The only thing most consumers look at is how fast/powerful/how much memory their machine has.
That's a very small segment of the market, and has gotten smaller in proportion to shrinking asset account values and layoffs.
From a business standpoint, procurement officers probably also realize the points you have made. But I can speak candidly about the knowledge base of my managers when I say they are all feeling "powered down" when competitive salespeople show up with flashier laptops for presentations. Says something about your business when you show up with a 3 year old box and your competitor has a sleek new one.
It's all about budgets. Most companies have tightened down considerably, and a "sleek" new machine is not in there right now. There are a lot more important things to spend money on. If your customers are deciding to buy your competitors products because their salesforce is showing up with sleek new machines, it's time to take a closer look at your products (and maybe your salesforce). For all the sales calls I've been on, the age of the system being used for a demo has never, ever, ever been an issue. (and p.s., within 3 months, any laptop given to a travelling salesperson looks pretty beaten up)
Thing is, I've not only had CPU problems, but memory problems as well.
You should check with your IT department. If everyone is having those problems, then maybe they should find a new vendor. If it's only you, then maybe they should take yours away. <G>
Dave |
