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From the President

From AMSOIL President Alan Amatuzio

When I flew to Toronto in May I had a three-hour taxi ride from the airport to my destination. I visited with the driver along the way, and we talked about AMSOIL. He knew very little about the company or our products. When it came time to talk about distribution, it became awkward. The driver went silent. I figured he had preconceived notions about multi-level marketing (MLM). MLM has a bad rap thanks to numerous companies that have employed underhanded business practices. I am sure you have heard the term “pyramid scheme.” The way I see it, there are two types of MLM companies – those that emphasize making money by bringing new people into their program, and those that emphasize making money selling products and use MLM as a method of distribution. AMSOIL is all about selling a great product.

The fact is, AMSOIL is not like any MLM company and is not really MLM in the traditional sense. There is no category that neatly fits the AMSOIL business. We are a direct-sales hybrid. There is a network-marketing aspect to our business, but many aspects of our company do not align with traditional MLM businesses. The Retail, Commercial and Catalog Programs are prime examples. Those types of programs don’t exist in typical MLM businesses, but we found a way to make them work. We recently made some improvements to the Commercial Program and invested in additional corporate support staff for commercial business to help drive Dealer success in that area. This month you’re going to read about some upcoming changes to the Retail Program that will increase your opportunity through that sales channel. We are working hard to expand your opportunities everywhere possible.

One major change is the addition of a minimum advertised price (MAP) policy. Today no Dealer or account is allowed to advertise pricing for AMSOIL products through any national medium, but Dealers and accounts can advertise any price in local or regional fliers. The MAP policy will restrict all ads to include pricing no lower than our manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP). This will prevent the advertisement of predatory pricing and keep a level playing field for all involved.

The MAP policy is a perfect example of our two main goals in action: helping Dealers be successful and ensuring AMSOIL remains strong for years to come. We need to expand opportunity in all markets, but we need to protect Dealers’ interests when we do so. That’s something we take very seriously, and it’s something we do every day. We’ve been approached by just about every national retailer in existence, and we’ve told them all “no” to protect Dealers. We said “no” to Ace Hardware.* We said “no” to Advance Auto Parts.* We said “no” to Walmart.* They were astounded that we would refuse millions of dollars and thought we were crazy for remaining true to our principles. We are invested in you, and allowing our products to be sold through national chains would harm that investment.

Our advertising efforts are another example of something typical MLM companies don’t do. We invest millions annually to raise brand awareness and increase sales opportunities for Dealers.

By choosing to be an AMSOIL Dealer, you’ve started a business unlike any other. You get to sell the best products in the world, you have no inventory requirements or sales quotas, you have low annual fees and you have the backing of a company that works tirelessly on your behalf every day. If you make the most of it, we will continue growing together.

Join us as a dealer!

Exciting things are being worked up at this moment (October 2021) to improve actual cash commissions to new dealers. Direct sales and signing up small and medium retail accounts can really pay off. Every region of the country has demand. Just product is lacking.  Join and start our in house training right away. All your questions will be answered in our new online training videos and modules (AMSOIL U). This link will get you started with AMSOIL dealer opportunities. 

 

DEALER FINDS LONG-TERM BUSINESS ‘FIT’ IN AMSOIL

DEALER FINDS LONG-TERM BUSINESS ‘FIT’ IN AMSOIL

Direct Jobber Erin Hart of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada has been in the AMSOIL business for 10 years.

“The timing was perfect when I found AMSOIL,” Hart said. “I had just recently become a new dad and was at home with our three-month-old son. I had just started a warehouse logistics consulting company (an industry I had been in for 15 years), and I was heavily involved in recreational snowmobiling in British Columbia. I saw the ‘fit’ right away in terms of me being able to call on retail and commercial accounts with a reputable product line.”

I just wanted to make a few more bucks

He was looking for a part-time business to generate some extra income that could become full-time in the future. “I had dabbled with other opportunities, but I never really had the passion for their products, and I was always suspect of their business and marketing practices,” Hart said.

