question for sales guys

[billwagnon]

I left my full time job in October to start doing my side work full time.

My company provides report services to construction companies. So far I have worked on two platforms (Viewpoint and Timberline). I have 4 companies and two are in the top 10 in the state.

Typical work is adding columns to financial reports, changing grouping, or writing new reports that use the company's database.

I never thought I would be a sales person - I saw myself as a smart resource who could get things done. Now I want to build this business. A year from now I want to be adding at least one employee.

Everything so far has come via word of mouth. It's easy, the phone rings, I talk to the prospect and then go see them, but I am not getting the growth I want.

I am starting to network (joined the general contractors association, asked my current clients for referrals, met with a big CPA firm yesterday to talk about common interests).

My problem is, when I have a referral from a happy client I call the target and if they aren't there I leave a message saying what I do and that so-and-so said I should give them a call. And never hear anything back!

How do you do this?

I am very concerned about being pushy. Maybe too concerned.

[hhackma]

As a former credit manager with a larger international company, I worked with all sorts of sales professionals. The most productive ones were those who knew the customers business inside and out. They knew all the key employees, many by name. They worked whatever hours it took to get the customer exactly what they needed to make their business as profitable as possible. And lastly, they formed relationships with the owners of the business they were selling to. Having that relationship meant that they were frequently given the order first.

[LWJ]

Oh come on now. Go to some sales training. Read some books. Take some risks!
I am a career salesman. Best book? The Secret of Question Based Selling by Thomas Freese.

Items I want to accomplish with prospects - in no order:

1) Make them curious
2) Not come across as slick or pushy but as a resource
3) Blow their mind by what a pro / how brilliant / how much better their life will be working with me
4) Outline my process - tell them what I expect / how this will work / what I need from them
5) Move the process to agreement on the next step


Phone messages? I never leave them. Except, recently with a VERY technical industry I did. I am normally a fast talker. I slowed down until it sounded like I am brain damaged. I left a message. I had a 40% RETURN RATE. This is a game. Play it. Change it up. Learn where you win and play there.

I am 100% envious of your description. You have a killer service / product. You simply need to get the message out.

What about hiring a sales guy on a three month base to 100% commission? Perhaps you are not the best person for delivering the message?

Sounds like a great problem to have!
Larry

[Lapkritis]

Time for a revised business plan. Growth before headcount is normally limited to capacity to perform the core function. Employees add headaches and can complicate a simple and elegant model. Be realistic - how big do you want to go and why? Sounds like you genuinely enjoy the work and although you may be unaware at this time, this simple point of enjoyment and sincerity is probably communicated to your clients non-verbally through the service and is a big part of your early success. A professional sales person has the skill to learn the enthusiasm and project it on command.

Marketing and lead generation/management is a more focused area than general sales. I'd look in that direction specifically rather than seminars and Zig Ziglar tapes.

My $.02.

[billwagnon]

Thank you all.

LWJ, this is very useful to me

4) Outline my process - tell them what I expect / how this will work / what I need from them

Yes I do enjoy the work very much. It involves problem solving and knowing where to find things in the database. I know the inner workings of the black box. Clients love it when I make something simple. And my turnaround time is only about 25% of what my competitors take.

I want to go bigger because after working for 20 years I am starting to feel hungry again - that feeling where you are looking for the next step up. I have been comfortable (and complacent) and now I feel like my career is coming together.

Right now my name is the business name. We intend to change the name to something more general and to work nationwide, perhaps starting with Houston where there is a lot more construction going on.

The other aspect is that my wife wants to join the business. She is amazing at selling but she is currently working as a manager of a group doing (yep) reports for a huge medical facility in town.

I have considered hiring someone but I am also enjoying in a weird way not knowing what I am doing. I am very optimistic about this.

What about hiring a sales guy on a three month base to 100% commission? Perhaps you are not the best person for delivering the message?

How would this be structured? I'm not sure what 'three month base to 100%' means.

[Lapkritis]

Originally Posted by billwagnon

How would this be structured? I'm not sure what 'three month base to 100%' means.

In a nut shell, you pay them a salary regardless of performance for the first 3 months so they can learn the business. After 3mos they are 100% commission and the salary disappears. If they're dead weight then they won't drag you down... some employers allow a "draw" after the learning period. The "draw" is flatline compensation schedule that is subtracted when they sell in the future. This ensures the sales person can afford groceries and put gas in their car if they hit a slow time of year. When they make hay, then they pay back their draw.