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Find the needs of local customers, educate them on the problem and offer solutions.

Today’s sales approach is vastly different from even a decade ago, but the method of owning your territory still remains the same. Home field advantage is held in high regard when it comes to sports. Teams fight and claw their way through the regular season to make sure that when it counts they’re playing in front of the home crowd. Similarly, in sales, winning over local customers has a definite edge over competition.

What has the greatest impact on sales—is it low price, convenience, saving time or low environmental impact? What is going to get consumers’ attention and inspire them to spend their money? Any or all of the above factors impact sales; however, none are effective without proper presentation. Sales are often made because of a presentation.

An example is the presentation of a meal. The picture on a menu and the narrative or description by the wait staff influences what is ordered. The same is true when buying clothes. How the mannequin looks or how the clothes are coordinated on the shelf either entices people to stop and shop or carry on. The presentation of a home from a picture, writeup or view from the curb will motivate the prospective buyer to either want to see more or pass. Attention is captured, impressions are made and decisions are influenced by presentations.

Society has become conditioned to expect more than a stranger’s say-so, and will not believe an item is the greatest simply because the advertisement said so. People are ever more cautious, requiring evidence and endorsements before making a decision to buy. Additionally, the majority of people are tactile or visual learners; subsequently, it has become more important than ever that presentations are interactive, tangible and fast paced.

Consumer attention is captured and kept by those who do the best presentations. When presenting a concept, product or service, there are guidelines that should be considered. Although some of these are rather elementary, these points are often missed and deals are lost, particularly in water treatment sales.

Everything counts. Everything done, said, shown and implied
will either help or hinder sales. The presentation must be relevant to that particular customer’s specific desires and needs.

1. What is the objective? The objective is to help a family receive all the benefits of conditioned water. This is achieved by identifying what benefits a family wants and presenting those benefits to them. This is done one family at a time. The only customer you have is the one in front of you. The presentation is done for that family, not to that family. It’s all about them and for them.

2. Who is the prospect? To help customers get what they want, it is first necessary to know what they want. Discovery is an essential process to understanding how the customer makes buying decisions, what they do now to receive the benefits of conditioned water and how that is working for them. This is the pertinent information you will need to make the connection and relate with your customer.

3. Think it through. Plan the presentation from concept to completion, including the timing, setting, type of customers, visual aids, questions, follow-up answers, potential problems and the outcome. Planning and preparation are critical to success. Use and follow a well-planned presentation. As an example, having the customers wash their hands to compare the feel of conditioned water only works properly if you have a mini that works, the ability to hook up the mini to a tap and use real soap; furthermore, you need to be in a hard water market. You need to plan each section and segue from one section to another following a logical order.

4. Break it down. Presentation content should be broken down into specific segments or points and benefits relevant to that specific audience. Ask questions and confirm understanding or agreement after presenting each point or benefit throughout the presentation. If you are presenting water that smells better than their tap water, ask if they can smell the improvement in conditioned water. If you present a difference in taste, ask if they can taste how conditioned water would be a benefit. If you present the difference in how the water feels, ask if they can feel how conditioned water would be a benefit. These are small, clear and easy decisions for the customer to make. It is important to close or confirm one point before moving on to the next. This process opens, confirms and closes each point before segueing to the next point, which makes the summary obvious and clear.

5. Plant seeds. The subtle things you do not say or do are as powerful as the things you do. Consumers are informed and intelligent. They do not need to know everything you know about water. Nor do consumers need to be reminded of the many disparaging things they may have heard or seen in the media about tap water. Stick to the aesthetics and let the customer experience the benefits firsthand so they can make an informed decision based on the positive benefits presented.

6. Use visuals. Present or demonstrate facts, data and evidence using the senses that the customer can relate to and that will stir their emotions. Ask questions to gauge the customer’s understanding, agreement and experience. When presenting savings, demonstrate how they will save money with conditioned water and a drinking water system and, more importantly, demonstrate the savings for them, so their decision will be based on their experience from your interactive presentation. Then ask if they can see how conditioned water will save them money. Utilize tangibles and their senses.

