The following is a first-hand account from Rusty Hinkle, South Central Plains Regional Manager for Nilfisk-ALTO

After celebrating one year with Nilfisk-ALTO Cleaning Systems, Inc. and my second CETA show as a regional manager, I must say it's been great meeting everyone.  As I visit new, existing, and prospective distributors two things seem to stick out: "Trouble with sales and trouble with service."  It is all too easy to sit back and blame things on the economy and gas prices, the weather and every other excuse there is - I know, I have used them myself in my 16-plus years of being in the pressure washer industry and I still hear them today.  I am not saying that these factors do not have an impact on sales, but most of the time they have a bigger impact on our perception and attitude.  If you hit the streets thinking there is no way you are going to sell a machine, you're right.  A former regional manager once told me that during the worst of times there is still at least one person out there looking to purchase a pressure washer in your city and it's your job to find them.  Besides, the more tools you have, the better you can perform your job and achieve your goals.

In marketing, you need to know what you're selling, whom you are selling it to, and how to promote or present it.  If you don't know your equipment, how can you compete against other pressure washer companies?  What makes our products unique and a better buy for your clients than the competetive products?  If you know your product, and what makes it better, be more aggressive in marketing it so you can achieve higher margins as a result.

Who you sell to and which accessories you incorporate into your presentation makes a difference in your approach.  You also want to know what you are cleaning.  If you are presenting a demo at a truck stop and you show up to clean concrete flat work but it's the kitchen you're actually cleaning, then you have already started the demo on the wrong foot, probably washing your sale down the drain as wel.  It is important to know what power sources are available - voltage, amperage, and plug configuration to name a few.  Not only can a bad power source sour a demo, it can also become a service nightmare.

Even if you're a grizzled veteran of marketing school, you can help recharge the battery by injecting new ideas into your system and get the creative wheels turning.  Remember those early days when it was so much fun.  You may get into a rut and end up doing what you have to do instead of what you should be doing, and what you should be doing is having fun while taknig care of business.

Where and how do I market?  Yellow pages, trade shows, want ads, mailers, telemarketing, news letters, cold calling.  The list can go on and on and you know who your customers are but you also need to know who you want as customers.

Service is a double-edged sword.  It is the part of business you love to hate.  Some of your biggest problems extend from the service department: How many times has your service tech told you of a customer's machine being faulty?  Sometimes this is true, but most of the time there are other reasons to consider.  Lack of maintenance, abuse by the operators, lack of knowledge of the equipment from your service tech are a few examples.  Manufacturing has its problems as well, as we all know.  Either a wire or nuts were not connected or tightened properly, or a defective part throws a curve into the otherwise smooth process.  I have several calls from people who do not know how to service the equipment they are selling.  Sales and marketing first sell the machine and service is responsible for the repeat business.

We have an excellent technical service team with Chris Gerber and Jimmie Tremble.  We have excellent sales support with Ollie Nielsen, Mark Short, Jimmie, and myself, if I do say so.  But we are all spread thing and have a lot of people to help.  But, we also have a great customer service department, ready to help you at a moment's notice.  We are all at your disposal and gald to help you any way we can.  But, to build a great starting base to build from and a great refresher course, sign up for the next available sales and service schools.  These are two of the best tools you can invest in to kick start your business as a distributor.  The added benefits to the schools are that you can learn something new or a different approach on how to do something, and end up finding out that you're not alone.  There might be several others out there facing the same problems as you.  You also get to put names with faces, form friendships with others in the industry.

We hope to have schools scheduled in the near future.  I am excited about the future and hope to see you at our next school.

Rusty Hinkle,
South Central Plains Regional Manager