rogersmith Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 I recently started in-person locating myself and a problem I am having is getting the people in the front of the establishment, to produce the decision maker (e.g., the Manager) from the back when I ask for them. The people in the front are often very nosy and want to know what you want. When you say, "I just have a quick question for them" or "it's a business matter", they often argue with you until you tell them what it's about or ask for a business card or e-mail address (always a waste of time) and refuse to produce the decision maker. I have found that when the gatekeeper presents your question about charity placement of a bulk machine to the decision maker in the back room rather than you presenting it directly to the decision maker, it is almost always a "no". I was thinking that I would try a new technique to get the people in the front to produce the decision maker. If my statement that I have "a quick question for them" is not accepted at face value and the person in front persists in inquiring about what I want, I was thinking of saying "it's a private matter that requires the manager's immediate attention" in order to get the manager out. Has anyone tried anything like this? If so, has it angered the manager and prevented a placement or has it simply done the trick in getting the manager out so that you can make your pitch? Any feedback based on experience would really be appreciated. Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mission vending Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Cold calling and getting to the decision maker on the first attempt is very difficult. I do full line, but my pitch goes something like this," Hi, my name is Michael with Mission Vending. I was wondering who would be the decision maker for vending services here? (wait for answer) Great, thanks, could I get one of his cards (while handing mine) so I can call him later to set a appointment to discuss how we can improve your current situation? It's a softer approach. At this point you get a card and leave or sometimes the gatekeeper will ask you to wait for a minute while she checks if the manager has a minute to speak with me. If, after several attempts at contact, I have no luck I will stop in again and leave a flyer and card, maybe a few treats if its a place I really want to have a chance to get into. Lather, rinse, repeat every 45-60 days. One of my current accounts took over a year to get to sit down with the guy and give a proposal. It took another 9 months or so before he finally made the switch. Delivering a proposal next week to another location that I've trying to get into for almost a year, we'll see if I get this one by the end of the month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havending Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 A litttle hint many times the nosey person at the front is the dession maker esp if its a Mexican or Chinese place. Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 A litttle hint many times the nosey person at the front is the dession maker esp if its a Mexican or Chinese place. Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk Excellent post. Especially for places with <50 employees. Don't just assume the first person you talk to doesn't own the joint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogersmith Posted July 5, 2012 Author Share Posted July 5, 2012 I haven't assumed that the folks in the front are not the owner or manager. I've asked for the manager or owner and they make it clear that they are not (e.g., that they are the receptionist(s)). Just wondering how to get that manager out under the circumstances noted in my first posting. Anyone have any additional advice/thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beach Bum Vending Posted July 7, 2012 Share Posted July 7, 2012 Like Mission stated just leave contact info and be persistance. Beacause they will see if he or she that persistent to keep coming back just imagine what there service will be like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poplady1 Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 Years ago when I was first learning something about this business I spent a day going out locating with the famous "Horton" boys. Each time they went in to a location they would grab this large legal size envelope with a registered mail label on it. They would walk in and make sure the front desk people saw that envelope. 80% of the time the manager or owner came out. Of course, they never mentioned anything about that envelope. They just carried it with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mission vending Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Years ago when I was first learning something about this business I spent a day going out locating with the famous "Horton" boys. Each time they went in to a location they would grab this large legal size envelope with a registered mail label on it. They would walk in and make sure the front desk people saw that envelope. 80% of the time the manager or owner came out. Of course, they never mentioned anything about that envelope. They just carried it with them. ;D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronsidney Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Ive talked about the gatekeeper for years when talking about locating. The gatekeeper I'm describing would be that "career cashier" who thinks she owns the place but is just a cashier .. IF you let her know what you are doing she will go to the manager in his office while he is on his Facebook or Porn site or whatever and say " You don't want a gum ball machine out front do you?" of course that is a big NO.. sometimes in unavoidable to let her "see your hand"(poker term) and risk racking up another NO for the day, but if i do i try to milk a little info before i leave like "If he is busy ill come back later, what was the owners name?" or "Ill come back later, what hours does he normally meet with people that want to give him money?" Ill then put this in my locator notes in my van for that location for follow up... Next time ill come in and ask for him by name like I'm a acquaintance of his or hers..If she is gonna block you because she knows your hand already then just leave on those notes and avoid that NO from the manager. follow up is king for building a successful route as most every "honey hole" location i have was sold on follow ups. This is why locating your own machines is critical to long term success. Depending on a locator who is gonna "swoop in and throw them out and then its off to the next operator" will not concentrate on any follow up locating.. the gatekeeper will always be the top thorn in my side when locating... I also try to always ask someone that isn't a career cashier to get the manager for me also..If i see a waitress or a busboy sweeping the floor i will ask him/her for manager before i ask the cashier.. This also gives some oomph to your request and may get the manager off of his Facebook for a minute to talk because coming from them he may think its a customer complaint. ronsidney www.blazingquarters.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Action Vending Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 I try to get along with the gate keeper and ask their name and shake their hand and make them feel as if they do own the place I often have better results after that because the person likes me when I make them feel important and this often gets them to want to work with me and to help my chances of vending instead of hindering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spdydre Posted July 18, 2012 Share Posted July 18, 2012 what is a good script to use when cold calling? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thevendingguru Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I just cringed when I discovered this discussion. Until now, my in person locating attempts have been in rural areas - and the decision maker is usually either the only worker or the one up front handling the cash. Now that I am going to start locating in the city, I can see how getting past the gatekeeper could be a huge problem. Are there certain businesses to look for in cities where the decision maker might be the only worker, thereby not having to deal with a gatekeeper? