<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">One way we tried was to make a specific 'trial version' of the product.<div>The trial version is hobbled in some way which makes it unusable </div><div>for longterm use but still usable for evaluation.</div><div><br></div><div>In particular you want to make it _unsaleable_ to an end user.</div><div>'Trial Version' in big red letters on the case or startup screen is one</div><div>way to do that, or some sort of time limit on the functionality.</div><div><br></div><div>The other way to weed out non-serious people is to have</div><div>an official evaluation application form where they have to </div><div>state what their evaluation criteria will be - then at least </div><div>you know what they are looking for.</div><div><br></div><div>In the end however the best thing is to require an official </div><div>order form or deposit before you ship anything. You return</div><div>the deposit when they return the goods or when they buy.</div><div><br></div><div>Tim.</div><div><br></div><div><div><div>On 25 Oct 2008, at 02:39, Andy Spring wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div>Thanks my friends everyone, but sometimes, it is very diffcult to evaluate the cusotmers' status especially new customers.</div> <div> </div> <div>Anyway, we will have to try, I am really depressed by this problem.</div> <div> </div> <div>Thank you every one my friends again.<br><br></div> <div class="gmail_quote">2008/10/25 SIP <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:sip@arcdiv.com">sip@arcdiv.com</a>></span><br> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">A lot of people ask for free samples just to get free products. That's<br>an unfortunate, but common occurrence. However, some people ask for free<br> samples because they're in the market to buy, but with you overseas,<br>there's no where locally for them to look at the product or try it out<br>before they purchase. It could end up being wasted money for THEM.<br> <br>The compromise is difficult. First, you have to be good at judging your<br>customers' intentions. Is the person asking for a sample likely to<br>actually buy? What's the time table of a purchase if they're going to<br> make one? Do they have a budget already for whatever project they're<br>working on? Etc, etc. These are basic, and essential sales questions<br>that you should be asking any prospective customers. This will help you<br> a lot to determine whether or not a customer is serious.<br><br>Next, I don't think offering a free sample on a permanent basis is a<br>good thing. Cisco will routinely loan us hardware (sometimes long term)<br>when we need to evaluate a product in a testing environment. But at the<br> end of the day, it's just a loan. We either have to return it to them as<br>per a pre-specified agreement, or we'll be billed for it. With you being<br>overseas, collections might be difficult, but if you're careful, you can<br> minimise the potential losses.<br><br>However, there WILL be losses. As a hardware seller, you need to be<br>aware of that. You just have to do what you can to make them manageable.<br>Don't start off offering a loan of equipment until you get to know the<br> customer's needs better, so you can decide if they're worth the risk and<br>you can offer the RIGHT equipment.<br><br>You're going to have to get to know the customer a bit and actually<br>listen to what they have to say, though. You can't just try and sell<br> your products to anyone and everyone asking for anything VoIP-related.<br><br>Things you should know before even suggesting a loan:<br><br>1) What type of equipment is the customer interested in?<br>2) What's the project that the customer needs this equipment for?<br> 3) Is there any other equipment that the customer has been looking at<br>(i.e. who's your competition in the deal)?<br>4) What's the time-table for this project? Is it within the next few<br>months? Next six months? Within a year?<br> 5) Does the project already have a budget, or is this evaluation for a<br>proposal to GET a budget. If it's for a proposal, is there any<br>information you can help provide to distinguish yourself from the<br>competition?<br> 6) Is the customer you're talking to the decision-maker for this<br>project, or will you have to also convince someone higher up?<br><br>Get in the habit of getting to know the customers by name. Keep a good<br>contact database with information about your customers and their<br> businesses and projects. Follow up via phone when the time-table is<br>nearing completion, but do NOT call every week asking if anything has<br>changed.<br><br>A loan can go a long way toward helping someone better understand your<br> products and their strengths. It will also help the customer feel as<br>though you're serious about getting their business. But as a loan,<br>there's an understanding that if things don't work out, it will be<br> returned (this isn't always the case, of course, but you hope for honesty).<br><br><br>N.<br> <div> <div></div> <div class="Wj3C7c"><br><br><br><br>Andy Spring wrote:<br>> Hello everyone friends,<br>><br>> As a chinese supplier, we often meet this kind of status, so many<br>> foreign cusotmers ask for free samples from us,<br> > but the sample is also high value not only several dollars, even if it<br>> worth several dollars, if so many customers ask<br>> for free samples, we also can not afford them.<br>><br>> By this status, should we send the free samples to our customers? if<br> > you, how will you do? if not send them free samples<br>> maybe we will lose customers. In fact, the cost of sample is hihger<br>> then unit goods for bulk order.<br>> We have also some policy about the sample, like charger higher price<br> > for sample(s) and when our customers (especially new customers)<br>> place bulk order, we will return the sample cost to them, but even by<br>> this way, they still do not want to pay for the sample price,<br>> what could we do, do you have any better advice.<br> ><br>> Thank you very much, my friends here everyone!<br>><br>> Best regards<br>><br>> --<br>> andy<br></div></div>> <a href="mailto:andyspr@gmail.com">andyspr@gmail.com</a> <mailto:<a href="mailto:andyspr@gmail.com">andyspr@gmail.com</a>><br> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------<br>><br>> _______________________________________________<br>> --Bandwidth and Colocation Provided by <a href="http://www.api-digital.com--/" target="_blank">http://www.api-digital.com--</a><br> ><br>> asterisk-biz mailing list<br>> To UNSUBSCRIBE or update options visit:<br>> <a href="http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-biz" target="_blank">http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-biz</a><br> <br><br>_______________________________________________<br>--Bandwidth and Colocation Provided by <a href="http://www.api-digital.com--/" target="_blank">http://www.api-digital.com--</a><br><br>asterisk-biz mailing list<br> To UNSUBSCRIBE or update options visit:<br> <a href="http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-biz" target="_blank">http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-biz</a><br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"> <br>-- <br>andy<br><a href="mailto:andyspr@gmail.com">andyspr@gmail.com</a><br> _______________________________________________<br>--Bandwidth and Colocation Provided by <a href="http://www.api-digital.com">http://www.api-digital.com</a>--<br><br>asterisk-biz mailing list<br>To UNSUBSCRIBE or update options visit:<br> <a href="http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-biz">http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-biz</a></blockquote></div><br></div></body></html>