Ex-tech or salesman: Which one are you?

Many distributors stumble upon their livelihood by happenstance. Others make it a point from a young age to strive toward serving customers with the right tools. Most distributors I speak with come from one of two arenas: they once turned wrenches themselves and were recruited from a respected distributor they had already dealt with, or they somehow heard about the mobile distribution business from an outside source with no prior knowledge of the mobile tool selling industry.

Distributors with previous auto repair knowledge have the benefit of understanding how a technician thinks. Whether they helped their father with DIY repairs on the weekends, or grew up turning wrenches at the gas station down the street, these techs-turned-distributors have an intimate knowledge of nearly all facets of a vehicle, and the tools used to fix and maintain those vehicles. With that information, they can understand exactly how and why a tool does what it does. Many times, when you share this knowledge with your customers, you're in on a secret that other distributors may not be privy to. The camaraderie developed between technicians can help develop lasting personal and professional relationships. 

That's not to say a sales-savvy distributor isn't able to provide the same level of service to his (or her) customers. They just have a different way of approaching each shop.

In my distributor ridealong with this month's cover story subject, Matco Tools distributor Craig Wineinger (page 8) takes the camaraderie end of the technician spectrum, while still applying his sales background, to offer up the best of both worlds. When he talks with his customers, he approaches them as he would a co-worker turning wrenches in the next bay. He jokes with his techs, and listens to them when they have questions and concerns. He genuinely takes an interest in what every customer has to say. But, he also comes from a sales background, previously working for Armark, a professional clothing distribution company. Along with the relationships Wineinger has built with his customers, he also understands the importance he has in selling tools. "The uniforms are just an image of a company. Tools are actually making them money," he says.

While his forte includes building customer relationships and utilizing his sales skills, Wineinger doesn't shy away from educating himself on the tools he sells. He admits his tool knowledge may not be as strong as other distributors, but its continually improving, and he proactively seeks information on products by attending training seminars and asking his customers questions until he understands what they're looking for.

That's because any well-rounded distributor requires attributes of both in order to succeed.

So where do you fall? 

Could you benefit a bit more from tool training? Or from adding to your sales discussion repertoire? Either way, it’s important to have business sense. That involves having a well-rounded mix of both sales skills and product knowledge to service your customers and to run a successful route.