Updates to scan tools help distributors three-fold: they can be a conversation starter leading to a scan tool sale, provide a follow-up opportunity with the customer to confirm how things are going with the tool, and they also allow distributors to make additional sales from the software upgrades.
“The neat thing about the scan tools now is they will give me sale today, but it also gives me the opportunity to update that scanner in a year. So those residual sales come from it,” says Mac Tools distributor Doug Pennington.
Pennington notes there are additional items that can be sold during and after a scan tool purchase.
“Other add-ons like TPMS tools, heavy duty updates for anyone working on larger trucks. There are accessory sales you can get,” he explains. He adds that scan tools usually provide notifications on when a subscription will need to be renewed or updated as well.
“What’s also great about our scanners is that when you purchase it, you get one year of free updates. The scanner manufacturers are constantly acquiring new information, and at least once a month they release updates via Wi-Fi, so the customer continues to get added information, and when they purchase an update to our scanners, they are getting one year of free updates, not just a one-time “catch-up” style update. A far better value,” says Pennington.
