As a shop owner what value can I be of to you?

[DANTEATER]

Work in new cnc machine tool sales. Of course i call on shop owners daily but i wanted to hear from you guys that frequent this forum as well! when this guy, the new machine tool dealer, walks in to your shop, what value do you expect of him? what benefits have new machine tools reps offered you in your experiences so far? what did you or didn't you like about the relationship you built with your machinery sales rep

[fizzissist]

I'm tired of having smoke blown up my @ss.

It's a waste of my time and cuts into my profits.

What really surprised me is when I had 3 different reps from MSC do it to me.

[DANTEATER]

you've said what you don't like, so please now elaborate on what you do want/like to see.

[flyinchips]

This is simple to say, not so simple to do. Add to their bottom line. Recommend tooling or procedures that improve productivity or reduce cost.

I think what fizz is tired of it the guy that comes in and says "this will improve productivity" when the sales guy really doesn't know, because he has never seen it work. He just read the pretty brochure and is repeating what he read. I don't blame fizz one bit, no one wants to spend a bundle of cash and not get a return on the investment. Salesmen with that type of reputation are often labeled as time wasters and avoided at all expense.

[Gliderask21]

well having been an engineer and a salesman for the last 35 years what people want is a genuine and provable business improvement. (bottom line, efficiency, less complication .... its for you to find out what they need/want)

The best proof for you as the salesman, is to bring in real world referrals from companies that have benefitted from your advice/products otherwise its just guess and hope.

done both and the referrrals is definitely the way to win repeat business and build a solid reputation for good service.

hope I'm not teaching you to suck eggs

[fizzissist]

Originally Posted by DANTEATER you've said what you don't like, so please now elaborate on what you do want/like to see.

You've got to be kidding. You don't want the bad news?
This is like telling the customer who comes into the shop with a product that's broken, complaining about the poor design and manufacturing quality... and you're going to tell him "...Yeah, yeah....but just tell me what you LIKE about it!"

You want me to just tell you what I LIKE???

You wear a nice aftershave. You were wearing some snappy clothes. You gave me pretty brochures. You brought along the lovely new district phone support receptionist so she can know who the customers are. Bought me lunch (I had the steak, thank you). You promised to say nice things about MY products. ...

OR.....

The simple truth of what I WANT? (and NEED??)

1. Don't hold up my order 'cause you're waiting an extra few days to bundle with someone else's so YOU get a price break on quantity and shipping.
...the corollary: Don't bill me shipping because YOU screwed up the order!

2. When you talk me into spending 60 bucks on a bandsaw blade that you say will cut 200SFM through SS, and it goes south at 100SFM after 1 sq ft of cutting....make it right. You knew damn well it wouldn't run that fast.

3. That made me happy...When you brought the factory rep with you because I had a coolant problem. He took a sample, got a full lab workup, and got back to me. You both impressed me.

4. You didn't know the answer, but instead of just sluffin' me off to tech support, YOU followed up to make sure I got the machine up and running..they way YOU promised when I bought it.

.....and if all you're doing is selling machines.....

What I LIKE is when I don't get taken advantage of in the purchase.
I get what I pay for. It works when it's on the floor and the factory guy finishes the setup and initial operator training. If it goes down, not because of something me or an operator did, YOU make sure the factory GETS IT RUNNING!!! When these machines are costing upwards of $2grand a month +????? I've got customers ON MY ASS for parts, and I LIKE it when you make sure my downtime is at a minimum.

What I LIKE is when you sell me what I NEED, not what your profit margin is highest in.

......that's for starters. A real sleaze salesman (who's name I won't mention) was from Mazak. An absolute GEM was from North South Machinery Sales.

Chris Gendusa is da man!!!

If you deal the way he does, the way he dealt with me, you should do just fine.

[Shane123]

I like when reps do follow ups on your machine tool issues by bringing out tooling to burn up. you tell me it works, ok, i have heard that. you tell me its cheaper or more expensive, ok, so what. SHOW ME. Bring your tooling that you want to sell me on, and lets push it past the limits i am currently running. if it doesnt slow me down and lasts just as long as the other tool, it better be cheaper & easier to get (in stock). but 99% of the time, i want it to last longer or machine faster. My customers can afford more expensive tooling, its TIME they cannot afford.

I have 3 reps that i like for different tooling options, but none want to sell me Sandvik (for turning) because they dont make squat. I have tried their "other choice" inserts, no i wont slow my sfm down, no i wont take lighter cuts, if your insert wont exceed what i am currently running, then you wasted my time. Blowing smoke up my rear isnt helping your case.

Also, tell me what you stock and what you dont stock. I need what i need when i need it, which just so happens to be YESTERDAY. My customers have more time than money, 15 minutes down time for my customers is 100K wasted. So if you dont stock items, tell me so. Either I will find a rep who does, or try to find the fastest shipping rep.

