The printing industry in India is being driven by the innovations happening at massive scale. There has been a big upsurge in the use of technologies being added in printing products to scale up the productivity. Konica Minolta is a leader in the printing industry and it has achieved tremendous success in India since it’s inception. Its products are deployed by a large number of businesses across sectors which is a true testament of its success. Rajeev Ranjan, Editor, Digital Terminal recently interacted with Kuldeep Malhotra, Dy. Managing Director, Sales & OP Marketing Division, Konica Minolta Business Solutions India Pvt. Ltd. The discussion revolved around the overall performance of Konica Minolta, growth, targets, channel partners and etc. Read below the excerpts:
Rajeev: Please share Overall Performance in Year 2022.
Kuldeep: This year so far has been better than the last two years. Despite the pandemic, our company has managed to overcome our challenges and deliver on the promises we made to our customers. Today, Konica Minolta is positioned at the second number in the Office Product (OP) segment with a market share of 24 percent. Besides this, we’ve captured a 17 percent market share (AMJ2022) and received growth of 10 -12 percent in reseller business via our partners.
Furthermore, from this year onwards, we have started listing several of our products on e-commerce platforms like Amazon. With this move, we aim to cater to the small business segment, with 8–10 employees who usually prefer to buy essentials online.
Overall, considering our performance to date, I think we will be able to achieve our pre-pandemic numbers by the end of this financial year.
Rajeev: Please share target revenue or growth percentage to achieve by end of 2022-23.
Kuldeep: We currently hold 55 percent of the market share in the Printing Production (PP) business, and we have installed 1500–1600 units as well. In addition to this, considering the rising demand in tier I and II cities, we are expecting to strengthen our business. Konica Minolta has come a long way from being a camera production company. Today, we offer a wide range of services, from being a major player in the PP segment to a firm that offers digital enterprise solutions to businesses of different scales.
Rajeev: What are key features that make your brand better than others?
Kuldeep: Konica Minolta India has a legacy of almost 150 years and a worldwide presence spanning over 150 international markets and is specialised in the fields of enterprise printing solutions and Enterprise Content Management space. We started our operations in 2010, and looking back, it feels like we’ve had an interesting journey during which we established Konica Minolta as a firm that offers a wide array of products and services. Since our inception, we’ve opened 24 branches with more than 700 employees.
Konica Minolta India has cemented its stance as a company that cares about its employees, customers, and community, and one that’s deeply committed to ethical leadership and creating societal value. Today, we have established our brand as one of the leading players in Printing Production (PP), Office Printing (OP), and AMJ at 55 percent, 24 percent, and 17 percent of market share, respectively.
Rajeev: How do you take care of channel margins & profitability?
Kuldeep: We are a channel driven company and we do take care of our partner’s growth while working with us. Our Channel Partners are satisfied with the current business margins and profitability and expanding their number of customers.
Rajeev: Please share a few sales tips for the channel community.
Kuldeep: We do call them Chanel, they are our partners in the business. I would advise them to take below initiatives for best growth journey:
Understand your market
It is essential to understand your competitors inside out, followed by the gaps in the market and why your firm is lacking behind. With such information at your disposal, conduct an in-depth analysis only then you will be able to chalk out a plan that addresses all concerned areas.
Focus on the right leads
Focusing on the right leads results in better win rates, larger average deal sizes, and higher customer lifetime value. You can begin by focusing on people who are best served by your solution as it is comparatively easier to close them as customers.
Be data Informed
Data never lies. Hence, pay close attention to your numbers as they are critical for sales success. In a technology-driven environment, it has become easy to analyze bulk data that help in generating reports on a company’s performance. The goal of each report is to represent your unique perspective.
