Support Sales & Diversification

Expanding your services is only half the battle—making sure customers know about them is the real challenge. Without a strong marketing strategy, even the best solutions will go unnoticed. Effective marketing ensures your sales team has the right tools, messaging, and visibility to drive awareness, educate customers, and create demand for your full range of offerings.

Here’s how marketing can bridge the gap between sales and diversification:

1. Content Marketing & Customer Education

• Blog Posts & Case Studies – Showcase how your solutions solve real-world problems.

• Videos & Webinars – Demonstrate tangible value through engaging content.

• Email Campaigns – Consistently inform customers about services they may not be aware of.

2. Multi-Channel Awareness

• Social Media – Share success stories and service highlights.

• Website Optimization – Ensure all solutions are clearly listed and easy to navigate.

• SEO & PPC Campaigns – Target keywords that reflect your full-service capabilities.

3. Sales Enablement Support

• Marketing Collateral – Equip sales teams with brochures, one-pagers, and presentations.

• Sales Training & Scripts – Help reps introduce services in a natural and confident way.

• CRM & Email Automation – Use tools to send personalized service recommendations.

4. Customer Engagement & Retention

• Surveys & Feedback Loops – Understand what customers know (or don’t know) about your services.

• Loyalty & Referral Programs – Incentivize customers to explore additional services.

• Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) – Regularly review customer needs and introduce new solutions proactively.

Sales and Marketing Must Work Together

If your customers don’t know what you offer, your sales and marketing strategy needs realignment.

The dealers that master this shift will:

🚀 Win more customers

🔄 Increase lifetime value & retention

📈 Drive long-term, predictable growth

Need Help?

At Dealer Growth Agency, we help office technology dealers bridge the gap between sales and marketing—ensuring your customers know exactly what you offer.

Ready to stop missing opportunities and start driving real growth? Let’s talk.