| Dear Bill: | | | | because of prospecting tactics like the ones your |
| A couple of years ago, I heard you speak at a | | | | manager advocates. |
| Western Building Material Association meeting in | | | | As the old saying goes, a well-groomed gorilla |
| Washington State. In that program you made the | | | | could quote low-ball prices. Quoting involves little if |
| statement that most salespeople in our industry | | | | any "selling." |
| spend too much time performing tasks and too | | | | While doing takeoffs is a task that does require |
| little time engaged in the act of selling. | | | | technical expertise, doing takeoffs is extremely |
| This statement confuses me. My manager's idea | | | | time consuming and is no closer to selling than |
| of selling and yours are miles apart. He has | | | | quoting. Just about any salesperson working for |
| instructed us to make at least one prospect call | | | | any of your competitors can do both, so neither |
| each day and do our best to get the prospect to | | | | task represents a great deal of added value. You |
| allow us to quote on an upcoming job. Of course, | | | | must be spending anywhere from three to four |
| nine times out of ten, quoting an upcoming job | | | | hours a day just doing takeoffs for your |
| includes having to do a take-off. And performing | | | | prospects, not counting for your regular |
| both of these "tasks" quoting and doing | | | | customers. |
| takeoffs don't qualify as "selling" if I | | | | One of greatest truths in the selling profession is |
| understood you correctly. | | | | this, "All things being equal, builders prefer to buy |
| My manager's theory is that the fastest way to | | | | from salespeople they know, like and respect." |
| get prospects' attention is to quote them some | | | | And here is another great truth about selling: "All |
| pretty hot numbers. While we don't always get an | | | | things not being equal, builders still prefer to buy |
| order as a result, if our prospects see our quotes | | | | from salespeople whom they know, like and |
| consistently coming in under the market, they will | | | | respect." |
| pretty soon be motivated to give us a fair shot | | | | So your job as a salesperson is to build |
| at their business. | | | | relationships with your prospects that are better |
| What's wrong with this theory? | | | | and more valued than the relationships your |
| A struggling salesperson from the Great | | | | competitors have previously built. Building |
| Northwest | | | | relationships takes time. You don't build |
| Dear Struggling Salesperson, | | | | relationships over night. You don't "buy" |
| The last thing I want to do is get you in trouble | | | | relationships with low-ball prices. About the best a |
| with your manager. However, except under | | | | low-ball price will buy you is an order; it will rarely |
| extenuating circumstances, I do disagree with the | | | | buy you a customer. |
| approach he is advocating. And here's why: | | | | Selling is a profession. Salespeople who have |
| The odds of salespeople -- no matter how good | | | | learned how to build relationships and gain the |
| they are -- getting an order from a prospect on | | | | trust and confidence of their customers and |
| the first call are not good. My argument is that | | | | prospects will always be successful and are highly |
| few builders are going to give salespeople an | | | | sought after. They also earn incomes that rank at |
| order on their first sales call even if they do a | | | | the top of the industry. |
| terrific takeoff and come in with a lower price | | | | My guess is that your manager learned the |
| than their current supplier has been quoting. | | | | tactics he is teaching you from someone he |
| Instead, most builders will first give their current | | | | worked for in the past and has perhaps not been |
| supplier an opportunity to meet the price. In fact, | | | | exposed to a lot of professional sales training. |
| I'll bet you that most your own loyal customers | | | | After all, it is possible for a salesperson or sales |
| give you "last look" when one of your | | | | manager to be successful strictly because they |
| competitors fires a low-ball price at them in an | | | | possess a high degree of technical expertise. But |
| attempt to take business away from you. | | | | when you combine technical expertise and |
| Pricing is like water, it seeks its own level. You fire | | | | professional selling skills, you have an almost |
| low-ball prices at my customers and in retaliation I | | | | unbeatable combination. |
| fire them back at your customers. This is a lose | | | | If your manager would like to discuss this issue, |
| lose scenario if I ever saw one. I personally | | | | please invite him to give me a call or send me an |
| believe that one of the reasons that our industry's | | | | e-mail message. |
| gross margins are under so much pressure is | | | | |