You learn by trying.
It’s nice to find add-on inventory to sell on a regular basis. It checks off some of the boxes of “must have” stuff for your truck. Personally, I never cared much about non-tool items. NASCAR replicas, candy bars, clothing, hand soap, etc. … all failures for me for many reasons. Somewhat contributory was my lack of real all-out persistence to talk up these products. I’m here to sell tools! Why waste time on other products?
Then one of my warehouse distributors suggested selling beef jerky. He said one guy he had was selling 30 or more bags per week. Still, my practical side said, “Stay away, this is just another distraction on your quest to sell four figures worth of tools every day.” I ended up placing a small order anyway.
Sales went well but I noticed something … customers were a bit excited about these bags of jerky. One night, a non-customer asked me for something to eat because he was hungry. He said he had no money, but I replied, “I can’t see you go hungry. Here, take this last bag of jerky off my truck. I will see you next week.”
I didn’t expect much. On the first trip back, he ignored me. But on the second trip, low and behold, he paid me and has become a $50-$85 a week payer since.
Sales have continued to perk up with a little push from beef jerky and beef sticks. So, what’s your beef jerky? Your inventory should be tailored to your customers, but change is inevitable, so you may need to mix it up. Some items may not be profitable but might lead to better sales for you. Some dealers offer soft drinks, cookies, sunglasses, raffles, and contests. All may have their place, just don’t let them distract from your main point of sale – tools.
