Carlton’s Successful Reseller Secret # 6
Purchasing Criteria
By. J. Carlton Collins, CPA

The information presented below can help you close the deal, especially if you are a larger reseller. The data shows the results of a survey conducted by Deloitte Touche in which purchasers of accounting software rated their purchasing criteria the first time and second time they bought an accounting system. As you can see below, the criteria changed from price and ease on the first go around to reseller and support the second time.

Criteria For First Time Purchasers

1       Price of software

2       Ease of implementation of new system

3       Ease of use

4       Software’s ability to fit the business

5       Functionality of software

6       Software works with existing hardware

7       Growth potential of the software

8       Level of support from local partner

9       Quality of documentation

10     Vendor’s track record of performance  

Criteria For Second Time Purchasers

1       (8)        Level of support from local partner

2       (10)      Vendor’s track record of performance

3       (4)        Software’s ability to fit the business

4       (7)        Growth potential of the software

5       (1)        Price of software

6       (9)        Quality of documentation

7       (5)        Functionality of software

8       (3)        Ease of use

9       (2)        Ease of implementation of new system

10     (6)        Software works with existing hardware