[asterisk-biz] Why so many international customers ask for free samples

[SIP]

A lot of people ask for free samples just to get free products. That's 
an unfortunate, but common occurrence. However, some people ask for free 
samples because they're in the market to buy, but with you overseas, 
there's no where locally for them to look at the product or try it out 
before they purchase. It could end up being wasted money for THEM.

The compromise is difficult. First, you have to be good at judging your 
customers' intentions. Is the person asking for a sample likely to 
actually buy? What's the time table of a purchase if they're going to 
make one? Do they have a budget already for whatever project they're 
working on? Etc, etc. These are basic, and essential sales questions 
that you should be asking any prospective customers. This will help you 
a lot to determine whether or not a customer is serious.

Next, I don't think offering a free sample on a permanent basis is a 
good thing. Cisco will routinely loan us hardware (sometimes long term) 
when we need to evaluate a product in a testing environment. But at the 
end of the day, it's just a loan. We either have to return it to them as 
per a pre-specified agreement, or we'll be billed for it. With you being 
overseas, collections might be difficult, but if you're careful, you can 
minimise the potential losses.

However, there WILL be losses. As a hardware seller, you need to be 
aware of that. You just have to do what you can to make them manageable. 
Don't start off offering a loan of equipment until you get to know the 
customer's needs better, so you can decide if they're worth the risk and 
you can offer the RIGHT equipment.

You're going to have to get to know the customer a bit and actually 
listen to what they have to say, though. You can't just try and sell 
your products to anyone and everyone asking for anything VoIP-related.

Things you should know before even suggesting a loan:

1) What type of equipment is the customer interested in?
2) What's the project that the customer needs this equipment for?
3) Is there any other equipment that the customer has been looking at 
(i.e. who's your competition in the deal)?
4) What's the time-table for this project? Is it within the next few 
months? Next six months? Within a year?
5) Does the project already have a budget, or is this evaluation for a 
proposal to GET a budget. If it's for a proposal, is there any 
information you can help provide to distinguish yourself from the 
competition?
6) Is the customer you're talking to the decision-maker for this 
project, or will you have to also convince someone higher up?

Get in the habit of getting to know the customers by name. Keep a good 
contact database with information about your customers and their 
businesses and projects.  Follow up via phone when the time-table is 
nearing completion, but do NOT call every week asking if anything has 
changed.

A loan can go a long way toward helping someone better understand your 
products and their strengths. It will also help the customer feel as 
though you're serious about getting their business. But as a loan, 
there's an understanding that if things don't work out, it will be 
returned (this isn't always the case, of course, but you hope for honesty).


N.




Andy Spring wrote:
> Hello everyone friends,
>  
> As a chinese supplier, we often meet this kind of status, so many 
> foreign cusotmers ask for free samples from us,
> but the sample is also high value not only several dollars, even if it 
> worth several dollars, if so many customers ask
> for free samples, we also can not afford them.
>  
> By this status, should we send the free samples to our customers? if 
> you, how will you do? if not send them free samples
> maybe we will lose customers. In fact, the cost of sample is hihger 
> then unit goods for bulk order.
> We have also some policy about the sample, like charger higher price 
> for sample(s) and when our customers (especially new customers)
> place bulk order, we will return the sample cost to them, but even by 
> this way, they still do not want to pay for the sample price,
> what could we do, do you have any better advice.
>  
> Thank you very much, my friends here everyone!
>  
> Best regards
>
> -- 
> andy
> andyspr at gmail.com <mailto:andyspr at gmail.com>
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