7. Impressions. Consider the entire presentation—look the part, dress appropriately for the audience and come prepared. Visual aids such as a demonstration kit and flip book must all be professional. Everything said, done or brought is part of the presentation and either adds or diminishes credibility.

8. Practice and rehearse. Nothing makes perfect like practice. Once the presentation is laid out, practice presenting it. Practice the flow, emphasis and pauses. Practice the questions and answers. Practice how to use the test kit and each of the tests. Practicing and rehearsing creates quality and the opportunity to improve before anything is presented, when it counts. Know what to do, say, ask and when to be quiet from the beginning to the end of your presentation.

9. Why you and your company? Credibility is either earned or lost based on the knowledge, relevance and connection made with the customer. Demonstrating an understanding of the problem and experience in delivering a solution suited to the customer wins their attention and earns their business. Knowing the issues pertaining to the water in their particular market brings you closer to them and the whole point of the presentation is to help them make a decision that is right for them.

10. Outcome. Every good presentation follows a logical flow, identifying points and benefits relevant to the customer’s interest and wants, with a result. The objective is to provide the customer with knowledge and first-hand experience to help them make an informed decision best suited to their needs. Ask the customer if, based on their experience, this is the kind of water they would like to have.

A professional presentation such as a television commercial can tell a story with a call to action in 30 seconds. A live presentation should certainly be able to make a point in 10 minutes. A comprehensive presentation with multiple points such as an in-home sales presentation should be less than an hour, allowing the customer time to ask questions, make a decision and look after the paperwork. Keep it short, concise and to the point. As you can see, a great presentation is not an impromptu show, it is a tactical process.

In many cases, it is beneficial to have a “leave behind” for the customer so they have a reminder of the highlights or key benefit points of the presentation to refer to afterward. My preference is their copy of the sales agreement.

Finish the presentation with a summary of what was presented, highlighting the key benefits and points that were relevant and of particular interest to the customer. Confirm with the customer that these are the benefits they want and then help them get it.

By: Ric Harry
Water Quality Products Magazine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We often hear from dealers that they are having trouble competing with big box stores; however, we feel there is nothing to fear if they do a good job presenting value. If you worry about big box stores, read on and see if you can take steps to restore some of your confidence.

Provide Help in Any Department

You offer services that the big box stores do not and cannot. Try this test. Go to a big box store near you and go to the softener aisle. Many stores display a sign that says, “This softener designed for ferrous iron and this softener designed for ferric iron.” Ask the helpful staff to explain the difference. We have been told by one employee that ferrous is just the Spanish version. This test should give you confidence that the big box stores will never replace the services you provide your customers—even when they have the exact product you carry!

Target the Right Market

Remember that only a small portion of the market would ever consider going to a big box store and installing equipment themselves. Think about the problems. First, they have to diagnose the problem—the old ferric/ferrous problem. Then they need a truck to pick it up. Then they need to have the time, tools and expertise to install it. Who has all this? Do attorneys and dentists in your town enjoy crawling under cupboards on the weekend sweating pipe? Do they look forward to dropping hot flux on their skin so they can show their wounds on Monday at the office?

If you sell to call-ins from ads or if you sell to do-it-yourselfers, you are asking for competition from everyone, including the big box stores. If customers call after seeing your Yellow Pages ad, they probably called four or five dealers and visited a big box store. There is no money to be made there; however, if you prospect—particularly in a municipal upscale area—you will find very few who change their own oil, cut their own hair or install their own water equipment.

Sell the Entire Package

Most do-it-yourselfers will only buy one piece of equipment at the big box store, but they need far more. Offer them a custom package that solves all their water challenges, including a mixed-media conditioner, an RO, ultraviolet light, ozone or whole-house carbon. If you can show them a complete package that suits their needs, very few will attempt to install it all. If you miss the softener sale, maybe you can sell the rest of the package. Just talking about these advanced solutions will help them realize how little they know about solving their entire problem.

People who buy from the big box stores are missing a great demonstration. If you do a great demonstration, your total package will have far more than what they can get at the big box store. Also, be sure to talk in dollars per month, as this makes a difference to do-it-yourself customers.

