Breaking into Sales
BREAKING INTO SALES
The salesman’s saying goes like this; ”Its “HARD to find a new customer, but it’s easy to lose one. Why is that you ask? It’s Simple- Door dealers are always on the lookout for a better deal, which can make life easier for industry vendors and their sales force, but on the other hand you must understand that your hard work could be undone anytime by another competitor, so YOU MUST KEEP CLOSE attention to your accounts. If you want to be a great industry salesperson you must know how to plan travel, plus you must be willing to travel. As an industry sales person you can expect pressure from the top to increase sales all the time; meaning all industry salesmen must be working on increasing their customer base all the time. You’re entire day could involve making phone calls and setting appointments. Then you have to go to these appointments.
In this excerpt I will be using terms like suspect, prospect, and account. A suspect is any potential future customer that needs coaxing or luring to come on board. A Prospect is a customer you have met with who is highly expected to purchase your product very soon. An account is someone who is currently purchasing your product. To be a successful salesperson in our industry you will have to make many connections and contacts, plus you have to build solid relationships with your accounts. This means you have to cultivate an ethos where your customer enjoys calling you to place an order. My two late friends; George Manaras and Bob Schram, both spilled over with Charm and Charisma and both knew you had to treat customers like royalty. This included; respect, kindness, and loyalty. Bob & George were well liked and clients couldn’t wait to call with an order. A complimentary dinner with drinks is customary and works pretty well most of the time. In my experience; a great mutual relationship means more to owners than price. SO STAY CLOSEto your customers!
Starting out in sales you may get lucky and handed a bunch of existing accounts to look after.M eaning be a great friend with your accounts. Door Dealer Owners want to feel important. Meaning you must make contact once or twice every week.
Other times you may be given a virgin territory you have to develop on your own. This will take more effort and time to build up a client list, but can be very enjoyable as you build a territory on your own.
Not everyone is comfortable with making phone calls, so this is why sales is not for everyone. Know thy self--If you have the personality of a doorknob and are not a good communicator, you will have a rough time. If you’re not comfortable with traveling, meeting and talking with new faces or not a great communicator, I suggest you try another position. Truly if you have solid technical product knowledge, this is a plus, but in the beginning you should travel with a fellow salesman to pick up pointers on how to act. The Dale Carnegie School of Success is a fantastic online service which will turn you into the greatest communicater in your company. They’re tips on selling is well worth the cost and will turn you into sales dynamo. Owner/operators love to talk shop, and will ask questions about your product, so it is best you reply with intelligent answers. If someone asks you a question and you don’t know the answer—do not guess or make something up. Tell them you will get back to them with the answer--and do it!
People in production believe sales are easy, but I’m here to say a salesman is one of the toughest positions to hold. . While you have to work hard to find new accounts, you must always keep an eye on all your current accounts to make sure they are happy so they don’t flip to a competitor. What I’m saying is; if your hard work produces new accounts you cannot sit on your hands and do nothing afterwards. You always need to be working it.
GETTING STARTED: I suggest on the first day of every month, make a list of suspects in your territory you want to target that month.
If you are an IDA member, you can ask IDA for the door dealer member list. IDA now boasts over 2000 members and the list is available in Microsoft Excel format permitting you to sort members by State or Province, or zip code, Phone numbers are included. Once you make a list of suspects you can call each one to set up a meeting. This will allow you to make appointments and plan a trip on a map. Hopefully all in the same week. You have to be very diligent with all appointments. Never be late!
Customer satisfaction is at the core of the sales experience/ High levels of customer satisfaction (with pleasurable experiences) are strong predictors of customer retention, and future purchases.
. Typically a salesman will approach a suspect with lower pricing, but not all door dealers are looking for lower pricing and many times can be influenced with other benefits .A good mutual relationship is more important than pricing and is something you should work on with all your suspects, prospects, and accounts in good standing..
