Vending Business Opportunity Proper Data Gathering Impending events are things that we know are coming in the vending business. This is essentially about data gathering to increase accounts or sales.
When you are working in an account be aware of…
Any time there’s a change in management, you want to get in and talk to him/her as soon as they are comfortable in their new office.
You also want to take advantage of opportunities when a company is getting ready to move, expand or consolidate.
These opportunites are discovered inside the account by keeping up with what is happening or having someone inform you.
While out running your routes, look for opportunities:
Construction trailers with a new building going up
Leasing agents
Leave a business card in an empty door (when someone is moving in)
Tom Shivers: Hi, I’m Tom with the Vending Business Show. Here again with Larry Towner. We’re talking about Vending Business Opportunity Proper Data Gathering impending events or planning for profit opportunities in the vending business. So, what are we going to talk about today Larry?
Larry Towner,: I thought we’d talk about pizza. No, I’m just kidding. We’re going to talk about … We’re going to do what we do. We’re going to talk about the vending business opportunity proper data gathering. We’re going to talk about things that are going to happen in your business that you know are going to happen. There’s a few things that we’ve decided we pretty much know that are going to happen in the vending business. We’ve done this for a little while, just a couple of years if you know what I mean. One of the things we want to talk about is things that happen in your accounts. Essentially this is a lot about data gathering. We’re going to talk about this, is how do you gather your data to get yourself to where you can make profits or make … Increase accounts or increase new sales. Things like that.
Larry Towner,: But one of the big things … There’s three big areas when you’re working in an account that you have to really be aware of. One is if there’s a change in management. Any time there’s a change in management, particularly a general manager or something like that, you’re going to want to make sure you get in and talk to that general manager as soon as he’s comfortable in his office. Don’t wait too long. One of the first things new managers like to do is change the vending business. You want to get in, make friends, give him a honey bun. Watch our video on power of the honey bun. You’ll understand what to do. Get in and make friends, things like that.
Larry Towner,: One of the other things that you have to look at is an opportunity in the vending business is if a company is getting ready to move and … It was always my policy that I had a couple of people in the accounts that kind of fed me information about what was going on in the business. I wanted to know how their business was. Was their business good? Was it bad? You know, were they thinking about moving? Were they thinking about expanding? And moving and expanding are two really good opportunities for you to generate more business. Consolidating, are they consolidating two offices into one? And can you get both of those offices in one place?
Larry Towner,: All of that comes from developing some decent relationships inside the accounts. Just go out and talk to people. They’ll have tons of fun. You just learn. You learn about their business. You learn about what they’re doing. If they’re expanding you’ve got another opportunity to get into a new account. If they’re contracting, maybe they’re consolidating. You’ve got more population in an account you can make more money in that account. All of that sort of thing is developed inside the account.
Larry Towner,: We were talking about … We kind of were laughing, Tom and I… We practiced these things beforehand. Believe it or not, we actually practiced before this. We were talking a little bit about, you know, some of the other things that happen when you’re out there in the field. One of the things is, we were kind of talking about one of the great ways to get stuff is … When you’re driving down the road you have an opportunity. You have an opportunity to drive down the road and look straight ahead at the rode like this going, do do do. You don’t see anything straight ahead, right?
Larry Towner,: Or, if you sort of pay attention to what’s going on around you, instead of just going … “I’m at my stop, time to go.” If you’re driving down the road and you happen to see a construction trailer with a new building going up, you might have an opportunity if you’re one to go and stop in and ask the guy what’s going on here. The guy in the construction trailer will tell you ’cause he works for the construction company. He doesn’t care. So they’re putting up a new manufacturing facility, whatever it is, right?
Larry Towner,: It’s been our experience in the vending business, between myself and everybody else I know, first in wins. So folks, if you can get in first and you’re not driving down the road going, “Well, I wonder what’s happening.” Tom and I were laughing. We said, “I know if that were me and I were watching this video, I would say, ‘I knew that’s what my drivers were doing. I knew it.'” “Look at the pretty girl.” Right? There you go.
Larry Towner,: Anyway, so these are all things that … Just pay attention. When you’re doing your thing out there, you’re driving around, you’re looking for new business, look for new construction. Look for … talk to leasing agents, you know? They’ve got new buildings they’re putting people in. Gives you an opportunity to get out there and get a new account. They know who they’re trying to sell to. That gets into networking and all that kind of thing, but it’s all still one and the same.
Larry Towner,: Shoot, go up to an empty door and leave a card on the door. You know, I’ve done that too. You know somebody is getting ready to move in. You start sliding business cards into the door. You’d be amazed how well that works. It’s just one of those little things. If the guy says, “Hey, I want a local vending guy. He dropped a card. It’s got to be local.” Which is generally what the case is. Tom, do you have any questions, any comments?
