Roadie said:
It is dependent on the situation. Buying a custom cue I generally like to deal with the maker. Buying a production cue I'd rather deal with a dealer.
As a dealer I have mixed feelings about the supplier selling direct. The basic tenent that I live by however is that as long as my suppliers are are not underselling me (because they certainly can and make more profit), and as long as they are not shorting my orders to pad their own inventory for retail sales, then they are more than welcome to sell in the retail market alongside me. I see this as a good way for them to know what is really selling and what it not. If I am doing my job right them I am going to have plenty of business that my supplier wouldn't have much of a shot at anyway unless they opened up in my local market. Lastly, if I am not prepared to take everything that my supplier can supply me with then I don't feel that I can dictate to them how they sell their product, given the terms above.
Years ago I had some popular cues on backorder with a well respected company. I had solid orders for these cues and in one case had taken a deposit from one individual whom I felt might back off the order once the cue arrived. The backorder kept getting extended each time I called to check the status, mind you I never received one single call from this company to inform me of the delays nor even a confirmation of the initial order and proposed delivery time until I called to verify receipt.
In the meantime I and the customers found ourselves in Las Vegas at the BCA National tournament. The cue company was there and had on display the very cues I had on backorder. So my customers asked me if I could get them for them. I asked and was told that those cues were reserved for retail. At that point I told the company they could cancel my orders and I reached in my pocket and gave one of my customers his deposit back and told the other one that I couldn't get the cues. I advised them to consider trying similar cues from other companies displaying at the show and promised to help them with a lower price if I could. I did end up helping one of them get a cue from another source while the other ended up with the first brand.
The point is that you don't screw your dealers. They are the guys on the front line for you. Don't take the short term profit over the long term relationship. I have not sold a cue for that company to this day and try and dissuade others from buying from them whenever the subject comes up. Not because I feel that their products aren't good. But because I feel that their priorities are misplaced and the consumer's money is better spent on companies that seek mutual cooperation and benefit for all.
At that BCA Tournamment I was also amazed to see the guy who sold the Instroke cases tell a prospective customer that if he wanted a discount he should take the time to learn about the cases, pick one he liked at the Instroke booth and then go make a deal with any of Instroke's dealers at the show. The guy walked the customer to the front of the enormous lattice contstuct that was Instroke's booth and pointed out several other booth's which were selling Instroke cases. He said, and I quote, "my job is too teach you why you should buy an Instroke case and your job is to find the best deal on one." I was already enamored of the cases but at that point I became a huge fan of the company, especially because of my bitter experience with the other one the day before. This is the way you can sell retail and wholesale as a manufacturer.
No one will represent your products as well as you do. But if you do that job well and treat them fairly your dealers will work hard to not misrepresent them and to sell them enthusiasticly. The customers who then buy from you will gladly pay extra for the extra attention from the maker and those who want the discount can go to one of your dealers and everyone wins.
Very well written...thank you so much.
The Instroke guy you saw might be John, aka Onepocketchump on this forum...
I enjoy reading your post from the prespective of a dealer. I totally agree with your point of view.
I know Predator also sells direct to the customers at shows with a discount, and in shows like the BCA, there have to be many dealers who carry thier products. Do the dealers feel that they are competing with the manufacturers in that situation?
When we go to shows, we take that as an opportunity to expose the X breaker to the players, or to use your words, "educate" the public on why the X breaker is the best, by putting the X breaker in their hands and let them try and compare.
Most importantly, it is a great opportunity for them to compare the X breaker with all these other brands out there, so they can be sure thay have a fair chance to make an educated decision.
We only now have one dealer, Joe Neilsen, in the US, and he does not go to shows. So, I do not have any experience about selling the X breaker in a show along with my dealers. I do have an agreement with my dealers that I will never sell the X Breaker below my retail except at shows and tournaments for marketing exposure.
When we have come up with new designs and improvements, we really make an effort to attend the big shows and let our customers know. I think the best way to let them decide whether it is just a marketing hype or a real deal is to put the X Breaker in their hands, let then try and compare the X breaker to other products out there, and decide for themselves what is the best.
So far we have sold out in every single show we have attended. A lot of sales also go to the dealers of mine after the shows, when some customers need time to think about it, or when they tell their friends about what they have purchased.
Usually, when they contact me after the show, I will refer them to my dealers. We select our dealers very carefully. I do not really care if my dealer has a fancy web site or a big name., what I care is the standard of customer service he strikes to offer.
Joe is such a great guy I can count on him to take good care of my customers. I want the guy with the best customer service to represent me out there on the "front line" and I am very fortunate to have Joe. He keeps my customers satisfied. He works harder than anyone I know. I really cannot ask for more than that.
I feel that as a cue maker/manufacturer, I have the responsibility to market and expose the X Breaker as best I could, to expose it to as big a market as possible, so my dealers will have more business, and make more money.
Right now, we are growing much faster than we have anticipated, and I do need to have more people on the "front line" working for me, so I can have more time to shorten my waiting list. When we have more dealers, I really want to be careful to make sure they feel protected and respected dealing with me, because I want to have long term relationships with them.
It is easy to overlook certain issues, so it is important to have feedback to help me understand.
Your response have been very informative and I really appreciate your insight on this matter, thank you so much.
Richard
