Back Me Into A Corner…Please!

I had recently been to the “Great Minnesota get Together” which is the nation’s largest State Fair as ranked by daily attendance, and second in total attendance. This year we had from 100,000 to 226,000 PER DAY, (ran 14 days the two weeks before Labor Day) in attendance for a grand total of 1,788,512. This final figure is only surpassed by little bitty TEXAS but I’m told they also run theirs twice as long. (Of course everything is bigger In Texas!)  Here at the fair, you can see a multitude of vendors push and promote their products with quick, easy, almost too good to be true results that can make you believe you can’t live without it and must buy it NOW. But getting back to the guy’s name, we finally remembered, it was Billy Mays. I went on about how he had died from getting clonked in the head while on a plane (I travel a lot so this had always struck a chord with me….those darn overhead bins…watch out!) but my colleague insisted it was from Cocaine abuse…I said no way so I “Backed him in a corner” to back up his claim. Within minutes of exiting his office he came into my office with proof. Of course, it was from the internet (no problem with that), and it did in fact validate his claim that there had been cocaine involved. I now had my proof and my colleague was right. I had “Backed him in a corner”.

You all have seen the infomercials, commercials, on stands at a lot of the stores now, and even the entire store at the mall saying “…As Seen on TV…” (I love the tool that could un-clog any and every drain in your house for a mere $14.95). But my buddy Billy Mays just had a knack for making you believe (or at least me) anything he said….he was a smooth salesman. Have you guys ever had a slick sales manager or director (my type) and the local rep, come to your shop and give you the pitch about their new or improved product that will change your life of at least the way you plumb or the product you’re currently using? I’ve done tons of those calls to you all in my 27 years in this trade. And you all take time to listen…and I’ve always, and still do, appreciate it! But here in is where the problem lies….there is a lot of “MIS” information given out there in our category of water softening and water treatment.

This category has historically been one saturated with all types of salesmen from reputable companies and founders like Culligan and Lindsey, all the way to shady ones using scare tactics about your water and what’s in it and only they have the exact equipment to “fix it”. As I’ve been told from some old timers in our trade, this category used to be in the plumber’s hands so to speak, a lot more than it is today. I sat at PHCC meetings in the past and heard that the trade had “let it go” and up sprang more and more “water dealers” in their backyards.  In my current position on as director of sales on a national level, I am seeing more and more companies “finding” the niche of the plumbing wholesale trade and actually seeing the plumbing contractor as a viable outlet for water softeners and treatment equipment. But along with this comes the iffy stuff. Those with really wild claims, sleek literature, fancy websites and A LOT of asterisk’s, which usually means a lot of exceptions to the rule. And this is where the title of my article culminates. When you hear a bunch of too-good-to-be-trues, I want you to start asking a lot of questions.

I would start with,

1. How long have you been in the “water business”?
2. How long have you been selling this product?
3. How long has this product and/or technology been in use?
4. Where has this product been used?
5. And the most important, is your product 3^rd party tested?
6. And if so, by what organization?

After getting answers, do some research (beauty of the internet)? See what YOU can find. The first two questions are not about the guy as a salesman, many of the reps start representing new products all the time which helps keep our industry fresh, but more about where his information is coming from. Reps are trained by the manufacturers they represent and like any good student, are only as good and accurate as their teachers. The how long factor is important too. Many fly-by-nights are in business to capture quick bucks and will be out of business before anyone catches on. Where the product has been used is also important. Maybe the products have only been used in a manufacturing facility where only certain water needs have been met. These needs may not be all that’s needed when put into residential applications.

But the last piece is where the rubber hits the road, so to speak. If a good 3^rd party organization like Water Quality Association (WQA) or National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) has tested and listed a product, then some absolute standards have been met and this is where you’ll find a lot of truths. I am seeing SO MUCH misinformation in this category in the plumbing wholesale trade that it is scary. Along with this, respectfully, I’m seeing more and more plumbing contractors getting themselves in a jamb due to being misled and ending up with a disgruntled customer. At the same time, I’m seeing many a wholesaler, selling products also in this category that are not performing per a salesman’s pitch and are seeking truths about these items. I seem to get a lot of questions pertaining to me explaining my products versus someone else’s product or about something they have heard about it or something they’ve read. And when I get this great chance, I can usually clear up a lot of grey area that some slick salesman has created that of course, leans in favor of his or her product.

So the next time you hear a sales pitch, whether at a PHCC or ASPE meeting, builders association meeting, counter day at a wholesaler, or a great manufacturer’s representative stopping by with some donuts for a visit about his products, just remember when a claim is made that appears too good to be true, back him in a corner and let him show you his validations for his claims! You may be surprised by the reaction and put yourself in a position to make a wise decision.