Many people come to our used Austin copiers website to save money. Some people also have IT tell them what companies to do business with which is usually a company they are familiar with. There is a downside to that though and here it is.
Here is the basis for most IT recommendations. IT person joins a leads group such as BNI in order to find some more business. Copier sales rep joins a leads group for a similar reason. They eventually meet and decide to start sending business to each other. They may even pay each other finders fees. They continue to go to leads club meetings and develop a good working relationship and send each other business.
Sounds pretty innocent doesn’t it? Well, let me give you a real life example of this with Austin used copiers and you decide. I’m talking to a company about a copier and proposing what they want in their price range. Things go well but they make it clear that they aren’t leasing anything until their IT person blesses it. I didn’t know how to tell her that her IT person always recommends the same dealership regardless of what her copier needs are. Secondly, the copier dealership he was recommending was one of the most expensive in Austin.
I didn’t say anything to the prospect about any of this. First of all, it would have been unprofessional. Secondly, it was clear to me that my opinion wasn’t on par with the IT person’s opinion so why bother. I think you can see how his recommendation was based on a friendship more so than what this company needed in the way of a copier.
I’m not saying to not involve IT in the used copier austin decision. However, IT’s role should be limited to his expertise of how is the copier going to print and scan with the existing network. This was a small cottage business that worked out of the home. They leased a copier for a really high price which was way above our price. In other words they got a Mercedes when all they needed was a Volkswagen Passat.
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