Real-Life Communication
As a technical salesperson in the wood products industry, you must
know your product inside and out. You have to be able to communicate with
your clients and make them understand the need for a certain product, including
how it works and benefits their company.
"You also have to be prepared
to answer some tough questions, and make sure you give the right information,"
says salesperson Kelly DeMille.
One of her first clients was a small
pulp mill that needed to replace some equipment. The existing equipment was
so old that there were no new parts available to repair it, and it could become
unsafe.
The new equipment that you are trying to sell will require
fewer workers to operate, which may mean a loss of jobs.
Here's part
of a brochure you must show to the client. You must explain the benefits of
the new equipment, keeping in mind the need to replace the old machine.
Computerized
Electronic Split Saw, Manufactured 1991
Why repair, when you can
have a spare?
1) Cost of Repairs vs. New
The cost to
repair a split saw could range between $200 and $3,000, simply because the
machine cannot be replaced. Parts are no longer manufactured, so old ones
must be used. You may even need to replace the same part every one or two
years.
Instead, the computerized version costs $9,800.
2)
Saved Labor
Split saws manufactured before 1991 required manual
control and observation by up to four men, depending on the amount of timber
consumed by a plant in one working shift. With four shifts of six hours, that
meant 24 workers, in some cases.
The new computerized electronic split
saw requires just one controller. Though you may think that it is too expensive
to replace your old machine with an entirely new one, you will in fact save
money in the end.
3) Long-term repair
The computerized
saw has a warranty of three years, for all parts and labor. After that, parts
are readily available, new, and do not have to be specially made.
What
would you say to convince the client to buy new?