追求更高的电话
伯纳德·麦考伊（Bernard McCoy）2003年的第一天开始于凌晨3:30开始，快速检查了他的电子邮件。但是在他可以回复有关他不断增长的在线业务的信息之前，伯纳德神父在接下来的五个小时里与他的僧侣一起在威斯康星州的西斯多尔修道院里唱着格里高利的圣歌。僧侣开设了一个出售印刷和成像用品的网站Lasermonks.com，该网站是在伯纳德神父谈判通过修道院出售的商品的折扣（从30％到60％）创立的。Laser Monks.com现在的年销售额约为500,000美元，并预计将在2004年三倍。
From Bernard’s original entry:
告诉我们您的工作（或团队或组织的工作）以及您面临的具体挑战。
西斯多尔修道院（Cistercian Abbey）藏在威斯康星州起伏的山丘上的500英亩土地上，是一小群沉思的僧侣的家园。这些绅士以典型的和尚的方式度过了时光，在格里高利的颂歌，精神研究，私人祈祷和……e-commerce上？是的，这些前卫的僧侣每天花几个小时运行Lasermonks，这是一家在线销售折扣印刷和成像用品的公司www.lasermonks.com。在美国，大多数人都没有意识到修道院必须自给自足。通过工作，他们将食物放在桌子上，支付运营费用，然后将其余的捐赠给慈善机构。
过去，临时事务的修道院管理员伯纳德·麦考伊神父说，僧侣们支持修道院和良好的著作，从卖奶酪礼品盒，农业和房地产开发，甚至考虑养育狗屎蘑菇，建造四个四人星级高尔夫球场。那么，为什么不出售印刷和成像用品呢？国家办公室供应连锁店（例如Staples，OfficeMax和Office Depot）是打印机墨盒和复印机碳粉的热门来源，但客户在购买零售时要进行大量标记。许多企业，尤其是大型公司，都没有意识到其预算中有很大一部分用于这些用品。
What was your moment of truth?
以某种方式将沉思的祈祷与现代办公产品的混合混乱，但对伯纳德神父而言，这种联系是完全合乎逻辑的。他的修道院需要一些碳粉。同时，他正在调查支持修道院的新方法。这让他感到震惊，黑尘和一些喷墨的墨水有多昂贵。然而，每个企业和几乎美国的每个房屋都有打印机。他们都需要墨水和碳粉。当他调查了该行业并发现了原始设备制造商（OEM）的令人难以置信的标记时，他很兴奋地思考他们可以节省企业，教堂，学校和非营利组织的钱 - 此外还将食物放在桌子上和桌子上通过慈善事业许多其他人！真是个好主意。Lasermonks出生了。 Father Bernard negotiated incredible deals with several major manufacturers, who were all very enthusiastic about working with LaserMonks. After all, the monks’ image of quality, trustworthiness, and a 900-year tradition of excellence would go a long way in today’s business market. Additionally, LaserMonks would offer remanufactured products that are good for the environment, since good stewardship of natural resources has always been a priority for monks.
结果是什么？
LaserMonks launched its e-commerce site, LaserMonks.com, selling high quality, 100% guaranteed products. The site went from selling $2,000 in its first year of operation to over half a million dollars for 2003. The monks hope to triple their revenue next year, as well as expand their offerings to other necessary consumables. Businesses, schools, churches, and non-profits now have a cost-effective alternative to national office supply retailers. And LaserMonks is already providing funding for charitable works including shelters for the poor, abused women and children, and even providing computer training to orphans in Vietnam. Monks who save you money on quality products, pray for the world, and help those in need–it’s a win-win-win situation any way you look at it! And better yet, the LaserMonks really do care about their customers, appreciating every individual that crosses their path (or IP portal). They not only offer customers great prices, and caring customer service that comes from a 900-year tradition of hospitality, but the benefit of knowing they are helping others through the monks’ charitable works. LaserMonks has turned impersonal e-commerce and the Internet into a truly “human” experience in the best sense of the word.