TL;DR: Vending machine distributors can help their customers with more than equipment. Drops Vending added the Vending Village map directly to its website, giving its customers access to secured vending locations while staying in front of operators as they build and expand their routes.
1) Vending machine distributors can help solve the location problem
For many vending operators, finding the machine is not the difficult part.
Finding a location for the machine is.
An operator may be ready to get started or expand their vending route, but until they know where the equipment is going, they may not know what type of machine they actually need.
Employee count, available space, operating hours, product demand and the type of business can all affect the equipment decision.
Scott at Drops Vending has taken a practical approach to this.
Drops Vending added the Vending Village map directly to its Available Vending Locations page, allowing customers to browse vending locations and pricing without having to start their own search from scratch. Drops Vending describes the partnership as a way to connect vending operators with locations ready for their machines.
For customers trying to figure out how to find vending machine locations, the distributor can now help them solve that problem before the equipment decision is made.
2) Customers get access to secured vending locations, not just leads
There is an important difference between receiving the contact information for a business and purchasing a secured vending location.
The opportunities available through Vending Village are secured locations. Operators can browse locations that have been secured in advance and listed for sale through the marketplace. Vending Village describes these as locations that are ready for the operator's machine rather than simply businesses that may be interested.
Purchases are also backed by Vending Village's buyer protection process and 100% money-back guarantee.
When an operator purchases a vending machine location for sale, the transaction enters a seven-day review period. The seller has up to four days to introduce the operator to the property manager, and the operator has up to seven days from purchase to finalize or cancel the transaction. If the order is canceled within the applicable window, the buyer receives a full refund.
Operators can read the complete Vending Village 7-Day Transaction Process before purchasing.
That gives a vending machine distributor another resource to provide its customers without becoming a vending locator itself.
3) Find the location, then determine the right machine
Helping an operator find a vending location can also make the equipment conversation more useful.
Instead of buying a machine first and then looking for somewhere it might fit, the operator can evaluate the actual location and then determine what equipment is appropriate.
Once the location is known, the operator and distributor can look at questions such as:
- How many employees, residents, members or visitors use the location?
- How much physical space is available?
- Does the location need drinks, snacks, fresh food or a combination?
- Would a traditional vending machine or smart cooler make more sense?
- Does the location need one machine or multiple machines?
- What payment equipment should be installed?
- Are there any electrical, connectivity or access requirements?
For a vending machine distributor, this means the customer can come back with a much clearer equipment requirement.
The distributor is not just selling whatever machine happens to be available. They can help the customer select equipment based on an actual placement.
4) Vending machine distributors can stay in front of the customers they refer
Drops Vending's location map also shows another way distributors can support their customers without building an entire location-finding service internally.
The Vending Village Partner Program allows vending machine distributors, suppliers and other industry companies to refer their audience to Vending Village through a unique partner link.
When a referred operator uses Vending Village, the partner's branded banner stays visible across search, listings and transactions. Vending Village also keeps the referred user connected to that partner for future marketplace activity.
For distributors, that matters.
A customer could visit today because they are searching for a vending machine location for sale. Once they secure that location, their next requirement may be a machine, payment system, parts, delivery or another piece of equipment.
Instead of sending the customer away to search for vending locations on their own, the distributor can provide the resource and remain visible throughout the process.
That is what Scott at Drops Vending is doing.
His customers can use Drops Vending for equipment and also access the Vending Village marketplace when they need to find vending locations. The operator gets another resource, and Drops Vending stays connected to the customer as their equipment needs develop.
Next step: Vending machine distributors and suppliers that want to give their customers access to secured vending locations can learn more about the Vending Village Partner Program.