Best way to approach Potential Large Clients

[sturtzy]

So I am fairly new to the vending machine world. I have a couple of small accounts at local businesses that have lots of flow-thru traffic, nothing large. However, I got a referral from a friend who lives at a large gated community that has 4-5 pools, laundry facilities etc, and no one has any machines there (fairly new).

 

I want to approach the manager about putting my machines at all places that would make money (pool, lounge, laundry facility, etc…)

 

what is the best way to approach this? Do I offer commission, what is standard and what is fair? What info do I need to bring ? Any suggestions would be really helpful. Thanks again.

 

What about contracts, do I need them? thanks

[TKK]

First off, heres what i would do.

 

DO NOT OFFER to put all the machines you posted above. TRUST ME. atleast not yet. apartments and those type of places are hit or miss. What i do is pick ONE location. in your case a laundry room, IF those tenants dont have their own laundry hook ups and must go to a laundromat or that laundry facility, thats a very good potential location for sure. what i have done is put a combo or a snack and coke machine, and told management to send these flyers i make for them saying that please enjoy the vending machines, and that they dont belong to them, as well as my contact info etc. then see how sales do. usually apartments take 2-4 months to peak. meaning your first month may make $40 then next month $130 then third $250 etc. once people get used to them is when they buy. seasons really affect sales there.

 

dont offer comission, unless needed. offer your services, and how great tennants enjoy fresh snacks and sodas at their convenience. i alwasy say, many custommers thank me because they order a few pizzas for them, and toss in some quarters for some cold cokes. make it seem like they r stupid to not have you there. if they ask about comissions say you do give comissions, but you have a certain rule. tell them apartments are hit or miss. and if its a $30 a month location comission would be retarded. i tell them if it makes under $100 a month i dont pay anything. if it stays under that ill pull them. i then tell them, if they do very good your looking at 10-15%. that way they dont expect comission. if it does good pay them. tell them to give you a try for a couple of weeks. that its aslot riskier to you than it is to them, as you have to buy machines, transport them, set up, buy product, repairs, service calls, etc.

 

and if they say yes, try it. just one machine or two. do not place a ton of them. i have smaller complexes that do $500 a mont and i have some huge ones with pools that only make $100 in 2 machines! which r free storage for now.

 

good luck!

[moondog]

Bear in mind that most snack machines are not rated for outdoor use so be careful about promising one by the pool

 

 

                                         ......... one other thing - avoid using the word "retarded" when talking to a potential customer 

[mission vending]

Have some business cards in hand when you walk in the door and ask for the property manager etc. Explain who you are and what you do and ask if they have considered having vending machines available for the convenience of their residents and that it won't cost them anything.

 

 

                          ..... and yeah "retarded" is not a good word to use

[beejaykc aka Munch A Bunch]

Have some business cards in hand when you walk in the door and ask for the property manager etc. Explain who you are and what you do and ask if they have considered having vending machines available for the convenience of their residents and that it won't cost them anything.

 

 

                          ..... and yeah "retarded" is not a good word to use

Mission - unless of course, they ARE retarded.  LOL

[ruff84]

I'm pretty sure they mentally disabled don't like the r word that much either.

[dogcow]

Id pass

[AZVendor]

If this is a new complex, they probably haven't filled it up yet, so you don't want to put a machine is a mostly vacant part of the property.  The biggest problem with apartments is vandalism, so you need to take steps to protect yourself.  This means high security locks in the T-handles and hockey puck locks on the sides.  And this is just to keep the honest people out, you will still get some damage.  It's not a matter of if, but a matter of when.  Inside a "locked" laundry room isn't as safe as you might think.  A secured room means the vandal will live there and have a key or someone will leave the door open.  Then they have the seclusion to do their damage and no one sees them.

 

Put your machine any place outside that there is traffic.  If only one or two machines, locate them centrally.  Don't use any extension cords, they are death to compressors and not up to fire code.  You will probably be limited on where the machines can go, physically, so do the best you can.  Start with no more than two machines and add more only if you need to.

[dogcow]

 want to elaborate on my last post i was posting from my cell ph#

 

a gated community would be death for something like this

drink/snack vending isnt quite the same dynamic as "bulk" vending

where you are counting on high foot traffic.  foot traffic is mostly 

meaningless what you are looking for is a captive customer

this generally means places with employees . the only 

major exceptions are hotels, coin laundry, theme parks/attractions

and low income housing. the thing with low income hosuing is 

a lot of people cant drive/dont have cars so its a convenience but

a big gated community it will more than likely be a big bust 

[Poplady1]

I am beginning to think it depends on the State.  Have heard from several Florida vendors that apartments are not good at all.  Have also heard that from Georgia.  In Arizona some vendors focus much of their business on apartments. In California they are sought after from most of our vendors.  Some of the larger complexes want a lot of machines.  We are quoting on one in Huntington Beach that has 340 units.  They want 6 machines.  Our vendor is offering 4 machines.  

 

We have one complex with 400 units.  That vendor has 8 machines on the property and he says it is one of his best accounts.  On the other hand we have one with nearly the same number and it appears to be dead.  The closer we can get to Disney properties the better the machines do in any type of business.  

 

Dogcow is right about lower income units.  No so low that you would have to be armed to service your machines but apartments with lots of kids.  Those do very well.  

[moondog]

I am beginning to think it depends on the State.  Have heard from several Florida vendors that apartments are not good at all.  Have also heard that from Georgia.  In Arizona some vendors focus much of their business on apartments. In California they are sought after from most of our vendors.  Some of the larger complexes want a lot of machines.  We are quoting on one in Huntington Beach that has 340 units.  They want 6 machines.  Our vendor is offering 4 machines.  

 

We have one complex with 400 units.  That vendor has 8 machines on the property and he says it is one of his best accounts.  On the other hand we have one with nearly the same number and it appears to be dead.  The closer we can get to Disney properties the better the machines do in any type of business.  

 

Dogcow is right about lower income units.  No so low that you would have to be armed to service your machines but apartments with lots of kids.  Those do very well.  

 

What kind of feedback do you get on the vandalism Bev?

[Poplady1]

Vandalism is always present in these types of accounts.  Once the machines are hit, if the income has been good then the vendor buys a cage.  So if you are looking at a place and the machines have cages, that will certainly alert you to put yours in a cage too.

[SeaTurtle Vending]

I have two full drink machines a DN 501E (inside the communtiy center) and DN 368 at the pool. They do pretty well. Of course the pool does very little business during the winter months, so I drop the stock to take care of security and random folks. Since this is my community, I can also do run-bys at random times so I can count the miles on a trip.

 

I think you should start with off with two drink machines only. You will get some vandalism, most likely tipped over machines if they are outside. Teenagers....what can you do.stay away from snacks.

 

Pick up some decent used machines and have it. I'd try and stay around $600 for each machine. If you had an upgraded DBV and coinmech so you could take 5's and $1 coins that would be a bonus.