Have you ever heard a distributor say, “I did all the work and somebody else got the sale”? At Hycomp we understand how tough sales can be and that’s why we do all we can to protect our distributors.
It is not just a matter of protection; it’s really about loyalty and trust. Ken Schiefer, Hycomp Area Sales Manager of North America, sums up Hycomp Distributor loyalty, “We reward those who find the sale and make the effort… we reward the hunters.”
Tim West an Outside Salesman for Comp-Air in Orlando, Florida, recently experienced Hycomp Distributor protection. “When I figured out my client’s purchasing agent was going to shop the product out, I called Hycomp… they agreed that I did all the work to get the sale. I asked Hycomp to protect me on this sale, and with no questions asked, Ken Schiefer said he would.” Ken protected Tim on pricing because Tim was the first to work on this sale and he put in all the ground work.
Tim had never sold a Hycomp product. He commented on why he decided to go with Hycomp, “Response time for this nitrogen booster was critical, I had several good sources to choose from and I thought that Hycomp’s price was a bit high, but I believe Hycomp makes a better product and they have an excellent reputation,” Tim concludes, “Hycomp’s response time is excellent. I received the drawings, engineering documents and quality performance information I needed very quickly.”
Hycomp sales people, like Ken Schiefer, are usually able to spot when two or more distributors/dealers are trying to sell the same compressor. From first contact, Hycomp sales people get personally involved in what is basically a group discussion between Hycomp, the distributor and their customer (the end-user). When all three parties talk together about the application, everyone is on the same page, the customers get exactly what they need and the Hycomp sales person gains an in-depth knowledge about the application. The more we know, the easier it is to provide the best possible solution and protect our distributor.
On the flipside of collecting all of this information, a distributor might think that Hycomp is trying to gain this knowledge to push him or her out of the deal entirely and deal with end-user directly. This would simply be a poor business decision for Hycomp because we need our distributors. As the old saying goes, “Never bite the hand that feeds.” Tim West gave Hycomp a wonderful compliment when he summed up his experience, “They worked with me and they protected me when it came down to it.”
It really is a simple equation: if you do the work and are first in the door you reap the rewards of your hard work. We know that in sales, a relationship of trust and loyalty is what matters most. At Hycomp, we realize that we could not do as much business with nearly as many clients if it were not for our distributors. We not only respect that bond, we do all we can to protect it. Trust… it’s what we build.