Business as usual
Darren
this request.
I need advice on 2 subjects:
1. We are a manufacturer of *******(let's say Lawn Mowers). I sell
(Lawn Mower) parts on the street which makes me a Warehouse
Distributor. There are two pricing structures that the individual parts
companies sell to us; manufacturing price (really low), and WD price
(higher). We happen to get a few items (carburetors, spark plugs) at
manufacturers pricing by "grabbing" them off the Lawn Mower assembly
line. we also buy some at the higher price because parts makers frown
on this practice of grabbing things meant for production. So, we raise
our overall margins by doing this. This way I can be more competitive
on certain brands and make up for the products that I have to "give
away" at low margins.
One day one of my competitors call, and want a carburetor. I sell them
the carburetor at a good price because they have done the same for me.
This competitor is NOT a manufacturer of Lawn Mowers...they are just a
big WD of Lawn Mower parts (with many locations, better buying power,
etc., etc.). They turn me in to the maker of the carburetor! those
bastards! I do the guy a favor and he turns me in. Nothing really
happens to us. The maker of the carburetor tells us to stop it....but
I'm pissed!!!!
How can I get revenge on my competitor? No BS...no funny lines...just
straight answers on something that I can LEGALLY do. It has to be legal
but not ethical. I had a thought of faxing all my customers from a
laptop at a neutral location and telling them that this competitor is
going out of business....or maybe a super cut-rate flyer that has
pricing just under their cost. I don't know how legal this is but it
seems like a good comeback...
2. I have about 5 accounts (out of 173) that WILL NOT buy from me.
These accounts are huge and I want to get their business..I have tried
EVERY sales tool to get them to buy...everything! So now I have
resorted to bugging the shit out of them 4 to 5 times a day by faxing
them 6 to 7 page documents asking them why they won't buy from me..etc,
etc. Any other suggestions? I hate being a pain in the ass to them but
I will not stop until they buy, or get a restraining order on me!
Don'tcha hate sales guys!!!! OK any advice?
Thanks,
Darren
dse...@jorsm.com
BozoŽ
Darren <dse...@jorsm.com> wrote in message
news:3754A914...@jorsm.com...
> Hi gang. I'm new here but this seemed like a good news group to post
> this request.
>
> I need advice on 2 subjects:
>
> 1. We are a manufacturer of *******(let's say Lawn Mowers). I sell
> (Lawn Mower) parts on the street which makes me a Warehouse
> Distributor. There are two pricing structures that the individual parts
> companies sell to us; manufacturing price (really low), and WD price
> (higher). We happen to get a few items (carburetors, spark plugs) at
> manufacturers pricing by "grabbing" them off the Lawn Mower assembly
> line. we also buy some at the higher price because parts makers frown
> on this practice of grabbing things meant for production. So, we raise
> our overall margins by doing this. This way I can be more competitive
> on certain brands and make up for the products that I have to "give
> away" at low margins.
Sounds like you are smoking too much of that 'lawn mower'.
BozoŽ
yankee7
<3754A914...@jorsm.com>...
> Hi gang. I'm new here but this seemed like a good news group to post
> this request.
>
> I need advice on 2 subjects:
>
> 1. We are a manufacturer of *******(let's say Lawn Mowers). I sell
> (Lawn Mower) parts on the street which makes me a Warehouse
> Distributor. There are two pricing structures that the individual parts
> companies sell to us; manufacturing price (really low), and WD price
> (higher). We happen to get a few items (carburetors, spark plugs) at
> manufacturers pricing by "grabbing" them off the Lawn Mower assembly
> line. we also buy some at the higher price because parts makers frown
> on this practice of grabbing things meant for production. So, we raise
> our overall margins by doing this. This way I can be more competitive
> on certain brands and make up for the products that I have to "give
> away" at low margins.
>
> the carburetor at a good price because they have done the same for me.
> This competitor is NOT a manufacturer of Lawn Mowers...they are just a
> big WD of Lawn Mower parts (with many locations, better buying power,
> etc., etc.). They turn me in to the maker of the carburetor! those
> bastards! I do the guy a favor and he turns me in. Nothing really
> happens to us. The maker of the carburetor tells us to stop it....but
> I'm pissed!!!!
>
> How can I get revenge on my competitor? No BS...no funny lines...just
> straight answers on something that I can LEGALLY do. It has to be legal
> but not ethical. I had a thought of faxing all my customers from a
> laptop at a neutral location and telling them that this competitor is
> going out of business....or maybe a super cut-rate flyer that has
> pricing just under their cost. I don't know how legal this is but it
> seems like a good comeback...
did anything technically illegal or unethical by selling to your
competitor, but it could really hurt you in the long run with your
suppliers/vendors. Hopefully you learned a good lesson from this: no
good deed goes unpunished.
As for revenge, it sounds like your business must be doing pretty well if
a competitor would resort to such extreme methods to get you in trouble.
Being in sort of a specialized industry myself (which we'll call the
"snowmobile" industry) characterized by few sellers, news of this sort
travels fast. Details of your situation are probably all around the
country by now. Your other competitors are also probably wary of the
competitor that got you in trouble. I'd sit on this for a while and
strike when the opportunity presents itself. In any case, just wait a
while until the competitor needs help getting out of a jam and calls you.
> 2. I have about 5 accounts (out of 173) that WILL NOT buy from me.
> These accounts are huge and I want to get their business..I have tried
> EVERY sales tool to get them to buy...everything! So now I have
> resorted to bugging the shit out of them 4 to 5 times a day by faxing
> them 6 to 7 page documents asking them why they won't buy from me..etc,
> etc. Any other suggestions? I hate being a pain in the ass to them but
> I will not stop until they buy, or get a restraining order on me!
> Don'tcha hate sales guys!!!! OK any advice?
Yeah, the accounts possibly have a 'contract not to compete' with their
current vendors that legally prohibits them from buying from other
vendors. These are not that common in the business world, but they do
exist. Sort of like when you hear Best Buy is a licensed distributor of
Tampax, or something like that. Whew, nice analogy for those Best Buy
boneheads. Anyway, it sounds like your 5 accounts are not interested in
your business. My advice would be to corner one of them at a trade show,
exposition etc. and beg for a small "widgets" account with them. If they
like your business it'll grow from there. If they don't, they'll go with
someone else. You can't force them to buy from you, especially if they've
got a good deal somewhere else.
--
The Mick --"I am a lover of women,
I am a leader of men,
and I am a surprisingly good dancer
for a big man."
--Mick Foley
Stunt Pope
>2. I have about 5 accounts (out of 173) that WILL NOT buy from me.
>These accounts are huge and I want to get their business..I have tried
>EVERY sales tool to get them to buy...everything! So now I have
>resorted to bugging the shit out of them 4 to 5 times a day by faxing
>them 6 to 7 page documents asking them why they won't buy from me..etc,
>etc. Any other suggestions? I hate being a pain in the ass to them but
>I will not stop until they buy, or get a restraining order on me!
>Don'tcha hate sales guys!!!! OK any advice?
>
Maybe you annoy the hell out of them so much with your constant pestering
that they've decided to never deal with you period.
Stranger things have happened.
--
|||| mark jeftovic (MJ177) ==== http://SlingShot.to/StuntPope ||||
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