.Good standing means they are current with their bills. Getting paid for your goods is most important. If you bring in a new account and they don’t pay, you did your company a disservice so do your research first. It is very difficult to know who will pay on time and who won’t. Sometimes you can contact an acquaintance who sold them goods before and ask “How they pay? Otherwise you have to risk the wait and see approach. A leap of faith is risky, but sometimes is the only choice. Generally people are mostly honest, but bad decisions can force them to take unusual measures, which can be to hoard their money. There are 3 types of poor payers you want to avoid. Those who can’t pay, those who won’t pay! and slow payers. If you sell product and don’t get paid, it’s like you gave them goods for free. Believe this-You’re employer/owner will not be amused and you will get the blame. Out of all 3 types, I prefer the slow payer because they eventually pay up although it takes them time. I have worked with companies who’s policy is to place an account on hold when they are late with payments. This is a common practice in our industry, although I do not condone it. Holding back product that will prevent a client from making money is counterproductive, so I always find another way. A door dealer must have product to survive and will find a new supplier. Besides I can’t think of a better way to steer your customer toward a competitor. If you are owed money, negotiate a solution before cutting off the relationship.
I have enticed a few with an early pay discount.
Basically you give a discount to those who pay faster, such as in 7-10 days. You can post the discounted price on the invoice. You will be surprised how many will take the option and pay faster to save a few bucks .resulting in Improving your company cash flow which is always something you should prioritize. Not having to wait for 15-45 days to get paid will definitely help the cash flow situation.
When calling for appointments you will experience some resistance.
Most owners have trained their staff to vet every call and they will not connect you to the people in charge until they know your intentions. If this happens, don’t take it personally. Due to the constant barrage of telemarketers. It is normal business practice to screen calls.
If you do connect and the person says they are too busy to talk to anyone, ask them when is a good time? Or do they prefer an email. Honestly, it can take 5-12 attempts before getting a meeting set up. To begin with everyone is a suspect. After you have sat down with a suspect and spoken with them, and if they have your attention, they become a prospect and hopefully an account. If you are one of these types you can try emailing. Personally I am a little old fashioned and personally prefer driving to dealer’s location and cold calling. Forty years ago you drove into a town and tore the yellow pages for garage door repairs from a phone-booth, and then made local calls from your hotel room. Cellphones and computers killed this method although you can still get contacts digitally. But looking up a dozen suspects, then positioning them on a map to plan your trip is time consuming, plus just appearing at a door dealer without their preauthorization may be unappreciated, but I have had some success with this method. If there is a sign on their door that says “NO Solicitors” you should respect it and move on, send a letter by mail, saying you dropped by their business, saw their sign, and would like a meeting; and offer to take them to a working lunch.
Let’s say you bring Roy’s Door Company into your camp that purchases $500,000.00 in product every year and they pay on time. That is a great accomplishment for yourself and your company. Unfortunately you cannot bask in the glory for long, because you have to expect another salesperson from a competing company will follow you and try to undo your hard work by offering really low pricing.. You can lose a customer by having pricing that is too high or from incompetence. When another salesperson steals your account with lower pricing, only the door dealer wins, but sometimes this could be a losing scenario to beware of. Some companies can offer low pricing, but are lacking in other areas such as, Quality, or customer support. In my experience, flipping a door dealer to my camp will sometimes be short-lived because the guys you bumped will be unhappy and will come back more aggressively and attempt to get back the lost account by any means, which may mean giving really low pricing. If you have built a good relationship with the door dealer, then they will not jump to another that fast. You want to keep a close eye on all new and existing accounts by making weekly contact .
FOLLOWUP! FOLLOWUP! FOLLOWUP! It’s that easy-Don’t be a tranger!
Call to say hello and ask them is there anything you can do to help their company? Or are they happy with your product and service? What else can you do for them?
BE ENGAGED! GET FEEDBACK! AND ACT ON IT!
