Members of the “Me-Too” gang finish last in sales

What separates your company from the rest of the gang? Have you fallen into the “me too” category? Company X delivers Grade 5.0 gases! “Me too.” It’s difficult in such a competitive arena as the specialty gas industry.

The need to stay ahead of the pack has never been as important as it is today. You need to constantly keep in mind the fact that there are gas distributor sales people in the field every minute of every day who are selling hard and offering their services—to your customers.

How do you keep ahead of this pack? Advanced services are the key to opening the door to new business—as well as keeping the old. Anyone can sell on price, but nobody wins with that strategy.

The distributor who slashes his gas prices just to get in the door quickly finds that these promises fade into the sunset when the lack of margins cannot support that “entry cost.” In the end, that kind of distributor loses and the customer suffers.

New services, advanced services, and novel ideas that enhance your presentation and truly benefit the customer is the strategy that will separate the men from the boys.

Gas distributors who sell cryogenic freezers are a dime a dozen. All sales of that type are based on price and the low man gets the sale. Sound familiar?

Now, consider a gas distributor who not only provides the product at a “competitive price” but also offers a “Preventive Maintenance Program” for the freezer that includes a full-time, factory-trained staff that can respond in 24 hours! Getting interesting? Now add a one-year preventive maintenance program, as well as uncrating and initial set-up as part of the sale and you have a nice attractive package. Everyone wins in this case.

This is an example of “advanced service.”

I recently signed a seven-year agreement with a Massachusetts-based company to provide gases and guaranteed 24/7 service to their cryogenic freezers. That was a lovely $300,000 sale.

Cylinder Barcoding

Many distributors barcode their cylinders, but in many cases, they barcode only a portion of the cylinders in their inventory.

What use is that to a customer who wants an inventory sheet. With only partial barcoding, what he gets is inaccurate at best.

Cylinder barcode systems come in many shapes and forms. Many are package systems that can be purchased off-the-shelf. What separates yours from the competition? Or is your cylinder barcode system a “me too” version as well?

I find that large accounts, with multiple departments or divisions and large cylinder inventories, depend heavily on a customdesigned cylinder barcode system that includes the distributors entire inventory of cylinders and dewars.

I recently acquired a high profile account in the center of Cambridge Mass., that has a significant inventory of liquid nitrogen dewars and high pressure specialty gas cylinders. Success of that sale was based solely on our ability to deliver an accurate cylinder inventory barcode sheet for each department within minutes of a request. That system is capable of delivering customized inventory reports that are tailored to the customer’s needs.

The key is “custom designed” to perform better and faster than anything the competition had ever offered. We were not the least expensive supplier in the bid process for this customer; we were the preferred supplier. Another $300,000 in sales added to my “territory dollars!”

Advanced Service Capabilities

Successful buying of specialty gas equipment usually requires strict adherence to several steps:

• Get the quote from the gas company for the equipment. 
• Get a quote from a plumbing contractor for installation of the equipment. 
• Get permits from the city. 
• Get inspections, testing, calibrations, and all of the other details done.

Get, Get, Get—and it goes on and on.

Now, lets lighten the customer’s load and deliver a quote for the equipment that includes one-stop shopping. Include the equipment, the installation, permitting, testing, calibration, and a guarantee that the equipment will perform as promised.

Now enhance the proposal with a “Preventive Maintenance Program” for the equipment sold. This reflects a very nice package, free of hassles and a serious time saver for the customer.

That’s service!

I was involved in a bid process at two large manufacturing plants in Massachusetts during the last quarter of 2006. That process dragged on and on for weeks. The customer, however, was aware that prices could not be held at the original level any longer and that the process would have to be repeated if delays continued. As a result, he awarded the business to the vendor with the all-inclusive quote. That all-inclusive quote secured approximately $440,000 in new business.

Adding more than $1,000,000 in new business is a delightful experience for any distributor and the knowledgeable salesperson who makes it happen. That’s the kind of “me too” gang you want to join. Anyone can sell a product, but it is the service behind the sale that the customer is looking to buy. Service has become a rare commodity, and rare things are valuable.

Get on board and “Sell the Service!”...

Mike Lee is Specialty Gas Manager for Middlesex Gases and Technologies, Everett, Mass. He can be reached at Mlee@middlesexgases.com

Specialty Gas Report SECOND QUARTER 2007 //