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equipment would be happy to know
that too.
An arrangement like this can help
you in several ways. Firstly, you can
make a few extra bucks and as you
begin bird dogging these sales, your
regular tool customers will begin to
look upon you as not just a tool salesperson
but also as an industry expert.
Anytime you can present yourself as
an overall industry expert you become
move valued as someone people will
want to do business with.
If you are one of the totally independent
mobile jobbers I mentioned
earlier, you may be able to secure some
OEM capital equipment lines to sell
in your territory. This is possible as a
manufacturer's representative sub-rep
or an actual salesperson for the manufacturer.
Just be sure you understand
what will be expected of you and how
you will be paid. Remembering that
your tools and equipment business is
your primary income maker, so you
don't want to lose sight of that. Selling
capital equipment is somewhat
different than selling tools and
equipment to working technicians.
The profit margins are lower than
your normal ones but the dollar volume
is much higher so the money can
be excellent.
As you are setting up your presentation,
be very sure that you are
speaking to the decision maker. A
shop foreman at a dealership certainly
has an influence on a purchase
but the general manager, or maybe
even the owner, makes those decisions.
An easy way to insure you are
presenting to the decision maker is
to ask your contact this question. " Is
there anyone else, in addition to you
who will be involved in making the
decision on this purchase? " If your
contact says no, they are the only one
just say something like, " So if you
see something you like today you can
make the purchase? "
If your contact says that the owner
or general manager will be involved,
then ask to have them at the presentation
so you can answer any of
their questions on the spot. This line
of questions and answers gives your
contact a gracious way to let you know
they are or are not able to make this
decision. You can also expect the
decision maker to require a formal
quotation and they will probably get
competitive bids as well.
With a little bit of thought and
networking bird dogging for others
is a nice way to put a little extra in
your pocket.
Now go sell and bird-dog
something.
ALAN W. SIPE has spent
the last 42 years in the
basic hand tool industry
including positions as
president of KNIPEX Tools
North America, senior vice president
of sales and marketing at Klein Tools,
manager of special markets at Stanley
Tools, and sales manager at toolbox
manufacturer Waterloo Industries.
Currently, Sipe is the owner of Toolbox
Sales and Consulting, a company
specializing in sales strategy, structure,
development, and training.
alansipe@gmail.com
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