I always research the door dealer before adding them to my suspect list. First I look up IDA members in the region I want to target. Dealers who are IDA members typically represent our industries best and can be trusted. Second I use manta.com to assess the size of the company. Once you register; Manta provides the owner name, annual sales, and number of employees. Third I will find them on google maps. This is to see there is a real building in place and it is not a home business or a dirt lot. Google Earth used to allow you to zoom right into the parking lot or backyard. In the backyard you might see Christmas tree racks with door sections or rolling doors. Google Drive By can expose a little information . Often you can count the service trucks also. If you do these things you will not waste your time driving to a home business where only one person lives and has only one broken down service truck with no tires. I wish I did this years ago when I was attempting to find a service company in rural Wyoming. After driving on a gravel road for an hour, I reached a closed gate. There were no signs anywhere, so I let myself in to walk up to a farmhouse a hundred yards away. A few seconds later I was running for my life with a Bull inches from my Ass. I made it to the house porch, only to find no one there. I had to dodge the Bull one more time to leave. Later that night when back at the hotel, I thought-never again I’m too old for this crap! So I began researching the properties before visiting.
Rejection: Sometimes you will be rejected immediately, but don’t fret. You will not win over everyone, and may only get one account for every three companies you visit. That means 2 rejections for every new account. Look at it this way-I have had 2 rejections, so the next one may likely be a winner. When you finally sit down with a suspect, make eye to eye contact, and talk with the dealer, don’t talk at them. It took me years to learn that simple rule .Once you sit down in front of a suspect thank them for seeing you and giving you their precious time. I always address them by Mr.family name, but will ask them if I may call them by their first name. Usually the customer will prefer this. If there is one thing I remembered from my Dale Carnegie training it is; there is no better sound to a person than hearing their own name, so use it at every chance. Another tip is; asking owners to tell you about their business as the best way to break the ice. Most company owners love bragging about their company. Feeling out people is an attained skill that can be difficult , but if you feel you are building a good relationship,, don’t let up on this suspect until they are a prospect or account., but do not pressure them.
There is a fine line between being aggressive and being a pest.
You should create a sales call template and fill it out at every visit and take notes. A sample of my sales call report can be found at the end of this article. If you can connect with the owner or other authorized buyer; Take notes because you have to address all concerns. I usually start by saying I am here to help them sell more, offer them better product, and will be a better partner than they currently are buying from. I will ask them what they expect from a vendor and write this down also... I will ask for their DOB and send them a birthday card every year. It only costs $2.00 and has a huge value. The personal touch has no downside and works to keep your contact happy. Don’t tell them what you think they want to hear.
Remember any promise you make will have to be backed up with real actions.
Of course you will have to develop your own pitch, practice it, and memorize it. If you carry a laptop, you can record a video that explains all the good points being their supplier. Add to that your product knowledge and, the advantages of buying from you.
Buyer objections are not always rational.
Objections are often totally emotional.
If you want to build long-term relationship, you must respond to customers’ emotional needs and to the obstacles preventing them from buying from you. Try To keep the meeting short and be there only 45-60 minutes. If there are many people attending your meeting, then it could stRetch to 60 minutes or more. Only one person would need less than 45 minutes. You want to avoid being there to long and being asked to leave. I have been described as being long winded and sometimes take more time than my client is okay with. Its better to ask questions and let the client do 50% or more of the talking .When I am sure the meeting is winding down, I will ask; got any questions, concerns, or comments??? This is to give the client the last word, which is important to many folks.
Be diligent and always reply to the customer’s questions, comments, or concerns in a timely manner. In this case timely means in less than 24 hours.
Let’s say you made a good new friend that you’re sure will place an order very soon, You have to remember the friend is not alone in the business, so you have to expect that some other people at your new prospect will resist, obstruct, and hope you fail. If you come across this situation, you must make a second visit very soon. Most times the problem can be remedied by taking the obstructionists to dinner. Bringing your boss or company owner with you for this occasion could be helpful. When the first order comes in, you can celebrate, but if possible, you should be at the factory to supervise the pulling and packing of the materials. Check off every component on the order sheet.
The first shipment of product has to be spot-on perfect!
You have to be engaged to be sure the first shipment is perfect.
First impressions are super important!
Remember you only get one chance to make a positive first impression- There will NOT be a second chance to make a good first impression, so be spot on perfect with the first shipment. I ask the customer if they have a preference for logistics. If your new customer has an account with ABC shippers, then be sure to use them. I regret not doing this many times. If you use their recommended trucking company you will not be blamed if the product is delayed, lost, or damaged. One thing that burns my ass is being blamed for a problem caused by a shipping company.
