[Pelican]

Is it just me or are most diamond blade salesmen too aggressive for you? I don't know what is going on in this industry, but in the past few weeks I've received a number of calls from different brands wanting to sell me their product. One claims to have been referred by a competitor of mine.

They all start out the same, call me by name and introduce themselves as if I should know them, and then start schmoozing like they're a long lost buddy. There isn't much in life that turns me off more than this approach. Stop wasting my time with small talk and get to the point.

I no longer make any business decisions over the phone, but these guys don't want to hear that. When I ask that they send me a brochure by mail, then the high pressure sales pitch starts with the "Special only available with this phone call". Sorry guys, if you can't be bothered to send me information on your product so that I may make an informed decision, I can't be bothered with your product. If the product is as good as they claim it to be, then they should be proud to send literature that supports this. These calls almost always end with me hanging up on the salesman after I've explained my terms, they seem to think they can bully me into a sale.

All this being said, I've never experienced this type of hard sales pitch from Bladewizard, so I don't want him to be lumped in with this group. Neither he nor anyone from the manufacturer he represents have used this sales tactic on me.

How about the rest of you?

[synner]

I'm with you, I got the same run around this year. I called to buy another blade like the one currently in one of my saws - no numbers to look up, no specs to check, just sell me exactly the same blade I currently have. Not so easy it turns out. They start with the run around that I have to buy 6 minimum and if I buy 10 or 12 depending on the blade I get a free saw. I told them I didn't need another saw or 6 blades, only for 5 to "walk away". The result of the 8 - 10 minute phone call was me hanging up frustrated and them loosing a sale.

I'll go buy the blade from a rental shop, pay more and leave happy.

[Bill Schwab]

Joe called me last week to ask what we needed cause he thought we were due. Since it has been just a tad slower than normal, I held off for a month and then we got a job starting with a 13 month calander and another in the middle of the year with a 3 year calander. Then we will make the mjove as soon as cash flows better.

Joe was very good as always, and those other guys...Man.....Someone called and gave me some crap about the Chinese are buying all the saw blades for their dam and with the Iraqi war going on, steel is escalating again. They actually tried to get me to believe blades would be 3 times what they were at the time, and I could save a bundle by purchasing NOW.....That was before Christmas....The same guy from the place called last week and funny thing, they were running a sale.

I told him he needed to hoist his sail and cruise off into the sunset.

[Stonehenge]

I had a person (who doesn't take part in this site) suggest a company, and the rep for that company got so bad I had to threaten to hop on a plane and travel to his (Colorado) office to kick his @$% before I stopped getting called and paged.

This was a few years ago, though. I get the sense that is a cut-throat industry.

[Bill Schwab]

After researching pretty extensively, I found out this:

I found from a company out here that sells any dollar amount and quality of blade on the market that you can get all kinds of intermediary qualities, some even dirt cheap blades. You get what you pay for. There are companies around here like Pennall company, who have dedicated trucks rolling around on call and all they do is cut concrete. They run 4 cylinder Wisconsin engine powered self propelled concrete saws, have vaccum systems and a dirty water tank to suck the mess off the area they cut. They pay $1,200.00 for 20" blades but they last months cutting through concrete and rebar. You can find 20" blades out there for well under $200.00.

Go to Home Cheapo and get those $12.95 7 1/4" blades. I grabbed 2 of them for spares. We then had to cut 230' of control joints in a sport court we poured. Since it was down a 2-1 slope, we chose hand held saws. By the time we finished, that blade was worn to the end of the diamond compound... In other words, you get what you pay for in most cases.

[Nathaniel Carr]

I was going to start a thread about this but I'll post it here.

Have you seen the ad in Pro or Landscape Management or elsewhere that says,

"Buy 12 blades and get a free Partner or Stil cut off saw"

Has anyone got a free saw from this outfit? Could you go wrong with this deal?

Now that I read the above thread I might not want those guys to get my number.

[johnkeegan]

The diamond blade salesman are obnoxiously aggressive. After telling one particularly pushy salesman who called me every other week (usually in the morning as we were loading up) to please stop calling me because I have enough blades to last 2 years, HE actually said this, " Well f%$k you...." and then hung up.
...Now there's an interesting sales technique....
Maybe I should start cold calling my regular customers and try that....."Well Mr. and Mrs. Smith I know you're enjoying your new patio we installed, you should take advantage of a deal we have on water features."
They reply, " Well thank you John but we already have a water feature."
Then I hit them with the sale closer. "Well, f*$k you..."

....How could they not want to buy from me.

[Bill Schwab]

They buy truckloads of saws at $389.00 each. They give you the worst lasting blades which cost them $ 21.00 each. So you got a dozen blades at $252.00 and a saw at $389.00. They sell you the dozen blades and the saw at $999.00. They just made more money then if they sold you blades.

[site]

If only there was a way to reach trough the phone and choke those guys. Their tactics must work if they keep using them.

[Bladewizard]

Wow Now you Guys know the BAD RAP I get...I cannot and will not speak for the other sales men who are cold calling...They are trained to be cold and cut throat...I, being a Father and a contractor will not allow myself to stoop that low...Believe it or not the sales tactic the OTHERS use actually ends up being a NUMBERS GAME to them...I may not get rich selling blades, but I can actually Sleep Easy at night knowing 99.9% of my customers are satisfied with my products and my pricing...With all that said , Feel Free to give me a call for a NO HASSLE relationship and you can then tell all those OTHER JERKS, "Stop calling"............. CLICK... Ciao...

[Bladewizard]

Thanks to all of you for your vote of confidence and your recent orders...I appreciate them very much...I know the you will be happy with the products...Keep the calls coming

[Lawn Lad]

All this being said, I've never experienced this type of hard sales pitch from Bladewizard, so I don't want him to be lumped in with this group.

It seems to me.....

Thanks to all of you for your vote of confidence and your recent orders...

This thread was a set up... Pelican I'm guessing you should be receiving a check in the mail or a couple of blades next week!

Okay, just kidding. I'm glad to know there is someone that I can call when I need a new blade. I get the calls - but the first thing out of my mouth is "Remove me from your calling list". This has stopped the repeat calls from any company that is slightly reputable. By law they have to remove your name/number from their list if you request it.

[Bladewizard]

Just returned from vacation with my 6 kids...Those kids can eat...Hope all of you had a nice Easter...I cooked dinner for all of us...
By the way, Just wanted to thank Bill. Tom and all the others for having faith in me and my products...Thanks for the orders and I know they will perform as expected...

[mrusk]

I will only buy Diamond blades from Joe Wizard! I acctually have to order some more blades in a week or two.

[Bladewizard]

Heres one for you....I got a call today from a Diamond Blade Salesman....Boy, did I have some fun with him...He was just about to close the deal and I said I have another call, hold on...Ha.....Needless to say he was a little upset....