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The long-time Polywater C&I reps at Vincent-Angel, Inc. in the Carolinas and Southern VA are rolling out the sales demos and delivering their promotional message where they feel it can have the most impact: the customer's location. Leader Kirk Vincent pulled the trigger on the purchase and fitting-out of the trailer with input from the V-A sales staff about four months ago. Kirk has done a great job training a fairly youthful staff, investing in new people, and gearing up for growth ... thumbing his nose at the slow economy. He's also proactive in increasing sales by thinking outside the box and differentiating V-A from other agencies. Thus the trailer. The trailer is stocked with lit, catalogs, and visuals of all the top products from each of V-A's manufacturers. Many of the products can be demo'd on the spot. They use the trailer for distributor shows and also tow it for use on sales calls. Demo trailers are not unheard of in the electrical markets, but are more common in the utility sector where a large manufacturer makes the investment and lends it out to agencies for touring. It's more uncommon in the C&I market, which supports Kirk's goal of setting V-A apart from the pack. The V-A trailer is a pretty cool concept, but it wasn't introduced without drama. There was a learning curve on the appropriate-sized truck for hauling. They initially bought a Ford F150 half-ton to tow it, but that proved too weak. Gas and tire expenses skyrocketed. Buying the beefier Chevy 2500 three-quarter-ton ultimately did the trick. V-A recognizes the need to spend more time with end users, not just distributors. They now have six full-time outside salespeople on the road--Stephen, Ron, Wally, Justin, Gene, and Glenn--all with wonderfully inappropriate nicknames. Their territories have been downsized to allow more time spent with contractors, showing products and specifying via the trailer--and hearing the unvarnished truth about products, not some filtered "spin" from a distributor. It's a "hands on" approach that earns the Polywater Seal of Approval. |