Unfortunately shippers mess up things all the time and I would hate to admit I picked the shipper that messed up the first shipment. Especially when the product had a sensitive due date and the product arrived damaged, incomplete, or very late. You may kiss that account bye-bye with the first order even though the problem was not your fault. Believe me—this has happened many times before. Track the shipment and follow up with a phone call after the materials have been delivered.
.If you pull it off successfully, you just secured your position with your company and will be recognized as an industry professional from all sides.
. Furthermore, If your email address is on your business card, then check your email all day. In today’s world more and more people are using Electronic mail and you wouldn’t want to lose an order because you forgot to check your email. When you get your first order, be happy and SUPERVISE the process, so it’s done 100% correctly.
. When your hard work produces a new account you’re on your way to achieving great things. Achieving a sale can be infectious which will motivate you to go get more. If you continue finding new accounts, this will make you a great company asset. Still you have to be working it; 7-24-365 and not enjoy long breaks. As soon as you return from a sales trip, you should be planning your next. When on the road try and visit 4-6 suspects a day. Two between 8-noon and two between 1pm and 5 pm. During the dealers hours.
I know this sounds aggressive, but I know it can be done, BECAUSE IHAVE DONE IT. Some door dealers open early and others close early or after 5 pm. You must respect their hours.
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After a big success, you need to work even harder now to attain another account with equal purchase power. This is to protect your company from disaster in case Roy’s door Co. decides one day to buy elsewhere. When I tell garage door salesman you need to repeat their sales numbers to protect the company from potential disaster they think I’m crazy, but it makes sense for this reason. As a industry supplier you will have to purchase more raw materials to produce the goods required for your new accounts. As long as you are producing the needed cash flow, everything will be fine. But let’s say your newest account decides to buy elsewhere or not pay after you made a large expensive purchase of materials or other investment and the piggy bank is dry. That’s where the other accounts come in to make up for the loss. Basically I’m saying” if you have one big account paying you $500,000 per year, you need another similar account. If one abandons you, there will a buffer that will reduce the impact on your company.
Garage door or door operator manufacturers are like other businesses.,It’s a business-- not a hobby or charity. All your salespeople must share and practice this philosophy and know the goal! Yes-Plain &simple--the goal is to sell product and profit from the sales. As an industry vendor you have to remember that door companies will expect you’re very best and to be better than the company you are trying to bump. Bumping a competitor is not as easy as going in with better pricing. I know many seasoned industry salesmen who have been around for a long time and really know how to treat and keep an account happy. Those who have succeeded in making a solid relationship will not be easily bumped. Even with a better price. A better deal may include lower pricing, but you should include your product advantages, faster production times, offer quicker delivery options, and push your great customer support. If you don’t have great customer support, then this is something you have to develop. Dealers expect your immediate attention on any of their concerns, so customer support is the biggest step in growing your business.
Customer Support is mandatory-Not optional!
Unfortunately bad news is only a phone call away. After your sales call is over, the account may call you to tell you they decided to stay with their other provider because they got lower pricing. I would ask-Why didn’t they receive the lower pricing years before? Only after finding a better deal with you, their previoius supplier finally thought they were NOW worthy of better pricing. Seriously if my first supplier did this to me, I would want the lower pricing to be retro-active back to my first order and demand a credit.
Obviously the other manufacturer didn’t think they were worthy of lower pricing while they were being successfully gouged. Don’t knee-jerk react and jump in with lower pricing. You’re company has to profit or there is no reason to sell, besides you may start a price war with a competitor that has better profit margins and could stay in a price war longer than your company may want to. You might win back an account with lower pricing, but did you really win if you didn’t profit? The answer is a resounding NO! When I had an issue with a cheaper competitor and I brought it up to my boss, Robert Schram. –He would say.Roy, Let someone else ”Not make money! Its good advise . Not make Money? Today I understand that more than ever. I’m not a greedy capitalist, but understand todays reality, which is;—You have to profit or risk going out of business.
You’re really in business to make money or you’re really not in business.
