Developing a new cleaning process or changing an existing one involves working with providers of cleaning equipment and cleaning agents. The sales representative is typically the main contact. To work with reps successfully, we will outline what makes for a terrific sales rep. Then, we’ll explain why you, in product manufacturing, critical cleaning, and surface prep, are also sales reps. This may seem counterintuitive; the first impulse is to say: the rep has to sell things to me. In fact, if you are in Engineering, R&D, Quality, Validation, Health/Safety, Production, or Management, if your task is to choose equipment or cleaning agents to improve quality and performance of your company’s manufactured products, you are a sales rep. Become a rep for your company, and work with vendor reps from a base of power and understanding. Read on, and discover how to achieve effective, efficient, and more sustainable cleaning process.
A great sales rep
A great rep is a joy to work with. The rep doesn’t just sell product; they attract repeat customers. A great rep is an active, rational advocate of their product line. They understand the features, benefits, and limitations of their own product line or service. A great rep figures out not only what the customer says they want but also what the customer needs. A successful rep prioritizes their time; we hear them refer to a potential customer as a “hot prospect.” Because their time is valuable, successful reps separate out the lookie-loos from those likely to purchase the product. From your perspective, is the cleaning agent and cleaning equipment manufacturer a “hot prospect?”
Make sure they listen to and dialogue with you, the potential customer. While the rep may not have a strong technical background (i.e. an engineering degree), they have a working understanding of chemistry and physics – of how critical cleaning works. In addition to being personable and reasonably tactful, a great rep understands the role of TACT in soil removal (Temperature, Action, Chemistry, and Time). They have a working knowledge of materials compatibility. They can do sizing of cleaning equipment, based on their understanding of product throughput. While they are advocates of their product line and while they may not divulge all technical information, they have at least a general idea of how well the cleaning agent and process is likely to work in your application. They understand the economics of cleaning, including equipment costs, chemical costs, process costs, and process time. They explain additional process costs like filters, process bath monitoring and management, as well as waste management. If they don’t discuss extra costs – ask!
They understand and divulge current and impending worker safety and environmental issues. A rep who understands safety and environmental regulations, communicates with you, and is willing to work with regulators directly is important, particularly if the capital investment represents a large chunk of change. Regulations are complex; and manufacturers are in uncertain times. EPA Amended TSCA, and PFAS are currently big problems. A hot prospect sales rep will divulge potential problems. Phrases like “this process won’t have to change for 20 years” is wildly optimistic, perhaps unrealistic.
What they don’t know
An excellent rep knows what they don’t know; they don’t guess the right answer; they ask for technical help. While a great sales rep sells their product – their goal is to mesh their offerings with your cleaning requirements; they won’t try to fit a square peg into a round hole, if the fit is totally unsuitable. If their offerings won’t work for your cleaning requirements, a great rep tells you.
You are a sales rep
Let’s put the focus on you, the person involved in cleaning product or product contact surfaces. If you are in engineering, R&D, Quality, Validation, production, if your task is to select equipment or cleaning agents to improve quality and performance of your company’s manufactured products, you are a salesperson. Sales involves communication and advocacy; and sales are a two-way street. To work well with the cleaning equipment or cleaning agent vendor rep, you have to sell your requirements to them.
To be a “hot prospect,” become a bit of a nerd. As a manufacturer you have to understand how cleaning works. Cleaning is the removal of soil (matter out of place); and it must be achieved without damaging the product. Understand and communicate the cleanliness requirements. This includes not only analytical testing and customer requirements, but also a sense of what the cleaned product needs to “look” like. Are there sensitive substrates that might be damaged by the cleaning process? It is essential to look at the interaction of the cleaning agent and the cleaning process. Consider what might change in the future, including the product line and soils. Residual cleaning agent is a potential contaminant. What’s happening upstream of the process? Do you have control of those processes? Are there likely to be changes? What’s going to happen downstream of the process? What are the customer requirements? Requirements might include performance, visual appearance, and testing to cleaning standards. Review and communicate as many of your concerns as possible including your budget, space constraints, regulatory concerns, and throughput. Throughput includes the number of parts divided by the number of hours in a shift. However, parts per hour may not be sufficient if there are required peaks in production, for example where a part must be cleaned and then processed within a specified amount of time.
