Hello All, I am new to the forum. Great forum by the way. Over the past 2 years I have been a heavy equipment Salesman. My question is, what do you guys expect in the salesman? Honesty, experience, expertise,knowledge, etc. Lay it on me. I am trying to find out what I can do to help my customers. Thank you, Iron Slinger
Salesman needs detailed knowledge of his product and the local markets it could effectively serve. Can't be too pushy calling all the time. And you need to be able to b.s. with your client and be interested in honestly benefiting him with the sale.
Don't like them trying to pull my leg! :laugh
I'd like them just to pull out the paper work and tell me where to sign, I seem to know more about the product I am going to buy just by cruising the Internet for information on them. I've even had one sales rep tell me I should think about a future in compact equipment sales, I told him "I'd rather work with them than BS about them".
It is nice to have the salesman call once and a while and chat a little. I don't like it when I ask about something and get a bs answer or never get back to me.
I would like to see them have knowlage of what they are selling and just be honest.Be there for more than just a year and some one who can help you out when you need a loner or an on site demo
Ask the customer what his requirements and expectations are and then be honest about which of the requirements and expectations will be met by the equipment. Sometimes by asking the right questions, you might learn that the customer would be better benefited by a different piece of equipment. It also helps if you are knowledgeable about the competition, and the benefits and detriments their equipment. If you make the customer feel that you want to understand his needs, and will be honest about how you can meet them, you will win him over even if you don't make the immediate sale. If you have a great service dept., introduce the customer to the service manager. Let him feel that he won't be forgotten once the sale is final. If I am buying a new piece of equipment, I want to ask the service manager what he sees this piece of equipment coming to his department for and what might be the biggest problem. Salesmen cringe when I do this, but a service manager can help make the sale by being honest. We all know that no equipment is perfect.
That's what my Sales rep did with me, he showed me the shop where only the compact equipment was repaired, and there were no major repairs going on (it's kinda small for a CAT shop, but that's good) any machines being worked on were either being PDI'ed, PM'ed or just minor repairs to tracks or hoses, I was sold, and the Shop Service tech person was nice enough to explain the Cat skid steer hydraulic system.
Get back to me ASAP many salesman have lost my buisness because they do not get back to me ASAP. I have been trying to buy a excavtor bucket for a week now I can not get anybody to call me back with specs I have to call the manfactor direct. Also know what your talking about I hate when you trying to bs me.
Treat me like you sold me a 797 weather I bought a skid loader or a set of teeth, value my business, let me know about new machines coming out call me up to invite me to come demo a brand new machine, dont go very long without talking to me about something but dont annoy me , be honest with me about what I am buying if its a piece of junk or has had problems tell me, weather its brand new or used , and dont treat me like some dumb dirtwork guy I will go somewhere else
Keep'em comin' guys! I value your responses and trying to edit some of the ways I do things day to day. I believe my customers are very much like alot of the fella's here and appreciate the insight ya'll are providing. -Iron Slinger
Know what the hell your selling. Most of my preliminary questions I know the answers to before I ask them. Be honest. Don't try and ******** a bullshitter. Don't come to a job sight wearing a suit and tie jeans and a polo shirt works if you need to be preppy. Make your best effort to actually Know what's going on with the jobsite around you and knowing where to be and then to be there. When you arrive on site goes up to the most semi important person and introduce your self, shake his hand a tell him who you are and where your from. then ask who the man in charge is. Then be yourself and tell them what your machine could do for them well not only them but their bottom line.
Honesty I've told this story before but I once went to a Trade Show and sauntered up to the Cat stand. They had a new 301.8C mini-ex on display. I asked the salesman if they had any problems with the new model and he said "no, none at all, all working just fine". My business partner had bought one from the first shipment to arrive in the state about 5 months before. It had had the service truck our so many times and been back to the dealer at least 3 times...had the pump changed, finals drives..harne....well, easier to say that the engine and the frame were about the only things not changed. Why lie to your customers.
My main thing is when I see a piece of equipment on your lot driving by and call to ask a question you take the time to either talk with me or tell me when you will call back and do it. I have a couple sales people I really like and while I don't very often find anything that is priced right in my mind I do try to rent equipment thru them when needed. If I don't like the sales people I don't buy no matter what the brand.
1st. Welcome to the board Iron Slinger. :drinkup I'm not sure what kind of equipment you sell, but for example lets assume it's dozers, rtb's, loaders and excavators. I think one thing that would really benefit you to help you understand what a potential customer is looking for is for you to be able to operate what you sell. I'm not talking about just knowing how to start a piece up and spin it around in a circle. Know how to dig a trench with an excavator. How to load a truck with a loader. How to change out the bucket to a wheel on the RTB. In other words, be comfortable enough operating something when you come out to a site I'll not only be impressed, I'll even learn something from you. That helps to bring you and the customer down to the same level and in a way will give your customer a bunch or confidence in you. Does your employer have a proving ground somewhere? If so, that would be the perfect place for you to get your feet and hands wet. Hope this helps, and lest of luck to you. Dealing with people can really suck at times.
