What makes a good used machinery salesman ?

[Sid]

What sales people fail to realise is that one day that loader bucket you sold to joe bloggs maybe a new tractor if you have dealt with them in a respectful way.

Having called for a price on a desperately needed piece of equipment after mine broke and left a message to that effect, a call back a week later by the sales man was dealt with the same way as mine, let go to answer machine!

Having been badly treated by a rep many years ago any inquiries go straight pass him even thought he is the rep for my area. My money will not pass through him!

 

[Oscar]

I agree with a comment above that ex fitters or ex operators make better sales people it seems in my experience.
My pet hates are the ones who basically don t know anything about what they are selling other than reading a leaflet in front of them and you find that you know more than them. Its not so bad if they admit this but some try to waffle on and its easy to catch them out.Just admit its not something you know well but you will investigate and find out more or get someone else involved.A classic one is a demo combine , no idea really how to set it up or show features so you end up driving it as best you can and unless you have the time to read the book or look on line etc you will never really see what it can do .
I also hate pushy types who won t leave you alone even if you say you need sometime to think about it.
Be honest and straight up; I know some people love the thrill of doing a deal, backwards and forwards with bids and counter bids but I hate all that. Its the best price first , end of .
Also as Sid says above, just because its a small item this time it may end up with bigger purchases in the future so play the long game.
Finally, don t just slag the opposition but rather promote the advantages of your machine. Why , well one its lazy negative work but two, you may end up changing jobs or brands and suddenly that stuff that was crap last month is now the best bit of kit in the world !! Its happened around here quite a lot and the one who I m thinking of is on his third brand of tractor [due to dealership loosing brands] and its coming home to roost now as he tries to get his customers to switch brands with him .

 

[Cowabunga]

Apart from the attributes I listed previously, one essential other attribute that may be so obvious that it is easily missed and can't be taken for granted with every potential salesman, is the ability to actually close a deal. The OP doesn't seem to think that will be part of his job apparently, unless I misread the original post, quoted below.

Like the above says, what makes a good used machinery salesman ? Just want to hear everyones thoughts on the subject, because I'm contemplating doing it full time.Not so much buying and selling, but connecting sellers and buyers.

Good luck with that!

 

[snarling bee]

Being knowledgeable about the product and having the balls to say something isn't suitable for the customer.
I never forget honesty, or lies, and what goes around comes around.

 

[Gormers]

What sales people fail to realise is that one day that loader bucket you sold to joe bloggs maybe a new tractor if you have dealt with them in a respectful way.

Having called for a price on a desperately needed piece of equipment after mine broke and left a message to that effect, a call back a week later by the sales man was dealt with the same way as mine, let go to answer machine!

Having been badly treated by a rep many years ago any inquiries go straight pass him even thought he is the rep for my area. My money will not pass through him!

Sadly @Sid I think even if you deal with his boss & not the rep the commission still goes to the rep because it's sold in his territory

 

[Sid]

Sadly @Sid I think even if you deal with his boss & not the rep the commission still goes to the rep because it's sold in his territory

Really?
Oh well...seems I may not be buying from that supermarket again then.

 

[roscoe erf]

Like the above says, what makes a good used machinery salesman ? Just want to hear everyones thoughts on the subject, because I'm contemplating doing it full time.Not so much buying and selling, but connecting sellers and buyers.

one that answers the phone returns your calls reply to emails and can smile

 

[MB Trac]

Apart from the attributes I listed previously, one essential other attribute that may be so obvious that it is easily missed and can't be taken for granted with every potential salesman, is the ability to actually close a deal. The OP doesn't seem to think that will be part of his job apparently, unless I misread the original post, quoted below.



Good luck with that!

English is not my first language, so it may be that what I wrote isn't exactly what I meant. Sorry. Here's what I do - a Seller contacts me about a tractor he wants to sell. I go and view the tractor, asess it and take pics. I advertise it and a buyer contacts me about the tractor. We arrange a viewing, buyer decides he wants the tractor and pays the seller. I add a small commission for my trouble to the selling price that the seller pays me when the tractor is sold. So I do actually close the deal after connecting buyer and seller.