Tom Shivers: Well, I mean, are you … When are you starting your stand up comedy session?
Larry Towner,: I’ll be here all week. Try the veal and tip your wait staff appropriately. They’re working hard for you out there.
Tom Shivers: All right, well, what are we going to be … Are we going to talk about another impending event later I’m sure.
Larry Towner,: We’ve go so many impending events as it were. We know there’s things that are going to happen. We’re going to … One of these days we’re going to talk about December and some strategies to handle the slow times of the year. And then also some of the other strategies that are just yearly things. Folks, all these things we’re working on are things that you can put on a calendar and you can schedule some of these issues out. We know … Most people in the vending business, with the exception of some of the blind vendors and all who have very busy Decembers because of travel, we know that generally December is going to be slow. We are going to discuss some strategies on that in future shows.
Larry Towner,: We’re also going to discuss other types of events like that that we know are coming. As night follows day, December is coming. We also know that there’s other things that happen that we’re going to discuss. That’s what’s coming up in future shows.
Tom Shivers: All right, well, thanks so much Larry. And you’ve been … Of course you want to subscribe to get more comedy hour here. And you’ve been watching Vending Business Opportunity Proper Data Gathering at the Vending Business Show, a publication of A&M Equipment Sales.
Biggest Freakin’ Vending Machines check out these videos below and view the Biggest Freakin’ Vending Machines in the Word!
Vending machines have become commonplace in our lives, and where would we be without them? From candy vending machines to soda vending machines and everything in between we truly are spoiled for choice.
Taking a trip around the world, maybe even your own country will reveal a wide variety of machines of all shapes and colors. Anyway, enough introduction let’s get stuck in shall we?
The following are in no particular order and we apologize in advance for the apparent lunacy of some of them. We did enclose the adjective interesting in speech marks so consider that a caveat of sorts. The first entry certainly is, as for the others we’ll leave that “in the eye of the beholder”. A lot is included for the unique contents they dispense, you’ll see what we mean. Enjoy.
School and Healthy Vending Integration An interview with Seden Harrison of Smart Source Vending
“We started in the vending industry interested in promoting the healthy vending options to the schools… and we learned very quickly that all healthy vending is not necessarily the way to go. People like choices – some of the products are healthy, but then there’s your traditional, not so healthy stuff, that’s also available in the machines.”
“Our biggest thing with the schools is… we make sure they are very well taken care of. So if that school needs something, we are there that day to take care of the problem… It’s a priority to take care of those kids that day and to make sure the administrators are happy.”
“There’s talk about all sorts of regulation that really is in the pipeline (regarding healthy)… to regulate the vending in schools… it’s going to become problematic because students will figure out how to circumvent the system.”
“Why can’t you marry the two together, why can’t that choice be there?”
Seden shares more experiences, opinions on regulation (quite humorous) with healthy vending and school vending or School and Healthy Vending integration in the podcast:
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT:
School and Healthy Vending integration Tom: I’m Tom Shivers with The Vending Business Show, here with Seden Harrison of Smart Source Vending. Today we’re going to be talking about a few topics: healthy vending and school vending. Thanks for being here, Seden.
Seden: Thank you, Tom.
Tom: Now, tell me, how did you get into school vending?
Seden: A little bit of an accident, actually, but it turned out to be a good accident. We had originally started into the vending industry really interested in promoting healthy vending options to the schools. That was the key approach when we first started in with the school. We learned very, very quickly that all healthy vending is not necessarily the way to go. People like choices. People like choices. We provide … Some of the products are healthy, they can definitely choose those products, but then there’s your traditional not quite so healthy stuff that’s also available in the machine.
Seden: The thing about the schools is they’re a very hard group to get into, but if you do well with one, they will definitely refer you to the next, and onto the next, and onto the next. Our biggest thing with the schools is … We have our own kids in the Gwinnett County School System. We’re very active in sports, in schools, and everything else, so there’s that connection we naturally have to the schools. We wanted to definitely give back and take care of … We just make sure that they are very, very well taken care of in the sense of, if that school needs something, we’re there that day to take care of the problem.
Seden: If anybody tells you that a vending machine is never gonna jam, or a vending machine is not going to have a problem, they’re not telling you the truth. The key is, what does the operator do to resolve that? If we get a call that says there’s a problem with a machine, we are out there that day to take care of it. We don’t push it off. It’s a priority to make sure those kids are taken care of and the administrators are happy, because another thing you don’t want is mad kids in the school. Those machines, if something jams, they love to rock it and shake it and try to get their product out and do different wonderful things to it, so you’ve gotta stay on top of it.
