Ask Clay Mills to discuss Datamax Difference Makers (aka Differentiators), and he’ll present to you…. the Triad.

In-House Leasing. Local decision-making. A stellar service track record. There are any number of tangible Datamax Difference Makers out there (which we’ve outlined below, specifically for you to put in your back pocket).  But Clay, the VP of Sales in Texas, breaks it down for us in a very simple, three-pronged manner.

• Our People. From a service and sales perspective, I’m your difference maker. I’m sincere in that if I say I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it.
• Our Company. Our company’s ultimate mission is to Create Raving Fans. We’ve invested in people, technology, and experience to offer you the best customer experience possible.
• Our Products. Datamax has forged strategic partner alliances with an elite group of industry-leading document and information technology companies. Our alliances are purposeful—each serves to broaden the scope of our technology portfolio, enabling us to develop and deliver powerful, unbiased solutions that combat a wide array of business challenges.

What’s a great first step in being a Difference Maker?

Clay loves telling this story.

“When I first moved to Texas I went to a car mechanic who told me it’ll be $350 to fix my car. I thought, ‘good grief, but OK. The next day he called me and said ‘it took an hour less than I thought, it’s only $250,’” Clay said. “I’ve never gone anywhere else because that gentleman completely gained my trust. That’s the first difference maker, is you have to develop trust, look after your client’s best interest, and all the key things of a great customer experience.”

What do Difference Makers do?

Difference Makers see differently.

They observe and absorb what’s truly relevant to the customer. Jaynie L. Smith, author and founder of Smart Advantage, reminds us that a differentiator that is not valued by the customer is not a competitive advantage. If it’s not relevant, it doesn’t matter.

Difference Makers think differently.

They consider possibilities that others don’t. Be it sales, service or administration, they see what everyone else sees, but think what no one else is thinking. Thinking differently means educating, collaborating, and sparking ideas for maximizing the technology that matters.

Difference Makers convey differences.

Difference Makers do more than solve problems. They take those problems and make them their own. They convey relevant differentiation through purposeful communication, consistent execution, and creativity. Why? To help customers arrive at the best decision (relevant to them) now and for the long run. Building a culture dedicated to making a difference through the application of technology requires not just the sales force, but the entire organization.

Why is knowing our Difference Makers so Important?

“With the advent of the Internet, people have a way to investigate all their options easily. The bottom line is, there are a lot of people doing the same thing we do,” Arkansas VP of Sales David Holzhauer explains. “We have to have the ability to show them what makes us different and stand apart on the value we’re bringing. If we’re going to compete head to head on price, we’re going to lose every time."

How do leaders propagate our Difference Makers to employees?

“We walk the talk. We lead by example. It’s all in the culture we work to create,” David said.

Clay adds: “It gets reinforced through our culture, through mentoring, through coaching, through setting an example. When you have a new rep come on, they shadow you and you show them the process and the steps and the strategy.”

OK. So what are some real Datamax Difference Makers?

We’re glad you asked. Below are several of Difference Makers for you to take with you, and even share with someone who might ask.

• Culture, People & The Datamax Way: Datamax culture trumps everything. We live out this culture through The Datamax Little Blue Book – our collective roadmap to Creating Raving Fans®!
• Family Owned & Operated since 1955. The Datamax story begins in St. Louis as A.B. Dick Products, and continues today as a family-owned and operated business.
• Tenure To Support You. Datamax celebrates its tenure among employees. Our two presidents have been with the company for four decades, and our local management team averages 19.7 years of tenure.
• Datamax Direct In-house Leasing. Our in-house leasing program eliminates third-party consulting/billing and increases customer flexibility.
• Local Support, Warehouse, & Decision Making. From logistics to phone support to decision-making, we are proud to conduct business on a local level.
• Represents the Top  Manufacturers Worldwide. Our technology alliances are world-class, including our partnership with business technology industry leaders Canon, Konica Minolta, and Lexmark. In IT, these include Microsft, Dell, Intermedia, Datto, and many more.
• MaxCare® Support Umbrella.  We’ve got technology covered, not just copiers, with our family of next-generation support services.
• Flexibility in Meeting Customer Wants & Needs.  Our list of core competencies allows us to deliver comprehensive client technology wants AND needs.
• Exceptional Customer Recommendation Scores. The numbers don’t lie. Based on 12K+ survey responses, our average Net Promoter Score® of 93.0 (since 2012) proves our track record with customers.
• DatamaxCares™ Community Mindset. We connect way more than just technology. Through our DatamaxCares initiatives, we believe in connecting with our communities, too.
• Regular Partnership Reviews. We consistently meet with our clients in a strategic manner because, frankly, partnership isn’t part-time.
• Professional Sales Representation. Through integrity and empathy, personal development, and
  professionalism, we offer your company the best technology insights and solutions available.
• Quality of Service & Support.  We showcase our quality of service through written guarantees, training curriculum, ongoing quantitative service metrics, and national awards to back it up.