Has anyone hired a commission-based sales rep for their business?
Has anyone hired a commission based sales rep for their landscaping company? Looking to grow our company and it’s getting harder to handle all the requests in a timely enough manner, but same time we aren’t busy enough to have another crew lead. Looking to weigh options and interested in feedback on how it’s worked for others.
How To Get Customers Without Relying on Thumbtack or Lead Generation Apps?
Hey yall. Im Simon 35 based in Brooklyn NYC and im a Mobile Welder. My jobs comes from Thumbtack however that platform along with others like it are beginning to get saturated with low ballers. Any advice you guys can offer for marketing and customer reach? Im open to all suggestions and guidance.
Do handwritten thank you notes still make a difference?
Random thought: Have handwritten thank you notes become a thing of the past? In a world of emails, texts, and automated follow ups, I wonder if a simple handwritten note stands out more today than it did 20 years ago. Do any of you send them to customers, employees, referral partners, or vendors? If so, have you seen an impact? Curious to hear what others are doing and whether personal touches like this still move the needle.4 Overlooked Sales & Marketing Techniques! *They all have to do with appearance.
I am posting this because it might be overlooked due to being pretty foundational but newer people to business might not know. If you are new to business, you are actually skilled at what you do, but business just isn't taking off, then read this. If you get offended easily, then don't continue. However, if you really want to grow and improve yourself, then read on. Appearance - This is going to take some serious ability to be self-aware and evaluate yourself for growth. Some people might not want to bring this up because "just do you" is a cultural norm now, but the reality is that people are going to judge your appearance before they ever hear a word you say. We might want to assume people will overlook appearance but they might not and we just have to understand that is a reality no matter how we feel about it. Here are a few things to consider: Professional Attire - If you are the owner of your business and you are trying to sell your services you shouldn't show up to sell the way you would to just any other casual occasion, or to do labor. Step it up. Wear nice shoes, slacks, and a collard shirt, or button up shirt. Make sure your clothes are neat, clean, and not a wrinkled mess with stains. Hygiene - Make sure you have decent hair cut and don't look like you just crawled out of bed. If you have beard make sure it is well groomed. Wear deodorant and make sure you smell nice. Make sure your breath smells good too. Keep gum or mints in your vehicle. Piercings & Tattoos - I personally hire guys/gals and I don't personally care about piercings or tattoos but our customers might. Just take that into consideration and make an attempt to cover them if you see that this could be a factor in certain sales situations. Weight/Personal Care - This one could get some hate but its just real. I'm not even 100% where I want to be with this one. Here is the reality... being healthy and in shape takes discipline. When you show up as someone who is in shape and not overweight it communicates something without using words. It communicates discipline. People want to hire people who are disciplined and do what they say they will. When you look good, then you don't even have to say you are a disciplined and consistent person because your presence communicates it. You will also show up into rooms with more confidence which will help tremendously when selling. Language - you may cuss like a sailor and that is fine. But when you are in a sales situation air on the side of caution and clean up your speech. Speak professionally and never bring up politics or religion. Vehicle - Make sure your vehicles are clean and organized. I don't care what you say. People will judge you based on your vehicle. That is just the culture we live in. I'm not saying you have to polish your work truck but make sure it is clean and organized. If you have papers covering your dash board, fast food that is a month old shoved in the dash, and bottle, cans, and other trash falling out of the floor board when you open the door, then do better. Have a place for your tools and equipment and keep them clean and organized on your vehicle. Website - Your website is going to make a big impression on your customers. How you do one thing is how you do everything to your clients. If your website is unprofessional, messy, unorganized, and confusing then your clients might think that you are all those things. Take time, or money to invest into having a nice website. Social Media - If you are not present on social media (personally or professionally) and posting professional looking content, then you are communicating something to your client. You could be communicating that you aren't active, you aren't truly professional, or if your content is low quality...clients might view you as being cheap or low quality. Business Practices - This is such a simple concept. Have professional business practices and standards. Answer your phone. Show up when you say you will. Do what you say you will do. Be organized and clean. You can ignore all of these little things if you think they aren't important but I can promise you if you are letting your offense of any of these things keep you from doing them, or giving them attention then that is probably part of why you aren't growing. I promise you that companies that are growing and doing big things take all of these things into consideration and constantly try to improve them. Make excuses for yourself, or start making changes. This is all part of your brand. You want a better brand, then make yourself better. Raise the standard. Always be improving and evaluating. Make it easy to refer your business because your professional standards are so high and seen by all that make contact with you. Never get complacent and satisfied always find ways to improve. When you do this be ready for the new opportunities that will come your way!You Get One Billboard.....
If you had one billboard for your business, just a few words seen by thousands of people every day, what would it say? The one message that really explains what you do best and why a customer should choose you over anyone else. Think about what makes your business different, what your best customers appreciate most, or what you wish people understood right away when they hear your name. Looking forward to seeing everyone’s answer!
How to sign up a business that has multiple sites across your city?
I wonder if anyone has any good advise on getting a medium sized business to sign up multiple locations? I am thinking along the lines of a restaurant/store/landlord that has 3-4-5 locations locally and possibly has different service pros at all of them. I know that I couldn't work a national account or ones that are spread out across the province, but I am thinking the ones that are all concentrated in my city. So far I am thinking about offering free inspections at all the locations, taking photos and notes, and relaying those back to the person who would make the call to approve that contract. Offering a discounted rate if all locations are signed up. Doing service for a very low rate at one location for a trial period. Offering a few no charge services to show my level of workmanship. I think I have a good plan to go after these types of business situations, but I am wondering if anyone has a better approach that I may be missing? Always gonna reach out to the community to see if there are any ideas floating around I missed.Customer Appreciation Dinner/Event?
Do you put on an annual customer appreciation dinner/event for your customers? Maybe a cookout, or a dinner at a nice restaurant? I am thinking of doing this to engage with clients and build even better relationships for the purpose of repeat work and referrals. If your company is doing this, or has done this please share your feedback.Are You Selling Your Service… or Selling the Experience?
Customers have more choices than ever. Sometimes the difference isn’t just the service you provide, but how you make people feel from the first interaction to the final follow-up. What are some ways your business creates an experience that keeps customers coming back?