Seden: As far as the healthy goes, it comes down to choices. There’s talk about all sorts of regulation that really is in the pipeline. Whoever gets elected is going to depend on what happens, but there’s a lot of talk about regulating the vending in the schools. It’s happening in a lot of other states and could very well happen in Georgia. It’s gonna become problematic because students will figure out a way to circumvent the system, and that’s the bottom line. I’m a strong proponent on choice, just put part healthy, part junk, if I can say that, but part not so healthy, and let the person choose. These kids are old enough to make these decisions. We’re not talking about elementary school kids. These are high school kids that are driving and are working, and they have money. If they don’t buy it at school, they’re gonna buy it somewhere else. They are past that point of forced decision, making them to make the right choice. They know right from wrong and what they should do.
Tom: So regulation ain’t gonna help them, huh?
Seden: Regulation’s not going to help them. I would say it’s like prohibition, it didn’t work. The kids are going to black market sell the candy. They are going to figure out ways to get around it, and ultimately that hurts the schools. The schools do get commissions from these machines, and if sales drop, those are funds that the schools use for multiple things. If sales drop, it does, it affects the schools, and they already have a tough time with the budget cuts and everything else. I don’t know.
Seden: I read the different vending articles that come out across the country that such-and-such parks and recreation has decided to only provide healthy products in their machines. I think having the healthy option is great, and I think it’s absolutely necessary, but I really don’t believe in it needs to be all or one or the other. Why can’t you marry the two together? Why can’t that choice be there? Why does somebody have to tell me, if I’m craving a Snickers bar and I walk up to that machine and all I’m looking at is granola bars, and I don’t want that granola bar, I want a Snickers bar, you know? Give me that choice. It makes me mad.
Tom: You’re gonna go somewhere, you’re gonna pay somewhere to go get you a Snickers bar.
Seden: You’re gonna figure out … That’s exactly right, you’re gonna figure out a way to get it. Same thing with the drinks. If I walk up to a machine, and I’m a Coke, a Diet Coke, or a water person, if I want that Coke, and the machine is only filled water, well I am not gonna buy the water. I’m not. And that’s exactly what happens. People don’t get forced into making the right choice, they just don’t make the choice. They walk away from it. It is going to hurt a lot of operators. It almost sounds like we’re saying, “Eat junk, eat junk, eat junk, eat junk,” but you know, it’s not that. Provide the choice, provide the options. It goes with everything. There’s good restaurants and bad restaurants. There’s restaurants that have healthier food, there’s restaurants that have worse food. If you-
Tom: The problem is a little deeper than just regulation, if there’s a problem at all. It’s something that has to be … Your kids aren’t eating right, then-
Seden: I’m the first one, I mean … We have teenagers that eat horrible. They eat horrible, and I’m constantly battling that, but I don’t think that it’s because the government hasn’t done their job, it’s probably ’cause I haven’t done my job. They’re my taste-testers, I bring home samples all the time. Try this, try that, try this, does this pass the test? Okay, then I’ll put it in the machine.
Tom: Very smart.
Seden: They’re the garbage disposals.
Tom: Only violence sells, right?
Seden: But the thing is, it is up to me. It is up to me, from a young age, to teach them. I’m sure everybody’s like this. You have kids that one kid gets it and eats right, the other one doesn’t, and me telling them that when they … I just know for a fact anybody who has teenage kids know that they are going to make the choices in some … They’re gonna find a way to get what they want when we’re talking about the food and doing what they … Where they’re gonna go and find the product they want at the place they want to buy it.
Tom: Well thanks a million. Tell us more about Smart Source Vending.
Seden: We are in the area in Gwinnett County, Forsyth County, primarily what we service. We work in a lot of the high schools. We have a lot of micromarkets and the corporate accounts. Growing and working hard, and keep … One day at a time, you know?
Tom: You’ve been listening to School and Healthy Vending Integration atThe Vending Business Show, a publication of A&M Equipment Sales. More Vending Business Blogs New To The Vending Business?
Human Vending Machine. This Kit kat Human Vending Machine was placed in a shopping mall to promote a new product
the HUMAN Vending Machine is a very comical video click below and view the Human Vending Machine. Can you imagine how the world would be if all machines where to be manned by a human? If you think this in interesting check out our Biggest Vending Machine blog.
Kit Kat has dropped a few Human Vending Machines into London’s Victoria Station as part of its new U.K. campaign. The isn’t new—the Japanese, always first in all things vending machine, have employed them. But this execution really fits nicely with Kit Kat’s “Working like a machine?” campaign. The TV spots, “Checkout” (posted below) and “Arrivals,” show people literally working like machines and then getting (you guessed it) a much-needed break. The effort is apparently part of Nestlé Confectionery’s biggest U.K. ad campaign ever, with a total spend of £21 million.
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