PUMP UP THE SALES – July 2011

We have an inner branch slogan, “We make customers happy.”   

Here a few examples:

 We make people happy, finding solutions ….

An accessories company in West Chicago had initially placed a website order for a 6-954-025 Toolmex Face Milling Cutter.    For this they also purchased APXT1604 Inserts, and a 7-063-015 KBC Shell End Mill Arbor, a nice $267 order.    Upon receiving the items, their company purchaser called and spoke to me about being unhappy with the Arbor.    The KBC arbor is designed slightly different than the model photographed in our catalog – a difference that became apparent after visually checking a similar item to that which he received.    Instead of a typical hex bolt, the KBC version uitilizes a different bolt, and while it might be fine for most applications, the client was not happy with this.    He was starting to discuss returning the WHOLE order.    When I saw the physical differences between the KBC arbor, and the Bison version, I suggested to him to allow us to send the Bison arbor for him to check out.    I advised him that the Bison one was higher priced than the KBC arbor, but I urged him to try it.    We sent the Bison arbor out to them, and during a follow up phone call, the purchaser said he was pleased with it.    The total order was increased slightly, but more importantly, we made them happy with what they received in the end.

            A gentleman from a technology firm right here in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, stopped in at our counter recently saying he was in desperate, immediate need of an insert.    He brought in an insert ( no toolholder information ), and told me that they were getting these from another source in large quantities.    He asked about getting the inserts from KBC, if I was able to match the insert.    Visually, I was able to identify it as an APXT1604 insert, with a slightly different chipbreaker than those which we offer.    We had some in stock, and they were at a nice sale price.    The gentleman called back later that day, said these inserts will work for them, and asked for 80 additional inserts.    A little insert research, and having a “Bread and Butter” item in stock, also made this customer happy, and resulted in a total sale of $766 for the two orders with good prospects for future insert orders.

                                                                                   – Jeff

* Follow up on your large value orders.

* Make sure you takes notes regarding who you spoke to and what delivery info was given so you can follow up with them. You may want to jot it down on the back of your purchase order.

* When you quote lead times, make sure you give your customer an approximate date and explain that delivery dates can often be pushed back unexpectedly and without notice by the suppliers.

* Ask management for any ideas regarding fill-in sources and/or substitutes.

 

F.Y.I.

Ask credit card accounts if they would like to open net account &/or give them a Net 30 credit app. To save time, most companies already have a standard credit form that they can easily e-mail or fax to us.

Open accounts tend to buy more and it saves us on credit card fees.

                                                                               – Peg

Pitching In

If you call our branch and ask for a physical stock check, you will probably speak to Rich. Though he mostly works in the warehouse, Rich also helps us answer phones and assists customers at the sales counter. On nice days, we keep the overhead door to the warehouse open so Rich can help us keep an eye on the showroom. Rich even has a handful of Polish customers that seek him out when they come in and he is also great at pointing out new items or special buys to everyone. When it gets busy, it takes a combined team effort to get everything accomplished and to keep customers happy.

      Said to the guy not wearing his safety glasses in the shop:

       “I’m going to order some tools this afternoon. What color glass eye can I get for you”?

 Suggestions/Ideas from Michelle

 We have some customers who only buy the same handful of repeat items from us.  ALL shops use safety supplies. Simply ask if they want to add some safety glasses to their order. We have a huge selection and great prices. Think of something else all shops use. Ask everyone on the phone that day if they can use _______. Make a game out of it. How many can you sell?

We have bandsaw blades that were good sellers but they are not in the catalog anymore. When a customer is looking for a certain length blade to buy TODAY, we check our old catalog because we may still have it on the shelf.

Don’t foget to check stock on sets when you don’t have the individual size in stock (drills, collets, barrel laps, countersinks, etc). If you have the set in stock, SELL THE SET. If the customer declines, you may want to sell the individual item from the set and replace it later. Customers LOVE when you come up with the item they need today! Don’t forget to order the piece you sold & leave a note on the set informing everyone that it is short the specific size(s). Remove the note when you replace the piece in the set.

Make sure to physically check items that are returned. Check that all instructions and pieces are accounted for. A customer just tried to return a caliper without the SPC output cover.

When you take an order, ask the customer if there is any item they need right away. This way, you don’t have to go thru availability on every item with them and you can figure out your course of action on any backordered item (substitution, order from supplier, quote lead time). Also, you may want to try… “How soon do you need this?” or “Is 1-2 day delivery OK?” instead of saying, “It’s inMichigan”.

 HAPPY CANADA DAY! HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

PUMP UP THE ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE – July 2011

What do you do if your AR is already PUMPED?

First of all, pat yourself on the back.  You’ve done a great job!  Although your accounts are looking great now is not the time to relax.

How do we keep our AR looking good???  

• Follow up on underpayments.  Can we speed up Credit Memo processing time?  Those little balances left open can sneak up on you.
   
• Go through your Open Credit Report monthly and apply any credits or prepayments to the appropriate invoice.
   
• CALL, CALL, CALL – Now that your customers are finally paying within terms, keep it that way.  Don’t let them slide back to their old payment habits.
   
• Use caution on new accounts.  Let them know our terms up front.
   
• Watch out for customers who are out to get us.  Even new COD or Bankcard orders should be looked over.  

We had a customer from Conroe, TX.  He ordered items and requested them to be shipped out COD by truck. This sent up red flags since rarely does a customer request COD when items are being sent by truck because of the huge shipping cost. After contacting the customer we discovered this was the same guy who had tried to scam on an order from the year before.  He keeps trying to order from us and keeps using different company names and addresses.  The only thing that stays the same is his city and state.  He seems to show up around every 6 months so we just know to watch for new orders coming from Conroe, TX. 

• Use the internet.  Type the company name in the search.  See if there is any negative information out there.  Same customer mentioned above was all over the tool & machinery message boards.  Seems that KBC isn’t the only company he has tried this with. 

The end result is that each of us has been doing this job for a very long time.  No one knows your customers and their payment history better than you.  Trust your gut instinct and keep doing what you’re doing.  Bring that $$ in.  Good Job!