Company Culture, Technology, Great People, and Success

By Gregory Pings

“Being a Xerox partner, we not only sell technology, we also use it to enable us to be more efficient and take care of our customers.”

Jeff Horn
“Technology connects us. Makes it easier to do business across more locations. But … you have to keep it in its lane so that it won’t dominate your day.” – Jeff Horn, President and CEO, Benchmark Business Solutions

Jeff Horn is president and CEO of Benchmark Business Solutions, which sells printers and managed document solutions in west Texas and eastern New Mexico. In his words, he’s responsible for the success or failure of the company.

Horn ticks off the top three things that help Benchmark succeed:

Great people: “I’m surrounded by them.”

Technology: “You can’t work without it, so it must be up and going.”

Mission: “You’ve got to have everyone pulling the rope in the same direction. They have to believe in the mission and work together.”

But technology always seems to take over the conversation.

Horn’s personal use of technology runs the gamut – cell phone, tablet, video chats, Bluetooth, mobile printing and more. His personal mission is to keep his inbox messages under 30. “But you gotta know when the time it takes to craft a good email response would be better spent on a good telephone conversation.”

And time is a factor. Oftentimes we have to act before we are able to fully communicate.

“Culture comes in here,” Horn said. “Make time to talk with partners and staff, but balance that with the need to act. Your company culture comes into the decision on what, when and how much to communicate.”

Mobility and the new rules of work

Horn freely admits Benchmark’s workplace isn’t modern in terms of open floor plans. About half of his people are in offices, the rest are in cubicles or sales bull pens.

“Open spaces are not comfortable for people like me who are about to turn 40,” Horn noted. “But it doesn’t matter what I want. What matters is what’s most attractive to my workers. They grew up in this environment and it helps them be more productive.”

(The Modern Workplace series will be published each Friday on Xerox Connect. Subscribe to this blog so you won’t miss a thing, or retrieve your favorite Modern Workplace articles here.)

But his office is modern in terms of technology. The mobile and open-ended nature of work underpin the Xerox notion of “set the page free.” You can’t wall people off, and you must promote a collaborative culture, particularly for employees who travel. Since work is no longer a 12 x 12 space, so it is that “the page” is not necessarily a piece of paper. “The page” is your database, a phone call, instant message, email – whatever it is that keeps you connected to your work, your colleagues, your partners and (let’s face it) your family.

“Changes in technology are fast-paced, and it can be difficult to keep up,” Horn pointed out. “The upside is that technology connects us. Makes it easier to do business across more locations. But technology has to be managed. You have to keep it in its lane so that it won’t dominate your day.”

Benchmark has been named the number one Xerox sales agency in the country several times, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Blue Ribbon Award winner in 2013, 2014 and 2016. Clearly, Horn and his employees know what it takes to succeed when you sell (and use) technology.

Related Posts

4 Comments

  1. John Spruill, Xerox System Analyst July 29, 2017 -

    Thanks Gregory,

    Jeff get’s it, from Benchmark’s corporate mission to his personal views on the today’s mobility culture and the modern day workplace. His interpretation of “the page”, is well aligned with the daily reality of our customers experience: {“The page” is your database, a phone call, instant message, email – whatever it is that keeps you connected to your work, your colleagues, your partners and (let’s face it) your family.”}

    He brings it home when he states that “Technology Connects Us… But technology has to be managed. You have to keep it in its lane so that it won’t dominate your day.”

    There’s no surprise that Benchmark has been recognized as ‘the number one Xerox sales agency several times’ and received a plethora of awards and accolades for their smart work, hard work and contribution.

    Continued Success to Jeff Horn and Benchmark Business Solutions.

    John Spruill
    Xerox System Analyst

    • Gregory Pings July 31, 2017 -

      Glad you enjoyed the article, John. This article is part of series that I publish on Fridays, so keep your eyes on this space for more.
      Cheers,
      Greg

  2. yogesh July 29, 2017 -

    Hello sir
    I Handel Xerox 5755
    I updated software but machine no conectining
    Because DHCP error
    Sir how to remove this error plz suggestions

    • Gregory Pings July 31, 2017 -

      Yogesh:”
      Online Support can answer most service questions about our products. This link will take you to Xerox Support. (http://www.support.xerox.com/support/enus.html) Enter the model of your machine in the “Search or Choose” field. From the results page, select the “Support” link, then enter problem you’re trying to solve. Please let me know if this helps.
      Cheers,
      Greg

Comments are closed.