He realized he had found the right combination of increased income in the short term, and the possibilities for long-term growth, with his AMSOIL business. It’s really the ultimate home based business. And I can sign up del

“This will become a full-time revenue stream for me. It affords me the freedom to set my own hours and work at my own pace.”

“As I started to gain some traction with the AMSOIL biz and saw my monthly commission checks start to increase on a regular basis, I knew right away I could do this long-term,” Hart said. “This will become a full-time revenue stream for me. It affords me the freedom to set my own hours and work at my own pace. But to really see the results, you need to stay focused. Even working at it part-time as I do, I probably invest one to three hours daily working on some nuance of the business.”

“There are so many opportunities to present the AMSOIL product line, and I like to keep myself open to all of them. Saying that, I have seen my best success with retail accounts, especially the quick lube market. The volumes that they order really help with the monthly commission checks.”

Hart approaches all types of accounts. “I try not to focus on any one type of account,” he said. “There are so many opportunities to present the AMSOIL product line, and I like to keep myself open to all of them. Saying that, I have seen my best success with retail accounts, especially the quick lube market. The volumes that they order really help with the monthly commission checks.”

Hart said relationships with his accounts bring him the most success. “In working on various accounts, it is all about relationship building,” he said. “You really need to understand their challenges and their pain and how our product line can help. Ultimately, we want to drive more business into their shops, which in turn creates more business for them.”

Some accounts come easy, while others take time, he said. “It really depends on the sales cycle with that particular account, what product they already have on the shelf and how AMSOIL can help,” Hart said. “I have had retail accounts register in as little as a month and others that are over a year, but I persist because something always changes in their environment where I eventually get a ‘yes’ out of them.”

His retention plan includes staying in touch with his customers.

“I follow-up with each of my accounts every one to three months, depending on their level of activity,” Hart said. “Follow-up can be as easy as a phone call or email. In a lot of cases, I simply stop into their shop to say ‘hi’ and see how business is overall.

“Again, things change in their environment, and what we do is truly a ‘belly-to-belly’ business,” Hart said. “People like to know who they are doing business with. A handshake, a quick coffee and a good conversation go a long way in securing business long-term.”

Hart advertises primarily on Facebook. “I have my own personal Facebook page and then I have my business AMSOIL Facebook page — IdealMotoroil,” he said. He belongs to a number of buy and sell groups, as well as powersports and diesel groups on Facebook. “It keeps me in tune with what people are looking for and usually there is some type of ‘nugget’ that appears where I can create an opportunity for my AMSOIL business,” Hart said.

When he’s not selling AMSOIL products, Hart plays hard. “I play a lot of hockey, usually twice per week, even during the summer,” he said. “Regular exercise is a de-stress time for me and helps me focus later on. It is also a great networking opportunity for me as I am always wearing my AMSOIL-branded shirts, hats, jackets, etc. Conversations happen organically about AMSOIL and have created a lot of business for me.”

“Everyone is always willing to share their story and provide some great advice if you ask them. Ultimately, I want my Dealership to provide that six-digit income for me and my family. I will get it there.”

He encourages new Dealers to take advantage of the resources available through AMSOIL. “Don’t let the enormity of the opportunity overwhelm you,” Hart said. “Take the baby steps and learn. AMSOIL University Online is a fantastic resource available to us and a lot of time and resources have been put into it to help you grow your business. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions. There is no such thing as a dumb question, and the staff at AMSOIL is a tremendous resource.”

Explore AMSOIL University Online by logging in to the Dealer Zone and clicking the AU Online link.

“Through various AMSOIL events I have attended, I have had the opportunity to meet and network with other very successful AMSOIL Dealers,” said Hart. “Everyone is always willing to share their story and provide some great advice if you ask them. Ultimately, I want my Dealership to provide that six-digit income for me and my family. I will get it there.”

Join as a Dealer and start taking the free AMSOIL University classes now.