Professional Distributor - 4

EDITOR'S NOTE

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On the truck and
in front of customers
Now is the time to explore new ways
to connect ... at a distance.

T
BY SARA SCULLIN
EDITOR

920-568-8394
Sara@VehicleServicePros.com

he COVID-19 pandemic
sweeping the globe is
already changing the
way we do business. For the past
month or so, many workers have
skipped traveling to the office or
worksite. Instead, they are conducting meetings and connecting with each other via online
meeting platforms like Zoom and
UberConference. Technology is
great when it works, but it doesn't
always come easy. I think most of
us have experienced some tech
failures, false starts, and awkward
moments while navigating a virtual workplace.
A stunning amount of work
can be accomplished online.
But not all work. Grocery store
employees cannot stock shelves
from home. Mail services cannot deliver packages and letters
100 percent autonomously. And
technicians cannot maintain and
repair vehicles from behind a
desk. In many aspects of life right
now, you'll see a mix of the old
with the new. If they can, workers
are carrying on with business as
usual while also trying new things
where it makes sense.
Mobile tool distributors, too,
think outside the box (or tool
truck). Many sellers have built
communities on social media
and shared regular promotional
and sales videos with customers,
long before stay at home orders
and face masks were commonplace. The digital connection has
always been about reaching customers wherever they are.

4 Professional Distributor I May 2020 I VehicleServicePros.com

We are navigating a very challenging economy right now, but
the sentiment is the same.
There is more than one way
to get in front of customers. Alan
Sipe highlights one approach -
video tool demos - in this month's
Go Sell Something column on
perfecting the art of the demonstration (p. 26). Sipe encourages
readers to try shooting a demo
video using their phone camera.
It doesn't have to be long. It doesn't
have to be perfect. It just needs to
show a product long enough to
offer a little understanding and
spark interest.
Not only does a short video
keep product in front of the
technician, it keeps you in front
of the technician. A video will
remind them of why they love
doing business with you. Maybe
it's your warranty policy, or your
replacement/repair policy. Maybe
you are someone who goes the
extra mile to locate a product or
find an answer.
Give it a try. You might find
you're able to convey that product's
unique features, advantages, and
benefits through a quick video just
as well as you could on the shop
floor ... and reach more people.
Of course, no amount of social
media or video work replaces
shop visits, which you may still
be doing, and that face time
is precious.
Tell us: Have your face-toface interactions changed much?
What has COVID-19 meant for
your business?

Printed in the U.S. Volume 28, Number 4; May 2020
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT - TRANSPORTATION 

Larry M. Greenberger
LMG@VehicleServicePros.com
PUBLISHER  Kylie Hirko

630-253-4034 Kylie@VehicleServicePros.com
EDITOR  Sara Scullin

920-568-8394 Sara@VehicleServicePros.com
EDITOR  David Brierley

920-563-1622 David@VehicleServicePros.com
ASSISTANT EDITOR  Tyler Fussner

920-234-6232 Tyler@VehicleServicePros.com
ASSISTANT EDITOR  Emily Markham

920-234-6359 Emily@VehicleServicePros.com
ASSISTANT EDITOR  Kayla Oschmann

920-563-1764 Kayla@VehicleServicePros.com
MULTIMEDIA ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE  Cortni Jones

920-568-8391 CJones@EndeavorB2B.com

MULTIMEDIA ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE  Diane Braden

920-568-8364 DBraden@EndeavorB2B.com

MULTIMEDIA ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE  Mattie Gorman

920-563-1636 MGorman@EndeavorB2B.com
PRODUCTION MANAGER  Connie Wolf

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