Sales Tip: Consider expanding your inventory

Mac Tools distributor Tim Lawrence now covers a route through Pasco, Washington, visiting a variety of customers, including manufacturing businesses, independent shops, dealerships, motorcycle shops, heavy equipment shops, the school district, and more.  

To accommodate all these customers, Lawrence keeps over a million dollars in inventory. Though much is housed on his truck, he’s also got a 50’ by 60’ warehouse.

With so much inventory on board, the distributor finds it easiest to organize the tools by job, so lube tools on one shelf, brake tools on another, etc. He also keeps the tools closed in their cases instead of open on display to help further maximize his space. If a technician can’t find something, he can easily guide them to it or get it for them, if he doesn’t have it in stock.

“It definitely makes a difference in your sales if you have it in stock,” Lawrence says. “Sometimes the customer can wait for you to get it in, [but] most of the time, they're in the middle of the job … the bigger inventory helps with that.”