february2023 - 37

non-customer prospects, and dead
beats (cash only) that work in your
area. I'm guessing that you have some
document/spreadsheet/program with
all the names of the technicians and
shop owners in your area.
Let's start with the dead beats
(cash only customers) in your area. No
matter how bad at bill paying these
technicians are, they still need tools
to do their jobs. Granted they are
probably buying many of their tools at
Harbor Freight or some other discount
location, but there are still some
specialty products they can only get from
a true automotive jobber - like you.
Don't ignore these people. You
never know if their financial missteps
are over or they are now somehow currently
flush with cash. Talk to them,
show them your new cool tools, and
discuss a way for them to potentially
get in your good credit graces. Maybe
give them a plan that if they buy X
amount from you for cash, you will
start them out with a small credit line.
Talk openly but discretely with
them about their issues,
it's often
surprising what a little communication
can accomplish. Think of it this way,
anything you sell to them is bonus
business. Additionally, you will probably
sell to these people at full-boat
list price.
Your next target group should
be the techs who are buying from
someone else and not you. These are
your prospects. Continue dropping off
your promotional brochures and eyeto-eye
thank them for looking at it and
while you at it mention that you would
appreciate a shot at their business.
In some cases, these non-customers
might be mad at you, your predecessor,
or the brand that is on your truck, and
these issues are what you need to get
past. Sometimes a simple request like,
" How can I earn your business back? "
may crack the ice and open a conversation.
This conversation may not be all
peaches and cream at first.
When they regurgitate whatever
the previous sin (in their eyes) was,
honor their statement with, " I'm sorry
that happened, and I'll do my best to
meet your needs as we move forward. "
Sure, the prospect may be a knucklehead
and never forgive you for not taking
back the broken lugnut socket that
they had welded to a pry bar for busting
loose frozen wheel nuts. Just keep
asking. If this person is that odd, they
will sooner or later become unhappy
with their current supplier and come
back to you. The successful action in
this instance is to keep talking to them
and asking for their business. Again,
anything you sell them is 100 percent
plus business.
The hardest nut to crack
is the sporadic buyer.
Are you their primary,
secondary, or almostnothing
supplier?
The hardest nut to crack is the
sporadic buyer. Are they maxing out
their credit with every mobile who calls
on them? Are they trying to spread the
wealth and keep everybody happy?
Are you their primary, secondary, or
almost-nothing supplier?
Try your best to figure out where
you stand with this sporadic buyer.
Are you No. 1,2,3, or 4 on their purchase
scheme? You can mention that
if they were to consolidate their purchases
with you, you'll give them something
in return. Better terms, cumulative
discount, the first shot of what's
new and exclusive. Something to make
them feel special. Setting them up on a
try-before-you-buy, one-week loaner
program is a good way to get someone's
interest. There is no need to give away
the store, just make them feel wanted
and special.
The tool nuts, of which I am one,
will buy almost anything new that hits
the market. The challenge here is it is
also probably new and available from
all your competitors, too, unless it is
exclusive to your brand. In this case,
it is often true that the first mobile in
the door with this cool new tool gets
the business.
A great
idea
for your
tool
nuts is to develop an e-mail or
text group list of these technicians,
and the day you learn of,
or get your hands on, a new tool,
communicate it immediately to let
them know about the product, and that
you will be bringing it to them shortly.
You can even give the your e-mail
recipients the option of hitting reply
and pre-ordering this product from
you. Anything you can do to get them
committed to you is the objective.
And finally, there are your good
customers. The acronym KDWYD
(keep doing what you're doing) is your
first line of defense. Keep treating
them like gold, telling them every week
that you appreciate their business, and
always, always ask if there's anything
else you can do for them. As corny as it
sounds, the motivational phrase, " Your
best kept rose will soon wither and
die if left unattended, " fits your good
customers perfectly.
Now, go sell 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
Professional Distributor I February 2023 I VehicleServicePros.com 37
http://www.VehicleServicePros.com
february2023

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