The Welding Salesman

Some companies can be accused of not knowing what’s going on in their welding department. There are a variety of reasons why that’s true.

Welding isn’t a big part of their business (e.g. its done for maintenance). Management’s expertise isn’t well versed in the welding process (e.g., not many universities teach welding engineering).

And 99% of the population is never exposed to welding. So you could say, it’s easy to fall into this gap of knowledge. When management doesn’t guide the welding process, by default the welder(s) become the leaders. But by definition, a good welder is someone who has excellent hand and eye coordination.

The great welders can weld anything that can be welded; they can do it in bad weather and in the most awkward positions; and the weld passes every test. This is the expertise he’s well paid for.

Therefore a natural gap of knowledge in welding processes can develop between management and the welding department. And your local welding sales person can nicely fill this gap. A good welding sales person understands both managements ‘and the welder’s concern. Management is looking for first class work without having to being robbed or having to pay bribery. And if the welder is expected to do a good job than he’s got his concerns. He wants the correct tools and wants to know the best way to weld it. Metal and welding wire don’t always have excellent marriages; they can separate early or later or sometimes never bond together. The more serious the need of a good wedding, I mean welding, more serious the study of wires and metals becomes.

A good welding salesperson understands how the welding equipment and the welding processes work together. That statement might sound a little underwhelming. But when you see a company returning new equipment on their “dime” (think big restocking charges) to their local welding supplier, you can safely bet a good welding salesperson wasn’t involved in this purchase. Probably the welding department and management got together, picked their equipment and put it out to bid for the cheapest deal. What they ordered arrived in immaculate shape. But they had picked the wrong piece of equipment. True story.

A good welding salesperson is a great player to have on your team. One simple phone call (or text or email), you get him. If you have to leave a message, he gets back to you. He understands your operation, your equipment, your welding products and your needs whether you’re management or the welder. He will help you with your welding process problems. He won’t lie to you. He’ll tell you when it’s out of his range of knowledge. But, he won’t abandon you. He will try and find someone who can help you. Sometimes that person is within his company or he has to deal with the manufacturer. (A word of warning some manufacturers lie; maybe a nicer word is prevaricate) But the thing you need to remember, he’s using his time, not yours, to help you find a solution. A word of warning about obtaining a good welding salesperson for your team, they may not do all the above things for you. They are salespeople who’ve worked hard at being a professional friend to companies. Their customers understand it’s a two way street. Companies who love the oneway street, they won’t play on their team. They leave that business to others who also love one-way streets. True story.

A Few Brands That We Are Proud To Carry

  • miller
  • victor
  • esab
  • avesta
  • hypertherm
  • hobart
  • walter
  • weldmark