How to sell tools to car repairmen. Facebook Group, YouTube?

I recommend using Google Ads, Reddit Ads, Instagram Ads, LinkedIn Ads, Bing Ads. You can also promote for free in Craigslist, Reddit, Quora, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Letgo, OfferUp, and Mercari.

Google display ads and Facebook ads will be a good strategy on other hand try to improve your e comm store

In the united states Snapon https://www.snapon.com/EN/Franchise pretty much has that sewed up, as does harbor freight and all the big box stores.

One thing about selling tools to repair people, when they need it they need it now. They are not going online or social media, they are just going to get it at the most convenient place

al

It is a good idea to do the research for your target market "before" you start any online business vs. researching your target market "after" you start an online business.

At the minimal you need (not want) to know if the target market is a paying target market. If yes.. go forward with a proven "marketing plan" and if no.. stop.

Are you selling locally or nation wide or internationally? Are the products your own or are you selling affiliate products? Are you drop shipping from within a local geo or are you drop shipping from nation wide resources or are you dropshipping from international sources?

Your "marketing plan" is developed on the answers to that basic set of questions because not all "marketing plans" are created equal.

Your post is also what we call a "Lead In" post, so if you want serious help going forward be aware of that.

Did you do any actual research before going into this market ? Are the tools high quality and able to solve a problem or help the mechanic get the job done right the first time ?

First off vehicles built in the last 5 years usually go right to a dealer to have keys reprogrammed. Those fobs are tied into more systems than just starting the car.

Second Auto Repair facilities have Snap-on, Mac, Matco, or independent tool dealers show up in a truck and sell the scanners right at the door. Snap on as a example has a whole separate truck in most areas to teach the techs how to use the advance software tools. Or a regional rep schedules a visit it to the shop to show demonstrate how the equipment works.

How do you plan to compete against large companies like OTC that specialize in some of the tools ? Every few months they provide new updates as new car models come out. Try fixing a car that just came in the last few months if the software does not exist yet. Or take it to the dealer. Speaking of Dealers do you know companies like Ford have there own vendors to sell to the dealers. Ford has the Rotundo program, that sells the right tooks to fix their cars.

It takes time to build trust with most auto mechanics or techs as most are called today. You better know your stuff because they will smell anyone trying to sell them B.S. a mile away.

You got some good answers. Mine is not as good. Except that it confirms what they other said based on a relative who's the client you describe (he fixes cars for a living).


As regards social media, some of them are active on facebook and linkedin.


As regards to confirmation: my relative buys tools the way DWolf described.


He did not search on Google.



He called his guy and got the tool in hours. Getting it in hours, not tomorrow was the most important thing to him. Quality / brand of tool was next. Price? He complained about it to me, after he bought it.

For classified ad marketing platforms, both Craigslist and ClassifiedAds.com have a very relevant For Sale > Tools section. Would advise against including website links in your classified ads since it's a campaign footprint through which they can track and flag all your ads.

You may also want to get active in relevant Facebook groups for that market.

That pretty much sums it up right there.

Agreed. I don't think I would have chosen this market. That's some pretty intense competition.

It's hard to answer your question but I think you can get yourself started on TikTok. It may take some time before you make your first sale though.

It's not so much a question of WHERE your prospects are online. That's the easy part. You can target them with paid ads (or even with free methods).

The CRITICAL part is your sales message (that is, your sales copy). What will you SAY to them? That's what will determine your sales. Your prospects only know what you tell them.

Therefore, the biggest factor of all is your COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE. You MUST be better or different in some way. Is your product cheaper, faster, higher quality, more reliable, or smaller? Does it have features your competitors do not?

So, that's the real question: WHY is your product a BETTER CHOICE?

If you have a really good answer to that question, you might not need to worry about Snap-On. You could, possibly, carve out a niche for yourself.

As an example, take Elon Musk. He started a car company. Which is pretty much the dumbest thing anyone could possibly do. I mean, how in the world was he going to compete with GM, Ford, and DOZENS of other established companies in the auto industry?

The answer is, he had a strong COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE. He sells electric cars that are stylish. Plus, he built his branding; Tesla is now a prestige brand.

So, your task is to answer that question and then craft a clear, compelling sales message.

John

How many of your local garage services have you appoached?

Most will have a weekly mobile tools supplier if you're talking about physical tools, or from costly licensed software suppliers if you mean digital/diagnostic softwawe "tools".

Regarding the latter, the mechanic will be obliged to invest in initial, and follow-up periodical training (updates etc)

Google Ads did not work for me. Personally I advise you to satay away from it. But if you must use it then run tests before going all in.