I had a conversation with a print shop owner recently. It was one I’ve had many times before.
Read the transcript below and see if you can figure out why his salespeople are unemployed 91 days into the job.
Him: “Bill, I have tried and failed at finding a decent sales rep. They come and go, come and go, come and go.”
Me: “Not surprised. I hear this a lot. Tell me more.”
Him: “I put in a lot of time hiring. I’ll interview, test the candidate, ask for outside opinions, and listen to my gut before pulling the trigger.”
Me: “So far, so good. What then?”
Him: “I spend considerable resources training the rep on the capabilities of my shop and how to sell print.”
Me: “Do you, yourself, have sales experience in this industry?”
Him: “No, but I have been around a lot of salespeople and know what good sales looks like.”
Me: “Okay, keep going. What happens next?”
Him: “The last three hires have all followed the same pattern. I tell them they have 90 days and if they haven’t shown me they can sell by then, they’re gone. Not one has made it past that point. Bill, can you tell me what they are doing wrong?”
I can see one minor issue and two major issues. What are your thoughts on this situation?
Share your perspective in the Comments section below.
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Bill Farquharson can help you onboard your next sales rep and beat the 50/50 odds. Contact Bill at 781-934-7036 or bill@salesvault.pro
