Easy cheesy…Competition and…

Easy cheesy…Maybe too easy?

Well that sale was easy! Or was it too easy? Look, we’re not exactly new kids on the block and we’re experienced enough to know (or at least suspect) that when a sale comes too easily it may not be the result of our irrestible offering or golden tounged sales presentation.

It might just be that they’re deadbeats who’re about to be cut off by that current soaper who’s finally had it with being stiffed.

But there are ways to avoid that trap. The first is to take the time to qualify prospects with the allied vendors in our business circle. They’ll likely know who pays and who doesn’t. They might also have inside dope on the trend of that businesses’ performance. If they’re circling the drain financially, that might be just the warning we need to stay clear.

The second option is to conduct some research after we close the sale – but before we ship anything or make the installation. There we can do some sleuthing with other contacts and maybe even Google the legal records in that localities’ clerk of courts records.

Either way that sale that simply falls into our laps needs to be looked at with at least some measure of suspicion. And after we’ve done that and (hopefully) found no signs of chicanery, we can move forward with at better degree of confidence that we’ll be paid.

 

Competition and…Seeing it realistically

“This is the most competitive market in the country.” It’s the common lament from Idaho to Florida and in cities pretty much everywhere.

The fact is in most markets there are two to three local or regional distributors offering chemical services, plus the normal presence of Ecolab, GFS, Brady or other big players pretty much anywhere you look across the country.

The unavoidable fact is that there’s a lot of competition out there and then there’s the compounding factor of mandatory supply contracts that can lock us out of what would otherwise be prime business opportunities. But despite the temptation to bemoan the “worsened” competitive atmosphere of our market, the truth is that it’s pretty much been that way for decades.

So the lay of the land was and is competitive. Yet for years despite those challenges we’re carved out a position and prospered in that shark filled water. Your stubborn ability to resist and push back has allowed for that success. And by continuing to do the same we’ll continue to overcome that headwind.