A Summer To Prosper

As we wrote two weeks ago, we think 2015 will be the best year for equipment and supplies sales in the current economic cycle. Every part of the market—chains, the street business, the spec markets—are humming along. Restaurant operators had another strong month in April, according to the latest National Restaurant Association Restaurant Performance Index. A consultant told me a couple weeks ago that there are a spate of new hotel projects all across the country. The schools market is just getting going and is expected to be the best in years. Everything I heard at the NRA Show was upbeat.

But just because the market is strong, doesn’t mean you are going to get the sale. Unless you are my friends at Ace Mart or The Restaurant Store (the bricks and mortar one), business doesn’t walk in the door. If it were me, I’d call everyone I’ve ever done business with, absolutely everyone in the CRM database. Ask how you can help. Ask about menu changes they are considering. Ask which piece of equipment they’ve had to repair the most. Talk to them about a new product. Explain how much more energy-efficient and easy to use new equipment is. Just create reasons to talk to them and then listen a lot.

I know this is salesmanship 101. But you know what? People still buy from people. Customers care that you check on them. In helping sell advertising for more than 35 years, I’ve come to realize that the salesperson who succeeds the most is the one who makes the most calls. A lot of selling things is just showing up. And—as nearly all of you know as well as I do—it’s fun interacting with customers.

So go have fun this summer. 

Cheers,

Robin Ashton

Publisher

rashton@fermag.com

“””