enx magazine

Have you ever had a situation where someone was interested in buying your remanufactured cartridges and then your prospect’s I.T. person blocks the sale? If this has happened to you, you are not alone.

A few months ago there were some very interesting questions and comments about this challenge on the Marketing Board at www.ImagerZone.com. They caught my attention for two reasons:

     1. The subject: I.T. people who object to buying remanufactured
          cartridges (a very common situation), and

     2. This industry is made up of some very knowledgeable people, and
          many take the time to help others and offer useful advice.

Following are some of the posts on this subject.

The Problem: I.T. People Blocking Sales
From Amy in Indiana

“How on earth does everybody who sells remanufactured cartridges deal with those IT people who insist and tell their managers that remanufactured cartridges will make their printers dirtier, shorten the life of their printers, etc. This of course scares the managers into believing it even though they seem receptive to the savings and benefits of our cartridges.

“I even came across one that insisted that ever since she was ‘H.P. Certified’ she knew this and will only use OEM in her printers. The problem is of course, her manager is listening to this bunk. Any ideas on how to sway these IT people, because they seem to be a tough crowd, and I seem to be coming across these attitudes more and more from this group... Any ideas from anyone who has had this same obstacle on the sales front would be appreciated.”

Posted Responses: Agree and Differentiate

From Ian in Alberta

“I get this type of response a lot. The approach I have taken that has been most effective is to agree with them.

“Yes there are companies out there who will sell you poor quality remanufactured products. Yes, a poor quality product can damage your printer. No, H.P. will not warranty damage caused by a faulty remanufactured cartridge.

“But you see, WE are different. We do X Y and Z to ensure the highest product quality, We are so sure of our product that we will warranty any issue that our product causes.”
“Sounds obvious, but there are companies out there selling poor quality products, and there is no point taking the heat for them. Just be sure to strongly differentiate between those vendors and yourself, and offer a product guarantee. The techies may not be swayed, but the manager that needs to save budget dollars will usually be willing to give it a shot.”

Industry Associations

From Chip in Washington, D.C.

“1. We provide the results of cartridge testing at R.I.T. which shows how well our cartridges print and that they do no damage to printers. (R.I.T. is the Rochester Institute of Technology. It is the facility in Rochester NY that is doing the Standardized testing. Web site address: http://www.rit.edu )

“Submit your cartridges and earn the report!

“2. We provide reports from trusted sources such as the Office of the Federal Government Executive that state that remanufactured cartridges can perform as well as OEM's and do no damage.

“You can download and print the report of this Federal agency by going to the
I-ITC consumer information site at http://www.consumerchoice.info

“You can join the I-ITC and have access to more in the "Members Only" section of the
I-ITC web-site. http://www.i-itc.org “

Build Long Term Business Relations

From Rob S. in the State of Washington

“The IT tech . . .can be your best friend and best sales tool. If you prove - as I have - through repair of his printers you can be trusted, the IT tech will be more open to try remanufactured cartridges.

“What is it that OEM's have that we don't? A name that is trusted! My customers know my name goes with every cartridge. Which means I will back it up. But I don't sell for short-term profit. I build long-term business relations.”

Understand Their Situation
From Gus Wu in California

Of all our customers, the IT people stand on top of my favorite list. I believe Rob S. has the keys in dealing with the IT people, i.e. (1) Trust, (2) Build long term business relations. I would also add (3) Understand the internal business cultural dynamics the IT people are subject to. Let me explain:

“(1) Trust. We all know we would basically buy from people whom we like and trust. The IT people are trained to apply logic and technical analyses. Gain their trust via your technical knowledge and skills. Fast talking, and song-and-dance types usually do not convince the IT people.

“(2) Long term business relations. At times, it may appear all the IT people do is ask information from you. Be patient, it is their way of building/seeking trust in you. Be glad that they want to contact you. Make sure your answers are factual, technically correct and helpful to resolve their problems. This would have a positive impression on them.

“(3) Internal business dynamics. Look at things from their perspective. If I were an IT tech (engineer, or manager), it is always safe for me to recommend using only HP supplies on HP machines. If the HP cartridge failed, no one in my company would blame me. It was HP's quality control problem. However, if I recommended an XYZ reman cartridge for use in the company's HP machine, when the XYZ cartridge failed I would be the bad guy. I had caused inconvenience to all my colleagues in the department. I would be looked at as an IT Tech lacking technical expertise among my peers. Even if I was convinced that the XYZ reman cartridge was as good as HP's, I would still be hesitant in pushing the XYZ product. I would need more before sticking my neck out for the XYZ product. The salesperson dealing with me needs to understand my business environment.”

A Powerful Sales Tool

My advice on this subject is to use testimonial letters from your customers who buy – and are happy with - your remanufactured cartridges. Using the customer's name and company name is powerful. Testimonials are a great selling tool, especially when selling remanufactured cartridges, which many consumers still regard as risky

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