Whether we like to admit it or not, all fastener companies are sales driven.  Some people want to move tons of standard fasteners, others want to tell a 10 lb. box of specialty fasteners for $5,000.  But sales drive a company's growth and feeds the families.  But, how do fastener companies really get sales?

Some companies offer outstanding customer service but have prices much higher than their competitors.  Some companies have loads of inventory but have answering machines when you call them and they take 5 - 10 minutes to get a live person on the line.  Then we all have known companies that are run by accountants who determine they are better off not dealing with companies doing less than a certain dollar volume so they cut them off or send them to a "Master Distributor".  I'm not saying all three models are effective or ineffective.  Sometimes a strategy works and sometimes it doesn't work so well.

But, ideally, what is the best formula for a sale?  I am assuming that the outstanding outside sales force has already caused a willing and able customer to call into a company inquiring about needed products.

All things considered, I would say that people like to talk to another human when they telephone into a company.  I think a lot of people appreciate being able to log on to a computer and order regularly used, repetitive items online.  Buyers like to be able to find technical information on the internet.  I think price is always am important (often the most important) factor but often not the ONLY factor.  Freight is always a factor (or, it should be).  Outstanding inside sales support goes a long way especially if a good, long standing relationship is established.  Great insiders know their customer's needs better than the customer.  I am serious.  I have worked with some oustanding insiders that have managed inventory so well they continuously keep good customers out of trouble.  I am often surprised by companies that continuously turn over their inside sales staff as though anyone can punch part numbers into a computer.  Boggles my mind.  They just don't get it.

I once represented a company where the president continuously went to seminars with the presidents of other companies (though, not fastener companies) and he would come back every six months and totally change internal processes.  One month his best inside sales people would be taking calls from only the top 100 cusotmers and then the next month they would be inaccessible to people calling in.  Instead, they would be calling out to customers all day long asking how the company could do more business with them.  Meanwhile, the people that wanted to do business with this company would get inside sales people with little or no experience and they would often get off the phones frustrated.  As an outside sales rep, I would get the calls asking "Why can't I talk to Joe anymore, the new guy is a moron".    Six months later, they would be concentrating their sales efforts totaly on "lost customers" phoning out and asking why they were no longer seeing their business.  Yo, duh! 

Finally I told the president..."look, it is very simple.  Print a catalog or tell people the items that you want to sell to them.  Tell them how much that product will cost them if they place an order.  Then, once they place an order, ship that product (hopefully from stock) immediately.  Ship it with no errors."  That's it.  You do that over and over and I am pretty sure you will grow your company.

All companies are different but what do you see as the basic things that cause a company to grow their sales?