white32 Posted June 27, 2016 Share Posted June 27, 2016 I am just getting started at this, and we have visited over 100 potential locations in the last few weeks, with no successes. Typically it has been "contact our regional offices", and then the corporate office doesn't let us talk to anyone and instead makes us leave a message, and they never return the call. In case this is relevant, we are in a "college town" of 300,000 people, and have created a brochure with pictures of the triple head machines and the details of the commission/charity process and what benefits a machine can provide. I had read that cold calling typically is successful 10% of the time, but we are at 0% and things don't seem to be looking up. Anyone with similar experiences that they have overcome? At what point do we conclude there simply isn't a market for these machines in our area? Any suggestions will be very welcome. Thanks! John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMD Snacks Posted June 27, 2016 Share Posted June 27, 2016 What types of locations are you visiting? And what exactly are you saying? Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white32 Posted June 27, 2016 Author Share Posted June 27, 2016 AMD, we have visited hotels, restaurants, barber shops, car repair places, and retail stores (Kmart, walmart, etc). One of us (there are two of us running this thing) will go in to a place and ask to speak with a manager, then we have a flyer with our talking points regarding what the machines are, how we will do all the maintenance, that we will provide either a commission or donation to charity, and how the machines can benefit with regard to customer satisfaction, etc. Typically, the reaction is positive but the guy will say that he can't make the decision and we need to call or email a regional manager. Upon doing that, we have not gotten a single response. The phone message is about 1 min long and includes the key talking points I mentioned earlier (but said in a way that doesn't sound like a professional robo-call, if you know what I mean) and the email message includes a pdf copy of our brochure. Also in these messages we mention that we had talked to the store manager. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMD Snacks Posted June 27, 2016 Share Posted June 27, 2016 Big retail stores are next to impossible to get a triple in. Barber shops and car places shouldn't have a regional manager...unless you're talking like supercuts or midas etc. I have a hotel, I have car places, and some smaller stores. Not one cares about commission though, just not enough to get them excited I guess, better off just going straight charity for a triple. That's just my $.02 Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white32 Posted June 27, 2016 Author Share Posted June 27, 2016 Thanks. To clarify, I should mention that sometimes (when talking to local businesses) they want us to talk to the "owner", rather than the "regional manager". But the end result has been the same. A related question would be how many locations did you talk to before getting a few commitments? It seems like 100 would be more than enough, but maybe I'm wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMD Snacks Posted June 27, 2016 Share Posted June 27, 2016 Yeah I've gotten that too. 100 is pretty high amount of no's unless you were strictly asking the wrong type of business which it doesn't sound like you're doing. Having started in a highly competitive area, I can't say an area exists that a triple just won't work at. But another question is, are you following up with the owner in person? Emails and voicemails haven't worked for me, but I've got a few locations simply trying another time. And I wouldn't spend a lot of time on corporate type places... Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Determined Posted June 27, 2016 Share Posted June 27, 2016 If you have to contact a regional manager to me it sounds like your trying to get into corporations which are nearly impossible to get into. You need to be looking for ma and pa shop's. Also I am more successful when targeting a newly opened businesses. I know there's lots of talk about commissions and such but normally if I find someone that will accept my equipment they're normally just glad to have it in there business! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stengel Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 Take a 25 dollar gift card with you and give it to the guy to let you place the machine. Sounds like your sales experience is limited. This might break the ice for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white32 Posted June 28, 2016 Author Share Posted June 28, 2016 Determined, yes, good point. We will begin focusing on locally owned businesses-that seems to be the consensus here. Stengel, we have considered the gift card idea. However, the reason we didn't is some locations (if we get them) will not have enough traffic to generate a profit. You'd hate to dump another $25 on a failed location. Or maybe it's not that common to have locations that don't at least bring in $15/mo on a triple? Also, that doesn't really fix the problem of having to deal with regional management...they're not likely to care one way or another about a gift card. Thanks for the ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stengel Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 Yes, I didn't make my thoughts perfectly clear at all lol. If you focus on more mom and pop type places or really just not those major corporations, you should have better success. Couple that with a gift card for certain locations and you will get a good start. After you get your first location I would start hitting any business near that one and tell them "we handle the vending for so as so next door, ...) then go into your pitch. Then just build from there. Sounds like you guys have the drive to get this going, just need a start to get the ball rolling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillbilly Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 Thanks. To clarify, I should mention that sometimes (when talking to local businesses) they want us to talk to the "owner", rather than the "regional manager". But the end result has been the same. A related question would be how many locations did you talk to before getting a few commitments? It seems like 100 would be more than enough, but maybe I'm wrong. I would re-examine everything you are doing. After visiting that many locations you should have quite a few locations. Are you dressing properly? Are you going to the locations during the week or on weekends? Could be the way you are wording things. Do the locations understand there is no cost on their part? While sometimes it is true that you will close about 10% of locations you cold call sometimes it will be much higher. Something is not adding up here and you have to figure out why your rejection rate is so high. Not trying to sound negative but something isn't right here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white32 Posted June 29, 2016 Author Share Posted June 29, 2016 Hillbilly, I agree. It is definitely being emphasized that there is no cost to the location. We usually go on Thursday and Friday afternoons from 1-4. And the dress is at least business casual. I think it's more a matter of us focusing on too many chain stores that are shunting us off to regional management. I think we've only been rejected by the "decision makers" at a few local places...the rest it's been just no one from corporate ever gets back to us. This week we will be focusing on only local businesses and we will see where that takes us. Any more suggestions are welcome, and thanks everyone for the help so far! