FWIW, there are some distributors who would be tickled pink with unprotected/open territories. ;)Quote:
I like the ability to shop from other areas not being told that I have to deal with a particular office.
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FWIW, there are some distributors who would be tickled pink with unprotected/open territories. ;)Quote:
I like the ability to shop from other areas not being told that I have to deal with a particular office.
Jay Cee,
I have sent you a PM with the email address and cell phone number of Kris Tennyson, he is our SawMill Creek contact at Trotec.
He promised me that he would personally take care of any of our Members.
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Maybe a better comparison would be to CNC machines. Both ShopBot and CAMaster (for example) have prices listed on their website and can be configured with upgrades. It's a starting point. The Western laser 3 will likely have to move in that direction if the market continues to split with Chinese machines, start-ups, and also-rans.
Na Matt, I think things will stay close to where they are now. Why change? Chinese? They really aren't competition. They may take a few customers, but can you really call someone like me who can't afford a Epilog Mini a real customer? They didn't lose a customer when I bought a chinese machine. They actually have a real POTENTIAL customer as I've learned how limited the Chinese laser is for a lot of things. It works, but I have to really WORK hard to make it work. And when I can afford it, It will be replaced with a US machine.
So what's the cost of living in NYC vs. somewhere in Alabama? Why would the prices be the same? The cost to do business across the states varies greatly. Rent might be 3-4x higher in one place than another. Should you fix the pricing so the Sales reps in Alabama get paid the same as the ones in NY? Or should it be the other way around, set the price based on Alabama's cost of living, them pay the guy in NY like he lives in Alabama? It's just not as simple as "setting a price". It works for Chinese because they don't live here. They don't have reps that work and live across the entire country.
Does a name tag cost the same in North Carolina as it does in New York City? I seriously doubt it. I have friends up north. I could NEVER get the prices they get for engraved items. And they'd go broke and be homeless if they could only charge what we do.
Does a ShopBot or CamMaster cost the same in every state?
Lately, Chinese fiber lasers have been pretty popular on this forum. I suspect that price/performance was a big consideration, so maybe the argument can be made that they are competition.
Bigger impacts are rent for distributor showrooms and sales rep salaries that must be recouped and added to the price of selling a machine. For some, that is the difference in starting a business, or not. I'm not advocating against this model (free market, and all that), but it was the standard before the internet and times change.
Two examples that it can be done and every customer, no matter how much their annual revenue, can expect to pay about the same price for a machine that cuts and engraves.
Scott,
I know from getting quotes from Kern and tortec that there sales reps controls large areas. Kern you can call in and get a instant quote and trotec we had to have a regional sales rep call us. Matt from trotec has the tile of "Great Lakes Territory Sales Manager" so its to my understanding that we works across several states and I think hes based out of Michigan - We are in Ohio. Im sure prices will vary alittle bit but when a machine is produced it cost X and it can be sent anywhere in American and the only variable that will change is the Shipping and taxes - The Machines production cost always stays at X.
Companies like Shopbot and Camaster are great companies but I dont think they are on the same Level as Onsrud, Thermwood (They dont state there pricing online) because they offer a huge line of High end commercial machines. The same as Trotec, Kern Compared to Camfive, Rabbit, Bosslaser - They are all great companies but Trotec and kern are in a class of there own. Trotec and Kern machines have so many options and configurations that a price list would make your head spin.
Or, you could look at Trotec's growth over the last 5 years, see how they have exploded in the USA, and think "Wow, they must be doing something right".
I think it's safe to say that Trotec, Epilog, and Universal, all know how to run their business, as witnessed in the sales of all 3 of them.
I really don't understand the argument here, every company has the right to establish their own policy concerning how they price their products and that includes how they disseminate that information.
I love it when someone tries to tell me how to run my company or when they disagree with any policy I establish...I show them the door and laugh all the way back to my desk. I tend to agree with Scott, I deal with each company according to their rules and policies and I don't expect all companies to comply with an established set of rules.
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>>Or, you could look at Trotec's growth over the last 5 years, see how they have exploded in the USA, and think "Wow, they must be doing something right".<<
This is a classic example of why I said companies are fools if they don't do some sort of monitoring and evaluation (both buying customers and those who did not buy) when they have a system of "protected" sales reps. Sure, they made an amazing amount of money and had great sales. BUT how much more money and how much larger of a base of satisfied long-term customers would they have had now if they had a sales system that produced more responsive salespeople and a more positive experience for people who were gathering information for their purchasing decision?
I'd say they aren't the same customers. Someone looking for a $3,000 ebay laser isn't the same customer as someone looking for a Trotec. I'd say that DESPITE the influx of Chinese lasers, Trotec's sales have been off the charts. I've witnessed them going from a reasonably small footprint in the USA to having a HUGE footprint in the USA with regional service centers and loads more people working for them. I do know that companies that aren't doing well don't open new locations and hire new people.
My guess is Epilog, Universal, and Trotec have all done well in the last 5 years, despite so many imported machines coming in. How's that possible? They make phone contact and explain their case for buying their machines, like any good sales staff does.