I can't stand the ones that show up at the job site, pushing whatever they have in inventory. Or the ones that get my cell phone number and call all day.
My biggest issue with salesmen is having them show up on site with no personal protective equipment. The sign at the entrance to the jobsite that says, “HARD HATS AND SAFETY VESTS REQUIRED FOR ALL PERSONNEL BEYOND THIS POINT,” really does mean everybody. I expect any salesman onsite to respect that and wear their PPE. If they do, I’m willing to listen to what they have to say (but they had better be knowledgeable about their product). If they’re not donning their PPE, I ask them to leave. Don’t be like most salesmen who don’t even own a hard hat or safety vest.
one word... free hat.
Well thats two words but i also agree.
Show some interest in the customer: I've built a lot of ponds in the last few years... In fact, I more or less quit counting at 50. And, of course, most of you know we have a JD 750c dozer. Of course I've cleaned out old ones too... and that can be stuck city, if you're not extremely careful... I might hold some kind or record for getting a 750 stuck... All the ones I build are live stock water sources... requested by neighbors and ranchers in about a 50 to 100 mile radius of our ranch. There are a lot of draws and coulees in this area, so I look for one's that have evidence of any under ground water... and start digging. I'm basically prospecting for water, with a 9 foot blade... and I can't go straight in and out, so I have to make a rather long trench...and I don't always find water... and it cost quite a bite too. I'd always thought... man, if I had an excavator... I could dig a 2 or 3 foot wide trench through here, about as deep as I wanted, in about a tenth of the time. This is where the salesman comes in... took a awhile but I'm getting there... I called T&E... our local Cat dealer to ask what they had and if I could demo. one. I guess I lucked out, cause I met one of the finest salesmen you could possibly find... and we became very good friends. He actually finally sold it to an 83 year old lady... my Mom... and I still kid him about it. I'd like to tell every one his name, but I can't with out his permission... and He's a JD salesman now too. But that's what I mean about showing interest... T&E serves about 4 or 5 open pit coal mines around here with big equipment, but he took the time to sell a used machine to basically a nothing outfit...us...:thumbsup I think I put about 200 hours on it before I talked my Mom into buying it... And then he fixed a few minor issues...and gave us about $300 or $400 worth of maintenance manuals to boot. If every body could get one like him... there'd be no bitching about salesmen. That's how we ended up with our 312BL... OCR
Don't you guys love the salesmen that show up and all they know about is what is in some company web site or book. Cat is not always the best, there are good and bad with them all, acknoledge that. Had one show up and tell me my bobcat was a piece of crap compared to a cat. Why did you buy that he seemed to forget all the trouble we had before.
Salesman Im not the best one to ask this question, but you asked. I bought a 2006Fecon FTX90L mulching machine, with 350 hrs and 100 hrs on a new Deutz engine install. I got a written engine warranty, until 08-11-08. Engine went bad a month ago and now the dealer says, I made a mistake on giving a warranty, bottom line, the lawyer just wrote him a nasty letter. I guess honesty is the best thing, and checking in with the customer after the sale. If he has problems, help him resolve it. A salesman, must have a good reputation, or he is not going to make much money. A friend of mine bought a new Cat machine and it had problems and the salesman got him a loaner, so he could get back to work. That was over and above the call of duty, BUT its something he should have done. What some sales people, forget after the sale is, that most of us have to borrow money and make the payments and without the machine working its hard to make payments. No high pressure tactics, No phone calls trying to pressure us into buying something. I made the Big mistake a few years ago, I went to a car dealer and asked for price on a truck, I was real interested in that truck, or I wouldnt have done all the crap they wanted. After answering about 20 questions, I found out the price, then I walked out, then the weekly phone calls. I finally had to get rude, so they wouldnt call anymore. Sales is a bad job, been there, done that. My brother has been in the car dealer buiness for 30 years and he presses his people to press the customer. I guess that is business Just my 2 cents worth
great point made above. Don't forget about me after the sale. I buy ALL of my new pickups from ONE salesman because of that. I had some problems with the transmission on my 94 with less than 3000 miles on it. salesman calls me about a month after I bought it and ask me how she's doing. I tell him to go out side and take a look at her and let me know. He questions me and I tell him in was in the shop and had been for a week and it looks like they didn't even look at it yet. well 8 am the next day he PERSONALLY delivers my repaired truck washed and detailed on the house. Tells me that he told the service department that wasn't right and had them install a transmission that was going to go into a power company truck in mine that day. Skip recently retired. I'm sad to see him go. I ended up buying 8 trucks from him over the years.
I dont know about your area, but around here, the salesmen only get 20 or so hats a year to give out. The rest they have to pay for.