Highlight Your Skills

Sometimes we forget all the skills and assets we have that “civilians” just don’t have. Take a simple example: Does Mr. Homeowner have a tool to cut copper pipe? If he does, how old is the blade? If he hasn’t used the blade in three years, will it make a nice clean cut? If he needs a blade, that’s another trip to the store and more time. While he is there, he buys the pipe. Should he get the exact amount or 12 ft too much in case he is short? When he is done installing the RO, can he test the TDS? No, he has no meter. Would he buy one for just one installation?

The fact is that the homeowner probably needs more than $600 in tools, four trips to the store and much more in assets even if he has the skills to do it right the first time. How much is his time worth?

If you do the math, you will see that your professional installation is a bargain—even if you don’t count the emergency room visits he will probably be making.

Focus on Service

You need to point out to the homeowner all the value you provide. Not only do you provide a diagnosis of the water problem and a custom solution, you provide factory-trained installers. If the homeowner’s equipment fails to function, does he bring it back to the big box store? No, he ships it to the manufacturer. What does that cost? How long does it take for a solution? If it is improperly installed, does that invalidate the warranty? If the manufacturer sends him a faulty part replacement under warranty, can he install and test it?

If the homeowner fails to diagnose the water problem properly and needs to get different equipment, will the big box store take back what he already purchased? If there is a problem at 2 a.m., what is the value of making a phone call and getting help on the way? What is the value of not hearing your spouse say, “I told you so” when something goes wrong? We think it’s priceless.

Today’s buyer wants recourse and that is what you provide. Quick response times, parts and tools, manufacturer warranty, financial backing, no hassle: These are all valuable to the right customer.

Interestingly, we find that dealers who rely on call-ins for sales and who sell based on price have a problem with the big box stores. Dealers who have great service, who generate leads and who do full demonstrations have no problem at all.

So, sell yourself on your value and then go forth without fear to battle the big box stores.

When car washes were first introduced, they used three things: soap to clean the car, water to rinse it off and towels to dry it. However, this simplistic approach cannot be used in car washes today. Because of customer demands and changing technology, car washes now offer additional features to enhance their service.

One feature that constantly is in high demand is a spotless car wash. Customers will pay extra to have a spot-free car, whether it is sold as an option at a full-service wash or turned on at the final rinse of a self-serve wash. Either way, the driver expects to pull away without a single spot on the car.

Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. Even though washing with soap and water removes debris off of a car, using normal water for the final rinse leaves residue that forms spots because of the naturally occurring minerals in the water. To avoid these deposits, it is important to have a spot-free rinse as the final step in a car wash. The only problem is figuring out how to consistently achieve this result.

Weighing the Options

When it comes to a spot-free car wash, the name of the game is reducing dissolved materials in water. Two main technologies can accomplish this goal—reverse osmosis (RO) and de-ionization (DI). These means to the spot-free end are quite different.

Before the advent of RO, DI exchange was the technology of choice. While the quality is as good or even better with DI, the technology has a significant capacity limitation. The DI tank can remove materials to a certain extent but after that point it no longer provides the quality that a car wash needs. This leaves car wash owners with two choices: regenerate on site, which is a meticulous process involving hazardous chemicals, or set up a tank exchange where a fresh tank is delivered when needed. Although the initial capital investment may be small with the exchange option, over the course of a year, the cost of replacement tanks quickly adds up.

Regenerating on site poses a different problem because of the risk involved with the chemicals. Since DI uses hazardous chemicals, this leads to a dangerous environment that is not suitable for the typical car wash owner. Most car wash operations do not deal with hazardous chemicals, so they have neither the background nor desire to handle them. Without the right mechanical skills and knowledge to properly use these chemicals, DI can be unsafe.

Due to the principles of operation, RO technology does not use chemicals, which eliminates a potentially harmful situation. In addition, the technology has become more accepted during the past 15 years as people have become more familiar with RO. In a maturing industry where people are sometimes wary of new technology, the gradual adoption and proven history of RO technology has created a comfort level for the technology.

