Electrical distributors’ customers have more options than ever when shopping for electrical products, options that don’t always include full-line electrical distributors. But whether the new source of competition is AmazonSupply, Google Shopping for Suppliers, W.W. Grainger, an energy-service company (ESCO) or a new online competitor no one has heard of yet, full-line electrical distributors have some inherent advantages. Many of them are related to the knowledge full-line electrical distributors should have of customer needs in the local market and their ability to service those needs with a time-tested package of product knowledge, local inventory, job-site delivery, credit and other value-added services.
Building and maintaining these relationships and differentiating your company from these alternate channels of supply comes down to local touch that a good salesperson at an electrical supply house can provide. In “25 Sure-Fire Sales Tips," published in Electrical Wholesaling’s February issue, the editors analyzed the many sales tips published in the magazine over the last few decades and came up with 25 evergreen ideas that we feel will still work in this new digital era. Here are has our picks for Top 10.