Commercial Sales Manager

[Bruce Humphrey]

Two replies for one question? Welcome back Brian HAHAHAHA

 

[Desk Jockey]

I don't know how that happened. ????

 

[juniorc82]

I like to do mailers to businesses with a flyer and a gift card and a business card magnet. I have found that is commercial work the management usualy hates to spend the time going through the process of elimination. If you can get your information into the hands of the people you want to have it and give them an incentive such as a small gift card it will almost always get you a call if they need this sort of service and dont have a provider or are looking to get estimates. I have also found that if you have a commercial account lets say in a stripp mall or office complex you can leveradge that connection by taking the time to go and introduce yourself to other businesses and let them know you work in the area regularly. I think you are in a priviledged position in certain respects as a female because often as an owner operator when I try to mix sales work in today the day while I am off cleaning my appearance might not be sales worthy or I may come off as a bit abbrasive. Just plaster your information around as much as you can and once word gets out in the commercial crowd you are a player the phone will ring alot. However as a sales person in commercial work some of your sales activity should focus on current commercial clients for retention and upsell purpouses

 

[Desk Jockey]

Sounds good Jon, any pictures of your material. Id like to see what you're describing.

 

[Cassandra]

Very helpful Jon.
Doc, anything special about your intro letter? Do you offer a sample cleaning in it or a list of services? Would you share it? I feel Erin's pain.
Ken Snow. I was hoping you could give me some helpful pointers of what has been successful for your company.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Nothing special, intro, mention of services and request to meet and talk about what we can do for them. I will send it to you once we go back to work, no mention of the demo, Erin does that when she gets a meeting.

 

[Cassandra]

Any reason you wouldn't mention a demo or clean an area free to get in the door?

 

[Desk Jockey]

No I'm sure you could mention it in your letter if you chose to. My brother Dan wrote the letter and he didn't include it but left it for her to mention. I can see where it would matter in the letter or after.

 

[Steve Toburen]

Any reason you wouldn't mention a demo or clean an area free to get in the door?

Here is the best way to "get in the door" on a large account with public areas, Cassandra.

"But first you must a) identify your target property, b) pluck up your courage, c) have an excuse to contact the property manager and d)”break the ice”. Here’s a great tip on how to “reach out” to new prospects:

Walk the common areas of a “target building”, identify their worst soiling area and take a few photos of it. Then visit the building’s property manager, show him or her the photos and say you would like to “strut your stuff” by performing a free demo cleaning. (Or if you hit a brick wall on the visit then email them the photos and offer a free demo that will solve the problem.)"

Here is the complete "how to do it" procedure from a recent QuickTIP.

Steve

PS Richard, tell Erin to use our "POP" technique. Pre-identify the facility manager's "Point of Pain" AND list out exactly how Chavez will solve it. Much better than a lot of blah-blah-blah about great your company is. (Even though I'm sure you are.)

 

[mirf]

This year we are going to set up commercial sales route also. Large accounts will be the target of the route. My starting target is 5000 sq ft 3 times a year is what I am thinking.
any suggestions would be welcome.

 

[Steve Toburen]

This year we are going to set up commercial sales route also. Large accounts will be the target of the route. My starting target is 5000 sq ft 3 times a year is what I am thinking.
any suggestions would be welcome.

David,
I can't tell you how many regular "Service Agreements" I picked up simply by following this recent QuickTIP:

Remember that when a business owner or facilities manager calls you with the familiar “I need a bid to get some carpets cleaned” they don’t know what they really need. (Carpet cleaning is very low on a manager’s priority list!) So on every commercial job quote always give your prospect several options for a regular “Stay Beautiful” commercial maintenance program…

In every commercial proposal offer at least three different price options. (Even if the manager doesn’t ask for them.) Include the requested (higher) “as-needed” price for the initial cleaning along with two “Stay Beautiful” prices- one much lower price with a frequent schedule and a middle price/frequency in between the two extremes.

NOTE: If I really wanted the account at times I would “sweeten my offer” by doing the initial “resurrection cleaning” at the low Stay Beautiful maintenance price if the business signed up for regular service right then.

Here is the complete TIP.

Steve

PS My very best 'tip" on regular commercial accounts? Set up a regular morning to make weekly sales calls and let nothing deter you from your "appointed rounds". Too many of us engage in "binge selling". My favorite sales motto? "Selling is a process- not an event. Oh, and also don't sell yourself short- offer a quarterly cleaning instead of "three times a year."

 

[XTREME1]

Make sure they can pay for the frequency that you sell them. If it becomes a collections problem or they want to avoid you coming IE not prepared, alarm is set or PM doesn't show up etc it could hurt the relationship

 

[bob vawter]

I have a photo of her boss in assless chaps and a fluffy white shirt riding his POS Harley across Death Valley around here somewhere

here i found it for ya...

