Providing an on-point, creative solution that increases a client’s return on technology investment and produces the Raving Results we constantly seek to deliver.

This one was a win built on patience, persistence and a true understanding of small-town relationships… plain and simple.

Damon Kilgo’s recent work with the City of Bonham didn’t follow a straight line. It stretched across nearly two years, a long and winding road. Through leadership changes, repeated delays, and several rounds of city audits, Damon stayed consistent. He kept the relationship warm, stayed respectful of the load on his customer, and leaned into the rhythms of a small-town environment. That steady approach led to a meaningful partnership that saved the city significant money and strengthened their trust in Datamax.

Respecting the Pace of the Customer.

In early 2023, Damon and Sales Manager Trey McFarlin met with the interim finance director and gathered all the details on the city’s fleet. But once the new finance director stepped in, the pace shifted.

When Damon reached out, her message was clear: “I would love to visit, but I’m dealing with two audits right now.” That pattern repeated over the following year. When he finally got through again, she told him she was still tied up in another audit. Damon understood.. she was busy. As he said, “She’s in charge of all the money regarding the City of Bonham, so I don’t blame her.”

Later, Damon saw her at a commissioners court meeting. She told him honestly, “Our print fleet is not on my radar right now.” He didn’t push. He stayed patient, stayed present, and kept checking in at the right intervals. A few months later, she reached out with a different message: “Yes, we need to talk about this now.”

Reducing Costs and Rebuilding Confidence.

Once the conversation opened back up, Damon uncovered the full scope of the city’s situation. “They were out of contract for a year and a half, and their rates had basically doubled.” Their dissatisfaction had different roots over time: the interim director cited poor service from Ricoh, while the current director was more focused on excessive costs.

Even though Damon already had their documentation, he didn’t rely on paperwork alone.

“I wanted to do a full discovery to determine what they might need to add and what might have changed.” That full picture allowed him to significantly reduce their spend. “We cut it down to a third of what they were paying,” Damon said. The city also expanded the partnership to include managed print services, and he positioned Kyocera as the ideal second solution for a small town budget. The final solution covered 31 devices, including nine walk-ups and a range of desktop MFPs.

Winning Through Genuine Connection.

Damon’s approach rests on sincerity and timing.

“I just want to be respectful of their time. Be honest with them. I want to make sure this is the right time.” That philosophy shaped every step of the long engagement.

He also knew how much small-town identity matters. Damon told her, “We have a small town mom and pop feel with service and billing, with the backing of a large corporation.” That message made sense to her because, as Damon explained, “They’re small town folk and they want to do business with local people.”

Along the way, building rapport mattered just as much as presenting numbers. “This is the name of the game,” he said. “You build the relationship, and you stay on top of that. In the interim, you crack a few jokes, get to know all about their kids and their hobbies.”

It wasn’t quick, but it was earned. And it’s still growing, with additional workflow discussions already on the horizon. Patience + persistence… plain and simple.