You are what makes your vending business a success

Vending machines are like 24-hour employees who never sleep, eat, take a break, or ask for a raise.

Vending machines make money. Construction workers have tools, truck drivers have a truck, and vendors have vending machines. As a vendor, the vending machines you invest in are your tools for earning your living.

However, the type of machine you have as a vendor isn’t the be-all and end-all of your business. Beware of vending machine salespeople who want you to invest in astronomically priced machines to increase your sales when a lower-priced, older style will do just as well. If a machine has candy in it and accepts quarters, it has the potential to close the deal.

What is the magic ingredient that makes you money in the vending machine business? You! Too often, beginners in the vending industry give up before they really get started. As an example, let’s say you have three snack machines and you pay a locating company to place them. You run around town collecting money and refilling your machines. After about six weeks, you realize that the amount you collect each week is not worth the running around you have to do, so you decide to sell the machines and chalk it up to the fact that the vending business just wasn't for you.

In this example, your involvement in your business was about the same as that of an employee working for a large vending company. How can you turn this around and be successful? Remember that your success depends on you. Your job is to place your machines in the right locations and provide superior customer service. Is the machine placement company interested in the success of your business? Nope, they get paid regardless of whether your machines make money or not. Profitable accounts are created by your hard work, networking, and sales abilities.

What can you do to give it your best shot? First, don't use a placement company to find the locations for you. While finding locations may not be fun, sales are everything, and sales depend on location. To be your own boss, you need to network, watch for new businesses moving in, and keep up with new developments on the market. Don’t forget your neighbors, friends, and family members. Let everyone know about your business. You never know whose office is having difficulty with their supplier, or whose brother just moved to a new office that doesn’t have a vending machine.

Take care of your accounts. It’s too easy to become complacent and assume that nothing needs to be changed. Each week there’s money in the machine, and you take it out and put in the refills and away you go. But your best account is your competitor's primary prospect. Always interact with the owner or manager and employees at your locations and find out if they’re satisfied with the mix of products in your machine. Let them know who you are and leave your contact information on your machine.

Last, always look professional. By handling yourself well and appearing professional in dress and behavior, you’ll increase the chance of earning referrals to new locations. You might even be asked to place new machines at your current locations. It's less expensive and time consuming to keep a current customer than it is to find a new one!