subject: Forklift Tires as a Sales Strategy [print this page] Forklift Tires as a Sales Strategy Forklift Tires as a Sales Strategy
Dewitt, NY November 29, 2010: The Fourth Quarter 2010 issue of The MHEDA Journal, the leading online magazine for the forklift, storage and handling, and general material handling equipment industries, focuses on an often-overlooked aspect of the material handling industry forklift tires. Veteran material handling distributor Michael Sain, vice president of Material Handling Inc. in Nashville, Tennessee, describes how his company uses tires as a profit center for the distributorship.
Many material handling distributors are reluctant to traffic in forklift tires due to a perceived lack of profit, but Sain says forklift tires are money-makers. "Perhaps the biggest benefit has been something we didn't necessarily anticipate. We've used our tire service as a door opener into some large target accounts," he says. "We've worked deals with some local fleet users who previously weren't using our trucks, service, parts or rental, but were unhappy with the local tire guy. We went in and offered better tire service. We delivered, and that has led to business in other areas of our company."
Of course, there are drawbacks of getting into the tire business that Sain mentions. "There are substantial upfront costs that include purchasing a tire press if you don't have one already and investing in a vehicle to move it from place to place. It also requires a very strong, resilient employee," he explains.
The full text of the article is available atThe MHEDA Journal Online. The MHEDA Journal print magazine is mailed out to subscribers in January, April, July and October. For more information, contact Chris Powers, editor of The MHEDA Journal, (315) 445-2347, e-mail: chris@datakey.org.
