Global Fastener News

Tuberville: Web Adds Customer Base

John Wolz

Big D Bolt & Tool of Texas has sold fasteners in California, Oregon and New York to “customers we”ve never seen,” Beau Tuberville told the Southwestern Fastener Association.
BigDBolt.com and BigDTool.com “has opened a lot of doors for us,” the distributor”s webmaster found.
A Web presence is “like selling cars you have to get your name out there.” Tuberville declared that the Web “is the most rich resource you can find.” Otherwise “advertising for fasteners is tough to do.”
Tuberville urged fastener companies to make websites easy for customers to use. He tested the website on company president Bob Coursey. “If it isn”t easy for Bob it ain”t working,” Tuberville suggested.
Think of the website as “outside sales guys.”
“We don”t have to open another brick and mortar store,” Tuberville commented. “We”ve got it online.”
Tuberville advised even small distributors that they don”t have to pay the $30,000 to $50,000 to look like the big buys.
Coursey observed that competitors “haven”t looked at their website in months,” but Big D now checks it daily. “It is like fishing for catfish. You got to change your bait now and then.”
Coursey acknowledged that Internet selling could make it hard to get good prices. “Everything is kind of reverse bidding. On the Web it is all there. It is a little bit bloody.”
But Coursey doesn”t give away product online. “I”m not going there to lose. I”m going there to sell.”
“If you are not on the Internet you need to be,” Tuberville declared.
Doffing: Software Questions
The need to change software may come from customers or suppliers, Jon Doffing of Prophet 21 told SFA distributors.
When it is time to consider new software programs, Doffing suggested several questions to ask the provider:
“How well can you help me understand my customers?”
“How easy is it to enter fax orders?”
“How well can you train me and will you be there late?”
“What is their field level help?”
Doffing said software must provide the seller with more information than just an order of “give me what I got last time.” For example an order on Amazon.com triggers a sales solicitation based on what other customers who have bought this item also want.
Doffing encouraged distributors to consider radio frequency programs which “will not allow you to ship wrong. Work smarter, not harder. ”
If you aren”t shipping accurately in the high 90 percentages, an RF program “will get you there,” Doffing promised.
Despite the advances in software, many customers still want some things the old fashioned way, Doffing acknowledged, “A majority still want catalogs in print.”
There may be internal resistance to software changes. “It is a matter of change,” Doffing explained. “It is getting used to. It is good training. \ �2005 FastenerNews.com