![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Depositphotos_22350813_original.jpg\")
<\/p>\nLooking for work? The position I have requires 10 to 12 hours a day of completely dedicated effort. If you\u2019re going to be successful, you\u2019ll have to document every single thing you do each day, all day long, in real-time. I want you to know right up front, you\u2019ll face immense rejection in this job, because everything you do will be scrutinized by our main office, your sales manager and our service department.<\/p>\n
You\u2019re responsible for finding new clients, and most prospects will reject you. It doesn\u2019t hurt much. You might also have to manage a few existing clients, but all of their leases were just renewed, so there won\u2019t be any income from them for at least three years. Should any of those clients not pay as required, you\u2019ll have to collect their payments face to face. And if you can\u2019t get them to pay, we might process a charge back against your commissions, because after all, they\u2019re your accounts.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Wait, it Gets Better<\/strong><\/p>\n Your base salary will always be at risk. And even if you\u2019ve worked here for 12 years, if you have a slump in sales, we\u2019ll put you on straight commission to help you focus. Remember, we\u2019re behind you all the way.<\/p>\n We won\u2019t force you to memorize our company\u2019s value proposition because, well, we don\u2019t even know what it is. You\u2019ll have to be creative and make up your value as you go along.<\/p>\n Our database is old and outdated, but remember: we\u2019re providing that to you at no cost to help you be successful. You can call on any business you want as long as we approve it first. If you sell something to a company we haven\u2019t approved, you won\u2019t be paid for it. Think of us as family!<\/p>\n Your gas allowance won\u2019t quite cover your miles but that\u2019s designed to help you manage your territory in the most-efficient manner. Not a big deal, right?<\/p>\n On most deals, you\u2019ll only know ballpark costs until you sell the deal, then we\u2019ll adjust the costs to the true cost numbers. It won\u2019t be a major difference, but keep in mind we have to setup and deliver what you\u2019ve sold. Oh and we\u2019ve just been awarded \u201cone of the best places to work\u201d in our marketplace\u2014great news!<\/p>\n Get Moving!<\/strong><\/p>\n Make sure you\u2019re never late to work, and remember we require everyone to come back to the office at 5 p.m., no matter what. We won\u2019t micro manage you, but we do require you attend these afternoon mandatory meetings.<\/p>\n Our service techs, for the most part are extremely talented and capable, but when they mess up, and they WILL mess up, you\u2019ll need to save the relationship they lost. We care about every customer!<\/p>\n You\u2019ll have to correct most of your commission statements, and we promise you we\u2019ll refund any correction you find\u2026the month after they were originally due. Since we\u2019re so focused on shooting the chickens in the chicken coop, there are times when we lose sight of the most important things, like driving an effective business development campaign or traffic to our website. It looks good but NO ONE ever goes there. Still, it\u2019s really cool, you should see it.<\/p>\n Enjoy this conversation and the lunch I just bought you, because after you come onboard, we won\u2019t speak directly\u2014ever. Your sales manager is a great leader, and she drives a lot of business for us. Her current team members lack motivation, but we\u2019re counting on you and your experience to lead the pack.<\/p>\n And the Benefits<\/strong><\/p>\n Our benefit package kicks in after 90 days. However if you decide that this isn\u2019t the place for you within that 90 days, no worries, the benefits won\u2019t activate. If you make it beyond the 90-day time frame, you can join our 401K plan after your one-year anniversary, but we don\u2019t match employee contributions. If you\u2019re smart and you sell a lot, you, too, can buy two homes, a boat, an RV, and a Jag like I have.<\/p>\n Are you ready to come aboard?<\/p>\n I\u2019ve heard so many of these stories in the last 10 years. I\u2019ve been asked time and time again, how do you find great talent? Can you see it now? Reread the paragraphs above. Or better yet, read it to your sales team\u2014I dare you\u2014and watch the disgust move across their face.<\/p>\n Attracting the best talent is only possible if you are the best employer providing a major upside opportunity. If you were standing in front of a room full of talent, what would you say to them that no one else is saying? And in your mind just now, if you read that statement and thought there isn\u2019t anything out there that is unique or exceptional, then you just lost.