The above title was a talk track we had in the car today while we were traveling from account to account. Our topic was about how can we get some of these 5 year old plus MPFs out of the field. Let's face it, the feature set of most copiers today has not changed in the five years except for some cloud functionality.
For me one of the difference makers from copier to copier has been the print drivers. Alas Microsoft will kill off third party print drivers on 2027.
Thus the question becomes what will make the client trade in/upgrade that 5 year old clunker that has outdated security software?
One of my talk tracks is to tell the story of firmware in our industry. I'll lead off with explaining what firmware is an what is does.
I relate this to your existing smartphone and ask if they receive notices from Andriod OS or iOS to update their software. Keep in mind that at least with iOS they are not changing the firmware but updating the software. Those updates can help protect your smart device against malicious threats.
Updating the copier software (new intelligent copiers) and security settings is now something the client can access for download and install. Thus keeping your device up to date with the latest versions.
Tell the Story
It's also great to tell the story of how copier companies used to update firmware. The old story of "if it ain't broke don't fix it" was prevalent in our industry for many years. In the past firmware had to be installed by a technician. Of course sending a tech on site for a firmware update meant there was an additional cost to the copier dealer. Thus most firmware was not updated until their was an issue with the copier. Thus there are many copiers that have not had their firmware updated in years.
The latest state of the art MFP technology allows for auto updates that will help protect the client and keep the devices up to date. Do you want an unprotected MFP in your office and on your network?
Hedge against Inflation
Lease prices are going through the roof. We are now seeing the highest lease rates in 20 plus years. Back in the early eighties, the lease rate for 60 FMV month lease would be around .0272.
Putting off the upgrade of that 5 year old plus copier or clunker will only cost your client more money. The time is now to protect your profits with a lease.
I started in sales back in 1981. At that time we didn't have an FMV (Fair Market Value) lease, however the standard lease offered a $1.00 purchase option (finance lease) of a 10% purchase option. The talk track of using equipment leasing as a hedge against inflation was heavily used because interest rates were north of 18%.
Tell the Stories
Go deeper and wider with your clients, when they tell you they want to wait or hold off then you need to ask why? Many of those answers will lead to the objection. It's then our job to answer the objection. I'm hoping these two stories can help others. Always feel free to reach out to me if you would like to chat or have any questions.
-=Good Selling=-
