August 2022 - 10

OCS UPDATE
Six things for operators to consider
in today's business environment
3
Insights to think about when
selling refreshment services.
By Bob Tullio, Contributor
EARLIER THIS MONTH, I WAS
asked to provide a video for a large
operator's national sales meeting.
The title: " Four things to think about
when selling refreshment services in
today's business environment. " In the
interest of time, I kept it to four, but
in the interests of this column, I have
six to share.
1
DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT
PRICE-DRIVEN SELLING.
Back in the day, I was
always perplexed by
operators who were
charging 75 cents for a
can of soda, while the convenience
stores were selling it for $1.00 or
more. Forget the fact that the bottling
companies were vending that same
soda for 50 cents! Somehow, vending
operators were always seen as
discounters, even though we deliver
the ultimate convenience.
Joel Skidmore, president of J&J
Vending in northern California,
shares my frustration. " We've always
been discounters in our industry, and
it stems from that fear of losing the
account, because someone can always
sell it cheaper. While there is always
price sensitivity, it is more in the
industrial accounts today. In whitecollar
and tech accounts, they want
better products, and we need to offer
them, " said Skidmore.
For operators, this is our opportunity
to turn the tables. Sell on quality,
service, value, safety, sustainability -
anything but price, whenever possible.
10 Automatic Merchandiser * August 2022
If a client is price-oriented beyond all
else, that is not an account you want
to serve.
2
SPOIL YOUR CUSTOMERS:
IN A SELF-SERVICE
WORLD, PERSONAL SERVICE IS
INCREASINGLY UNCOMMON.
Think about it: Everything
today is self-service, and
the data shows that. We
love pumping our own
gas, placing our own orders, troubleshooting
our technology and doing all
the work because there is no choice.
As a result, personal service, paying
special attention to client needs,
entertaining clients and spoiling them
with performance is such a rarity today
that it becomes a true differentiator -
especially after the pandemic.
Louis Baresh of Executive
Refreshments in Dallas said his
company is using exceptional service
as a differentiator. " We focus on
innovation and customer service. We
are going above and beyond because
we know the bigger competition is
unable to match our service. Clients
have my cell phone number. We are
pouring it on from a service standpoint,
and it is working, " said Baresh.
OPEN YOUR EYES AND
MAXIMIZE REVENUE.
Those old sales gurus
used to say: Close the deal
and shut up. Instead, I
say, before you close the
deal, be confident enough to open
your eyes and maximize the financial
opportunity. Go to the appointment
to get the OCS business - but get the
water, the beverage, the snacks, the
micro market, the pantry, the cold
brew - maybe even the food lockers
if you are moving in that direction.
Go after every dollar available
and sell it on the benefit of vendor
consolidation.
4
FOCUS ON RELATIONSHIP
DEVELOPMENT WITH AN
EYE ON REFERRALS.
When I train operators
in a program designed to
create elite performers,
the question I always hear
is, " How do I get the big
accounts like you had as
an operator? " Warner Bros., Disney,
Netflix, Space X, the big law firms,
giant call centers and huge distribution
facilities - the ideal targets.
The answer is simple. Spend
thousands on pay-per-click
advertising (which works)
and get some very hot leads
on a regular basis and learn to
cultivate referrals. I wrote about
it last month. If you have not
207752071 | Melpomenem | Dreamstime
August 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2022
