Extractor Anxiety

In these tough economic times sales professionals have unique challenges facing them. The biggest hurdle most often is money. When purchasing high-ticket items such as extractors, end users are going to invest a good amount of research on the product before they make a selection. Extractors range in cost from hundreds of dollars for small units to thousands for the larger rider models, and it is up to distributors to determine the customers’ needs and find the right machine to fit not only their need but also their pocketbook. Furthermore, bigger companies with larger sites may require a variety of different sizes of extractors while smaller companies may have only one or two smaller models. These are just some of the points to keep in mind when assisting end users in the purchase of an extractor.

When Should They Buy?
The frequency with which extractors are purchased — or lack thereof — will influence the reasoning behind the selection.

“They have not been a real heavy mover for us,” admits Terry Scott, sales manager for Plaza Maintenance Products and Chemical Specialties, located in Raytown, Mo. “With budgets that states have been through, capital equipment has been very slow in the last year as far as this market. And if they’re cared for properly and cleaned out, they last a long time. It’s a good piece of equipment. There’s really not that much that can go wrong with them.” In fact, their longevity creates a market for used extractors, some of which can be 10 or 15 years old.

Conversely, lack of preventative maintenance can spur a purchase. “Usually the reason they’re looking for an extractor is they’re put away wet. Some people generally don’t have a good concept of how to take care of it very well,” says Rich Bowers, a sales representative for Industrial Supply Co. of Salem Inc., located in Salem, Ore.

New innovations, such as battery-powered units or units that can change decks and become both an extractor and an auto-scrubber, may be the impetus for purchase in some cases. Other times expansion will generate need. “Innovation and increased productivity are the main reasons I’ve found that people will switch extractors,” says Scott. As companies make physical expansions and add carpet, end users look for a larger, more productive unit.

Customer Satisfaction
General qualities such as performance (including water temperature and pressure), versatility (ability to do upholstery and spotting as well as wide-area cleaning) and ease of use are important to customers.

Everyone interviewed cited service as critical to both making a sale and retaining that client as a customer. All of the distributors offered repairs and service for their products, either in their own repair room or on-site at the customer’s facility. “Sometimes people don’t think of ease of service as a quality they’re looking for,” says Bowers. “That’s something I usually do point out to people.”

Although customers can read about extractors and often have a particular model in mind for purchase, what really makes a difference is an actual demonstration. “Most people are looking for someone to show them how to clean carpet — how to use an extractor properly,” says Brock Reynolds, equipment specialist with Newell Paper, located in Columbus, Miss.

Some people may figure that it’s as simple as pressing a button and directing the machine, but improper use can add to problems. Reynolds relates the tale of an institution who had been paying “ungodly amounts of money” to have their carpet care outsourced, and they weren’t even getting top-notch results. Once Reynolds identified the extractor that would best suit their needs and demonstrated it for them, they became a client — they bought two extractors from him.

“We don’t want poor results and to have our equipment blamed for it. It’s time well spent to go out and make sure that customers are using it right,” says Scott.

Distributors will make an impression if they’re able to teach techniques for that particular piece of equipment and match it up to the right chemicals. Customers should become knowledgeable about the best ways to clean, including knowing the optimal temperature, chemical solution and cleaning method for the type of carpet they’re cleaning.

“You need to demonstrate it, then follow up on people’s interest,” says Henry Behr of Bond Sanitary Products Inc., located in York, Pa. “We don’t just send a box over. We bring over the equipment, and we show them how to use it. If, six months later, they need us to go over it again, we’ll go over it again with them. We try to do everything we possibly can to keep customers. If it takes going there every two or three months to go over something with them, we’ll do it.”

Continued training is also important, and this is something that many distributors offer as well. “Institutional customers, like health care or educational facilities, want you there periodically because they’ll hire new technicians, so they want periodic in-service. I’ll go back to train people whenever it’s needed,” says Scott.

The key is ultimately finding out the customer’s market and their needs in terms of size, portability, capacity and temperature. “I try to recommend a piece of equipment that meets the needs of the customer. It’s not a one-size-fits-all situation, so we try to get as much information about the customer and what he’s going to be using it for, and then we make our recommendation,” says Scott. “If we don’t have something that meets their needs, I’ll recommend a different line that someone else carries. Selling a piece of equipment that doesn’t meet someone’s needs is a bad sale because they won’t come to you for anything else.”

“My customers have my cell phone number, and they know they can contact me at any time,” says Reynolds.

“They need to know that if they have a problem, they can call you up and you’ll respond quickly,” echoes Behr.

Long-Term Thinking
Price is what keeps most customers from purchasing quality equipment. In fact, says Behr, “Sometimes you give them the price and it drives them away.”

“For a lot of customers, there’s some sticker shock there,” says Scott. “A guy can do some shopping and maybe pick up a $700 or $800 used unit, but if he buys new, he may be spending $2,000 or $4,000. Some of the contractors and institutional buyers have a budget that they have to stay within. We have a couple leasing plans available, and we can arrange financing so they can get the equipment they need without taking out a second mortgage. You just have to be flexible and find out where your customer is and what their needs are and what they’re capable of doing,” he explains.

“Often people are looking to restore carpet, not maintain it,” says Bowers. Distributors need to make sure that end users understand that the job of an extractor is to maintain the carpet. They also need to explain that the extractor will save them money in the long run by extending the life of the carpet.

Knowledge is Power
Reynolds says it is critical for salespeople to be familiar and up-to-date with the equipment and how to use it. Seminars and other educational venues are a great way to stay on top of carpet maintenance and manufacturing trends.

Salespeople should keep educated on not only upgrades to extractors but also how they work.

“Get salespeople familiar with the equipment. They have to be comfortable with it and know how to use it,” agrees Scott. “You need training on carpet identification, fabric identification, spotting methods, and which chemical to recommend when and where. Then find out what your customer’s needs are and try to fill them.”

“Know how your equipment works,” agrees Bowers, “because if you go in cold, it’s not going to run as smoothly as if you have a good knowledge of what’s inside, not just the physical outside. Knowing the performance of the equipment will enhance its salability.”

Big-ticket items such as extractors present a unique challenge to distributors because of their price tag and therefore their rate of sale. Nonetheless, if sales professionals are prepared, know their equipment and their customer, stay on the cutting edge of technology, and most importantly, provide quality and continued service and support, they can keep themselves and their company a step ahead of the competition.

Darren and Angela Maas are freelance writers and editors based in Laramie, Wyo. Email questions or comments.