JCS Vending Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 Hi Everyone, I'm new and have been encountering problems when locating. I do all of my own locating, I've been in sales my whole life and feel very comfortable with it. Where I live sales is best done in person so calling really will yield little to no success. When I enter these businesses many times I see a machine already placed by a local competitor. My problem is 75% of the time the machine is in horrible condition. Empty, bugs inside, filthy etc. Looking abandoned. There is one particular local vendor here that has several machines in locations right in my village, his sticker on the back says he lives in a town about 45 minutes away and for all purposes his machines look abandoned. They are pretty much empty, have Christmas PMM'm in them (red/green), moths in the canisters and dead bugs in the trays. My problem is these business owners don't see this and I'm not sure how to tell them about it professionally without it reflecting negatively on me. I have called this vendor to ask if he was still in the biz or looking to sell machines and he said he was still in the biz and not looking to sell. His machines are keeping me out of these locations or keeping me out entirely. One location that would be an excellent loc for me allowed me to put a single head of chicklets but the other candy machine is still there with the bugs and xmas pmm's. They even brought up to me, "look that guy has pmm's from xmas in there" and walked away in discust" yet they do nothing about it! This same local vendor left a machine for months in another place and they told me they put it in their basement after they remodeled and the guy never came back for it so it's very clear he hasn't serviced these machines in at least 4 months. Other locations tell me they don't want another machine in their location b/c of a bad experience in the past with it not getting cleaned/filled/serviced. My question is how would you overcome this objection and how would you handle the dirty machine placed already situation, bringing it up to the owner/manager without it reflecting badly on me. Also, if I were to call this vendor again I might alert him to the fact that I'm in there and he suddenly starts coming around again to service. Btw, I learned he bought this route off a local guy some years ago and aparently just doesn't service it anymore, just lets them sit. I could be in these places but this bad vendor is keeping me out because the store owners simply see a machine there already and don't look closely enough to see all of the problems with it. Any help appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdendy Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 If sharing a location just have better, cleaner looking machines with fresh product. When you go to a restraunt to eat; do you sit at the table that still has plates and crumbs sitting there or the table just bused thats clean and sanitary? Same rules apply here. As for how I'd do it, i'd make sure to showcase my machines are all top of the line and in excellent condition. I'm local so servicing and cleaning are done on a regular basis and that by using me everything stays in the community which benefits everyone. For those with a bad experience tell them you understand, unfortunetly this happens with vendors not being local and that if they will just give me a one month test drive and don't see the difference you will immediatly remove your machine but you'd like the chance to show them the advantages of having a professional and local vendor working for them. Note- I know some on here will bristle at the "working for them" comment. I understand we are our own boss, this is just a selling tool to close the deal. The impression you want to give is that there are benefits to having your machine on their location and giving the impression your efforts at servicing and quality service is for their benefit is a great tool. Speaking of benefits, have a list of them prepared in case the owner asks you what benefits he gets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
English Vending Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 He seems to not care too much about his route so I'd call him back and just make an offer on the route, not even ask if he's interested. just a plain 'ol "look, I know it's a pain in the golpher for you to make this trip so often, how does $XX money sound for this part of your route?" If he really cares that little then the offer of a good amount of cash will probably grab his attention Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 I agree with rdendy. There's a huge difference between telling lies and bad-mouthing a competitor who is already in a location and simply pointing out the galactically obvious crappy service of another vender such as moths in his/her machines. To me that's not back-stabbing a competitor, that's survivial of the fittest. He's vending moths for goodness sake! Other locations tell me they don't want another machine in their location b/c of a bad experience in the past with it not getting cleaned/filled/serviced. My question is how would you overcome this objection... This is kinda stupid on the business owners part, but use it as an opportunity to get creative and start developing a relaionship with them. For example, if it's a bagel shop..."I know exactly what you're talking about. One person can ruin it for everybody. I had an awful experience at (---insert bagel shop across town---) awhile back and I'm not really a fan of them like I used to be. Tell you what, if you give me a couple months to show you how a professional vender operates, I'll try one one of those sandwich bagels. We'll give each other a chance! Even if you're gonna go to the restroom and throw it in the trash - who wouldn't pay $4-5 for a location? Whenever you're talking to a potential location, try to use the words "we" and "us" as much as possible and avoid the words "you" and "I". Referring to yourself and the location manager as "us" creates a cooperative tone and insinuates, "Hey, we're in this thing together and it'll benefit both of us if we can figure out how to make it work". Bridge the gap between you wanting something from them and you having nothing they want and it's a done deal! Good luck with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdendy Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 Whenever you're talking to a potential location, try to use the words "we" and "us" as much as possible and avoid the words "you" and "I". Referring to yourself and the location manager as "us" creates a cooperative tone and insinuates, "Hey, we're in this thing together and it'll benefit both of us if we can figure out how to make it work". Bridge the gap between you wanting something from them and you having nothing they want and it's a done deal! Good luck with it. Great point Rick!! Also try and work in "As you Know", old salesman trick, whether they know or don't know what you're fixing to tell them, it implies they should know it. This sets the groundwork for whatever you are about to tell them to be important and a fact subconsciously. If they did already knew it then you have made a connection thru shared knowledge (great minds think alike). If they didn't know it, they also aren't going to point out that they didn't, again subconsciously that would be produce a feeling of ignorance after you have already conferred on them "your belief" that they are already knew this. Good Example: As you know sir, gumball and candy machines are a great tool for small businesses like yours. They can help eliminate customer agitation over excessive wait times to be served, parents love them as a bribe for their kids to be good while in your store and it's an extra benefit to your employees when they go on break. You stated you were in sales, just look for ways you used to be successful selling whatever it was there to selling yourself and your machines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCS Vending Posted July 14, 2012 Author Share Posted July 14, 2012 Thank you for the reponses and advice. I had to pop in these two locations today for other reasons and happened to notice he was there in the last 2-3 days and both machines are now cleaned and filled. We'll just wow them with our machines and service in hope the store owners make the decision on their own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musser Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 rdendy, thanks, no one is their own boss, If you aren't working for your clients you won't get very many. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PerformaVending Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 I give 110% for my superiors. A location owner is the same for me as my boss at my "day job" and they do notice if you go above and beyond for them. If there are two employees and one does an amazing job and the other never shows up, which one is getting the preferred treatment? Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToddWebb Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Don't call the guy. Don't offer money. You already know he doesn't service his machines for months on end. And now you know that drawing attention to him personally will cause him to "wake up" and service and clean his machines. This is business. Talk only to the owners. Adjust your sales pitch and get your machine in next to his. Also, change this mental tape recorder in your head from "but this bad vendor is keeping me out" (you wrote that twice) to "and this bad vendor is just inviting me in." Believe it yourself before you try to sell it to the owner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCS Vending Posted July 15, 2012 Author Share Posted July 15, 2012 Love what you said, thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.