Sales Tip: Have an excuse to always see the customer

John Seybold, an independent tool distributor out of Chicopee, Mass., makes the most of his sales simply because of availability. The more his customers see him, the more sales he makes.

Sometimes, there are not always tools to sell, so he also cashes paychecks for a modest cut. He also purposely wants his customers to maintain balances with him, even modest ones as low as six dollars, but not so he can charge exorbitant interest. Seybold charges no interest for 90 days, and 1 percent interest beyond that point. (A fair and equitable term in Seybold's view would be 10 weeks.)

The reason for this is that it maintains an on-going relationship with his clients. The more they see Seybold for whatever reason, the more likely they will buy a tool from him when they need it.

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