I know msc or deco or productivity, or fastenal, dont stock the sandvik inserts i am after, and it seems to be a hassle every time i want to order some 1125 grade inserts. So 95% of the time i go to grainger.com, punch in the numbers of the old inserts, and hit order, and have my inserts in 2 days without having to deal with a rep. The others take about a week. Like i said, i need what i need when i need it, and that just so happens to be YESTERDAY .

[flyinchips]

Shane123 has given the perfect example to breaking down the barriers to selling to him. It isn't easy for him to purchase 1135 Sandvik inserts. You should look into stocking those items specifically for him. Why? Not because the inserts have a great margin (obviously).

Stocking those inserts instantly give you and Shane123 a relationship, he will be back for his 1135s and most likely he will need other things. It is now a matter of conversation while he is ordering his low margin 1135s that these other needed items will be requested. You won't win all of his sales, but you are now in the inner circle where you will have the opportunity. All because you stock his "no margin" inserts.

Your next question about the Shane123 example is: Is this account worth the risk of keeping $300.00 worth of inserts on the shelf just for him? Some accounts will be well worth the investment, some accounts won't and some will fall into "I'm not sure".

Furthermore, you now have the perfect lead in for your next account. You know that Shane123 is having great success cutting unobtanium with his 1135 inserts. Suggest the 1135s to the next customer cutting unobtanium, hey you even have some on the shelf! If it's a success, you have just built your next relationship. If it isn't, you need to do the troubleshooting routine with Sandvic. If customer 2 has better productivity, because he is using Valenite, you now have cause to suggest these to Shane123. Win-Win.

The point here is listen to the customer. He is telling you what he needs. That is why he is spending time with you. Just because he is asking for something that is low margin doesn't mean it isn't mutually beneficial to stock them. Catering to your customer may lead to bigger and better things, simply because you have a relationship.

[fizzissist]

I'm with Shane123. I know exactly what he's talking about... but...

Going back to the original question for someone in "new CNC machine tool sales", let's assume that the sales rep is doing exactly that...just selling new CNC machines. Let's say too that he doesn't have a clue what you need simply because he himself has NEVER been in your shoes. This alone puts him automatically one step below a new car salesman....he's at least probably bought a car...

When the new CNC rep walks in the shop, he's going to be asking you to shell out anywhere from $50k to $250k for some serious acreage on your floor, and a very serious commitment from you. He'd better have some really good stuff up his sleeve. His machine will have to do at least one of the following:

1. Make your parts faster.
2. Make your parts cheaper.
3. Make your parts better.
4. Allow you to make something you can't make now.
5. By whatever mechanism, make you more money than what his machine will cost you.

Something else his machine had better have? A company behind it with the reputation for taking care of its customers, a company that's been around a while, and one that will probably continue to be around awhile.

[Shane123]

luckily we dont have to deal with machine tool reps much, as they seem to be most helpful when they are only selling you a new machine. when you need replacement parts, it seems to be my experience that you are better off to deal with the manufacturer. I suspect that the sales rep is too busy trying to sell big machines than to worry about your bearing for your door on your vmc..... pain in the ass imho....

especially when they drop the line, then bad mouth the line they dropped, lol. it was good enough when you were selling them.....

[Shane123]

like i said before, i dont get to deal with those machine tool reps much, as my bosses seem to know more than me on what they need in a machine......... cant wait for them to figure out where the power button is on my machines, lol........

almost wish the reps would request to speak with the lead machininst when they are selling, maybe to get a better picture of what to sell you......

[psient]

What happened to DANTEATER here? It's like a fest.

Hey I've got a good Idea vote for BUSH/Halliburton ticket and now sour your attitude by complaining about how someone who can take advantage of you, does so and When you're *****, that same person then calls you out to blame. Give that population the power, attitude, and illegal sanction to practice then blame everyone else when you find out they're just selfish and insane and their psychology manifests and generalizes to every day to day working guy who's a middle man working for the very same goals you do, the salesman. What a bunch of punks. When do you grow up and act like civil grown men?, in your 90's . . . . slow learners are we?

I don't think this guy comes from the same factory level as you do that's all.

Sounds to me like the guy just wants to make a living but you treat him like an *******. What's the matter with you people?

Don't call me out on this, you are the case. you may have experience and training in machining up the yahzoo but there are those in the population of the real world have a much better understanding and level of training in analyzing people's problems . . . . kick yourself in the nuts . . . . You guys have psychological issues and are blind. so it's no wonder you have to learn what to do the hard way and then blame everyone else for your lack of understanding and perspective taking. Grow up. IF you can help this fellow do so, if all you can do is vent STFU