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Image Works Inc offers dealers a wide range of imaging supplies products from their impressive 2900 SKU’s. Covering the imaging gamut, dealers can choose from OEM cartridges, compatibles for copier, laser, fax, and inkjet machines, as well as thermal and dot matrix fax ribbons. For that hard-to-find supply, try Image Works.

While their selection is diverse, their quality standards are not. Image Works’ founder and CEO, Gene Fontana stands behind the quality of his products, specifically when it comes to compatibles.

“An OEM is an OEM. But when it comes to compatibles, we only market high quality. Our forte is compatible copier toner. All of our compatible copier toners are of Japanese manufacturer, high quality, meet all the OEM specifications, and in four years of selling compatible copier toners, I have not had one problem or return. The product is excellent, it goes out and it sticks,” said Fontana.

Not only will you get the best quality with Image Works, you will get the best price. Fontana says he does not have price breaks per say, but he will give the dealer the best possible price he can, to stay in business. Image Works’ pricing varies according to what they buy at.

This works out for the dealer, who can get the best value every time and not be charged a high price by companies that are padding for fluctuations that might happen in the market throughout the year. Also, for large quantity orders, Fontana said that he would “go down on his margins a little,” but that dealers are already getting the best value: “We are very competitive on price.”

They also “bend over backwards for [their] dealers,” when it comes to customer service, according to Fontana. For instance, orders made before 3:30 have a 94% same-day ship rate, dealers will receive an email confirmation with the tracking number the next morning as confirmation. If you need something that is not on their product line, they will try to outsource it for you. And, their drop-ship program is “seamless,” constituting 60% of their orders. Fontana assures dealers, “Our name appears nowhere on drop ships.”

Drop ship or regular ship- get it there in 2 days. Insure your order gets there as soon as possible with their “Get it there in 2 days” shipping program. On all orders over $100, add $5 to “Get it there in 2 days” and on orders over $200, the program is free! Even if you are on the East Coast you are invited to get your customers orders there on time.

Now, even if you aren’t in sunny California, like Image Works, you will be treated neighborly.

“Business goes where it’s invited and stays where it’s treated well”, that’s really my business philosophy. We invite everybody in and we do whatever it takes to keep dealers happy,” says Fontana.

He went on to say why Image Works doesn’t sell online. “What we’ve found is that we like to have a personal contact with our customers so we can address any specific need that they have. We will bend over backwards to meet those needs. You can’t do that online. Online is a very cold way of ordering and there’s no ability to negotiate with the customer.”

Learn to Sell More from Fontana

Fontana is not only interested in selling to dealers, he is interested in helping dealers increase their market share. Selling imaging supplies for 27 years now, he knows how dealers can diversify the products that they sell to customers by offering them more, this is also how he teaches dealers.

“If a dealer orders 10 bottles of toner for a customer, we say, ‘Why don’t you call your customer back and offer them 2 bottles of compatible toner along with their 8 bottles of OEM. See if they notice a difference. If they do, we refund the money. They don’t have to pay for those two compatibles. If they don’t, then obviously you can make more money, Mr. Dealer, and Mr. End-User, you can save some money,” says Fontana, “That’s been a very effective approach for us, because we know they won’t notice a difference, we know that it works. And we know, the next order that customer makes will be for a compatible.”

Fontana also teaches classes at tradeshows such as the I-ITC show and the Recharger World Expo on how dealers can expand product lines to customers and introduce compatibles.

“Sometimes, dealers get blinders on and they concentrate on selling one thing like laser, and they forget to ask about fax, copier, toner, ribbons, etc because they are so focused in one area of the imaging supplies. So, what I try to do with my classes is to expand their marketplaces for them. There are so many other types of imaging supplies that can also generate revenue, I can help dealers expand their business and their profit margins.”

Image Works’ Beginning

With the realization in Jan. 2000 that he had the “expertise and knowledge database” to start his own imaging supplies business, Fontana began sourcing suppliers, a warehouse, and financing. May 1st of that year, he had his warehouse stocked and was ready to begin selling. “It was just a matter of going out and finally doing it,” he says.

He had worked for every segment of the imaging business. His sales credentials included Bic Pens, Graphic Technologies, Future Graphics (with Robert Goldstein in 89), and ACM International. These two decades of experience gave him the backbone to build an imaging supplies business for himself.

Now a distributor wholesaler, Image Works incorporates years in the business into its philosophy: “Be honest and fair to customers, deliver when you say you will, and only sell high-quality products. I learned that from Camille Cotran (Densigraphix),” said Fontana of his role model.

The 26,000 sq ft facility is located in Chatsworth, where it began with 5 employees. Today Image Works has 22, 5 in Sales alone. Promoting the business with advertisements and tradeshows appearances, Fontana encourages his sales staff to think outside the box: “I let each individual work, I am not one of those people who stand over people. My employees all use their individual intelligence and their individual knowledge of the marketplace to make competent decisions. They have a free reign to be creative, make deals, and get orders.”

Future Fontana

While independent thinking is refreshing, for Fontana, it’s also profitable. This year he is looking forward to increasing his sales again, repeating his 18% increase of last year.

To keep sales booming within the U.S., Image Works will exhibit at all the major tradeshows this year. They hope to appeal to more East Coast dealers with their “Get it there in 2 days” program.

But Image Works isn’t stopping there. Next year, they are going global. Image Works’ appearance at Paper World tradeshow in Germany will keep International dealers acquainted with Image Works’ 2900 SKU’s,… and counting.

That’s right, more products will be coming out this year. It seems that with all the new products that are introduced each year, 2900 products isn’t enough. So, Image Works will also increase sales in 2004 by expanding their product lines with a “wider variety of quality products,” says Fontana.

Contacting Image Works today could mean saying “yes” to your customers tomorrow. If you don’t see the product you’re looking for in their 2900-itemed catalogue of imaging supplies, ask them if they can find it. They “bend over backwards for dealers” and are looking forward to getting your customers’ supplies to them in just “2 days,” anywhere in the U.S.

Phone: 800-805-3526
Fax: 818-407-0873

Chatsworth, CA

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