When you are in the process of your initial IT sales consultation, it is likely that you will be asked to take a look at something while you are there, For example, they may say, "We've been having a problem with this router. Could you just take a look at it please?"

Don't Risk Doing More Harm

What should you do? If it only takes a few minutes, what's the harm, right? Well, if you get started and you cant fix it five minutes, you'll get yourself in hot water. Theyre not even a paying client here and you are taking the risk of not being able to fix it quickly or doing further damage--neither of which will help you with IT sales.

Back Away from the computer

Be extremely cautious about sitting down at PCs or touching configurations with servers or laptops or PDAs or anything that could end up getting you in quicksand before there is a signed agreement for an IT audit. The key is to gain IT sales, not do free work.

Even when youre out doing the technology assessment, you need to be extremely careful to make sure that youre doing exploratory work thats very low-risk. You don't want to end up breaking something. You don't need a future client or prospect point the finger at you and saying, "Look, you broke it."

The Bottom Line about IT Sales

So, rather than take a look, you need to close the deal. You need to move them from free to fee.

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