Supplying the products that the electrical trade needs and wants is the first rule of good customer service and will help foster customer loyalty. Here, Kevin Brannigan, Marketing Manager at Makita explains why stocking the correct range of cordless tools is a wise investment and outlines the features and technologies that will benefit customers.

It is no secret that cordless tools have become increasingly popular in recent years as an alternative to corded tools. With more tradespeople looking for new ways to tackle construction tasks more efficiently, many are adopting cordless kit and for wholesalers looking to ensure their range meets demand and continues to deliver real value to their customers, this category presents a huge opportunity for revenue.

Key benefits

For the end user, there are several key benefits to eliminating the need for power cables. Firstly, it allows greater freedom of movement and flexibility as cordless tools can be used anywhere with no restrictions based on where a power source is located and no cables getting in the way. This in turn allows electricians and electrical contractors to work far more effectively in awkward or confined spaces. This also enables improved productivity as there is no time wasted finding the nearest power source – users can get straight to work and move from one task to another quicker. There is also a safety benefit to using cordless tools as it eliminates a potential trip hazard in the form of trailing cables and saves the setup time of routing the cables safely in the work area.

However, these advantages are only part of the story. The surge in the popularity of cordless is also due to the advances in tool and battery technologies that have increased both the performance and the runtime per battery charge. Cordless tools can now match the performance of corded equivalents for a wide range of applications, including some of the most demanding tasks. This is something that should be highlighted to customers who are seeking advice on the best tool for the job.

This improvement in performance is particularly true for products that feature brushless motors. In contrast to a conventional brushed motor that relies on contact between the brushes and motor coil, brushless motors use electromagnetism to rotate the motor and drive the action of the tool, eliminating friction and wasted energy. As a result, a brushless motor can produce more torque, allowing the same results to be achieved with less power used, which can extend run times by up to 50% per battery charge. This offers a significant benefit to customers in terms of improved productivity and less frequent recharging. Brushless motors also require less maintenance as there is no need to replace brushes and as it generates less heat, the life of the tool can be extended by reducing repeated temperature cycles.

Choosing the right range

As with any category of product, the cordless tool ranges offered by different manufacturers can vary significantly in terms of performance, features and benefits so choosing which to stock is an important decision.

There are benefits to both the customer and the wholesaler of choosing a manufacturer that can offer a single battery system for a broad range of cordless tools. For example, Makita has two main battery systems for trade professionals. The 18V LXT battery system, which is compatible with more than 325 different products and the 40VMax XGT system, designed specifically for the highest demand applications, which currently has over 125 products in its range.

For end users, the ability to interchange between tools such as drills and drivers to saws to lighting to specialist tools like drywall cutters to tackle different tasks seamlessly with one battery is a strong sales message. The battery can simply be moved from one to the other in seconds. Once invested into the battery platform system, these customers will remain loyal to the brand family, again opening up ongoing revenue streams as they increase their cordless tool supply.

For wholesalers, a single battery system means a leaner inventory as fewer different battery and charger types need to be stocked. It also makes it simpler for branch staff to not only manage but also and requires far less information to digest regarding battery technology, so in turn, they can offer customers more detailed insight into the features and technologies to support them in making an informed purchase decision. It also gives wholesalers more scope to stock body only products – tools supplied without the batteries – allowing them to offer customers a valuable cost-saving option.

Finally, when choosing which products to stock, consider manufacturers that offer a wide range of cordless machines within a single battery platform. Taking this approach means that wholesalers and distributors can simplify their stocked range with less SKUs from different manufacturers to learn. With a more rationalised range, customer account teams can provide more detailed insight and support to buyers in their purchase journey. What’s more, by ‘buying into’ a battery system, electricians will remain loyal to the brand family, opening up ongoing revenue streams as they increase their cordless tool supply.

The importance of genuine batteries

A key aspect of stocking cordless, is ensuring a reliable range of additional and replacement batteries. It is important that tools are only used with genuine batteries produced by the manufacturer and wholesalers are ideally placed to warn customers about the risk of using non-genuine and counterfeit batteries. By positioning themselves as a reliable source of high-quality genuine batteries, stockists can prevent losing business to mass-market online marketplaces. For its part, Makita always recommends that professionals only source from reputable retailers such as trusted wholesalers.

Should a customer ever be tempted to apply a third-party battery to their tools, there are a range of hazards and issues that should be highlighted to them. In addition to poorer performance and the invalidation of manufacturer warranties, there are serious safety risks to using non-approved batteries. Often these batteries will not have undergone the rigorous testing that genuine batteries do. With low quality, untested products there is a real danger of thermal runaway occurring, which can lead to the battery overheating, catching fire or even, in the worst cases, exploding.

Furthermore, replica batteries will not include the safety features that leading tool manufacturers build into their batteries. This includes technology that allows the tools, batteries and chargers to communicate with each other to prevent damage. For example, this communication can allow the battery temperature to be automatically relayed to the charger when it is connected, allowing it to be cooled if necessary before charging begins to avoid overheating.

Manufacturer support

As always, it’s important to make sure you have the appropriate product knowledge to guide customers and to make recommendations that increases potential basket value. To this end, working with an industry-leading manufacturer that has a wide sales support network which can offer flexible product training is ideal. Makita has regular training programmes and four UK training and service facilities, to keep wholesale partners fully updated on new products in its range and its technologies, which can be a beneficial resource to provide further value and care for your client base.

The benefits of cordless technology, combined with the continually expanding range of tools available, means that there are clear business advantages to offering the correct range from a leading manufacturer.

For further information about the Makita cordless range, click here

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