 

[Shane Deubell]

This year we are going to set up commercial sales route also. Large accounts will be the target of the route. My starting target is 5000 sq ft 3 times a year is what I am thinking.
any suggestions would be welcome.

I always look at it in employee size, less then 10-20 then you need to go door to door and canvass but larger employers 20 or more use telemarketing to pre-set appointments. The cut-off is different for everyone...

Then support with networking, associations, direct mail, 3rd party referral.

 

[mirf]

I always look at it in employee size, less then 10-20 then you need to go door to door and canvass but larger employers 20 or more use telemarketing to pre-set appointments. The cut-off is different for everyone...

Then support with networking, associations, direct mail, 3rd party referral.

I did not consider employee number in demographic targeting but it is a great idea

 

[Shane Deubell]

I did not consider employee number in demographic targeting but it is a great idea

Larger businesses are very difficult to go door to door on, security nowadays. Smaller businesses are flooded with scam phone calls all day so its easier just to talk to manager/owner real quick in person as long as you can find clusters of businesses.

We never care or even look at what industry a prospect is in, carpet is same either way.More employees = more dirt.

just my opinion

 

[Steve Toburen]

Larger businesses are very difficult to go door to door on, security nowadays. Smaller businesses are flooded with scam phone calls all day so its easier just to talk to manager/owner real quick in person as long as you can find clusters of businesses.

I agree. Especially getting your feet wet in contract commercial I would target owner-operated sectors such as realtors, doctor's offices, smaller retail stores, accountants and don't overlook industrial parks with office/warehouses. The advantage is you literally walk door-to-door, bop in, ask if you can fill out a Commercial Carpet Analysis and then if they aren't interested leave a card and move on. I could easily cover 20-30 new contacts in a long morning. Do this one morning a week and you WILL build a stable of regular commercial accounts.

Steve

PS I'll share a little trick I used when I was selling computer systems when I was a partner in a computer business. (Don't ask how I wound up there since I HATED selling computers!)

To help motivate me every time I sold a computer system I "rewarded myself". (Back in the day I was a big gun nut. So every time I sold a big system I'd buy myself a new firearm! By the time we sold the systems house I owned 28 guns!) So find something you really like and "treat yourself" every time you close a big contract.

 

[Shane Deubell]

Several different ways to approach this, the key is creating a manageable group of prospects you can reach repeatedly every quarter. Or more...

1. With mapping software {microsoft is only $40 or something} you can create corridors where a lot of businesses are clustered, then create a rotation to visit every quarter. This is steves thing, the benefit is as you add customers they are close by each other for service. More profit!
The con is cold calling is well, cold...

2. Another angle might be joining chamber of commerce in different towns or professional associations like dentists, doctors, restaurants, realtors etc. The benefit to this is you have a warm lead when contacting and a dedicated list to work off, "we are a fellow member and have a special discount for other members". The downside is the jobs will be scattered geographically.

Plus/Minus to whatever scheme you come up with.

 

[Desk Jockey]

We also have used quarterly contacts as our goal but this year we want to increase our contact frequency to once a month.

Now doesn't need to be face to face so it would include postcards, newsletters, brochures, flyers, note pads, email, phone calls or specialty promotional items she might drop off. They might get tired of us but they might also give us some work just because we are there. LOL

 

[juniorc82]

Any reason you wouldn't mention a demo or clean an area free to get in the door?

I think a demo is great for residential but the dynamic of a commercial building usualy is fast paced and chaotic. Usualy in commercial I have not really did any demo's , like I said they dont like the long process of elimination. I have noticed commerical accounts over all are really looking for consistancy and someone they can count on. A demo only says you can do a good job once

 

[Shane Deubell]

We also have used quarterly contacts as our goal but this year we want to increase our contact frequency to once a month.

Now doesn't need to be face to face so it would include postcards, newsletters, brochures, flyers, note pads, email, phone calls or specialty promotional items she might drop off. They might get tired of us but they might also give us some work just because we are there. LOL

We are with you richard, definitely want to dive into the details more and increase our "contacts" on top. Should look for a newsletter dedicated to commercial issues for emailing, someone must have one...

 

[Desk Jockey]

That's odd Jon, we are just the opposite, we wouldn't offer a demo for residential cleaning but have been very successful with commercial demo's. If we a demo, we usually land the job, we've had potential clients wait months just to see if a spot or entry will resoil. Of course it doesn't and we can usually covert the demo to booking a job.

We also never had a problem with scheduling a demo, if the contact wants we can do the demo in the evening or on a Saturday AM. What ever works for them, they don't even have to be there if the prefer not to be.

 

[ruff]

We also never had a problem with scheduling a demo, if the contact wants we can do the demo in the evening or on a Saturday AM. What ever works for them, they don't even have to be there if the prefer not to be.

What do you do cowboy, kick the door in?