 

[Cowabunga]

English is not my first language, so it may be that what I wrote isn't exactly what I meant. Sorry. Here's what I do - a Seller contacts me about a tractor he wants to sell. I go and view the tractor, asess it and take pics. I advertise it and a buyer contacts me about the tractor. We arrange a viewing, buyer decides he wants the tractor and pays the seller. I add a small commission for my trouble to the selling price that the seller pays me when the tractor is sold. So I do actually close the deal after connecting buyer and seller.

Is that a business model that has been tried and tested and proven to work where you are? It doesn't sound feasible in the UK. Middle men may have the very occasional use but are generally not seen as useful to a business. It sounds like being a salesman for many different competing dealers or sellers.
If you believe it will work for you, great. Best of luck with it.

 

[MB Trac]

Is that a business model that has been tried and tested and proven to work where you are? It doesn't sound feasible in the UK. Middle men may have the very occasional use but are generally not seen as useful to a business. It sounds like being a salesman for many different competing dealers or sellers.
If you believe it will work for you, great. Best of luck with it.

Around here we don't have such a large selection of used machinery standing around at dealers like it seems over there. The owners tend to sell their machinery privately instead of trading them in when buying another. I give the owner the advantages of selling it privately, a lot of times for more money than trade in, without having to answer all the enquiries from buyers ( and time wasters ). It doesn't cost him any money, and I probably have access to more clients and advertising mediums than he does. I have been doing this as a side line so I know it works, but I will be going into it full time from here.

 

[Sid]

Is that a business model that has been tried and tested and proven to work where you are? It doesn't sound feasible in the UK. Middle men may have the very occasional use but are generally not seen as useful to a business. It sounds like being a salesman for many different competing dealers or sellers.
If you believe it will work for you, great. Best of luck with it.

It does work and operate in the UK.
@kill has used a service like this on numerous occasions i believe.

 

[kill]

It does work and operate in the UK.
@kill has used a service like this on numerous occasions i believe.

Oh yes. Any one that's ever dealt with Mike Hampshire through his company "T V Machinery" will have had exactly that service as I have had on a few occasions.
I don't think I know of anyone else running this service as openly though, as he runs a very up to date machinery website but doesn't buy anything himself and is fully independent.

 

[Oscar]

I ve bought stuff through TV Machinery and Mike has been very honest and pleasure to deal with.

 

[debe]

Mike is fantastic, full marks!

 

[Wellytrack]

Genuine comprehensive knowledge of the product is a must, it's easy to tell when a salesman is winging it.

Also please sell your product on its own merits without running down another rival.
I endured a salesman run down 3 other brands in order to push his own, with one in particular getting singled out for unnecessarily heavy criticism.

Two years later he was selling for one of the three other rivals, half a dozen of so years later yet another - I wouldn't rule out the likelihood he will be with the brand he reserved the harshest criticism for before his retirement.

 

[nick...]

If a salesman ran down the competitions products to me I'd ask them to leave,that is very very unprofessional
Nick...

 

[lostdog]

Being there at the right time can help. I had a salesman in the office having a coffee, we were chewing the fat about some such thing when his phone went and he asked if he could take it as he had been waiting for them to ring. He came back in and said he had sold a tractor and now had the part x to sell. I asked what it was was and 5 minutes later we had agreed to swap my 6480 for a top spec one with bugger all hours on for a total bargain. I could probably sell it for a couple of grand less than what I bought it for if I sold it today and I bought it four years ago.

 

[Sid]

Is that a business model that has been tried and tested and proven to work where you are? It doesn't sound feasible in the UK. Middle men may have the very occasional use but are generally not seen as useful to a business. It sounds like being a salesman for many different competing dealers or sellers.
If you believe it will work for you, great. Best of luck with it.

Oh yes. Any one that's ever dealt with Mike Hampshire through his company "T V Machinery" will have had exactly that service as I have had on a few occasions.
I don't think I know of anyone else running this service as openly though, as he runs a very up to date machinery website but doesn't buy anything himself and is fully independent.

I ve bought stuff through TV Machinery and Mike has been very honest and pleasure to deal with.

Mike is fantastic, full marks!

Seems the model does work with happy customers. good luck @Mbtrac

 

[Yale]

Some dealers oop north have a designated family member who does the jail time for the family. They seem to do OK and there's a mug born every minute that will buy from them.

Yes,you must always remember the Quality Factor.

Describe things accurately,straight from the farm,low hours,clean,genuine one owner,nice and tidy etc.

 

[Mursal]

A bit of previous .........................
They say the first stint in jail is the hardest