In the United States and Canada, the role of a rental sales rep primarily involves convincing customers to use his or her company's rental services rather
In the United States and Canada, the role of a rental sales rep primarily involves convincing customers to use his or her company's rental services rather than those of competitors. The sales rep works to convince contractors that his company offers a broader inventory, that his equipment is better-maintained, that his company will deliver the product on time and that his service staff will respond immediately in case of breakdown. And - whether they admit it or not - many reps compete by promising lower rates.
But in a small Third World country such as El Salvador, a sales rep's role is different. The rep still has to promote his company's ability to provide services. But for the most part, his competition is not the dozen other rental companies going after the same business.
About the Author
Michael Roth
Editor
Michael Roth has covered the equipment rental industry full time for RER since 1989 and has served as the magazine’s editor in chief since 1994. He has nearly 30 years experience as a professional journalist. Roth has visited hundreds of rental centers and industry manufacturers, written hundreds of feature stories for RER and thousands of news stories for the magazine and its electronic newsletter RER Reports. Roth has interviewed leading executives for most of the industry’s largest rental companies and manufacturers as well as hundreds of smaller independent companies. He has visited with and reported on rental companies and manufacturers in Europe, Central America and Asia as well as Mexico, Canada and the United States. Roth was co-founder of RER Reports, the industry’s first weekly newsletter, which began as a fax newsletter in 1996, and later became an online newsletter. Roth has spoken at conventions sponsored by the American Rental Association, Associated Equipment Distributors, California Rental Association and other industry events and has spoken before industry groups in several countries. He lives and works in Los Angeles when he’s not traveling to cover industry events.