Successful Selling of Capital Equipment

There are hundreds of thousands of items that can be and are purchased online every day. The seller is not even required to see or speak with the buyer. The item is posted on a website with a description, price and availability. The buyer chooses the item, gives their payment information and the item is shipped to them. All done simply and easily.

Capital equipment sales are a whole other story. These are larger and more expensive. The items must fulfill specific needs for the buyer. They often have unique requirements as well. The buyer needs to feel that the goods they are purchasing will meet all their requirements and expectations and that the seller will be there to help them through the entire process of research, procurement, installation and startup. There must be a strong level of trust and a ‘partnership’ formed between the seller and the purchaser. This cannot be done over the internet or even over the phone.

A successful capital equipment salesperson must meet with their prospective customer face-to-face. They need to discuss the project in detail and both must completely understand the other. There can be no ‘I think this will work’. It must be ‘This is exactly what you need.’ Successful selling of capital equipment is all about relationships and partnering. Know who your customers are, learn about their needs and challenges, and partner with them in making their business the best it can be. Only then, will the salesperson’s business also become a success.

The author, Marge Bonura, is the Director of Sales & Marketing for New England Machinery, Inc. (NEM). NEM is a leading packaging machinery manufacturer of bottle unscramblers, cappers, orienters, retorquers, lidders, pluggers, pump sorter/placers, scoop feeders, hopper elevators and much more. The company has been in business since 1974 selling to the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, chemical, household products, automotive and other industries. For more information on NEM, visit their website at www.neminc.com.