Reselling products to enthusiasts...

[FinishingTouchA]

So here's the story.
I'm 22 and used to go to a lot of the car meets and shows that attract the younger enthusiast crowds. The closest big one is 60 miles away and since I opened up the shop I don't find trips that far to be enjoyable unless I'm being productive. And marketing my services to people that far away with a 18-25 year old average income just doesn't do a whole lot. An idea I've been thinking about more and more is reselling products to these people. Yes, I know you're going to say just send them to Autogeek. But I'm thinking more along the lines of having a booth with towels, shampoos, waxes, etc. I already sell all the stuff at my shop, would just need to pack it up. I think having a booth with everything set out would be much more attractive than walking around trying to push product.

Two goals I have with doing this:
To share my passion and knowledge with those enthusiasts who just don't know yet how much damage they are doing using the wrong products and techniques.
And to build up my brand with both my services and products eventually leading to a healthy profitable detailing supplies e-commerce site.

Do any of you set up a booth at car shows etc. with the products you use, or do you just stick to services with your business and send people with product inquiries to AG?

 

[dcjredline]

Ive done it once. WW'd someones truck while there and left little 2oz product samples out along with business cards and a photo album. Got a couple people to stop out but gave out more samples than cards. Or should I say more were taken.

Im sure at a bigger show you may do alright.

 

[VP Mark]

You need to call an individual company like like 3D and ask them for small time distributor pricing. It can be a hard road selling products because most companies require a monthly order in order to get distribution level pricing.

 

[Scott@IncrediblyDetailed]

I don't sell individual products but I do sell a maintenance kit that includes everything you need to care for your vehicle after a detail. I would make up a kit and explain the benefits of using it. Make it turn key and ready to go. I use ONR and Optimum Instant Detailer as the only two products, along with a bucket, gamma seal lid, grit guard and a variety of towels. Plus when you package things together you create more value and convenience for the customer thus you'll be able to profit more.

I offer two different kits one around the $150 mark and one in the low $200s. The customers who purchase them tend to be the ones who come back from a detail every 3-6 months anyway, they just want an easier way to care for their vehicle doing little clean ups and having me do the thorough work. Plus, when I see the vehicle again it's in much better shape, making my job easier, thus more $$$/hr.

 

[Detailing by M]

That's never worked for me or a lot of others.
I hate "car guys" the last one screwed me out of $400 bucks!
They all "know how to detail" and will try to low ball you because "they know what to do"
Complete waste of time!

My primary customers are "high end" people. Guys with lots of money, love cars and have no clue how to detail.

 

[rwright]

Next year we plan to hit more shows to setup a tent and walk around wiping cars down for those interested. I don't plan to detail as much so that we can spread the word. I would like to have a banner made and poster size pictures showcasing detailing 50/50's, a table for product sales, and definitely shirts.

 

[FinishingTouchA]

Ive done it once. WW'd someones truck while there and left little 2oz product samples out along with business cards and a photo album. Got a couple people to stop out but gave out more samples than cards. Or should I say more were taken.

Im sure at a bigger show you may do alright.

That's never worked for me or a lot of others.
I hate "car guys" the last one screwed me out of $400 bucks!
They all "know how to detail" and will try to low ball you because "they know what to do"
Complete waste of time!

My primary customers are "high end" people. Guys with lots of money, love cars and have no clue how to detail.

Next year we plan to hit more shows to setup a tent and walk around wiping cars down for those interested. I don't plan to detail as much so that we can spread the word. I would like to have a banner made and poster size pictures showcasing detailing 50/50's, a table for product sales, and definitely shirts.

I'm talking about something completely different. I do not intend on marketing my detailing services at all. This would be only for product sales. If I get approached by people looking for services of course I would market to them, but the goal is to sell products. Profit without doing labor, isn't that what business is about? If all you're doing is trading hours of detailing for a paycheck, that's a job, you're just an employee of your business. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy detailing, but my end goal is to have a business where my paycheck is based on profit rather than how much time I put in myself.

 

[FinishingTouchA]

You need to call an individual company like like 3D and ask them for small time distributor pricing. It can be a hard road selling products because most companies require a monthly order in order to get distribution level pricing.

Mark, you know exactly where I'm going with this. Already planning on purchasing towels in bulk from TRC unless I find a better deal directly with the manufacturers at SEMA, but from what I've observed minimum quantities are usually $5-10,000. At the very worst I'll do what I've been doing with the few CG products I have on my shelf. I purchase 3-5 bottles at a time during a 30% off sale then sell them at the retail price. Yes, smartphones have kind of hurt the retail market with competitive pricing but still many people at shows are willing to spend what it takes for convenience. Same principle as paying $3 for a 16oz bottle of orange juice from concentrate at the gas station when a gallon of Simply orange costs $3.99 at the grocery store.
My "PRO" distributor gets me products for about 25 percent off retail so I have a few of those too. Will definitely look into 3D though. I still feel that towels will be one of the big sellers because they get your touchy-feely senses involved. 480gsm Microfiber ### lol.

 

[jrs1418]

IMO detailing and selling products are 2 different games and hard to intermingle. We have a car show here every few months at the mall parking lot. I've beeen too busy to go back but one year we went around and did waterless wash's for $20. 2 guys + clean-ish cars = 10 minutes of time and a potential new customer.

If u want, i'd also make a small "travel kit" of your products to sell, we did at one point and it sold really good. Small 4oz bottles with sprayers and RTU products like a waterless wash, and APC, and tire shine and 2 MF towels. The bottles and carrier were purchased at a CVS store and were marketed for airline travel, and cost about $5 altogether. I sold the package for $25 as a touchup detail kit. "You come out from eating dinner and got bird poop? Bust out your travel kit, spray some WW on it, wipe off with MF, and done!"