Sales Tip: Demo Scan Tools

You can’t know everything about a scan tool, so focus on what makes one scan tool different from the rest.

“I always try to pick up on a few key features…generally I pick something really impressive,” says Cornwell dealer Damien DaCosta, who never turned a wrench before he started selling tools. He also says he “leans” on his techs for answers when needed, turning to “people that are reliable and can tell me good information.”

“The biggest thing is to spend the money and have a demo (unit) on the truck that’s loaded, activated and ready to go. Then just put it in their hands,” says Cornwell dealer JR Shipley of Fargo, N.D. “It's no different than selling tools. If you put it in their hands and let them mess with it, they’ll take it.”

The best non-technical sales technique I heard came from a former Master Tech: “I put them into like a demo program, essentially,” says Toyama, who was a technician for nearly 10 years. “So far, every time I’ve let someone try it out for a week, or two weeks, they’ve never given it back to me.”