Need Ideas On How To Go About Hiring A Salesperson To Help Get Business
Hi Everyone,
Hope you're all doing well!
I am hoping to get some ideas on how to go about hiring a salesperson to get some local SEO and some Website Building business.
I've built 2 sites for others so far and would also like to get into local SEO.
Problem is I'm terrible at sales (I get all tongue tied and forget what I want to say etc... yep, not a good thing for sales!).
I'm thinking of trying Craigslist, but would love to hear your ideas of other ways to go about this - of course I'd love to find someone knowledgeable of the basics of each so they can communicate well with clients.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts/ideas!
Lori
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One other thought, design and print some business cards. I dont know what size city you are in, but you could connect with local media reps… they call on customers with ad budgets everyday.
I have spent many years placing media and they can be a wonderful resource for you. Perhaps set up a meeting and let them pitch to you. Let them know you are starting a new business and just exploring rates and possibilities. Some of them are excellent in sales, so dont get talked into something you can't afford. You will learn a lot from their presentations. It will help you more than you know and you may make a few friends along the way. You could thank them very much for taking their time to bring you up to speed and give them a few business cards. And who knows, they may pass that card to someone needing your services. Sometimes, stations out-source tasks as well. I used to pay a spiff if they had someone in need of my services.
Just make sure when you do this, you feel confident in your presentation of yourself and your services. There are many other ways to get business as well, but start there and see where it takes you.
Have you gotten your business listed in the local search directories and have you created or claimed your google plus page. You will likely want to get a UPS box for your business close to your home so you can be included in google maps and listings. You do not want them coming to your door, so do not be ashamed to say that you work from your home office to so that your customers investment in you goes strictly to great service and not over-head, or something to that effect.
There are many ways to drive local business organically. You can write a press release and make sure the media gets copies.
Making sure your site is mobile compatible is very important. I would not advise using your local paper and paying for adds, will eat up a lot of resources quickly. I would however get a press kit from them and let them know you are starting a business. You could write a wonderful story about what you are doing and why.
Get press kits from all of your media outlets as included in the packet will be press release forms. Plus, you will make contact with a rep from there, hoping to get your business if all goes well… so it becomes,"in their best interest" to help you. You won't get everything I am telling you to ask for, but you will get some. Practice your elevator speech, master it. Before you use your elevator pitch, check out the competition and make sure you are better than they are and that your prices are in line with the market.
Anyway, this is a start.
Thanks Julie for the great ideas! I had never heard of a press kit before so would not have thought about that....Lori
I think Sergs said it all and she is successful. Follow her lead. I'd be very wary of Craigs List. Haven't found it reliable. Can you run an ad in your local paper? Are there computer businesses in our town that might know someone? Good Luck!
Thanks Carla, I'll try the newspaper although not many ads in there for much of anything. I think not many people actually read the newspaper much anymore. I am also starting without a budget unfortunately. I will check out some computer businesses, that's a great idea! Thanks for your help! Lori
Sounds like you are striding forward well done, I see Sergs has given some very good advice having looked at your site I would say you do have the skills within you already and perhaps you can look at some training for yourself in this area
Thanks Kathy! It's hard to explain, but I have never been good with sales or public speaking or speaking to a group of people. It's just not a strong point at all. I'm definitely going to take some of the ideas here and try them out! Hope you have a happy Tuesday! Lori
Neither was until I was place in a situation that I simply could not avoid, still shaky on the sales thing but getting there, wish you luck with it all
Hi Lori,
Glad to hear that you are now into Website Building Business. Happy to share that we are on the same boat :) That is what I am up to also since I've learned WordPress from Wealthy Affiliate.
If I may say so...hope you get something from my experiences.
First: If you have a reasonable budget for the salesperson - yes, it would really help. I maybe conducting training from time to time but sales is really a different world for me. :) So what I am doing is to share the services I am offering to friends and people I am meeting from time to time to please help me in spreading the news. With that, I've delivered 2 WordPress Websites already.
Other things:
Second: FLYERS. I've printed out flyers and distribute it when I've got the chance. I also ask my friends to help me distribute the flyers. :) Then, there are more I am meeting who are asking for the flyers to distribute also for me.
Third: PROTOYPE. When presenting to a potential client - I am using website prototypes to explain the idea. Here, I am creating website design options in WA. I usually come up with 3 options. Then, from the client chosen option - I improve from there until the delivery. I usually deliver the website within 5 days as soon as the Agreement has been signed, prototype has been accepted and additional requirements have been discussed and verified.
Fourth: After blogging, I spread the article link from my website to facebook, twitter and google+. And further, do some bookmarking in digg, fart, etc. With this, I was able to make the website rank within 2 weeks and gain my personal google+ URL within 1 week.
In summary, I am using the combination of the 4 items I've written above. Hope this helps. Cheers to your success!
All the best,
Jhen
Thanks Jhen! I'm happy you're doing well with web design! The flyers are a great idea, I'll start working on that. I don't have a budget for a salesperson, it would be commission only, but would offer a decent commission percentage. The prototype presentation is great too. Thanks so much for your help! Have a great day!
Lori
Jhen, that is great advice. I don't want to go into the Website Building business, but there's a lot there on how to build my own website building... thanks.
With regard to hiring a salesperson. I've been in sales for over 30 years. I've recruited, hired and trained hundreds of sales reps, (inside and out). I would never start a new salesforce without a great sales presentation to start with. How would I know it was great... because I had tested it myself and got results. To just hire somebody and tell them what you wanted from them, and tell them to say whatever they wanted to get business would be a very costly learning experience.
It's your business, but you get tongue tied. That's because you don't have a presentation that works. All a presentation is, is a series of questions to find out the interest in your product / service. Example: "Hi I'm Phil, I build websites for many business's in town here, and I was wondering Would You Like To Increase Your Business by __%?" You ask a question that requires a "Yes" answer for you to proceed. If they say "No" you thank them and leave. If they say "Yes" ask another question to help define for you, how you might be able to help them, such as, "Do you have a website now?" You build these questions into a script, that you practice until it becomes a part of you. You make a note of any; questions, objections or stalls you get from a prospect. In any sales presentation there are usually about 10 standard objections, you need to expect them and be able to reply to them.
Would I want to hire and pay somebody, have them represent my business without a script that I know works and all the standard objections answered... no. Sales is an Art, you need learn for yourself. I hope this helps.
Hi BrooklynPhil,
It would be strictly a part time commission position. Also, I have always been horrible with public speaking and trying to sell to anyone even one on one, it is not a strong point at all for me and I am well aware of it, I need some business though so will be going with some ideas on here. A script and plan is a great idea and will start working on that. Thanks for your help! Lori
I understand, public speaking is a greater fear than even Death.
If you look at this as, " trying to sell to anyone even one on one," I look at it as asking a question, "Hi, I'm wondering if my business could help your business..." It's really what we do here, Identify a Problem and Offer Solutions. Whether we do it online through our website or in a face to face conversation. All the best.
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Best of luck!