No doubt our industry is like many other cut-throat industries, and it can be a hard industry to sell in. but when you’re in front of a suspect or prospect you must promote your product advantages first, then haggle with pricing.
When visiting a potential client, the dress code is somewhat optional. Business casual is the norm, but you don’t want to overdress or under-dress for a sales meeting. The most popular wardrobe for a business meeting is a black or Kaki pair of dress pants and a colored golf shirt with your company logo on it. There is no need to wear a suit. This is an example of over-dressing and I know some dealers who will run and lock the front door when they see a suit walk from a car. Under-dressing would be wearing a sleeveless shirt, a bathing suit, and flip-flops. Laugh if you want, but I saw this in San Diego a few years back. His partner wore a pair of multi-colored pajama pants that blew me away. Only in California I thought.
A salesman job is never truly over. Even after the success you must continually be proactive and engaged through the entire order process right to the end.
Don’t forget your call reports. Below, I included a call report form I made when I did a short run for a company in New Jersey. They had never used call reports before, but were happy to receive them which shortly became the new norm.
I do this everytime,I’’m on a sales call. It permits you to go back and look over a company profile. After three months have passed, you will not remember all that was discussed at your first meeting. The initial call report reminds you of important facts. Start doing them today!
Yours will be customized to reflect your product line. You can do this in MS Word by inserting rectangular shapes and adding text to the boxes.. Sit down with the contact and fill out the form with a pencil. Later when in your hotel room; type it out, email it to your boss or owner and save it in a Suspect folder. If you save it in a cloud, you can access it almost anywhere. Print hard copies and have a real file at the office. Just in case you leave your company someone else can follow your work. Owners and sales managers love call reports! It shows them you are actually doing your job.
NOW GO GET EM!
If anyone would like to contact me with any questions, comments, or concerns please do not hesitate to reach out.
Roy Bardowell IDEA CDDC
[email protected] or Cell: 480 543-0620. I’d be thrilled to hear from you.
Happy Selling!
. Sample call report next page
.My #1 TIP
MAKE SURE the INSTALLERS ARE IN THE LOOP. So they are not surprised when new product is forced on them. I know of a few cases where installers sabotaged the new product because they WERE NOT HAPPY to learn something new. If you suspect this might happen, then have a tech or engineer join you at the first jobsite to answer any questions or concerns. Myself, I like to attend the first installation using my product. This puts everyone’s mind at ease and I can teach as a problem shows up, which is guaranteed the first time anyone sees a new product. Installers and service people appreciate any help with unknown product. By the end of the day; you will have a bunch of new loyal comrades. Myself; being a technical expert, I like to make sure the installers are okay with the new product. This may require a second or third visit, but I can’t emphasis enough how important it is to seem helpful. It is super important to attend the first installation using your product. This is a make or break situation and is the Pinnacle of my success! I would honestly say there were 100 times this process was successful when corting a difficult client. The times I couldn’t make it to the first installation, the situation went from bad to worse in only 48 hours. Especially when I was selling Europeon product, which can be totally unfamiliar to most America installers.
In closing: I want to remind you to check your business card for accurate information like phone numbers, physical address, and email address. Make sure the company physical address is correct, or it could delay getting paid on time if the check is diverted. This will create unnecessary friction between you, your company, and the new account .There will always be some sort of friction and headaches and the last thing you need is to generate more by being negligent or incompetent. If a problem does appear, you must meet with your team and jump on it immediately. If you don’t, you may see your hard work go up in smoke.
Like I said earlier- you only get one chance to make a positive first impression.
A negative experience is a huge setback you must avoid at all cost!
If this happens you will need to make a dozen great positive experiences to negate the one negative.Creating 10 or more positive experiences takes time which could be better spent on establishing better relationships with your accounts. express your desire to be a real partner who is ready to help your customer to no end. Then selling will be easy!
Happy selling,
Roy
NOTE TO BUYERS--When you find the rare win-win scenario, you must not throw it aside on a whim and should stay the coarse as long as possible. Even-so you cannot know if you’re getting the best deal without playing the field; SO PLAY IT!