Tips to handle those difficult callers

It’s a classic love-hate relationship: the IT help desk and the end user. Without IT, end users wouldn’t have the technology in place to do their jobs; but without end users, IT wouldn’t have a job. It’s a twisted symbiosis; one that’s made more distinctive by a sharp cultural divide and near-polar agendas.

How to win an argument by email

American proverb goes, “The more arguments you win, the fewer friends you have.” Well, possibly – but
the fact remains that in business you are going to have arguments sometimes, and you are going to try to win them. However, as long as you stick to a few golden rules, you should be able to keep the process friendly.

Of course, resolving disagreements in writing is clearly not the ideal way to do it; it’s always better to talk face to face or pick up the phone. But in our increasingly interconnected world, much of our communication naturally happens in written form, via letters, emails and instant messaging. And when you’re trying to make a point in writing, without the

New HP Color Printers to Make Pro Prints In-House

HP introduced three new LaserJet Pro and multi-function printers (MFPs) today that make it easier for small and midsize businesses to produce extremely high-quality color documents and marketing materials without the need for external vendors – and without sacrificing print speed. Sounds pretty great, right?

The new HP LaserJet Pro 400 color M451 delivers both speed and color vibrancy for businesses and is perfect for printing professional-quality collateral (think promotional flyers, invites, invoices, etc.) at

The (New) Skills You Need to Succeed in Sales

by Lynette Ryals and Javier Marcos 

Seven Ways to Improve Your Email Response

Here are seven suggestions to help you craft more effective email campaigns and get better response rates.

1. Subject LineFirst impressions are critical in any form of communication. When people receive an email, the first thing they see is the subject line,

Selling Starts with Understanding the Buying Process

Sales processes usually are linear representations of a sequence of activities a salesperson has to follow in order to be successful. While the sales process might provide guidance to the salesperson, it’s inadequate for monitoring the progress of a potential deal. In the end, it does not matter what the salesperson has done; buying happens when the customer has reached a certain state of mind.

So we have to take the customer’s buying process into consideration. Most descriptions of buying processes focus on activities from the customer’s point of view. Understanding what the customer is thinking with respect to a potential purchase is what really matters. Considering the buying process as a type of change-management process has inspired the following simple, cyclical, four-stage model.

Fact or Fiction - Saving on Printing Costs

There’s a lot that goes on between clicking “print” and holding your high-quality printed page. Today, HP Supplies Guys Thom Brown and Michael Borg take us under the hood of the printer to show how ink, toner and paper work with the printer to create good-looking, long-lasting prints.

People always ask me about the best ways to save on printing costs like ink and paper. Well, there are many simple things you can do to get the most value out of your HP printing system, so today I want to share with you the truth on some popular tips and tricks that will and won’t help you to save money on supplies.

Networking a Printer: It’s Easier than You Think

I remember when having your own printer on your own desk wasn’t just a status symbol, it was a necessity. The reason was printers didn’t communicate with other printers at that time, never mind other computers. Like many former necessities, however, the need for dedicatedprinters has all but disappeared and in a way makes it easier to manage and customize to your needs rather than technical specifications.

Most of the advances in printing technology directly benefit smaller companies because they make

HP explains why printer ink is so expensive

There's a perception that ink is one of the most expensive substances in the world," says Thom Brown, marketing manager at HP.

Plan Your Sales Call Strategy

   

It's the question that goes through the mind of a salesperson during every call: How is the target reacting to my pitch?