Nick Morello, an independent distributor based out of Totowa, New Jersey, knows first-hand the importance of safety gear. Morello has been in the game for almost 40 years, selling tools and equipment for technicians in his area and even nationwide thanks to the online portion of his business.
When customers come onto his truck, Morello looks at their shoes, and depending on what he sees, he moves into selling mode. If a technician’s shoes are worn out and look like they might be on their last leg, Morello can direct them to the boots he keeps stocked on his truck and let them try them on and get a feel for the product. Footwear, as Morello puts it, is the low-hanging fruit of safety gear. It’s easy to tell if someone needs a good pair of boots without asking those leading questions.
“A guy walks on your truck, you don’t know if he needs a set of screwdrivers or a set of ratchets,” Morello explains. “But if you look down, you know if he needs a pair of shoes.”
Boots are essential for a technician. Many technicians stand for hours every day, so they need something that’s going to hold up under that kind of strenuous, constant wear.
Whether it's the everyday work boot or something more task-specific like a welding helmet, as a distributor, it’s your job to help figure out what your customers need to keep themselves safe on the job.
