DEALER FINDS LONG-TERM BUSINESS ‘FIT’ IN AMSOIL
Direct Jobber Erin Hart of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada has been in the AMSOIL business for 10 years.
“The timing was perfect when I found AMSOIL,” Hart said. “I had just recently become a new dad and was at home with our three-month-old son. I had just started a warehouse logistics consulting company (an industry I had been in for 15 years), and I was heavily involved in recreational snowmobiling in British Columbia. I saw the ‘fit’ right away in terms of me being able to call on retail and commercial accounts with a reputable product line.”
I just wanted to make a few more bucks
He was looking for a part-time business to generate some extra income that could become full-time in the future. “I had dabbled with other opportunities, but I never really had the passion for their products, and I was always suspect of their business and marketing practices,” Hart said.
He realized he had found the right combination of increased income in the short term, and the possibilities for long-term growth, with his AMSOIL business. It’s really the ultimate home based business. And I can sign up del
“This will become a full-time revenue stream for me. It affords me the freedom to set my own hours and work at my own pace.”
“As I started to gain some traction with the AMSOIL biz and saw my monthly commission checks start to increase on a regular basis, I knew right away I could do this long-term,” Hart said. “This will become a full-time revenue stream for me. It affords me the freedom to set my own hours and work at my own pace. But to really see the results, you need to stay focused. Even working at it part-time as I do, I probably invest one to three hours daily working on some nuance of the business.”
“There are so many opportunities to present the AMSOIL product line, and I like to keep myself open to all of them. Saying that, I have seen my best success with retail accounts, especially the quick lube market. The volumes that they order really help with the monthly commission checks.”
Hart approaches all types of accounts. “I try not to focus on any one type of account,” he said. “There are so many opportunities to present the AMSOIL product line, and I like to keep myself open to all of them. Saying that, I have seen my best success with retail accounts, especially the quick lube market. The volumes that they order really help with the monthly commission checks.”
Hart said relationships with his accounts bring him the most success. “In working on various accounts, it is all about relationship building,” he said. “You really need to understand their challenges and their pain and how our product line can help. Ultimately, we want to drive more business into their shops, which in turn creates more business for them.”
Some accounts come easy, while others take time, he said. “It really depends on the sales cycle with that particular account, what product they already have on the shelf and how AMSOIL can help,” Hart said. “I have had retail accounts register in as little as a month and others that are over a year, but I persist because something always changes in their environment where I eventually get a ‘yes’ out of them.”
His retention plan includes staying in touch with his customers.
“I follow-up with each of my accounts every one to three months, depending on their level of activity,” Hart said. “Follow-up can be as easy as a phone call or email. In a lot of cases, I simply stop into their shop to say ‘hi’ and see how business is overall.
“Again, things change in their environment, and what we do is truly a ‘belly-to-belly’ business,” Hart said. “People like to know who they are doing business with. A handshake, a quick coffee and a good conversation go a long way in securing business long-term.”
Hart advertises primarily on Facebook. “I have my own personal Facebook page and then I have my business AMSOIL Facebook page — IdealMotoroil,” he said. He belongs to a number of buy and sell groups, as well as powersports and diesel groups on Facebook. “It keeps me in tune with what people are looking for and usually there is some type of ‘nugget’ that appears where I can create an opportunity for my AMSOIL business,” Hart said.
When he’s not selling AMSOIL products, Hart plays hard. “I play a lot of hockey, usually twice per week, even during the summer,” he said. “Regular exercise is a de-stress time for me and helps me focus later on. It is also a great networking opportunity for me as I am always wearing my AMSOIL-branded shirts, hats, jackets, etc. Conversations happen organically about AMSOIL and have created a lot of business for me.”
“Everyone is always willing to share their story and provide some great advice if you ask them. Ultimately, I want my Dealership to provide that six-digit income for me and my family. I will get it there.”
He encourages new Dealers to take advantage of the resources available through AMSOIL. “Don’t let the enormity of the opportunity overwhelm you,” Hart said. “Take the baby steps and learn. AMSOIL University Online is a fantastic resource available to us and a lot of time and resources have been put into it to help you grow your business. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions. There is no such thing as a dumb question, and the staff at AMSOIL is a tremendous resource.”
Explore AMSOIL University Online by logging in to the Dealer Zone and clicking the AU Online link.
“Through various AMSOIL events I have attended, I have had the opportunity to meet and network with other very successful AMSOIL Dealers,” said Hart. “Everyone is always willing to share their story and provide some great advice if you ask them. Ultimately, I want my Dealership to provide that six-digit income for me and my family. I will get it there.”
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