Selling Copiers "When is a New Account Not a New Account"

Tis the question!

It's been bugging me for a while and just thought I'd throw it out there for the masses.  How does you company clarify what is new account and what's not?

Here's some emails that I've received from other reps over the last few months.

"Our company sold them some hardware about 8 years ago, after the 36 month lease expired we lost the business and the account went elsewhere.  I was just able to place a small MFP in the account again (hopefully bigger things will come of it), however my company stated that this was not a new account, since they were on the books EIGHT years ago!!    Why is that?"  Lansing, Michigan

"I'm closing to getting the deal for Print Production System for this account, years ago they had a wide format system from us.  They moved, did not have the need for wide format anymore, after the lease they returned the equipment.  Today they have Xerox Production Color and a Canon Production System.  We have no clicks in this account and no traction with Print Production.  Why is this not a NEW account" Boca Raton, Florida

"Dam..........we've got this account that has 28 printers from us and NO copiers/MFP's.  They had 45 copiers from Kyocera until I upgraded them.  I went back to the office with order in hand and was ecstatic that I had pulled in a new account, to me it was a new account because they did not have one copier/MFP from us before.  WTF, why does this not count"   Boston, Mass


I'm in the field just like everyone else.  I understand that NEW business is the way to grow the business.  Going around upgrading existing accounts is not the way to GROW the business.  But, in the cases mentioned above, THEY ARE ALL NEW BUSINESS well at least they are to me!

So, the salesperson in Boston generated 45 new placements of copiers, but just because they had traction with printers it doesn't count for new business?  What about the wide format in Boca, dam it was gone years ago and this company had to no traction in Print Production. 

New business should mean we've generated additional revenue that we did not have from an existing account, hey you put us on the map in that account and that was a great job.  Of course new business is also a place where you have never had a placement of hardware.  Many years ago I was refused a new account status because the customer was getting service from us however they never purchased copiers until  I sold them one, and then there was another where the company was buying toner cartridges for their laser printer.  Yup, I sold em a big fancy color system and it didn't count.

Sales are what you make of it.....sometimes the BS needs to stop and each account should be reviewed on a case by case basis.  Did we expand out exposure, did we gain additional placements, what did we have before.  Just because you never did business with them before is the not the only reason the account should be classified as NEW!

=Good Selling=-