 

Getting Started

A lot has changed since RO was first brought to the car wash industry. When first introduced, machines were not only complicated but expensive as well. Today, car wash owners are looking for inexpensive solutions to remove spots. As a result, a typical RO machine in a car wash is relatively basic, making it as cost effective and easy to operate as possible.

When adding RO technology to a car wash, the required equipment is relatively simple. The owner needs only to install an RO machine and membranes to be on the spot-free path. For the most part, an RO machine could last 10 to 15 years since the only item needing attention and occasional replacement is the membrane element that removes material from the water and, when maintained correctly, the membrane elements last two to three years.

Once the equipment is in place, the RO system uses the car wash’s standard water source (generally city water) as well as two common pretreatments—water softening and activated carbon. Although most car washes already have softening installed since it produces a better reaction with soap, activated carbon is required to remove chlorine and protect the membrane. While generating the spot-free water is one thing, correctly applying it to the vehicle to make it spot-free is another story. More specifically, the car wash needs to do an effective job of replacing the standard rinse water on the vehicle with spot-free water. By combining the right amount of water volume and pressure to get enough water on the vehicle, the standard rinse water is washed away and is replaced by the spot-free water, resulting in a spotless car.

 

Examining the Benefits

The main advantage to using RO is a spot-free car wash and, as a result, a more satisfied customer. The cost of the technology also is a benefit. Since many customers will pay extra to have a spotless car, the system typically pays for itself in about a year, providing a fast return on the initial investment. In addition, the technology is safe and easy to use and maintain. Once an RO system is installed, aside from some minimal routine maintenance, it is for the most part trouble free. Another benefit for full-service car washes is that the car does not have to be wiped off, which eliminates the need for towels and additional personnel to dry cars at the end of the line.

While there are many advantages, the use of an RO system has a key disadvantage—water usage. The end result of RO is that the car wash always is generating a concentrate stream. Even though it is possible to reuse this water, those who choose not to will see that they do use more water to create a spot-free rinse.

Factors To Consider

All of these benefits do not come without concerns. As pure water is generated with RO technology, a concentrate stream also is generated to insure that the membrane does not fail. On one side there is the spot-free water and on the other is the concentrate stream, which is two to four times the volume of its counterpart. Given this additional flow of concentrate water, the end user must consider the option of reusing this resource. If this water is not reused, car washes can go through an excessive amount of water. Fortunately, in the car wash environment, that water generally is captured and reused to wash vehicles.

Temperature also is a factor to take into consideration. Membrane systems will produce less water with lower temperatures. In order to keep a consistent water flow, RO systems are all rated at 25° C or 77° F. While maintaining this temperature throughout the year is possible in certain regions, it is not an option for cooler climates. Fortunately, this problem easily is fixed by installing a larger machine to accommodate the climate. This will allow the system to generate sufficient water regardless of the temperature, keeping cars spot-free year round.

One particular environment where RO is not applicable is where the water source is of exceptionally high quality. In some mountain locations, for example, the source water contains virtually no mineral deposits to begin with, and RO is largely unnecessary. It is important to keep in mind that the temperature and the quality of the water are different in every city. That is why each car wash needs to adjust to these conditions so that the parameters are met.

There also are some applications where RO is not the best solution for creating spot-free water. For example, if a car wash has zero discharge environment, wash and rinse water is constantly reused. Because of this, it does not have the ability to capture the concentrate stream. Another place where RO is not a good fit is if a car wash wants to use reclaimed water to feed the RO. Both of these applications can cause problems since car wash wastewater is being used in the RO system. If the membrane system is not properly designed and configured by experts, it can lead to membrane failure. While car wash owners want to reuse this wastewater in the RO machine, the end result shows that it may be a good fit.

There are many factors that need to be considered before a car wash application can begin to produce spot-free results. Fortunately, applying RO technology can help to set a car wash in the right direction.

BY JOHN RICKERT, OSMONICS

 

On April 10, Judge Janis L. Sammartino granted the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit seeking to stop it from adding hydrofluosilicic acid to public drinking water for the purpose of fluoridation.