<\/p>\n Formula for Winning<\/strong><\/p>\n You win the talent battle with a winning strategy inside a winning company, and you\u2019ll have to provide a winning employment (sales) opportunity. If I could paraphrase the conversation I most often have when asked about finding great sales talent, it would sound something like this:<\/p>\n \u201cCharles, we\u2019re a not a large company, so we can\u2019t pay someone like the big boys can. Our benefits are good but not great, and providing those benefits eats up most of our profit every month. It\u2019s crazy!\u201d Yet they\u2019ll let eight failing sales sales reps remain on their payroll for 15 months, hoping one day that the sales fairy will tap them on the head and change their entire trajectory.<\/p>\n Can you hear the defeat in that statement above? Where is the competitive spirit? Imagine selling a copier that way. \u201cMr. Prospect, our copier has a much higher cost and fewer features, and I won\u2019t be able to provide the benefits that my competitor does, and I know we\u2019re never going to change but I really, really, want your business!\u201d Who would say yes to that? You have to compete for top talent.<\/p>\n It\u2019s only when you decide to become a great company that great people enjoy working for, that you begin to attract the best. Being a great company is only one part of the puzzle, as there are so many things that contribute to attracting and hiring top talent. Most consider compensation as the main hurdle and while I agree that it\u2019s very important, it\u2019s not the only thing that top talent looks for.<\/p>\n They\u2019re looking for a great opportunity, plain and simple\u2014a launch pad for a successful life with a strong financial upside. It\u2019s a combination of base salary and a top end that\u2019s not impossible to obtain.<\/p>\n Success is Possible<\/strong><\/p>\n If you think you\u2019re going to hire highly skilled sales professionals by offering them a territory, gas card and a cubicle, you\u2019re wrong. But if you think you\u2019ll never be able to hire a highly-skilled sales professional, wrong again. Success attracts success. You need sales reps in your business who are slobbering over opportunity, and who brag about their income and the company they work for everywhere they go. Many people say, \u201cthose days are gone!\u201d and to them I say BUNK! If you build it they will come.<\/p>\n Better sales numbers don\u2019t come just from hiring more sales reps. As a matter of fact, few sales cultures produce more winners than losers. So hiring more sales reps only guarantees more payroll expense. If you want high talent to come to you, show them why they should.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t read this article and tell yourself that you can\u2019t change. You sell MPS everyday with the premise that 3% of a company\u2019s annual revenue is spent on their print environment. Out of that 3%, some 20%-30% is wasted spend and ripe for savings, right? Then you optimize their fleet, change their management, service and supply processes and drive better financial and performance results. That is a great reason to change\u2014eat your own cooking! Review what you spend in your sales organization. Look for ways to improve, calculate your individual sales rep\u2019s ROI and restructure your sales organization to optimize growth and retention. Change your sales team model to fit your plan. Get rid of the deadwood, and use those funds to install the necessary talent and team to start winning.<\/p>\n When I tell dealers this, they immediately restructure the new sales team model to look exactly like what they have today. Don\u2019t waste your time. Restructure your sales team model to win! Once you\u2019ve designed it, hire for it and you\u2019ll find if it\u2019s built right, the talent will find you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Looking for work? The position I have requires 10 to 12 hours a day of completely dedicated effort. If you\u2019re going to be successful, you\u2019ll have to document every single thing you do each day, all day long, in real-time. I want you to know right up front, you\u2019ll face immense rejection in this job, because everything you do will be scrutinized by our main office, your sales manager and our service department. You\u2019re responsible for finding new clients, and most prospects will reject you. It doesn\u2019t hurt much. You might also have to manage a few existing clients, but all of their leases were just renewed, so there won\u2019t be any income from them for at least three years. Should any of those clients not pay as required, you\u2019ll have to collect their payments face to face. And if you can\u2019t get them to pay, we might process a charge back against your commissions, because after all, they\u2019re your accounts. Wait, it Gets Better Your base salary will always be at risk. And even if you\u2019ve worked here for 12 years, if you have a slump in sales, we\u2019ll put you on straight commission to help you focus. Remember, we\u2019re behind you all the way. We won\u2019t force you to memorize our company\u2019s value proposition because, well, we don\u2019t even know what it is. You\u2019ll