I don't plan to hide the fact that I'm a reseller, but I don't necessarily want to share which specific provider I am a reseller for as I don't want people going upstream and buying from them instead (That's how I found my current provider in fact). So my question for the more experienced resellers is - How do you respond when a potential customer asks you if you're a reseller, or who you're reselling through?

How do you respond without sounding defensive?

This comes back to the proverbial, "if you offer reseller accounts you should not IMO offer "shared" ", at least under the same name. You should not be competeing with your clients.

We domain proxy and alias our ip's even, but if they want to find out they will. And unless the company owns their "pipes"; then we are all really just reselling something, i.e. colo, dedicated, BW, Cage space, etc..

Service is what seperates most, although it seems the first thing they look for is saving $$.

When I was a reseller I used to answer this question like this:

Are you a resller and if so for who?

Yes, we are resellers, However I cannot disclose who our source is for both professional and legal reasons.

Telling the truth is good but it is really not any of their business who your source is. If they really want to find out, they will but that is like asking the guy on the street corner who is selling Ipods for $40.00 where he buys them from. he would be crazy to tell you who his source was(at that price probably stolen) but you get my idea here.

Honesty is the best policy. Having said that, you don't have to disclose all the details. You can tell them that some of your services are resold, and let them know where the data center is and provide the DC highlights. Also emphasize your company strengths. I would tell them that you don't discuss the details of you upstream providers. Many hosts will state that they are financially solvent. That doesn't mean that they will open up their books to you or discuss their relationships with their vendors.

I would guess that if someone cares whether or not you're a reseller is probably looking to host with someone else. The particular reseller provider would be irrelevant. The average hosting customer is not even aware of the existence of resellers. If they have done a reverse dns lookup they already know and are just testing your honesty.

I used to disclose that I was a reseller, until I got my VPS. Heck, why not admit it? I would do it all the time!

"Yes, I'm a reseller." -- They can't find out from who.. God bless private name servers. ;)

Why people hide their reseller status ?

There are a lot of resellers who offers a more serious service than other who own a dedicated server :)

Originally posted by Klian
Why people hide their reseller status ?

There are a lot of resellers who offers a more serious service than other who own a dedicated server :)

Exactly what I was saying. The reason I admitted to it was for one simple reason. It allowed me to focus more on support, rather than being a full server admin. :)

you may need to explain the concept....

that you buy large bulk quantities of space, bandwidth, and/or support service, etc.

Just like other industries, these bulk buys are far more than your client would ever need or use, and in bulk, far more expensive than what they are paying, so everyone wins.

do they buy their cars, tvs, food, clothes, or other items direct from the manufacturer... they aren't set up to sell to individuals, and if they did, they would have to charge considerably more for it

if your customer deals in a more traditional business environment, hopefully this comparison helps them to really understand what a reseller is and how it isn't any different

Nothing wrong with being a reseller, when I was, I told my clients with pride, I was value adding and giving localised support. Nothing to be ashamed about.

I wouldn't openly tell everyone, but if they ask I would say yes. It's no big deal really because they get the benefit of what the legit webhost can give and cheaper prices right?

poorboy

(That's how I found my current provider in fact).

:stickout: I would be worry too if I done that! :)

i used to be and i never told my clients unless they asked

I don't go round shouting about it but if they ask I will say that I am a reseller and which data centre the server is located in. If they still want to find out it's not that hard for them. The other thing is I'm not in direct competion with my reseller because I don't mark up there monthly plans I offer small amounts of space for a yearly cost.

Jona

Originally posted by poorboy
I don't plan to hide the fact that I'm a reseller, but I don't necessarily want to share which specific provider I am a reseller for as I don't want people going upstream and buying from them instead (That's how I found my current provider in fact). So my question for the more experienced resellers is - How do you respond when a potential customer asks you if you're a reseller, or who you're reselling through?

How do you respond without sounding defensive?
I was once a reseller, when I started HTTPme. I used that reseller account as my source of supply, for my clients. As the business grew I leased my first ded server . . . . then 2nd, and then up to 28 servers.

I used to have some great text that explained that I was a reseller and had upstream suppliers, and my focus was to serve my clients, while their job was to keep the network/servers running smooth. I think I said that by using this method of supply, it frees up my time to totally focus on my client's needs with super fast and friendly support.

If I still had those few paragraphs, I'd post them here, as they really were good for explaining the upstream relationship I had etc. I remember allowing a bunch of other hosts in my situation using a reseller account as the source of their supply, to use similar text on their sites. It was most helpful in getting on the front foot with the dreaded, "are you a reseller" question. :)

BTW, no matter how far up the supply chain you go, there's still someone upstream and you're still basically reselling. I own my servers/switch/apc etc, but there's still my Cabinet/bandwidth provider above me, and above them is their supplier . . . :)

Originally posted by Aussie Bob
I used to have some great text that explained that I was a reseller and had upstream suppliers.....

Let me guess - did it have your cheesy photograph next to it? ;)

Originally posted by InSite
Let me guess - did it have your cheesy photograph next to it? ;)
Ohhhh!!!!! *crows ohh's*

Originally posted by InSite
Let me guess - did it have your cheesy photograph next to it? ;)
Yes, I am blessed to be incredibly handsome (and humble!), so I had to roll with that. :D

I've always had my photo on the site. I can't understand why you don't see more of it. It's a great sales tool, and helps folks understand that when they're on your site, they're not just interacting with code, they're interacting with a real person! :)