My new Lotion Sales Calls Technique
 

So I get no less than (3-5) calls a week from the SAME lotion manufacturers.

I've told them all in the past... "Please, Please, Take me off your list... I am all set" We have our vendors, and I don't want to hear about your new lotios with 1-Billion Bronzers in them.

So my new technique...

(Lotion rep) "Hi is James There"
(James) "Yep, that's me"
(Lotion rep) "This is so & so from Blah-blah"... "How are you doing today"
(James) "Great, Thanks for asking..." CLICK!

They don't take no for an answer and most jump right into a que card sales pitch.

WOW! Even as I'm typing this thread... (Ring Ring), Same company calling me again.., even after I requested removal.

Besides... why in the world would want to do business with a company who's caller ID is 555-123-4567... That is soooo unprofessional.

That is my morning complaint... Thanks, for listening

Re: My new Lotion Sales Calls Technique
 

Keep them on the phone as long as possible and the calls will stop. It's all about call volume for them. I tell them I'm a with a customer but I'm really interested and ask them to hold (then I get some work done while they wait). Then I come back and sit at the computer with them and look up their lotions on discuonted lotion sites and ask them to explain how they seem to think I can sell this bottle for $80 when it's online for $14. I rarely get calls anymore, I think Rio started calling last week but they haven't gotten me on the phone yet. LOL

Re: My new Lotion Sales Calls Technique
 

Discount lotion sites... Don't get me started with them. I remember the days of sitting in on Designer Skin seminars touting how they go after those guys... I fell for it for awhile. However, I was once blind and now I see.

Nothing fries my arse more than watching people bring in lotions that I know they bought online... I just want to tell them to try buying your tan online too. The reason I sell $40, $50, $60 lotions is to put money back into the busines, in the form of new lamps and improvements!!! Oh and maybe at the end of the week... put a few dollars in my pocket for wipping up your sweat and cleaning your mess.

Re: My new Lotion Sales Calls Technique
 

beachbum thats what i do...click!

telling them you have private label helps too, but i prefer the hangup. every know and then i throw in your company sucks and your lotions are worse...click.

once i had them call right back and hang up on me...haha thats when u know u hit a nerve.

Re: My new Lotion Sales Calls Technique
 

I think I'm going to play the role of a salon owner with Alzheimers... and ask them what the ingrediants are and then pick one of those and tell them that is the same ingrediant that I have in my potting soil... and is that safe to eat? Can I use that same bronzing lotion to get my potting soil darker?

Then I might tell them that we barter tanning with some other locals, ie; My wife and her hair dresser echange services... so I'll offer to take 12 bottles of something and then offer them 12-visits in exchange.

Or I might play the hold game and see how many times I can put them on hold... I'll ask a question and then ask them to please hold... then come back and as they are begining a sentence... oh shoot, please hold

So depending on the day... I'm either going to hang up... or play dumb, or play a game

Re: My new Lotion Sales Calls Technique
 

Even if they do go after those guys for selling online new people and new sites will pop up. I had a cutomer come in yesterday and told me she bought DS black online for $30- I told her thats her choice but explained the dangers of fake lotion. She ended up buying a 120- bottle of AG Crytal right then and there.

I never tell customers not to do it, I just warn them about fakes, expired lotion, ect. The basic dangers.

Re: My new Lotion Sales Calls Technique
 

I am getting the same calls also.

What I tell them is - If they would like to send me a sample of their lotion I would be happy to try it for myself to see if it is a product that we might want to sell.

They then always tell me. "Well we can't send samples because they would have to send out over 20,000 samples to salons and in order to get costs down and in order to give you manufacturer pricing is better that you purchase 48 bottles."

So I say "Well, that is not how tanning salons purchase lotion. If we can't try it we will certainly not purchase cases of lotion that can't sell because it is crap lotion". The lotion we sell is because the reputable lotion company have invested in not only educating us about their product lines but have also provided us lotion to try. So obviously you are not willing to do that. So obviously you are wasting my time. Goodbye."

Sometimes if I am just too busy to deal with - I just tell them that I'm "Premier". -Click

Re: My new Lotion Sales Calls Technique
 

I would like to respond by saying that I really like some of these lotions and have carried some of their products in the past. But online sales are becoming easier and easier for the public, so I have started researching cost online and I am now asking for better prices, if they want my business. They lie and tell you that they don't sell to online companies and warn about people buying from ebay, but when I point out the companies that are selling their product, they say they probably buy in mass quantities, so basically the reps are lying. I also tell them to skip the buy one get 6 free stuff and just give me a per bottle cost. So if they don't want to work with me, that's fine. I just want to get the word out there that if we all (salon owners) demand a better price from these companies, then maybe they will listen. I think that if a product is selling online in the $30 range, then they should be selling it to me in the $10 range, that means I can retail it for $30 and put it on sale for $20 if I want to and I can compete with online sales. But if they don't want to deal with me, that's okay too, because I don't have to carry their products. As far as getting them to stop calling, I have had some luck with calling the number on the company website to be put on the "do not call list".

Re: My new Lotion Sales Calls Technique
 

We are new in the business, how do we know which lotions are fake and suck and which ones are good reputable ones? I rather pay a bit more and charge a bit more and have a 1st class product, than some generic stuff thats available online to everybody and does not work!

How do I spot cheap fakes?

Also, we are just building our business relationships and I think its important to have win/wins with suppliers, so I am afraid that I may not spot the "bad" reps, as mentioned above

help?

Re: My new Lotion Sales Calls Technique
 

All you have to do is order from the big distributors such as..... Future Industries, Heartland Tan, T.W. Sun Tan Supply, Four Seasons, International Tanmakers..... All those are reputable. If someone calls you on the phone, and tells you how they are the manufacturer (hence why its not in your tanning supply/lotion books) and is trying to sell you lotion...... Its crap... Rio Tanning, Squeeze, R Sun are all BS companies... They call YOU cold, and try to sell you their **** and vinegar.