Stacey Bleile, a Mac Tools distributor, approaches each shop, and every customer, exactly the same every time he sees them.
He focuses on reaching out to everybody he sees in the shop, even if they’re not his customer. For many of his stops, Bleile is the exclusive distributor that his customers buy from.
“I go in and talk to everybody. I try not to miss anybody,” says Bleile. He also makes it a point to talk to the shop managers and shop owners.
His normal approach involves asking each customer how the tools he has sold are working out, and if the customer has any warranties that need attention. He is quick to offer a solution or part to fix a tool, before replacing the item.
And after every conversation, he says, “I’ll see you next week.” Bleile sticks to this mantra, because he’s focused on the long term.
“I’m not doing this for one week. I’m doing this to keep everybody happy. If you’re going out every week, you want to sell every week,” he says. “They’ll be back next week, instead of forcing it down their throat (today). But if you force it down their throat, they might not be back next week.”