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronsidney Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 I just cringed when I discovered this discussion. Until now, my in person locating attempts have been in rural areas - and the decision maker is usually either the only worker or the one up front handling the cash. Now that I am going to start locating in the city, I can see how getting past the gatekeeper could be a huge problem. Are there certain businesses to look for in cities where the decision maker might be the only worker, thereby not having to deal with a gatekeeper? I just cringed when I discovered this discussion. Until now, my in person locating attempts have been in rural areas - and the decision maker is usually either the only worker or the one up front handling the cash. Now that I am going to start locating in the city, I can see how getting past the gatekeeper could be a huge problem. Are there certain businesses to look for in cities where the decision maker might be the only worker, thereby not having to deal with a gatekeeper? just got to learn to deal with the gatekeeper .. Don't tell them squat!! in person locating for your own route is the most effective way to establish a route. first reason--gatekeeper "Ill come back when the manager or owner is available." and sell it on a follow up(locator won't have a follow up) second-- if you place a route only by locators and not like the first reason your gonna drive to hell and back every service cycle as most good locations you could have sold have gatekeepers or require a follow up to sell. That locator will just keep driving so they get paid ,they only have to drive it once.. or they will place your machines in crap stops where they might as well have been in you storage! if they are in your storage at least product isn't spoiling everyday in a dead stop. ron www.blazingquarters.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronsidney Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 what is a good script to use when cold calling? 1st scenario.....me " Hi, Is the manager available?" gatekeeper " No he is really busy right now, can I help you with something?" me "Its a business matter, I can come back when he is not busy? What time is the best time to talk to him?I have some money i am needing to give him.." gatekeeper (1..maybe this....Oh let me go get him...) or ( 2...come back about 2 , he is normally available then) me on 2 .. what was his name again? is that his yellow truck parked out front? gatekeeper-- No he drives a blue Tahoe, His name is Rob.. me on 1... "Hi my name is ron, nice to meet you.. Im the guy that has the toy machines in the restaurants in the area. I would like to talk to you about installing one here in your business,,costs you absolutely nothing and I pay you a commission right out of the cashbox every service." manager-- " I really don't have the space." me-as i fold out my cardboard square folded up in my back pocket with the pics of machine and money taped all over it-- "This is all the space it requires. In this same space i could be buying all your employees uniforms or even paying for things like your dumpster out back." manager-- "well i don't know ,that will be in the way right there" me-- " well what about these thrifty nickel paper racks,, I will pay you 10 times the amount of money they pay you every month guaranteed for the same space." manager--"They don't pay me anything." me-- " well(with a chuckle) Ill pay you 100 times what they do right now in advance!!!" "but seriously, your business has expenses and to just let there be wasted space not adding to your bottom line is not the way to go,,let me help you by giving you some free cash!" all kinds of pitches,,just one of many... ron www.blazingquarters.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedvender Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Like that one Ron. Like the folded cardboard Idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedvender Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 I have been using locators and the head hunter approach. Offer a bounty to friends and family if they can land me a good location gotten a couple that way. Not great but as good as any of the locators I have used done. Starting next week I Have Monday off and plan on going out to pitch a few places on my Toy rack I got ready. Got a few gumball machines and one 4 space loaded with toys to find homes for. Then work over the next few months on my Mondays I am not running the route. So far I have about a half a day of stops. I have enough singles and doubles in reserve to do 6-10 stops. After that it will be back to buying more machines again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 1st scenario.....me " Hi, Is the manager available?" gatekeeper " No he is really busy right now, can I help you with something?" me "Its a business matter, I can come back when he is not busy? What time is the best time to talk to him?I have some money i am needing to give him.." gatekeeper (1..maybe this....Oh let me go get him...) or ( 2...come back about 2 , he is normally available then) me on 2 .. what was his name again? is that his yellow truck parked out front? gatekeeper-- No he drives a blue Tahoe, His name is Rob.. me on 1... "Hi my name is ron, nice to meet you.. Im the guy that has the toy machines in the restaurants in the area. I would like to talk to you about installing one here in your business,,costs you absolutely nothing and I pay you a commission right out of the cashbox every service." manager-- " I really don't have the space." me-as i fold out my cardboard square folded up in my back pocket with the pics of machine and money taped all over it-- "This is all the space it requires. In this same space i could be buying all your employees uniforms or even paying for things like your dumpster out back." manager-- "well i don't know ,that will be in the way right there" me-- " well what about these thrifty nickel paper racks,, I will pay you 10 times the amount of money they pay you every month guaranteed for the same space." manager--"They don't pay me anything." me-- " well(with a chuckle) Ill pay you 100 times what they do right now in advance!!!" "but seriously, your business has expenses and to just let there be wasted space not adding to your bottom line is not the way to go,,let me help you by giving you some free cash!" all kinds of pitches,,just one of many... ron www.blazingquarters.com Great post Ron! Although I admit I cringed a little bit there at the end where you guarantee 10x's the amount of the Thrifty Nickel racks. Have you ever failed to make that 10x amount for their commission and if so, has the manager ever called you out on failing to meet that guarantee? I'm thinking most managers probably forget you ever made that guarantee to begin with but I can't stand the thought of overpromising and then failing to deliver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronsidney Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Great post Ron! Although I admit I cringed a little bit there at the end where you guarantee 10x's the amount of the Thrifty Nickel racks. Have you ever failed to make that 10x amount for their commission and if so, has the manager ever called you out on failing to meet that guarantee? I'm thinking most managers probably forget you ever made that guarantee to begin with but I can't stand the thought of overpromising and then failing to deliver. why cringe?? 10X zero equals zero!!! that was my point!! those little shoppers guides, peddlers, thrifty nickel etc. don't pay squat to the store. ron www.blazingquarters.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Oh I see. I didn't realize they did not get a placement fee from those types of publications. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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