April

Amsoil Action News April 2001

A couple of months ago, on one of my frequent visits to our manufacturing plant and distribution center, I saw a beautiful new Ford Excursion with a large trailer in our parking lot. Both were decorated with AMSOIL decals. I was curious who they belonged to, so I went into the distribution center and asked. A gentleman spoke up and said it was his truck, and jokingly asked if I had hit it or something. Playing along, I said that yes indeed, I had hit it with my Suburban.

As it turned out, the Excursion belonged to Direct Jobber Lynn Pabst, from Hammond, Wisconsin. With him was one of his downline Dealers, Steven Hanson, from Rosemount, Minnesota. We struck up a conversation, and while we talked I took them on a tour of our plant.

I was pleased to hear that Lynn enjoyed the “President’s Message” every month in Action News. He specifically noted that he learned a lot about water and water filtration in a previous message. He said he didn’t realize how important filtering the water we drink really is.

Lynn said business was good and that he was selling so much AMSOIL 2-Cycle Oil, it was almost unbelievable. That was music to my ears. Our 2-Cycle Oils have been some of our hottest selling products for years. No other two-cycle oil can touch them when it comes to top performance and protection. Many of our Midwestern and Northern Dealers do a brisk business in two-cycle oils this time of year because the sport of snowmobiling is so popular. Our entry into snowobile racing the last few years has helped promote our products, as well.

As we passed through the aisles stacked with inventory, we stopped and discussed our motor oil cartons with the wear comparison chart on them. I pointed out that the Mobil Tri-Synthetic motor oil fared the worst of the oils tested. Lynn stated that these comparisons on our containers were extremely important in helping him sell. He wanted to see more of that kind of information. I certainly understood exactly what he was saying.

When you can clearly demonstrate that your products are superior, you’ve got to “toot your own horn.” That’s how to market superior products. Now I’m certainly no marketing expert and don’t claim to be, but common sense dictates to me that when your product is better than the next guy’s, you’ve got to shout it from the highest hill, so to speak. You’ve got to make consumers aware. If you don’t, nobody will!

When I started this company, our first oil cans had comparisons on them. Then someone convinced me to take them off our cans for a few years and it hurt our sales. I learned my lesson and started using them again. Since then, I have been told by many Dealers that these comparisons help them sell.

I have mentioned how important it is for all of us to toot our horns in some of my past messages. As it applies to our Dealers, that means putting AMSOIL decals on our vehicles like Lynn does, showing the AMSOIL colors by wearing AMSOIL jackets, caps, and other promotional clothing items, using yard signs, etc. You never know how just wearing an AMSOIL jacket can help your business.

I can’t tell you the number of stories I have heard from both AMSOIL Dealers and our staff about people approaching them because they had a cap or jacket with the AMSOIL logo on them. For instance, our General Manager and Executive Vice President Dean Alexander talked to one of our major suppliers, Jeffrey Zudock, who told him he met someone wearing an AMSOIL jacket at a mall in Madison, Wisconsin some time back. Jeff didn’t tell the Dealer how he was familiar with AMSOIL, but he did strike up a conversation while his wife went shopping. The two spent forty-five minutes chatting about synthetic oils.

The person in the AMSOIL jacket turned out to be Direct Jobber, Bill McCarthy, from Madison, Wisconsin. Jeff Zudock is very knowledgeable about synthetic lubricants. That’s his business. So when he says he’s impressed with someone trying to sell him synthetic oil, you know whoever he’s talking about must know his stuff. Jeff was very complimentary of Bill and thoroughly enjoyed their visit. He asked Dean how we find such intelligent, loyal Dealers. Jeff also said Bill made every effort to sign him as a Dealer. That’s exactly what he should do whenever he finds someone interested in the products. While Bill McCarthy didn’t wind up with a new Dealer from this encounter, he did make a new friend.

When you wear the AMSOIL colors, there’s no telling who you’ll meet or how much oil you’ll sell because of it. But if you don’t toot your own horn a little bit you’ll never know. The March issue of Action News contained our new clothing catalog. In it are a number of ways to advertise the fact you are a Dealer. If you haven’t already done so, look it over. You might find something in it that will help promote your business . . . or just help you meet some interesting new people!

Download Amsoil Action News April 2001 Issue