Building Credibility with the IT Department

My territory is not a geographical one, but I am assigned the responsibility to call on all users of IBM AS400 or S/390 systems and I can tell you IT people are the hardest to reach that my 25 + years of sales have ever seen. Any information you can provide would be much appreciated. This past summer Ricoh did a 1 day seminar on how to sell to the IT people and I wasn't able to attend. I will look forward to reading your article.

I try to get in using my existing contact. I also let IT people know that we service printers on-site and we have a fast response time.

IT people usually wait a week to get someone in or try fixing machine themselves and making it worse.

I then use the consultative approach. Soon after myself and my company earns their trust, an earned trust. The IT will test you on what you know. Also, I try to find an interesting fact that can help them in any way and IT people will listen once you have their attention.

Even though they seem to have unlimited money they also like saving money and spending it in other areas.

Oh yeah, make yourself accessable at all times via your cell phone.

I sell "down the street", anywhere from the small office to the local university.

Heres what I have noticed. Companies where there are 30 or less employees usually do not have an IT person on staff, they will "farm" the work out to a local vendor or give us the nod to hang a product on their network.

Companies where there are a 100 or less is a mixed bag. Sometimes IT is involved and on more occassions they are not invloved for the printing solution, the local manager or group manager will make the cost savings decesion and then alert IT that they need to get this equipment on the network and running. Most local managers or a group manager have some netword education and can follow you with your presentation.

When it comes to schools, local government, I'll have to say it is 50/50.

I have been selling connected products for the last 5 years and have probably had to speak to an IT person not more than twenty times. Over the last 5 years I have moved about 250 connected systems.

I believe IT is not in the spotlight like it once was a few years ago, most of my sales are to the local manager, group manager, or high ranking exec who controls the money and can decide when they need to save.

Hope this helps!

Art
Docusultant

IT staff have a major role in placement decisions here in the UK. At first - about 6/7 years ago they were all of the "If it isnt HP dont talk to me" school, and this continued until about 2/3 years ago.
In our neck of the woods in North East Scotland we are very involved in the oil industry, and we have noticed a considerable move towards IT managers with a financial head on their shoulders, allied with a working knowledge of how they can benefit from digital systems based on an integrated / consultation approach.
About 80% of our installations are connected with print and about 50% of them with scanning, and we are generally finding that we no longer have to sell the Digital Revolution idea as most - even non IT staff - are fully aware of the possibilties even if they havent yet made the leap.
We offer to do the IT work on behalf of the smaller companies, and assist the IT staff in the larger ones, although most are now getting the hang of what they should do, and dont make any where near the same of amount of mistakes that they used to.
Who says you cant teach an old IT-dog new tricks? And HP is only mentioned every 3 minutes now instead of every 30 seconds!

I work in rural communities in MN and am the IT for some of my customers. I have found that IT people I contact are simular to others in the fact that if you take the time and are intrested in them and ask knowledgible questions about what they do with a genuine concern for them it can be very rewarding. I have spent months in approach in some accounts and it has been well worth my efforts.
JG

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Originally posted by Mike:
Also, I try to find an interesting fact that can help them in any way and IT people will listen once you have their attention.

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Mike, can you give me an example of an interesting fact that you might share with an IT person to help him do his job better?

I seldom get to the close of a deal without I.T. becoming involved. However, it might happen more often if I allowed it. I hate to leave to chance I.T.'s reaction to a possible MFP on their network.

How much I.T. is involved seems to have alot to do with the size of the business. Small businesses might rely on our I.T. Dept for installation. With very large businesses, I.T. seems to do what they are told. It is the mid-sized businesses where I.T. people seem to have veto power over decisions.

IT PEOPLE are their own breed, thats for sure. I Think that they in some respects are just like anyone else that you may be used to dealing with. There is not one of them who are the same. Recently it seems as if heat may be coming down on them, atleast in my territory to gain control of printing related expenses with their networks. I wonder if this is the snowball effect from copier reps beating up CFO's and controllers or whomever about convergence technology.

Recently, in two different accounts, two different sizes. 1 has over 300 employees runs 7 days a week 24 hours a day, 356 days a year, They have very demanding needs, concerns, and want to gain much control over there network. I caught the IT Directors attention when I was in on a fax call. there was a room with 6 32ppm xerox printers pumping forests out. Once he told me what he thought his cpc was I told him with a little evaluation we could replace half of his equipment for a few mills more than he was spending for supplies only on XEROX Printers and add copiers, fax machines, and several high speed printers. Now, he has brough 5 other orginizations to the table that I didn't even know were related to him. A simple fax call is turing huge. Couldn't have done it with out IT

Another is about half the size and is interested in nothing but page coverage and some irrelevant factors. If I can i want to bypass this guy and go to the controller who has bought from me before.

I think at the end of the day a decision comes down to the fact that people do biz with people and we have an excellent product that can shine in any situation.