If you’re a dealership owner or sales rep in the print industry, chances are your go-to market strategy looks a lot like everyone else’s. Push A3. Centralize print environments. Chase the bigger ticket. It’s what the manufacturers train you to do, what the rebate programs point you to, and what your competitors are doing down the street.
But what if that conventional thinking is leaving money on the table?
Earl Everson, President of Elite Document Solutions, has spent 17 years building a thriving dealership from the ground up in Schomburg, Illinois, about 40 miles west of downtown Chicago and smack in the middle of one of the most competitive print markets in the country. And he’s done it by zigging where everyone else zags.
His strategy? Decentralize print. Embrace A4. And go deeper into every account than your competitors ever thought to go.
Hear Earl explain it in his own words:
The Problem with Following the Herd
Walk into almost any dealership conversation about strategy, and you’ll hear the same thing: A3 is where the money is. Higher revenue numbers, better margins, bigger deals. It’s an easy case to make, on the surface.
But Earl has a different take.
“So many dealers out there, they’re copying what their competitors are doing. Until you say we’re going to be different from everyone else, you have to take that stand, and you have to take a mind shift, that paradigm shift of exactly how to go to market.”
That paradigm shift didn’t happen overnight. It came from years of watching accounts get fought over at the A3 level while an entire layer of print activity, desktop laser printers, departmental devices, decentralized output, went largely ignored. Earl saw an opportunity hiding in plain sight.
The question wasn’t how to compete for the same A3 deals everyone else was chasing. It was about capturing more of the print environment than anyone else was even thinking about.
Decentralize Print. Capture Everything.
At the heart of Earl’s strategy is a simple yet powerful idea: instead of pushing clients toward a single centralized device, help them spread print capacity across their office with multiple A4 devices. It’s the opposite of what most reps are trained to do.
“I don’t want just those A3 click rates; I’m trying to get all of the desktop laser printers as well with new A4 devices. That’s helping us generate more click rates.”
Think about what that means in practice. When you place three, four, or five A4 devices in an account instead of one central A3 unit, you’re not just winning more hardware placements. You’re capturing a much larger share of that customer’s total print volume. And when you add up the click rates across multiple devices, the revenue and margin picture becomes much more attractive than it might seem at first glance.
There’s also a compelling business continuity argument to make to customers. Earl puts it directly to prospects when a competitor is pitching a single centralized solution:
“What if that one device goes down? If you had two or three other devices around, what impact would that have on your company? Not as much, compared to having just one device in that office.”
It’s a simple question that reframes the entire conversation. Suddenly, the customer isn’t just thinking about price or features. They’re thinking about risk, uptime, and operational resilience.
Why the ISI Partnership Makes It All Work
None of this strategy would be as effective without the right supply partner. Earl has been working with Impression Solutions (ISI) since nearly the beginning of Elite Document Solutions, and he’s unambiguous about the value of that relationship.
The contrast with manufacturer relationships is stark. Direct manufacturer partnerships often come with quotas, rebate strings, and pressure to move specific products, regardless of whether they’re the right fit for the customer. ISI operates differently.
“With ISI, we no longer really had to deal with the manufacturers directly. There’s always a quota attached to dealing with manufacturers; they tie you into the rebate program. With ISI, they don’t do that.”
That freedom allows Earl to position products based on what’s genuinely best for each customer, which is the foundation of the customer-centric approach that drives Elite Document Solutions’ reputation and retention.
The support goes beyond just product supply. ISI has been a true growth partner, stepping up when it mattered most and staying consistent through the inevitable ups and downs of running an independent dealership.
“When I needed ISI from the very beginning, they stepped up to the plate to help us grow. It’s kind of like I’m taking them to every dance; they’ve been with us through thick and thin.”
And Earl doesn’t mince words when comparing the level of dealer support ISI provides versus what he’s experienced with manufacturers:
“I wish manufacturers would take training from ISI to figure out how to manage and support dealerships; those guys (ISI) are absolutely incredible.”
If It Works in Chicago, It Can Work Anywhere
Earl is the first to acknowledge that the greater Chicago market is extremely competitive. Large dealerships with deep resources and sophisticated buyers make it one of the most active proving grounds in the country. That’s also what makes his results so meaningful for dealers everywhere.
“If I can do it here in Chicago and compete with very large dealerships and win that business, you can do it wherever you are in the country. It’s just that go-to-market strategy.”
The blueprint is replicable. Find the print activity your competitors are ignoring. Lead with a program, not just a product. Decentralize where others centralize. And partner with a supplier who’s genuinely in your corner.
It’s not a complicated formula. But it does require the willingness to think differently, and the confidence to act on it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Aren’t A3 devices more profitable than A4?
On a per-unit basis, A3 devices often generate higher revenue and can achieve stronger margins. But as Earl points out, that comparison changes significantly when you’re placing multiple A4 devices within a single account. Three, four, or five A4 placements capturing all a customer’s click volume can match or exceed the revenue and margin of a single A3 placement, while also giving you a deeper, more defensible foothold in the account.
How does decentralizing print work in practice?
Instead of recommending a single high-volume device, the decentralized approach places smaller A4 devices at multiple points throughout an office environment, near workgroups, departments, or individual users. This reduces bottlenecks, improves uptime resilience, and, critically for dealers, captures a much larger share of the customer’s total print output. Every desktop printer you replace with a managed A4 device is a click rate you now own.
How is working with ISI different from going directly through a manufacturer?
Manufacturer relationships typically come with quota requirements and rebate structures that can subtly (or not so subtly) pressure dealers to push specific products regardless of customer fit. ISI operates without those strings, giving dealers the flexibility to build truly customer-centric solutions. For Earl, that freedom has been fundamental to the consultative, program-driven approach that sets Elite Document Solutions apart in a crowded market.
Ready to Rethink Your A4 Strategy?
If Earl Everson’s story resonates with you, ISI is ready to help you build a go-to-market approach that goes beyond the box. Whether you’re just starting to explore A4 opportunities or looking to sharpen a strategy that’s already working, the team at Impression Solutions has the products, the programs, and the dealer-first mindset to help you win more business.
To learn more get in touch with the ISI team today.
Want the full story? Watch Earl’s complete testimonial here:
About ISI
Impression Solutions Inc. is a value-add, full-service distributor of printing and imaging solutions. ISI offers their dealers, resellers and their end users unparalleled service and support as an OEM full line authorized distributor of Kyocera monochrome and color printers, MFPs, Wide Format Printers, printer accessories, printer supplies and customized printing solutions. Recent launches include Virtual Inventory Services and IS Docs, a turnkey Document Management program for Imaging Dealers to grow their monthly recurring revenues (MRR). ISI maintains a full inventory of over 2,200 SKUs of printer products ready for same-day shipment from their 35,000 square feet of warehousing space in 5 distribution centers from coast to coast.
