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getting new customers

zayy

Plastic
Joined
Apr 29, 2020
Hello,
I own a small CNC machine shop in south Florida. Our company specializes in prototyping and short runs. we have two lathes (one with live tooling) a Vf2 and a UMC 750. We are looking to get new customers as we are very slow in work at the moment. We have tried being a supplier for Xometry but the rates they want to pay don't add up.
Any advise on how we can gain new customers ?
we recently got a new website made EGM Manufacturing

any advise/tips will help.
 
The web site looks good, you need that for sure. Everyone interested will check it out. Now start wearing out shoe leather and dialing for dollars. Seriously go door to door, make calls, drop of a one page flyer etc. Get a name, likely someone in purchasing, maintenance. engineering (depending), and ask if there is anything you can quote on or how to get qualified to be on their quote list. That's sales 101. Its hard, unpleasant and has a low hit rate...but do it a lot and you will get more business. Its just like kissing frogs. Someone out there needs a third quote or is frustrated with a supplier....you just have keep telling people you exist until you find him.
 
I've put off setting up a website since I'm getting as much work as I can handle just from word of mouth. Probably means I should raise my prices a bit.
 
I've put off setting up a website since I'm getting as much work as I can handle just from word of mouth. Probably means I should raise my prices a bit.

With this runaway inflation I don't think anyone would complain as long as you don't look like you are getting greedy. I have seen supplies on some repeat jobs up 30-40% in a year or less.
 
Website looks good, except:

1. In the video the drill is walking.

2. Large parts on equipment page have chatter in the threads.

3. In the gallery there are knurled parts that are miss tracked.

I of course am a jack of all trades master of none, small shop owner and not a purchasing agent or engineer. Pretty sure I wouldn't be the only one thinking why would someone show off parts that could
fail inspection due to cosmetics?
 
"EGM will partner up with you to manage you entire project,"

Attention to detail in your marketing is important.

"EGM will take on the jobs that many other shops wont, no job is to big or to small."

Colon :, semi-colon :, dash -, period . and starting a new sentence- anything but a comma here. And you could add an apostrophe to won't.
I could keep going, but your verbiage and grammar need some attention.

When you're making sales calls, ask what the potential customer's biggest headache is. See if you can solve their problem(s).
 
If they have many in your area, go to auctions. I met more people and got more work gossipping at auctions than you would think. It's all other shop guys there, no wasted effort on a guy with a perpetual motion machine or the one who will give you all his work after this heavily discounted prototype is done ...

Plus you can buy some stuff cheap !

(Front page of website gives me a bit of a headache, can you slow down the zoom-zoom ?)
 
Auctions used to be good,but everything is online now,the only onsite auctions I see around are machinery collection clearing sales ,either estate or retirement.....And I surely dont need any more junk.
 
I would also suggest coming up with something to give prospective clients with your name and number on it that they will keep. Most prospects are not going to give you instant business, you will most likely get called when a current vendor of theirs can't make something or screws up for the last time. That coffee cup or whatever could make a sale 3 months from now. A business card or line card could hit the round file after you walk out.
 
Hello,
I own a small CNC machine shop in south Florida. Our company specializes in prototyping and short runs. we have two lathes (one with live tooling) a Vf2 and a UMC 750. We are looking to get new customers as we are very slow in work at the moment. We have tried being a supplier for Xometry but the rates they want to pay don't add up.
Any advise on how we can gain new customers ?
we recently got a new website made EGM Manufacturing

any advise/tips will help.

Hello Zayy,

You have a great website. Your equipment also looks good, It would be good to show photos of your support equipment.

I need to see a Bridgeport.
 
Just find one of those "Instagram Influencer's" with a pretty face who hate's wearing clothes. When you get to the point that one of them is willing to be the face of your company the rest should take care of itself. Some people in purchasing may not even care if a drill walk's or a thread has chatter on it if they get to see said girl once a month.

Especially with you being in South Florida, shouldn't be hard to find one in college who is allowed to be paid now because of the NIL agreement that started this year.

I wish I was joking about this, it's worked in the past.

LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne is vaulting toward $1 million in NIL deals
 
Just find one of those "Instagram Influencer's" with a pretty face who hate's wearing clothes. When you get to the point that one of them is willing to be the face of your company the rest should take care of itself. Some people in purchasing may not even care if a drill walk's or a thread has chatter on it if they get to see said girl once a month.

Especially with you being in South Florida, shouldn't be hard to find one in college who is allowed to be paid now because of the NIL agreement that started this year.

I wish I was joking about this, it's worked in the past.

LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne is vaulting toward $1 million in NIL deals

Your idea is quite valid. Your strategy will attract business, but here lies a flaw of your tact; this "gimmick" will only net small customers.

You never want small costumers, avoid them at all cost.
 
The old-school method is Knocking on Doors. Walk the beat and meet customers.
With having the right personality, credentials, being at the right time, or just hitting it off with someone one might just get a really good contact for whatever he/she is selling.
 
Your idea is quite valid. Your strategy will attract business, but here lies a flaw of your tact; this "gimmick" will only net small customers.

You never want small costumers, avoid them at all cost.

How do you gauge a customer that is too small? Can just as many problems be found with a customer that is too big?

In my instance I have a small ( I think their small ) that I run some parts for, in 2005 I bought 2 VMC's, set them up for 2 of their parts and have to run them a minimum of 3 days a week to keep behind and 4 days to keep up, each machine makes shop rate on their own and can be run simultaneously. I quit some of the large Corp work I used to do as the paperwork and constant quoting and requoting was too much trouble.
 
Your idea is quite valid. Your strategy will attract business, but here lies a flaw of your tact; this "gimmick" will only net small customers.

You never want small costumers, avoid them at all cost.

You care to explain yourself, in a way that makes sense to all of us? First you never know if a small customer can become a big one or who they know.
 
You care to explain yourself, in a way that makes sense to all of us? First you never know if a small customer can become a big one or who they know.

Hello F16,
I have explained this method before, but essentially, I'm not in the business of hoping for the success of a potential customer's prospects. I am strictly focused on companies that are large and that can pay my invoices quickly.
 








 
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