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodney69 Posted June 29, 2016 Share Posted June 29, 2016 Hillbilly, I agree. It is definitely being emphasized that there is no cost to the location. We usually go on Thursday and Friday afternoons from 1-4. And the dress is at least business casual. I think it's more a matter of us focusing on too many chain stores that are shunting us off to regional management. I think we've only been rejected by the "decision makers" at a few local places...the rest it's been just no one from corporate ever gets back to us. This week we will be focusing on only local businesses and we will see where that takes us. Any more suggestions are welcome, and thanks everyone for the help so far! If you need help with chain stores, call me. You won't get up front either way, but we can get you in some off the break rooms. Also, choose either charity off commission, don't pitch both at the same time. I would suggest staying away from commission until you're running toys or something. Candy is still going up in price, there isn't enough margin or won't be soon enough for commission imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillbilly Posted June 29, 2016 Share Posted June 29, 2016 Hillbilly, I agree. It is definitely being emphasized that there is no cost to the location. We usually go on Thursday and Friday afternoons from 1-4. And the dress is at least business casual. I think it's more a matter of us focusing on too many chain stores that are shunting us off to regional management. I think we've only been rejected by the "decision makers" at a few local places...the rest it's been just no one from corporate ever gets back to us. This week we will be focusing on only local businesses and we will see where that takes us. Any more suggestions are welcome, and thanks everyone for the help so far! Ok. I would suggest that you start with family and/or friends. Almost Everybody knows someone in business or a manager at one. If you need help with chain stores, call me. You won't get up front either way, but we can get you in some off the break rooms. Also, choose either charity off commission, don't pitch both at the same time. I would suggest staying away from commission until you're running toys or something. Candy is still going up in price, there isn't enough margin or won't be soon enough for commission imo. I have personally spoken to Rodney on several occassions. In fact we text each other all the time. You could also get him to find you a few locations to start with so you can start getting some income rolling in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parrotthead Posted June 29, 2016 Share Posted June 29, 2016 Tuesday is our best day to locate, we don't even go if it isn't Tuesday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMD Snacks Posted June 29, 2016 Share Posted June 29, 2016 Tuesday is our best day to locate, we don't even go if it isn't Tuesday.I'm curious, why Tuesday? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parrotthead Posted June 29, 2016 Share Posted June 29, 2016 I'm curious, why Tuesday? Sunday, here in the south a lot of businesses are closed: Monday a lot of bosses don't do monday, if they do they don't like it : Wednesday again in the south a few places close at noon: Thursday, Friday and Saturday have always been the days when the businesses make their money so that leaves Tuesday They have gone other days but they never do as good as they do on Tuesday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebelwithoutaclue Posted June 29, 2016 Share Posted June 29, 2016 Here is something i dont understand. I have mchines that i want to put in some locations. The same kind of machines are in these stores by a guy who abandonded them for 2 years. the machines are taking up space and are empty. Obviously they are taking in zero dollars. My salespitch is simple.I I see you have empty machines, I own the same kind of machines but I will service them and we both can make some money. 9 out of 10 are not interested but want to leave a dirty graffiti broken machine left outside their store which is not taking in a dime. . Even if my machine took in 10 bucks in a month would be a huge improvement. Most machines take in 75-100 bucks a month and I am offering 35 percent commission if they say the other guy gave me 40 percent even though he is not around anymore I will say o.k 40 percent is fine. It WRACKS my brain how they refuse me yet keep the other machine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hrdknx Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 I'm 20 and have experienced the difficulties that you are. My personal target is to get one yes for every 10 no's. This is pretty tough to accomplish while keeping your enthusiasm and smile up, but you just have to keep chugging. I would suggest getting on YellowPages, typing in your city, and making a map of every car place in the city. Then every barber shop. Then every car dealer. Restaurant. Bar. Tattoo shop. Etc., etc., and eventually, you will find yourself with locations. As for the way I present myself, I used to walk around with a button up and nice shoes and tuck my shirt in, but recently, I've been emphasizing my youth and laid-back delivery. I speak friendly-ly and give them sweet, simple points."Hey, I'm a sophomore at xxxx college and I'm going to local businesses placing these candy/gumball machines. I'm taking a part of profits and giving it to charity, letting you guys pick between xxxx charity and yyyy charity. It's totally free, I service and clean the machine myself, I'm just looking for a spot for it."Anyway, man, target locations you know you can get a decision maker in. Body shops are probably the best in my experience. Once you pick all the low-lying fruits, however, you'll have to dig deeper and keep contacting those corporate places until they say yes just so you don't leave them another voicemail. Don't give up. Go harder. -Knox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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