Tips for Vending Business Success

If you got this, you're in the right place!

We Know the Vending Business

because we're in the vending business. The marketing strategies, tools, and tips you'll find here were developed, tested, and proven to provide outstanding results for our own company. Now we're offering these very same results-producing tips and services to vend operators like you.

Visit our website, www.VendCentral.com, and be the first in your area to take advantage of our great tools, all developed specifically for vending companies.

VendCentral is dedicated to supporting local Vend Operators to help them grow their businesses. Here are some of the top tips from our vending industry experts to help you grow your business:

1. Develop an Online Stragegy
    
   Facility managers mostly use the Internet to look for a vending service. If you are relying on the yellow pages, you're missing the boat. A quality website with good search engine optimization will bring you new prospects each month, while helping to establish your professional image. Also, note that you will need to get in the habit of checking your email regularly to make sure you aren't late in replying to those valuable new prospects.
   
   Remember that websites are like most other marketing tools - a poorly designed one will not be effective and will not show your company in a positive light. A good vending website must present a professional image, provide easy-to-find information that your prospects are looking for, and must perform well on the search engines for the search phrases that your prospects really use - otherwise your prospects will never find your site. If you have a website that is not up to par in just one of those areas - design, content, or search engine performance, you will be disappointed in the results.
   
   Whether you have a website or not, you can list your company in online vending industry search sites like VendOperator.com. All it takes is a few minutes to type in your information and for some of the search sites, such as VendOperator.com, all the leads are FREE. You even get a free professional quality web page.
   
   For more information about our vending websites, click for Vending Website details, or sample Vending Websites, or Search Engine information. There are also several Website Articles you will find interesting.
    
2. Develop a Direct Marketing Plan
    
   Direct mail is a proven way to find new accounts. A well designed postcard or brochure mailer can be inexpensive and provide a great return on investment. You can develop your own brochures and postcards or we would be happy to help. We have created a wide array of professional graphics to enhance your printed marketing materials. Click to see our Vending Brochures and Vending Postcard Mailers for examples.
   
   In addition to custom-designed brochures and postcard mailers, we can also mail them for you to qualified businesses in your area, such as all businesses with 100 or more employees within 20 miles, etc. Contact Us for further information.
   
   

   500 Free Vending Brochures Customized for Your Company With the Purchase of 500 (Offer expires January 1, 2008) Call us Toll Free (888) 283-8829

   
    
3. Include New Technologies in Your Sales Approach 
   

   Get crazy, go wireless.

   Talk about rising above the competition. Offer a wireless solution (such as that offered by Cantaloupe Systems) to your potential new vending accounts. Explain to your prospects the benefits of being able to go online to check their machines before you even leave the warehouse.

   Not only will this solution reduce your costs but it will blow the socks off the facility manager and help you land the account. It may cost you some money to implement the wireless solution but that's part of doing business - and who cares - you just landed a huge account to help pay for it.

   There are a lot of new technologies in the vending world that can help you grow your vending business. Make sure you keep checking back with VendCentral from time to time because we will uncover these technologies.

4. Present a Professional Image of Yourself and Your Company
   
   Can you remember your mother saying “If you're going to do it, you might as well do it right.” This saying is especially true as it relates to marketing your vending business. When putting a marketing presentation together you should do a professional job it so it will present your business in the best light and promote yourself as a true vending professional.
   
   When a potential account starts looking for a new vendor they typically find about four different companies and invite them in to do a presentation. They then make a decision to award the business to one of the four. The person who has presented a professional image is going to stand a lot better chance of winning the account. Frequently that is the deciding factor - the customer's perception of which company is the most professional.
   
   It does not cost a lot of money to present a professional image. A few extra dollars spent to dress up yourself and your marketing materials will pay big dividends.
   
   The results from presenting a professional image are immense.
   
   1. You will be able to ask for higher vend prices.
   2. You will be able to justify why you do not have to pay commissions
   3. You will have a much higher close rate
   4. You will be able to land bigger and more profitable accounts.
   
   
5. Educate your self on marketing techiques to grow your business
    
   For example, there's a great little book called "Never Cold Call Again" by Frank J. Rumbauskas Jr. I wish I had read this book early on in my vending career. Once you start reading it you can’t put down because it teaches you simple techniques that you can use every day in your vending business. The result can be a major increase in your sales. You will need to buy a wheelbarrow to cart your money to the bank.
   
   Seasoned vend operators will tell you that the only way to grow your business is to cold call. This book says cold calling is outdated and will teach you modern marketing techniques that will help boost your sales. Whether you continue to cold call or not, the techniques described in this book are indispensible.
   
   Here are two other great books that will get you fired up to find and close big accounts:
   
   Bag the Elephant!: How to Win and Keep Big Customers by Steve Kaplan
   
   Marketing Outrageously by Jon Spoelstra.

If you have any questions, comments, ideas, or suggestions, please give us a call toll-free at (888) 283-8829 or email us. We look forward to working with you to help you expand your business.