Living the Dream

They say the sky is the limit in the distribution industry and, if that’s the case, MAC Tools mobile distributor Brian Davis is soaring through the clouds.

A member of the MAC family since 1999, Davis started out working at the corporate office for 2-1/2 years before he decided to become a traditional distributor. His eye was initially lured to the MAC clan due to the fact that he received frequent visits from his MAC Tools distributor while working as an auto body painter.

The two crossed paths when Davis ran into the district manager while marketing and selling his custom auto body equipment; they got to talking and the rest was history.

“I absolutely love this type of work. They tell you the sky is the limit, but in this industry it really is. There is always new products out there to be sold,” Davis says. That motivation helped Davis become a MAC President’s Board member for two years and eventually attain the top spot as the MAC Card Salesman of the Year in 2005.

The Biggest Tool In His Tool Bag

MAC Tools introduced a revolving line of credit specifically for technicians to use off of MAC trucks. As a result, traditional truck credit took a backseat, and therefore, a load off of distributor’s shoulders with a new credit card that charges a minimal interest rate and sends monthly statements directly to the customer, eliminating the hassle of weekly collections.

“It’s just an unbelievable asset to my business and my customers,” Davis attests. “It’s a great tool for the customers to have in diversifying their finances. It increases their credit line; they can buy more product from me and have more product in their toolboxes with less of a weekly or monthly payment.”

When a distributor carries his own truck account, he is the bank. A credit card alleviates that section of the business and places the additional strain in the credit company’s hands. A customer, who once bought a tool for $500 on a five-week turn, pays $100 a week. When he buys the same product on the MAC card, he can make $40 monthly payments, making it easier for the customer to budget. “It cuts us out of the loop,” Davis says. “Now someone else carries the note.”

Life before this “Superman” credit program came along was not as simple, and with higher interest rates, the old method was “terrible,” according to Davis. Distributors spent too much of their time collecting payments and keeping payments current than selling new products. “We were baby-sitting. I used to spend 60 percent of my time collecting and 40 percent selling; now it’s 100 percent on selling,” Davis says.

“Now I focus a lot more time on selling product vs. collecting what my customers owe me.“ As a result of the new program, Davis’ business has thrived. The number of sales and customers both increased dramatically. “It was the biggest thing I could bring to my business.”

While Davis does maintain a truck account for his customers—nearly 95 percent of card-holders have a truck account as well—it is primarily used for smaller purchases.

I Don’t Want To Be The Wal-Mart

For Davis, success was a culmination of hard work, determination and exemplary customer service—that and his partnership with the silent salesman.

In Davis’ eyes, success in distribution all boils down to customer service and the little things he can do for his customers. During the summer months, he gives out water and soda, and keeps his truck fresh by constantly rotating stock so his truck doesn’t go stale. “I keep it exciting and new. I want to pull in and attract customers. If they’re going to walk into your truck and see the same thing they saw last week, your truck isn’t an attraction. People want to see new things.” Brian’s truck: the silent salesman.