BETTER BUSINESS & SALES
BY PHIL SASSO
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Phil Sasso is president of Sasso
Marketing Inc. (sassomarketing.
com), a technical marketing
agency specializing in tools
and equipment. Subscribe
to his free marketing tips at
philsasso.com/blog
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There are lots of ways you
can offer superior servive
over online vendors. For
more suggestions not
included here,
Visit vehicleservicepros.
com/21017501.
How to keep “E-tailers” from
cutting into your sales
Get a leg up on online retailers with in-person benefits.
Brick and mortar retailers big and small across
the country are being shaken to their foundations.
“E-tailers” like Amazon are changing
the way people shop in ways no one could ever
imagine less than a decade ago. Who would have
foreseen Radio Shack, Toys R Us and so many other
retailers crumbling?
Recently, I was shopping at Walmart. I asked a
clerk for help. She spent time helping me, but we
couldn’t find what I wanted. She suggested next
time that I order online and pick up my order up
in-store for free shipping. It sounded like an odd
suggestion for a retail employee. But if I’d ordered
online I’d have been assured the product was there
and not wasted a trip. Is that a wise retail strategy?
On the flip side, a friend that runs a small nonprofit
told me he now orders almost all his supplies
through Amazon. Pricing is cheap, reordering is fast
and as long as he orders the minimum, shipping is
free. It’s far less strain on his limited resources than
sending an employee out every time they need toilet
paper or toner cartridges. But what’s the impact of
that on local merchants?
Have you felt the impact of e-commerce on your
“steel and rubber” store, yet?
If not, you’re not alone. Most tool dealers I’ve
talked to say Amazon isn’t as big a competitor as
the other dealers on his or her route. But don’t let
that lull you to sleep. I’m sure Sears didn’t see the
competition coming, either.
So, how can you prepare to position yourself
to win the war against e-commerce? You probably
already know what sets you apart and makes doing
business with you more valuable. There’s nothing
new. You just need to stay on top of your game.
Here are some things you need to remind yourself
and your customers to maintain your competitive
edge:
Give them a first-hand look
Online retailers can never replace the selling power
of holding a tool in your hands, especially hardlines.
Nothing beats feeling the weight, the balance and
the precision of a quality hand tool. So, if you want
to sell it, you have to stock it.
26 Professional Distributor I September 2018 I VehicleServicePros.com
“I tell my customers that I don’t sell tools, I sell
service,” says 19-year independent tool dealer Jackie
Rose of Huntsville, Alabama. “That’s what they pay
me the extra money for – so I can bring it to them
to see, touch, feel … all that stuff.”
Warranty it
Most hand tools on your truck carry a lifetime warranty.
While you may not like promoting that, it is
actually a big competitive advantage. While many
online tools may also have a lifetime warranty, it
requires an investment of time and money to ship
it to the factory for repair or replacement. On the
other hand, a good dealer will seamlessly handle
the whole warranty return.
“As my customer, you know if there’s a warranty
issue we’re going to take care of it. You don’t
have to find some company to mail it off to,” says
Matt Rowaan an employee of independent dealer
TOOLBOX Automotive Tools and Equipment of
the Niagara region of Canada.
Finance it
Ordering online requires a credit or debit card.
Besides the all-too-common risks of using a credit
card online, it also can carry interest charges. Your
truck account doesn’t require interest payments.
(But you still may want to keep a credit/debit card
on file for each customer to minimize skips.)
“You’re paying for a tool in full when it comes to
you from Amazon, whereas you’re paying your tool
dealer weekly payment on account,” says 12-year
Mac Tools dealer Michael Gruber of Virginia Beach,
Virginia. In essence, a good tool is paying for itself.
Get it now
When a customer buys a tool online, they have to
wait for it to ship. When they buy from a mobile
tool dealer they can start using that tool instantly.
That’s another important reason to be sure your
truck is well stocked.
Keep it fresh
Customers look to you to find out what’s new. If
you are keeping up with the trends you will be able
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