Don’t Sell Yourself Short
When I was a kid working in my store, a customer
walked in one day and asked me for some CPVC
fittings. CPVC fittings are industrial plastic fittings
for use with hot water.
When he asked me for the fittings, I responded, “Are
you sure you want those, they are really
expensive?” He snapped back, “I don’t care what
they cost, I need them. Hurry up.” At the time, I
thought he was rude. I didn’t realize he was
teaching me a valuable lesson.
What was that lesson?
Don’t be scared to sell your products at their full
value.
Today, too many companies sell their products based
on the lowest price forfeiting quality and customer
service. This is the worst type of sale you can
make.
And with service getting worse everyday, customers
are begging to be provided with a friendly smile,
great service, product availability, and a competitive
price. Not necessarily the lowest price. In fact, only
about 35% of buyers choose based on lowest
price.
Customers are looking for the best value for their
company to help them make bigger profits, and that
is rarely done partnering with a company that always
has the lowest price.
Sometimes having the lowest price is ok; just make
sure you are not sacrificing value, customer service,
or your company’s image.
My company, BenMark
Supply, has the lowest price a lot of the time, but
not always. We concentrate more on providing our
customers with the best quality products and the
best customer service available while keeping our
price fair.
Unfortunately, all businesses must compete with
price. Don’t be so anxious to make the sale that you
drop your price at the first sign of objection from
your customer. Offer fair prices. Offer help. Offer
ideas of value. Offer these things and your
customers will quickly realize the value you provide is
worth more than buying at the lowest price.
Challenge yourself!
Do not let price become your number one selling tool.
Start providing your customers with value to help
them profit. If you can do this, price will become
less of a concern.
If you are the best at what you do, provide the best
customer service, and the highest value to the
customer, you will be able to sell at your price, not
the competitions. People want to buy the
best.
John
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Can the Sun Damage PVC Pipe?
Many people who use PVC pipe are concerned with
the Ultra-Violet (UV) degradation of the pipe. I have
spoken with several people that believe PVC pipe
degrades in the sunlight making it unsuitable for use
in public water systems, sewer systems, or irrigation
systems.
This is not true. Testing has been performed where
PVC pipe has been exposed to an extended amount
of time in the sun to determine the effects on the
physical properties of the pipe.
These tests have shown that the tensile strength
and the modulus of tensile elasticity remain unaltered
after extended exposure to sunlight. Degradation did
occur in the impact strength of PVC, but not below
the requirements specified in ASTM D 3034 for the
manufacturer’s quality control of new pipe.
A test was also performed on a sample of PVC pipe
left exposed to the sun for 15 years. It passed all
testing for the standard requirements for burst
pressure, impact resistance, flattening, dimensions,
and extrusion quality.
These tests show that the UV rays from sunlight will
not change the physical properties of PVC pipe
beyond the requirements of ASTM. Therefore, even
after being exposed in the sun, PVC pipe is still
suitable for use in public water systems, sewer
systems or irrigation systems.
This information has been derived from testing
procedures performed by Uni-Bell PVC Pipe
Association. The full report can be viewed at the link
below.
John
Uni-Bell Report Link
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Ladtech, Inc. Polyethylene Adjustment
Rings
Ladtech’s polyethylene adjustment rings are made
from recycled plastic and provide a superior
alternative to concrete rings.
Poly rings require no mortar, are easier to install, and
have a smaller chance of failure when compared to
concrete rings. Also, these rings do not degrade
from gases, unlike their concrete counterparts, so
there is no additional cost for maintenance and rehab
work.
We have had great results with these rings in both
the City of Midland and City of Odessa
utility departments.
For more information on Ladtech’s polyethylene
adjustment rings, visit their website.
Ladtech.com
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"Change your thoughts, and you change your
world."
Norman Vincent Peale
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