“Be Prepared” – A timeless motto, and one that holds true for success in the floor care industry, whether you’re in service or sales. You might be wondering what “prepared” means beyond simply having the right knowledge. While expertise is the most crucial tool in your arsenal, having the right physical tools can truly set you apart from the competition.
The Most Important Tool: Knowledge
Before you can effectively demonstrate your skills and products, you need to know what you’re talking about. This isn’t negotiable. Speaking to a customer without a deep understanding of floor care can lead to disastrous outcomes for both you and your company. A great way to gain this knowledge is by taking IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification) courses. They provide the foundational knowledge you need to confidently assess a project and deliver on your promises.
Assemble Your Kit
Beyond your expertise, a professional demo/troubleshooting kit is an absolute must-have for any on-site visit. This kit should be a reflection of your professionalism – a clean, organized container like a five-gallon bucket with your company’s logo, a canvas bag, or a specialized caddie. Start with a base kit that includes tools and supplies for every type of flooring, and then add the specific chemistries needed for the customer’s project. Always keep other chemistries on hand, as you may find additional opportunities during the visit.
Essential Tools
- Litmus Paper (pH paper): Crucial for testing the pH of surfaces and cleaning solutions.
- Tamping Brush: Use for working solutions into carpets, agitation on resilient floors, or hard surfaces.
- Aggressive Nylon Brush & Grout Brush: Specifically for hard surfaces to tackle tough dirt and grime.
- Floor Pad Donuts (white, red, blue, green, SPP, brown, black, and black HighPro): Handy for demonstrating different levels of abrasion on resilient and hard floors.
- Scrapers (Plastic & Razor): For safely removing gross filth. Use the plastic scraper on all surfaces and the razor scraper on hard surfaces only.
- Eye Dropper (Pipette): Allows for precise application of chemicals during a demo.
- Lights (LED & UV): An LED light helps expose shadows, subfloor deflections, and other imperfections, while a UV light reveals stains like urine, seam sealer, or asphalt.
- Laser Measurer: For quick and accurate measurements of the space.
- Carpet Tools: Include a duckbill nap shear, gum getter, awl (row finder), and a carpet/utility knife.
- 5-in-1 Tool: A versatile tool for many applications.
- Commercial Doorstop: Keep transition areas or high traffic areas exposed during testing and pictures or to keep yourself from being locked out of an area
- Four Small Furniture Glides: In case a large item needs to be moved during the inspection
- MOH Test Kit: To determine the hardness of a mineral, which is vital for stone and tile assessments.
Important Supplies
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Safety first! This includes safety glasses, goggles, and knee pads.
- Gloves (Nitrile & Latex): Nitrile gloves for chemical protection, and latex gloves are great for demonstrating hair removal on upholstery.
- Tapes (Blue Vinyl & Painter’s): Useful for masking off areas or creating a clean demo square.
- Towels (Cotton & Microfiber): For applying and wiping away solutions. Cotton towels (like old t-shirts) are excellent for blotting and rinsing, while microfiber towels provide better agitation for resilient and hard surface and are also highly absorbent. White towels or microfiber cloths are best for showing soil transfer from a surface.
- Microfiber Flat Mop Head: A compact way to demonstrate cleaning on a larger scale.
- Knee Pads: For extend floor time, floor types containing slip resistant additives and to keep from getting pants dirty on heavily soiled floors.
Key Chemicals
Bring small, clearly labeled bottles of these pre-diluted chemicals for on-site demos.
- For Carpet: Neutral Carpet Spotter, Coffee/Tannin Spotter, VDS, Gel Spotter, Enzyme Spotter, Ink Spotter, Rust Spotter, and a Reducing Agent/Hydrogen Peroxide.
- For Resilient Floors: Neutral Cleaner, All-Purpose Cleaner (APC), Degreaser, pH-Sensitive Acrylic Stripper, Acrylic Floor Stripper, and Matte Floor Finish or Restorer.
- For Hard Surfaces (Stone, Tile, Terrazzo, Concrete): Grout Cleaner (for testing grout types), Coating Remover, and Penetrating Sealer.
- Water: Always have a bottle of water (distilled or neutral pH) on hand for rinsing demos and for use with your litmus paper.
A well-stocked, professional demo kit, combined with your knowledge, not only helps you troubleshoot problems on the spot but also builds customer confidence and trust.