have to be creative and make up your value as you go along. Our database is old and outdated, but remember: we\u2019re providing that to you at no cost to help you be successful. You can call on any business you want as long as we approve it first. If you sell something to a company we haven\u2019t approved, you won\u2019t be paid for it. Think of us as family! Your gas allowance won\u2019t quite cover your miles but that\u2019s designed to help you manage your territory in the most-efficient manner. Not a big deal, right? On most deals, you\u2019ll only know ballpark costs until you sell the deal, then we\u2019ll adjust the costs to the true cost numbers. It won\u2019t be a major difference, but keep in mind we have to setup and deliver what you\u2019ve sold. Oh and we\u2019ve just been awarded \u201cone of the best places to work\u201d in our marketplace\u2014great news! Get Moving! Make sure you\u2019re never late to work, and remember we require everyone to come back to the office at 5 p.m., no matter what. We won\u2019t micro manage you, but we do require you attend these afternoon mandatory meetings. Our service techs, for the most part are extremely talented and capable, but when they mess up, and they WILL mess up, you\u2019ll need to save the relationship they lost. We care about every customer! You\u2019ll have to correct most of your commission statements, and we promise you we\u2019ll refund any correction you find\u2026the month after they were originally due. Since we\u2019re so focused on shooting the chickens in the chicken coop, there are times when we lose sight of the most important things, like driving an effective business development campaign or traffic to our website. It looks good but NO ONE ever goes there. Still, it\u2019s really cool, you should see it. Enjoy this conversation and the lunch I just bought you, because after you come onboard, we won\u2019t speak directly\u2014ever. Your sales manager is a great leader, and she drives a lot of business for us. Her current team members lack motivation, but we\u2019re counting on you and your experience to lead the pack. And the Benefits Our benefit package kicks in after 90 days. However if you decide that this isn\u2019t the place for you within that 90 days, no worries, the benefits won\u2019t activate. If you make it beyond the 90-day time frame, you can join our 401K plan after your one-year anniversary, but we don\u2019t match employee contributions. If you\u2019re smart and you sell a lot, you, too, can buy two homes, a boat, an RV, and a Jag like I have. Are you ready to come aboard? I\u2019ve heard so many of these stories in the last 10 years. I\u2019ve been asked time and time again, how do you find great talent? Can you see it now? Reread the paragraphs above. Or better yet, read it to your sales team\u2014I dare you\u2014and watch the disgust move across their face. Attracting the best talent is only possible if you are the best employer providing a major upside opportunity. If you were standing in front of a room full of talent, what would you say to them that no one else is saying? And in your mind just now, if you read that statement and thought there isn\u2019t anything out there that is unique or exceptional, then you just lost. Formula for Winning You win the talent battle with a winning strategy inside a winning company, and you\u2019ll have to provide a winning employment (sales) opportunity. If I could paraphrase the conversation I most often have when asked about finding great sales talent, it would sound something like this: \u201cCharles, we\u2019re a not a large company, so we can\u2019t pay someone like the big boys can. Our benefits are good but not great, and providing those benefits eats up most of our profit every month. It\u2019s crazy!\u201d Yet they\u2019ll let eight failing sales sales reps remain on their payroll for 15 months, hoping one day that the sales fairy will tap them on the head and change their entire trajectory. Can you hear the defeat in that statement above? Where is the competitive spirit? Imagine selling a copier that way. \u201cMr. Prospect, our copier has a much higher cost and fewer features, and I won\u2019t be able to provide the benefits that my competitor does, and I know we\u2019re never going to change but I really, really, want your business!\u201d Who would say yes to that? You have to compete for top talent. It\u2019s only when you decide to become a great company that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1879],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29854"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29854"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29854\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29857,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29854\/revisions\/29857"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29854"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29854"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29854"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}