A Skillful Sales Approach Lays The Foundation For Micromarket Success

Ask yourself this question: "Why do you buy a drill?" The obvious answer: "To drill a hole." Now ask yourself: "Why did you get in to business?" While answers can vary, no business can survive, let alone thrive, without making a profit. Profits are the drill for our business, and micromarkets have evolved to become the preferred tool to grow those profits to unseen levels.

Like a tradesperson who excels at working with tools, a successful micromarket operator masters skills that separate him or her from everyone else.

While the vending industry has spent a significant amount of time discussing the advances of kiosk technology and how each system provider has its strengths, I see the long-term growth of all industry members in the micromarket business to be centered upon mastering the ability to sell this product.

No store opens without the sale, and 75% of operators still have not entered this arena. Learning to sell a micromarket will reduce this percentage and allow current operators of the self-checkout stores to thrive even more.

Historically, vending companies grew either by acquiring a competitor, or going into a site with the pitch: "I will provide better service and product variety than the current operator." Micromarkets change this dynamic. This is a time for operators to invest in their sales skills, materials, product knowledge and technology.

Micromarkets are an introduction of a whole new product. It starts, like all presentations do, with a great first impression, including a firm handshake, a friendly smile and a great presentation box filled with samples that get you past the gatekeeper and to the decision-maker.

Whether beating the streets dropping off presentation boxes or meeting with the decisions-makers and bringing in a meal for them and a few other important stakeholders, the key is to showcase the products that the conventional vending solution doesn't carry.

A fresh sandwich, a quality salad and a healthy chip, along with a nice print media piece, separate your presentation as the orange, in an apples-to-apples comparison. The presentation box is a staple in that fruit basket.

Your second step is to master your presentation. Know that a typical decision can be made in as little as 16 seconds. Studies show that more than 85% of decisions at least lean toward the initial impression. Thus, making a good first impression is critical. Investing in and practicing lessons from a great presentation book such as those by Brian Tracy will go a long way. And then comes the technology and the show itself.

First, you need to sell the concept of "why a micromarket" because failure to do so means they will think immediately that this is a glorified honor system and you will be robbed blind. Second, appease the other 70% of their employees who today are not buying from the current vending solution with an in-depth review of the new products you will be featuring. Healthy products, fresh foods, different package sizes and more will bring that non-vending customer's attention to a peak.

Last, show them the technology and what a store is going to look like. In a stereotypical sense, technology is viewed as the hardware one uses to operate a store. While this is a key piece and something each presentation should include, in today's age of social media, tablets, smartphones and more, even an operator with novice technology skills can look like a genius.

Using electronic presentations, devoting 10 minutes daily to social media posts, knowing how to use a smartphone and/or tablet in a meeting, and mastering some basic sales presentation skills will return profits far greater than the business model of today.

All of this requires a small investment of time and money. Social media is free and the impact is immediate and far-reaching. And for the balance of your presentation, the token investment is well worth it considering the alternative. This isn't your parent's vending machine. You have two options: calculating the opportunity cost of not learning to sell a market, or adding up the return on your investment from finding your drill in growing your business, profitably, through micromarkets.