Find your way to the finance director's heart

Sean Williams looks at the variety of financial options that are available to help resellers close a deal and achieve better margins.

You're getting on well with the IT buyer and you're looking forward to the customer signing your contract.

But, to your dismay, you suddenly find that the finance department has blocked the deal. Ask yourself: did you ignore the needs of the budget holder?

Those in the know in the reseller community have been turning to leasing to allow cash-strapped customers to obtain products they otherwise couldn't afford.

But whereas in the US third-party finance is commonplace, many UK resellers have overlooked such options.

Many of the tier-one vendors are starting to offer leasing as one option that can help ease the upfront financial burden. But there are also many independent companies that can offer resellers similar services.

Many hardware manufacturers, software authors and large service providers have been developing their leasing divisions.

Some of the biggest and most successful IT companies also have a captive leasing arm, often developing products that encourage customers to stay loyal to their brand.

The 'Big Deal' usually comes from a customer that has access to funding, including cash, bank loans and various lease offerings.

These firms often enter into a more complex deal that takes longer to close but has more value, and the finance director has as much say as the IT director.

Even when they are able to afford a project and can raise the cash for it, many customers have budget constraints.

A different project may push a certain department's bid down the company's queue.

The company may be looking for a return on investment within 12 months when an outright purchase will give a return over a longer period.

There may be concerns about cashflow. The customer may be worried about needing to upgrade systems during the depreciation period.

It might want a service contract when you want to book a sale.

A well-structured finance proposal can help a reseller to overcome many of these obstacles.

The best way is for the reseller to involve its leasing partner as early as possible in the sales cycle and ensure that a dialogue is opened with the customer's finance and operational decision-makers.

A good leasing company will have a team of structured-finance specialists who can help a reseller.

vnunet.com's sister publication Computer Reseller News has identified that leasing can help resellers close deals and help to manage reseller finance.

To this end it is offering leasing services online, at www.crnservices.co.uk.

Sean Williams is chief executive of Syscap.