Selling Systems that Land Great Paying Work

Send a thank you card. If the project was high value, include a gift certificate to dinner or a donation to their favorite charity in their name.

7. Motivating the Pursuit and Procurement of Profitable Sales.
Implement a sales compensation plan that rewards salesmen for selling profitable work. Make sure the system rewards all salesmen equally for identical performance. Keep the sales team focused on high profit work.

Any competent estimator can land low profit work. If salesmen are going to earn their keep, they must close on a bundle of highly profitable work.

8. Improving the Salesmen's Selling Skills.
Virtually nobody in the construction arena can afford to hire a proven rainmaker. You must learn how to grow your own.

That means you need to coach your salesmen. If they develop beyond YOUR ability to help them, hire a sales coach.

Few things will bring money into your company faster than a highly skilled and motivated salesman.

9. Networking.
It's not who you know but who knows you.

Your network is your early warning system for new opportunities. The better your team is networked, the greater the likelihood your company will be the first to learn about a lead.

Networks take time to build and nurture. You must stay in constant contact with your network to keep yourself at the forefront of their minds. You need to send business their way.

Networks work best when each member is helping the others succeed.

10. Strengthening Customer Relationships.
You need a system for strengthening your relationship with your newer customers. Your goal is to become an invaluable resource to their personal success.

You can do this by helping them solve problems you have expertise in. You can do this by providing budget information for work they should or may undertake. You can do this by passing along contact information of individuals who will help them get ahead.

The assistance you provide need not be limited to their professional interests. If you discover they are passionate about a hobby, forward hard-to-find information that might be of interest to them.

Of course, the tried and true method is to take them out to lunch or dinner or take them to some type of event. The value of the customer determines the amount of time and money you should invest in the relationship.

Regardless of how you do it, you must stay close to your most valuable customers.

Final Note
You probably noticed that closing the sale is not listed as among the 10 selling systems. Closing is a skill, a very valuable skill. You that someone in your company must have.

Ron Roberts, The Contractor's Business Coach, teaches contractors how to turn their business into a profit spewing machine. To receive Ron's FREE Contractor Best Practices Newsletter visit www.FilthyRichContractor.com.