Selling SPI

K

Kroozen

As a new jobber, I would like to hear best practices from other jobbers to help me and others grow.
By helping each other we benefit everyone and strength the brand.
 
My suggestion is to do the best you can every day.. Beyond that.. I'm still trying to figure it out.. lol.
 
Become as knowledgeable about the products as you can, but more importantly, be a good listener. Take a genuine interest in the needs of your customers. Be as helpful as possible, and take delight in helping... that's a start.
 
Most important is never answer a question you are not sure about, you will be tested by the shops and if you are not sure, call the tech line, they will appreciate the honesty of you saying I'm not sure but will get an answer.

I hear from shops all day long on the tech line, calling me on something, I have nothing to do with because they have no faith in the answer their jobber may give them.

One from Detroit yesterday, never have bought a thing from us, yet in last year has called a dozen times (at least) Yesterday Finish master told him just spray 2K urethane sealer over the new aluminum panel and paint. when the shops contract is up, I would guess Finish master will be out in cold.
 
Do you carry the tech manual with you? It has almost of the answers plus a note section in the back. Plus, it is listed in order of product use.
 
Thanks for the responses good info. Yes I do carry the tech manual.
I have a few shops interested and say they would like to try but I can't get anyone to pull the trigger. A couple of shop still haven't even tried the free Qrt of UV I gave them after 2 months. What about flyers how do some of you others use flyers
 
I'm not a jobber, but would it be helpful to try to set up a meeting/gathering to demonstrate the products at your store or their shop? It may be a good way to show them what the products are capable of and how they work to some extent, as well as let them use the products risk free. I may not be thinking on the right track but I figured I would mention the thought. Kind of like the gun reps, letting painters demo a gun, you could show them and let them demo the products. Just a thought that would keep costs down somewhat, instead of giving away quarts of clear, one quart would do several demo's on 3'x3' panels.

Kelly
 
One of my favorite way a few jobbers do:

Buy a gallon kit of your choice, if you do not like it, give whatever is left over back to me and I will give you a full refund.
This seems to work 99 X's out of a 100 and when a shop has money invested they tend to give it a serious try but I have heard from jobbers over and over, where they give a shop something and 6 months from now, it is still setting on the work bench.

We have one jobber, that only sells clear and 2K primer in case lots only and he will walk in a shop with a case of clear and one extra gallon, he bills them for the case and he says the gallon is free, if you do not like I will pick the case up and give you a full refund.
Andy has rode with this guy twice in last four years and said the shops love this deal and it works well enough that any do-it-yourselfers, he wants us to ship as he does not have time to handle. ( that is the only jobber we have, that does not want referrals, from us)
 
One of my favorite way a few jobbers do:

Buy a gallon kit of your choice, if you do not like it, give whatever is left over back to me and I will give you a full refund.
This seems to work 99 X's out of a 100 and when a shop has money invested they tend to give it a serious try but I have heard from jobbers over and over, where they give a shop something and 6 months from now, it is still setting on the work bench.

We have one jobber, that only sells clear and 2K primer in case lots only and he will walk in a shop with a case of clear and one extra gallon, he bills them for the case and he says the gallon is free, if you do not like I will pick the case up and give you a full refund.
Andy has rode with this guy twice in last four years and said the shops love this deal and it works well enough that any do-it-yourselfers, he wants us to ship as he does not have time to handle. ( that is the only jobber we have, that does not want referrals, from us)
 
Barry great info. That's the type of info I am looking for. Can't help but thing this can only help others to and grow the brand
 
None, only jobber we have in Michigan is Chad, our jobber in the UP had a store fire last year and decided not to rebuild.
 
What about some of you shop owners, when a new paint rep walks into your shop selling a product you have not heard about. What you want to see or hear from a rep? What type of rep works best
 
I have been selling SPI as a mobile jobber for over nine years.

The most important thing, in my opinion, is to develop a route (mine is weekly) and stick to it very consistently. The shops need to know that you will be there when they need you. This is a face to face business, so out of sight is out of mind. Phone calls are not a vaild substitute for showing up.

I also think it's helpful to bring something in with you to talk about. I bring in a different SPI product in every month, such as Adhesion Promotor or Polar Accelerator.

I would also be interested in hearing what the shops would like to see or hear from us.
 
as a mobile tool distributor for 20 yr I know the value of showing up every week and on time. my biggest wall I have is here in iowa probably less then 5% of anybody has ever heard of SPI and most shops are unwilling to try something they have never hear of. Sikkens has a very big market share here in Des Moines and most are unwilling to try something different especially something they never heard of and 1/2 the cost because of the perception the more expensive the better.
on a good note I did covert a street rod shop over to SPI last week and I do have 3-4 shop painters using it in there home shop but they work for new car dealers and they are under contract.



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getawaycars;33074 said:
I have been selling SPI as a mobile jobber for over nine years.

The most important thing, in my opinion, is to develop a route (mine is weekly) and stick to it very consistently. The shops need to know that you will be there when they need you. This is a face to face business, so out of sight is out of mind. Phone calls are not a vaild substitute for showing up.

I also think it's helpful to bring something in with you to talk about. I bring in a different SPI product in every month, such as Adhesion Promotor or Polar Accelerator.

I would also be interested in hearing what the shops would like to see or hear from us.
Click to expand...

Honesty and reliable, is what the shops want after you figure your way through all the BS like spending 30 minutes explaining products to the detail guy who you thought was the painter, don't laugh, it happens.
We have a jobber that has a Snap-on truck, he started about 1999 with us, knew nothing about paint, got laid off from his parts Warehouse job.
This guy is in a town with Keystone store, Finish-master stores and a PPG financed store. He kills them.
They buy from him because he is a no BS non-salesman, honest and every shop knows the exact time he will be there and what day of week.
He will tell them right away, that he does not know the answer but he will call Barry or they can and when his shops call me, all they is carry on how great Eddie is.
Last time I rode with him, it was 9:30 on a Tuesday and he got a call from a shop that he was to be at around 9:15 that day, they called because they were worried he had been in an accident. All I heard him say on the phone, is I have Barry with me, need i say more? I still laugh about this but it was the truth,
Ok, so Barry has a hard time shutting up when in a shop.
 
I try to get potential customers to look at the forum (if you have a tablet show it to them) and talk to Barry.

Both are far better salesman than me...

- - - Updated - - -

I try to get potential customers to look at the forum (if you have a tablet show it to them) and talk to Barry.

Both are far better salesman than me...
 
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