Time for change
As I write this in my home office bunker, the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020 continues to infect and strike fear in every sector of the world.
Non-essential businesses are closed. Spot shortages, fueled by rumors and alarming analyses from industry watchers, are tempting all of us to horde items, making these projected shortages an unneeded reality.
Plus, it’s made us all second-guess our next steps. Publishing is not immune; several publications are cutting back on circulation and even skipping issues as advertisers pull planned ads in an effort to circle their wagons to wait this out. Newspaper publishing, which already faces difficult challenges, is hit especially hard and a good number will not survive.
The equipment rental world is very reactionary. We wait for the phone to ring or the customer to stop in. We look to the past at historic sales numbers to plot our path for new equipment purchases and services.
Few predicted the effects of this pandemic on business. A few soothsayers shared their concerns, but as a society, we put our collective heads in the sand and hoped it would go away. Now, we scramble to find the tools we need to protect those on the front lines of fighting this battle. I hope by the time this reaches your mail box, things will be better.
Some things need to change in this post-pandemic world. It may be a good thing for equipment rental centers, as contractors rethink equipment buying decisions and instead opt to purchase the use of equipment and leave the depreciation, the maintenance and the other hassles of equipment ownership to those who are good at doing it full time – you guessed, equipment rental centers like yours!
Now is the time to share the message about how, now more than ever before, it makes sense to rent. Let us know about your efforts and how successful they have been. We love sharing success stories!
With a push for a more consultative approach to equipment election, it offers rental centers an opportunity to open up a more in-depth dialog with customers to pinpoint their needs, and perhaps even discover opportunities for related sales and rentals.
Regards,
Clair Urbain
Editor, Publisher
Pro Contractor Rentals magazine
www.procontractorrentals.com
PCR Weekly e-news
curbain@urbaincomm.com
920.723.3476
PRO CONTRACTOR RENTALS MAGAZINE
Pro Contractor Rentals provides information of value to rental centers who focus time, resources and attention on meeting the demands of construction contractors and other equipment rental customers.
