How much do Snap-On sales reps make?
 

I see ads all the time for Snap-On franchise opportunities. And I see the trucks driving around a lot too. How lucrative is this gig? What's the initial investment? Do they finance it for you or require a lot of cash upfront? I'm tempted to call them, but I know I'll get a sales pitch and would rather hear it from others if they know about it.

its TOTALLY deendant on what route you get, but most make well over $75K, with many over $100K. You buy the truck, you finace the tools from them to sell, they do long term financing for big purchases, you finance off the truck stuff.

What does a truck like that cost and can you keep one in your driveway or do you have to park it at their location each night?

I would suppose it depend on the neighbor hood. Growing up a guy had a Matco or Mac truck in his driveway every night.

My next door neighbor is a snap-on guy. Parks his truck somewhere near his sales territory - never seen his truck at home.

I don't know his salary but he doesn't live like a 6 figure man. 6 figures in the midwest is doing pretty good. Lives quite frugally but you never know - may be socking it away for a rainy day.

Never has asked me to buy any tools and he sees me with wrenches in my hand just about every time we converse. Funny part is he can't even repair a broken lawnmower. I don't think he even owns a set of tools.

In the rare times I need a snap on tool? I call the local route dealer...buy off his truck in the evening, after he's made his rounds. Once in a while, the tool is special order, which takes a few days. The truck is parked at his home...

I just don't understand how there could be such a huge market for their tools. Their ads say they give you all your accounts and a territory. Doesn't every auto repair shop already have all the tools they need? How would they be able to open the doors if they didn't already have tools? If Snap-On tools have a lifetime warranty, how do their sales guys make enough to run a truck and survive?

Tools break, get lost. New young guys come on board and build their boxes over time, they can't afford it all at once. Wrenches who've been at it for a while can have boxes worth well into the 5 digits.

I hear a lot of the Snap-on guys get shafted on the financed items, so you might have to play bill-collector and repo-man as well. If I was going to drive around in a truck all day on some sort of route, I think I would look into a FedEx franchise.

I had a wrench in Fairfax, VA tell me he had over $100k into his toolbox and he wasn't even the shop owner.

I also heard somewhere that the Snap-On drivers have to do collections and repos. I'd really like to find one who can tell me everything without trying to talk me into doing it.

The other one I've been looking into is M.A.R.S. But their online interview process is ridiculous. Listen to these audio clips of employees and then write what you learned from each one. Kidding me? That feels like high school detention.

Here's a link to my Snap-On rep:

http://motors.search.ebay.com/Snap-On_eBay-Motors_W0QQcatrefZC12QQfromZR40QQsacatZ6000QQsatit leZSnapQ2dOn

buddy up with a rep and do a "ride along" to see what its really like.

They hound every wrench in their patch. My buddy buys tools every week. Every F'ing week. There is always a new set of wreches or diagnostic tool. Most guys are dealerships are paid flat rate and are always looking for a way to shave time. Having the exact tool for each specific task saves time and makes them more $$.

my friend was a dealer for a couple years, he later sold the route/truck/etc after his divorce as sales on his route were suffering, he did ok, but it deffinately depends on the route you're assigned. the truck owners are reimbursed for warranty stuff, a good owner will "cover" you while the exchange with snap-on is made by giving you one off the truck and not making you wait for the exchange from his supplier.

the biggest reason snap-on/mac/matco sell tools is because they show up at your shop, and you can buy "expensive" tools on the "payment plan", imo some of the tools are worth it, but the majority of them are overpriced when compared to craftsman and the like.
having been in my field for 15+ years having the lifetime warranty helps, i have only had to buy one pair of wire crimpers, i have had them warrantied (replaced) probably about 6 or 7 times over the past 15 years.......my ratcheting wrenches were expensive and when they brake they get fixed under warranty......been using the set for about 7 years.
the things i use the most are the ones i'll spend the money on, i use a standard craftsman tool box, 10 drawer top/8 drawer bottom, cost me about $300, one of the guys i work with has a $12,000 matco box..........i will never let my tools sleep better than i do :D

I never considered it, but I guess using my eBay store could help too. I will keep my eyes peeled for a stopped truck in the area and ask the driver for the lowdown.

Matco and Snap-on drop in every week to check on us, sometimes they sell, sometimes they don't. They thrive on impulse buyers. To some having a new tool is like crack.

I doubt Snap-On would allow you to sell their stuff on E-Bay. My link was to a general E-Bay search for all "Snap-On", most of it used. Unless I need something right away, that's where I purchase my tools at a significant savings.

I've bought many a tool from my Snap-on guy that he got back when the payments were'nt made, or the tools were repoed. Usally at a really significant savings

No
Each mechanic has to have his own tools. And all the latest tools. And a $5k dollar toolbox. And they're always hiring new ones.

The market for snap on tools is -******* huge-

RL, is the newswire business drying up? :confused:

Snap-On is a great organization, if you fit what they are looking for. A good friend is a branch manager and over the last 20 years I have leaned a lot about them. First, they don't take anyone via a mailed in resume. They typically seek out a wrench based on his reputation for a number of factors including ties with other mechanics in the area. You then go through extensive sales training, have a manager riding with you on a routine basis and attend more sales training /positive motivation sessions weekly, sometimes 2 or 3 nights a week. And this is for the entire branch including the most senior drivers.

Money? The biggest problem from a managers perspective is keeping a young driver motivated after the cash starts rolling in. Seems that within the first year they quickly make 3-4 times more than they ever have. And yes, $100k+, after expenses, is on the normal side of things.

