With net new customers that have never leased a copier this is probably the top question that gets posed to me each and every month. There are many advantages to leasing, you can go check out my recent blog “10 or More Reasons of Why to Lease Copiers & Printers“, but before you click that link read more about my number one reason why you should not buy a copier.
Trapped in Technology: I refer to this phrase all of the time when I’m posed with the question about leasing or buying a copier.
Let’s say you’ve decided you’re going to the purchase that beautiful new copier with all the advanced technology that will help improve productivity and lower costs. Let’s say that the cost for the new system is $15,000, and you shell out the dough because you can afford it, you may need the write off, or you just don’t want the payments. Thus you’re the proud new owner of that really awesome system.
Fast forward to the future to almost three years, and you find that your company has grown in staff, and you’re using the copier much more than anticipated for scanning, printing, and copying. With the expanded use the system now requires additional service calls each month, your maintenance and supplies costs have risen, and your productivity is suffering because the system is down more frequently for general maintenance and service issues.
You know you need something new, however your last thought is that you just paid $15,000 for the system a mere three years ago. You’ve been approached by numerous sales people and all are telling you that you need to fork out another $15,000. In a matter of 36 months you’re going to spend $30,000 dollars.
There are some additional features on the new system that will increase productivity and lower maintenance and supply costs, but not enough to make you pull the trigger on another $15,000 purchase. Thus you are “trapped in technology,” because you decided to purchase the system three years ago and can’t see the ROI to spend another $15,000. Now you’ll continue to limp along with the old system, deal with the breakdowns, deal with the questions of why or when can to get a new copier, and questions that maybe mumbled by your staff questioning the financial resources of the company.
Bad scenario above right? You betcha.
Consider the same scenario above but you leased the system for 36 months and you have a lease payment of $418 per month. You’re then approached with a scenario like this. The cost to upgrade your present system is less or the same as your current lease payment. In most cases it may be less and most likely your maintenance and supply costs will be less along with some new features that will save additional time when processing or printing documents. In this case you have an immediate ROI and it’s a no brainer to pull the trigger for a new copier lease.
Think of a copier lease more like renting, you don’t want to own the SOB; technology changes so quickly, every 18 months or less manufacturers are refreshing the systems with new features, lower cost factors and improved reliability.
Good selling.
