Training a good sales rep is not easy.
It can take a long time, and require both extensive product knowledge and refinement of technique (e.g., lots of practice calls). Just knowledge isn’t enough, either: strong communication and persuasion skills are not optional. And, of course, the candidate needs to have a motor that revs into overdrive.
Hey, industrial distributors! Are you looking to add a sweet source of profit?
If you’re not selling single-use gloves, you need to start. They’re a lucrative addition to any catalog. Let’s face it: Even if the pandemic is over (it isn’t), hand protection is central to promoting health, hygiene, and safety in any industry.
We often have conversations about this question with customers and partners, and while the precise answer may vary, we aim to keep it simple: We help our customers buy the right disposable glove for the job. And we effectively reduce risk with expert services and tools.
Since the company’s founding in 1988—yes, in March we’re coming up on 35 years in business—we’ve been helping our clients with all aspects of global procurement, supply chain, and operations to ensure quality and efficiency in the single-use glove market.
First of two parts
The new year has the potential to be wildly successful for distributors that sell disposable gloves. In 2023, the $15 billion-plus market will continue to evolve as we put the worst of the pandemic behind us.
What makes us say this?
What’s so interesting about how disposable gloves are made? Quite a lot, it seems.
We frequently get questions about what’s involved in making gloves. We’ve also published a few blog posts over the years describing the manufacturing process, and they’re always among our most popular.
First of three parts
All things considered, it’s relatively simple to get started selling gloves and pick up a few thousand bucks in the process. Get your reseller certificate, knock on some doors, lay out a good spiel, and you too can move some nitrile or latex or vinyl product.
But how do you grow those sales to $10,000, $100,000, or more? Where does the magic kick in and elevate the proceedings to a higher plane?
“Workplace safety” may be a somewhat vague and generalized term, but it nevertheless carries huge significance for businesses of all sizes.
The trend toward workplace safety is clear over the last 30 to 40 years. In 1980, probably 1% of auto mechanics used disposable gloves. In 2022, that figure is much higher—and because it’s still relatively small in the context of the overall industry, there is lots of room to grow.
Why do prices of disposable gloves vary so much between products, and between those who sell them?
Why does inventory come and go? (Those hybrid vinyl/nitrile gloves that you may have loved during the pandemic are much harder to find now.)
The disposable glove market is in a vastly different position from the last couple of years. Yes, it’s still dynamic and unpredictable, but opportunities for glove distributors are everywhere.
The first two years of the pandemic caused havoc for everybody, and the glove market was certainly no exception. A global surge in demand for gloves sent manufacturers scrambling to keep up. The resulting fallout from being unable to deliver needed product pushed every manufacturer to increase production capacity. That led to ample supply coming online in the second half of 2022.
If you’re a distributor, you should be stocking light-duty black nitrile gloves in abundance.
Why? They’re hot. End users want a glove that doesn’t show dirt and grime. They also want to look as professional as possible, which makes black the glove color of choice across countless industries.