I'm pretty sure I bought a S-O dealer's kid braces.
Jim

My bro-in-law has $8,000 worth of Snap-On tools that he financed, and never paid the guy for.

Mark-up is huge on those tools. They stay in business because people have been fooled into believing that those tools are worth the incredible amount they charge for them. They aren't.

If a mechanic has $100,000 worth of snap on tools I wouldn't pay him to work on my stuff, anyone that gullible can't be a good mechanic. Either that or he charges waaaaaaay too much.

I made a good living using tools every day when I was a millwright. Most of em were proto.
Yet I have people who can't change a light bulb telling me how good snap on is. Uh huh.

We had some layoffs yesterday and I'm sure more are coming.

Cost aside, Snap-On makes the best tools overall, IMHO. Whether they are worth the extra money in every instance is where the real debate begins.

Snap-On makes some tools that are very superior to other brands and some that aren't.

I have to believe this is the case.

Anybody paying $10k for a toolbox either has a LOT of money or very little sense. Peer pressure is what it is. I know more about old 911s than the most expensive import wrench in town and I work out of a $280 Craftsman box stocked with everything from craftsman to SK to Ace Hardware to harbor freight.

I've been in garages with REALLY high quality tool storage and let me tell you it was so freaking beautiful my wife would probably allow it in the house! Poor suckers have no idea what 'nice' really is. These clowns could build a 30x40 cement floored pole barn for the price of one big tool box for pete sake! Those overpriced SO boxes are constantly on ebay likely being sold by some poor high school dropout who drank the kool aide and thought the box would make the man.

is this the job you moved to Az for?

this sucks man!

When you make your living out of a toolbox, I don't see anything wrong with wanting something to be proud of and not something that just holds tools. These guys aren't using their toolbox for 2 hours a week, it's more like 50 hrs.

Yes, Snap-Ons boxes are very expensive, but they are also spectacular. With tax deduction/depreciation, it knocks off 50% of the cost. They also hold pretty good resale value.

I can contribute a lot of factual info concerning this. I have been a wrench for almost 28 years and almost went with a Snap-On franchise in the late 80's. Overall the routes are not a good return on time and dollars compared to other businesses.

A) The 'average' gross is @ 32% -PLUS- you are holding the bag for the "in house" financing for every customer.
B) Snap-on is notorious for their customer glass ceilings. IE: anymore than @200 accounts/customers and they divide your territory.
C) Declining market share. Most young guys coming into the business are not into buying tools like 20 years ago. % wise tools are much higher cost to the tech than in 1980's dollars.
D) Was advised by a good accountant then that it was too much risk for return. At that time the minimum buy-in was $65K.
E) Every tool, ad, even the truck / lease must be dealt with through Snap-on. Where they make a cut on each and every thing.

Typical wrench probably pays 30% +/- marginal tax rate. NOT 50%.

Was just wondering that myself.

I didn't get laid off. My boss explained it to us in an email yesterday that the six folks who did were in "non-revenue producing" positions. I know mgt. will spin things anyway they can. But I do believe sales people will be the last to be let go. My company has nothing at all invested in my move to AZ. I paid for everything and had to use vacation days to drive out here. But I'm pretty sure they'd try to give me 6-12 mos. in this new territory before I was to be canned.

Our comp plan is so screwy, that you can be at 50% of goal and still make more money through other incentives than folks who are at 120% of goal. We get 10% of whatever new business spends in a year. Last month I got a new client that spent $20k on their first job. So that's a $2k commission for me payable this month. But last month I was at 56% of goal. Had I been at 100% or above, I'd have only gotten a $1250 bonus for being at or above goal. My boss always tells us the real money is in new business and not to worry about percentage of goal each month. But what do you think senior mgt. looks at for performance when they're thinking about layoffs? Can the guy who's way below goal and making huge commissions? Or can the guy who's at or above goal and not making much?

Asphaltgambler, is that buy-in amount cash you have to front in addition to financing, or can you finance it all?

Cost and depreciation. Back when I was wrenching 20 years ago, pretty sure I was depreciating tool purchases for 7 years or something like that.

I should've been more clear; you only deduct the purchase ONCE. Maybe over 7 yrs or maybe in 1 yr but you don't get it 2x's. That is, if you paid $10,000 (again, you COULDA had a pole barn) for a box you don't get to deduct $10k in year of purchase PLUS $10k over 7yrs.

Right, but to a lot of wrenches the payment plan lets them having the nicest box in the shop.

I'd rather have the nicest box at home. ;)

I can see it now: the 'Snap On Nicest Box in the Shop Calendar 2008'

Around here, you:

1. Can't park a commercial truck on the street.
2. Can't park your SeaDoos on your driveway.
3. Trash cans can't be visible from the street (even though they are inside your gate/wall).
4. blah, blah, blah....

They are very loosely enforced, but they are there.

Snap-On has changed their dealership program drastically in the last 8-10 ten years. Two ways to go in now

A) As a "Employee" (franchisee) in training. You operate a small van and get a set salary + small % in total sales. This goes on for a year or so where you should be ready to move up to a full franchise. The last I heard the "IN" money was $20K or so for that deal.

B) Buy out an exiting dealer/franchisee and his teritory for XX amount. The amount would depend on his sales, success, # of customers, age of the van, etc, ect.

I strongly believe that this was a good business 20 years ago but has leveled out considerably and is starting to decline now. Ask your account or a accountant that is familiar with the auto tool vendor business and get their opinion.