Tip 16 - Tip Collections

Over the years distributors have sent us tips. We’ve decided to collect a few of the best and/or most popular ones to share with you. Newer distributors, especially, can profit from these tips, but older, established distributors may pick up a few new tips, too!

• Quite a few distributors are aware of that friend to every small business—Kinko’s! Copy centers such as Kinko’s are invaluable, and offer much more than just duplicating. The average Kinko’s (or similar print shop) has low hourly rentals on computers, printers, and other hardware, so if you don’t own a computer yet, you can still get the great print quality of laserprinters. Most Kinko’s have design experts to work with you on your project, if you wish. They stock a variety of “specialty papers”, as well as plastic display cases for cards and announcements—great for notices of sales and discounts. There’s a huge amount of material and services that can give your company a professional look on a tight budget.

• How do you deal with installing a new machine and not having the drinks cold right away? Many distributors chill a few cans or bottles of each item the night before. When they install the Refreshment machine, the chilled items go in each column first, giving the remainder of the product time to chill down. Some distributors have also used the gift basket technique, by having a few chilled beverages and snacks ready for the employees, to be given away free, as a way of getting acquainted.

• Get them to want the products you want: Compile a report ranking all the products you vend at a particular location, in descending order. Also, put together a report listing all of the new products you sell, or products that you want to sell at that location. For instance, many distributors say to themselves, “If I could only get Company A to try Doritos Chili Cheese Corn Chips, I’m sure they’ll do as well as they do at my other locations. Plus, the chips will make customers thirsty and can boost my drink sales.”

Talk to the location management and show them the report with the ranked products (print it out nicely—at Kinko’s, for instance!). Point out the bottom one or two products and say, “These aren’t selling well; obviously your folks don’t care for them. I’d like to give your employees products they like, so would you like to choose the replacement products from this list?” Then give them the list you compiled with the items you want them to try. They’ll choose the replacements themselves, and be impressed that you were professional enough to give them a choice—and you get to install the products you wanted!

• Once in a blue moon, an item will not vend properly. To avoid any machine shaking or other unpleasantness, some distributors use a “Lost Money Report”. All the customer has to do is fill out the form and his/her

Dana Bashor