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New to Sales In a Familiar Industry
Does anyone here have any experience in the commercial Boiler & Compressor field? This is a very niche industry. I’ve held almost all of the admin positions before jumping into sales (Dispatch, Parts Dept., Estimating, Customer Service). The Estimating position I held helped me a lot when I came in as an Account Manager. I used to assist other Account Managers with quotes. Now that I’m an Account Manager myself, my lack of sales technique is somewhat obvious. This is a VERY competitive industry that not too many people know about. The few companies that do this kind of service are always battling over the same customers in a given territory. My company is not the cheapest, but we do have very knowledgeable technicians. I guess the point of this post is to maybe get some advice on how to win customers over knowing we aren’t the cheapest option in town, and is there a way to “fake it til I make it” in regards to sales experience.
You’re going to need a selling proposition that clearly answers the question, “Why do business with Travis instead of the other guy?”
I would draw upon your prior experience:
– What frustrated you the most in those other positions?
– What were your customers complaining about when you worked those other positions?
If you can craft a pitch that addresses those frustrations, you’ve got a solid shot.
Also, read Will’s books. Then, when you’re done, read them again. I kid you not. They are dense with information and it’s easy to miss very valuable material that you’ll pick up on the second pass.
Hey Travis,
The few companies that do this kind of service are always battling over the same customers in a given territory.
Are you selling to people who already have a supplier? Or new accounts?
is there a way to “fake it til I make it” in regards to sales experience.
Have you completed the SalesCode Assessment? No need to fake it, just solve those issues it flags up.
Also, read Will’s books. Then, when you’re done, read them again. I kid you not. They are dense with information and it’s easy to miss very valuable material that you’ll pick up on the second pass.
Thanks Jeff :).
It’s required by law (at least for commercial boilers) to get opened and cleaned as often as once a year. There is a ton of maintenance that also arises, so just about everyone has a supplier. Most companies go with the best price, and others go with the company that gets the best service. I took over in mid-February from a long-time Account Manager who stopped communicating with smaller customers and only focused on his top-grossing customers. This has caused a lot of damage to the point where some customers don’t even want us on site anymore. I come from a Customer Service background so making the customer feel appreciated and important is baked into me. I guess I’m sort of all over the place being new to this position and being left with somewhat of a mess.
Our fiscal year ended yesterday, and I actually did pretty well in a short amount of time. “Pretty well” isn’t good enough for me, though. I downloaded both of your books and plan to read them (twice thanks to Jeff’s advice.) My assessment score was 46% with Sales Skills @ 40%, Beliefs @ 60%, and Actions at 40%.
Thanks for your response!
I took over in mid-February from a long-time Account Manager who stopped communicating with smaller customers and only focused on his top-grossing customers. This has caused a lot of damage to the point where some customers don’t even want us on site anymore. I come from a Customer Service background so making the customer feel appreciated and important is baked into me.
Was this seller hitting quota every year?
Playing devils advocate – Maybe they had successfully prioritized the territory and was just being efficient with their time?
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