Questionnaires
Many vendors immediately dump a questionnaire in your inbox. A questionnaire helps focus on your requirements. However, for complex builds with many steps and many outside suppliers, you probably won’t know all the variables. It is absurd to require that the questionnaire be completed in detail before proceeding; while a questionnaire can be helpful, it is no substitute for active listening. We are not comfy with vendors who plonk a complex questionnaire in front of a customer and require them to answer every question. At the same time, you make yourself a more attractive prospect to vendors if you understand your cleaning requirements. Expecting a rep to psychically deduce the specifics of your requirements is not rationale. It’s the equivalent of an offspring complaining that they don’t “get” geometry and asking you to do their homework. Depending only on a single sales rep to teach you all about cleaning will provide you with an understanding canted to their product line, not the full picture of what’s available. Most people in critical cleaning have valuable information. A rep who listens and asks interactive questions is likely to be part of a company that will partner with you.
To effectively represent the interests of your company, ask for references of satisfied customers, including names and contact information. Great sales reps are happy to provide references. Even if you have worked with a vendor in the past, equipment suppliers can change; so ask for references, Follow up with an email, phone call, web meeting, or (if possible) site visit. Emails, texts, or interchanges on LinkedIn are helpful, but not ideal, because there is limited opportunity for interchange. Have questions ready but don’t just use a check list. Listen actively; develop a dialogue. Several things may happen. The reference may adore the cleaning process. They may like the process, but it may have nothing to do with your application. If that happens, pin down the vendor – find out if your cleaning application, equipment, or chemistry represents a new area for the vendor. If so, the equipment vendor may not be a hot prospect from your point of view. Unfortunately, sometimes, the process is performing poorly. The assemblers are standing in puddles of water, the tanks are full of foam, the process must be run repeatedly to achieve acceptable cleaning, the equipment may be corroded, solvent containment may not be as advertised. While the problems are not necessarily the fault of the supplier, these red flags require further investigation.
Don’t waste anyone’s time
Above all, cleaning agent and cleaning equipment reps must spend their time wisely. As a potential customer, if you are “just browsing,” say so. As a manufacturer and potential customer, being an advocate for your process, being transparent in your selection process, budget constraints, and how soon your timeframe for making a decision makes you an attractive potential customer.
Putting together an equipment quote requires time and effort. You may need quotes from multiple suppliers. For significant capital investment and for “safety/critical” applications, you may need to take advantage of the vendor’s test facility. Using the vendor’s test lab costs them money. Changing out the cleaning agent can require hours of work. Deciding on test parameters running the tests, and writing the report also takes effort.
What vexes equipment vendors? The rep puts together a quote and provides references, the test facility runs the test, the equipment seems to work, the price is within budget. What do they hear back? Crickets, el zippo, de nada. This is wrong on many levels. If your decision is delayed, if the budget is cut, if you have selected another vendor, let them know. It’s the right thing to do; and burning bridges closes off options for the future. As an example, here’s what a client of ours wrote to a cleaning equipment supplier that was not selected. (We didn’t prompt them to write this.)
“Good morning (Cleaning Systems Representative),
Thank you for your proposal and follow-up. As discussed, the decision for this project was to be made in December, and we have decided to move forward with a different vendor.
All of us—Barbara, Ed, and myself—hold your cleaning systems in high regard, and I believe there will be future opportunities for us to collaborate.
Thank you again for your time and effort.
Best regards,
[our client]
Selling is universal
To be effective, we have to be confident sales reps! Selling involves understanding what needs to be achieved – in this case, trouble-free, effective cleaning processes. It also involves communication and interaction. We’ve discussed “selling” to cleaning agent and cleaning equipment vendors. The concept of selling also applies to interacting with key people throughout the manufacturing plant, including upper management and assemblers. Selling even applies to academics seeking funding for research projects (maybe including effective ways to clean). Above all, selling with confidence involves education, street smarts, and communication. Become confident!
Resources
There are many articles, courses, webinars, and books about cleaning. We humbly suggest that we at BFK Solutions are a resource. We also collaborate with Professor Darren Williams of SHSU; there is great educational information on his web site. Ed Kanegsberg, Barb Kanegsberg, and Prof. Darren do not accept commissions or referral fees.
https://bfksolutions.com/clean-source-newsletter-archive/
https://www.shsu.edu/academics/chemistry/cleanresearch/cleaningworkshop.html
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