Hiring a veteran carpet cleaner to get new clients and book jobs, how much can I afford to pay?????

[Moser Brothers]

He's a friend of mine who, has over 20 year experience in our industry. Very knowledgable in leather cleaning, carpet, tile, water damage, repairs, managed a large carpet cleaning franchise, owned a couple carpet cleaning businesses as an owner/operator

So why would he work for me? He sold his last business due to back pain issues, and is a stay at home dad now. He'd like to get back to work, and I'd like to make sure its a win win situation

1. How much is a good commission for getting new clients?
2. commission for repeat business from the new clients he acquires
3. straight commission, he'd be using his own car and gas
4. commission for giving estimates, and booking jobs on service monster?
5. how much to pay for follow up calls
6. hoping to target commercial clients for better profit margin
7. sliding scale commission, depending on jobs booked and job ticket
8. 1099?

Would love some advice anyone who's had success with hiring a salesman

 

[Lee Stockwell]

You know winter has arrived when these subjects pop up.

 

[Desk Jockey]

due to back pain issues

Lyon I'd make sure you are covered well on this issue before you make any commitments. Someone with a bad back can hit you work comp something terrible even if unintentional.

How much is a good commission for getting new clients?
commission for repeat business from the new clients he acquires
straight commission, he'd be using his own car and gas
commission for giving estimates, and booking jobs on service monster?
how much to pay for follow up calls
hoping to target commercial clients for better profit margin
sliding scale commission, depending on jobs booked and job ticket
1099?

That's a lot of commission, can I work for you?

 

[Mikey P]

How old and how presentable?

 

[Jim Pemberton]

How close of a friend is he? Hiring friends is nearly as bad as hiring family. Unrealistic expectations (on both of your parts) and hurt feelings can put an end to both your professional and personal relationship.

Put another way: I never hire someone that I can't manage with the same firmness and fairness that I'd use with every other employee, including the ability to give corrective counsel, written warnings, and ultimately fire.

Think that part through very carefully.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I never hire someone that I can't manage with the same firmness and fairness that I'd use with every other employee, including the ability to give corrective counsel, written warnings, and ultimately fire.

Good stuff!

 

[Desk Jockey]

I'd still worry about his back.

We've had two expensive work comp claims and both involved bad backs. Employees that came in with pre existing bad backs and then injured them while employed with us.

One bent over to move an end table and place tabs under it and became injured. The other raised his arm to chem sponge a wall and hurt his back.
Neither caused by strenuous work but simply bad timing that it happened at work. It could have happened at home but nooo my luck it happened here.

Should have, could have, would have, gotten rid of them early on.

We were too nice of guys and our reward for being nice guys is we got stung hard.

 

[idreadnought]

First I would only pay commission on the initial sale. This formula gets tricky depending on your expected lifetime value of a customer. Lets take a commercial job that he lands. You earn $400 gross from the cleaning. If you think this will be an every 6 month thing for 3 years that is $2400 in cleaning revenue. Considering you will probably make 50% profit after labor, and expenses then there is a lot of room to pay him for getting the customer. I would be ok with 25% one time commission.

Doing in home estimates for you when you have found the lead then the rate goes way down. Maybe 10-15%

Answering phones and booking jobs? That costs me about 6% so you would not be using him very well to have him do that.

Sales pe0ple are gold, platinum, diamond, or any other adjective you can link something really valuable. In many organizations of medium size the top sales person is one of the highest compensated positions.

 

[idreadnought]

The bad back would cause me some concern. There are ways you can work around having a sales person on payrol. He could start a lead generation business and sell the leads to you. He would have to be licensed, insured, and make his own hours. He would also have to have the ability to work for others. But unlike a cleaning tech, getting a sales guy to be independent is much easier than other positions.

 

[Moser Brothers]

How old and how presentable?

He's around my age, under 40. Hes in a lot of pain now, so he'll be more presentable, if he can keep the pain under control.

 

[Moser Brothers]

The bad back would cause me some concern. There are ways you can work around having a sales person on payrol. He could start a lead generation business and sell the leads to you. He would have to be licensed, insured, and make his own hours. He would also have to have the ability to work for others. But unlike a cleaning tech, getting a sales guy to be independent is much easier than other positions.

I like the lead generation idea, he misses cleaning carpets, and meeting new people. He'd be an independent contractor