The attorneys at Blumenthal, Nordrehaug & Bhowmik filed a brief opposing the water district’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that it should be stopped from distributing hydrofluosilicic acid through the public water systems because it has not been approved by the FDA to fluoridate public drinking water to fight tooth decay. According to the opposition filed by the attorneys, “This action is brought to seek redress for the unlawful and unconstitutional medication of Plaintiffs by Defendant Metropolitan Water District of Southern California using an unapproved drug.”

Specifically, the lawsuit sought to stop the water district’s alleged practice of “injecting hydrofluosilicic acid into the water supply for the purpose of treating disease and dental cavities” given that “hydrofluosilicic acid has never been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of disease or dental cavities.”

The judge disagreed, ruling that the FDCA does not give rise to a private right of action and on this basis dismissed the lawsuit against the water district.

When asked about the court’s ruling, Norm Blumenthal, managing partner of Blumenthal, Nordrehaug & Bhowmik, said, “We plan on appealing the court’s decision to dismiss this case against the water district.” He added, “The action of the Metropolitan Water District of adding a drug to our drinking water for medical purposes without first obtaining FDA approval of this drug for such purposes is illegal and needs to be stopped.”

On April 6, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced that it would be abandoning the drinking water unit certification program after Dec. 31 of this year.

The decision came after lengthy discussions with the Water Quality Assn. (WQA) and after the association introduced legislation to turn over certification responsibilities to American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-accredited third-party certifiers such as NSF Intl. and WQA.

WQA has been working with CDPH officials as well as legal and legislative council since November 2011 to streamline the product registration process after application reviews were halted by the agency due to budgetary problems. WQA submitted proposed legislation to spur streamlining the process and the agency submitted its own legislative language. WQA was told that the governor has already signed off on the budget trailer bill language and that the chairman of the legislative committee is also on board.

Accordin to WQA, the agency’s April notification letter left many questions unanswered. For this reason, WQA representatives met with CDPH officials on April 16 to discuss the pending hearing for the legislative bill and to clarify details for the program elimination. CDPH provided the budgetary language, which clearly indicated that the program will be eliminated in its entirety, including fees, applications and any other requirements of the program.

For companies selling products in California that make health claims, the products will require the approval of an ANSI-accredited certification body after passage of the 2012–2013 Budget Act. Enforcement will be conducted by any local health officer in the state of California.

If your company relies on the CDPH certification of products being sold in California rather than a third-party certification body, currently valid certificates issued by the Department of Public Health on or before Dec. 31, 2012, will remain in effect until five years following the date of initial issuance, not including any annual renewals. After that time, product approval by an ANSI-accredited certification body will be required.

 

Question:  Why isn’t my softener drawing brine?

Answer:  Assuming your softener is regenerating and going through all the cycles but still not pulling the brine solution up from the brink tank, here are the most common causes:

1. Drain line flow control (DLFC) is plugged.  Check the drain line and the retainer fitting on the back of the control valve.
2. Injector or injector screen may be plugged.  Check and clean if necessary.
3. Line pressure too low.  Feed pressure must be at least 20 PSI.
4. Internal control leak.  Check condition of seals/spacers, piston and replace if necessary

Question:  Help, my brine tank is overflowing!

Answer:  Again assuming your softener if able to regenerate and move through all the cycles on it’s own but still overflow the brine tank, below are a few things to check:

1. Plugged DLFC.  Check that drain line and drain fitting/retainer on back of control valve for debris
2. Plugged injector system.  Clean the injector and screen.
3. Damaged or blocked brine valve.  Inspect the brine valve and replace if necessary.
4. Foreign material in brine line flow control (BLFC).  Take apart the BLFC and look for debris and clean.

Question:  Why isn’t my water soft?

Answer:  If you’re not getting soft water out of your water softener here are the first things to check for:

1. Make sure the bypass valve is set to service and not bypassing the softener.
2. Make sure there is salt in the brine tank and the control valve is getting constant electricity
3. Inspect and clean BLFC to ensure sufficient water flow to brine tank
4. Inspect distributor tube and baskets and replace if necessary
5. Check seals and spacers and piston assembly for damage or wear.  Replace as necessary.
6. Check viewing window on timer motor to ensure the motor hasn’t burnt out

More softener troubleshooting questions and answers here!