This blog may contain affiliate links.
So, things are good. Business is rolling and you’re ready to start scaling. Woohoo! This is such a fun time in business, and we are so excited for you. This could mean it’s time to start thinking about hiring a sales rep, but you’re not sure where to start. It’s ok, that’s a completely normal place to be and you are not alone! Hiring can be scary, confusing, and overwhelming but it doesn’t have to be if you take a few preparatory steps. To help you out we’ve compiled a list of five things you need to put in place before hiring a sales rep.
Written out sales process
If you’ve been doing this for a while you probably have a system for selling that’s working for you (if not, lets talk). It might include discovery calls, questionnaires, proposals, and follow ups. But where is it written down?
If you’re like most entrepreneurs, a lot of your processes are engraved in the vault that is your brain… but that doesn’t help anyone else be able to help you sell the way you do it. As much as we would love it, that new hire isn’t going to be a mind reader. Set your sales team up for success and write down your sales process.
This can be as simple as a word document with step-by-step milestones you want hit throughout the sales process. It can also be as robust as an instructional guide integrated into a CRM (we love Dubsado). Whatever way you decide to go the key is to this step is to GET IT DONE! It doesn’t help anyone if you have great intentions to write it down and then get so bogged down in making it fancy that it never gets completed. Just do it, no matter how pretty (or not) it is.
Need help with this step? We can help.
Templated communications
We bet you’re sending a lot of the same communications throughout your sales process. We also bet you’re writing a lot of these from scratch every time. Stop doing that! Take a look at your process (now that it’s nicely documented) and pinpoint when you’re sending the same communications over and over. Maybe it’s your intake form, or discovery script, or thank you email.
Whatever these common communications are, it’s time to make a list and start writing. Make the communication templates generic to start and you can customize them and spice them up when you’re sending them out. Store these templates in the same document or platform that you have your process recorded. Then you’re not looking for them and wasting time.
Need help with this step? We can help.
A framework for proposals
This is another area that you can do a little bit of work up front to save you huge amounts of time later. Even if your work is completely custom you can have a framework for your proposals. We’re going to give you a basic framework to get you started.
So, jump into Canva, open up a proposal template, tweak the colours and pictures to align with your brand, and make sure you include these sections:
1. Title page
2. Pain point agitation (remind them of their problem)
3. The kickass results they’re going to get
4. Pricing
5. Next steps
6. Thank you
Once you’ve created this framework the proposal process will be simplified and consistent for your future sales rep.
Need help with this step? We can help.
Follow up calendar
Follow up, follow up, follow up! We cannot drive this home enough. You should be following up with a prospective client regularly until they say yes please! (or no thanks.) Although we suggest at least once a week for 7-10 communications it should also feel good for you. Make sure whatever your follow up cadence is it’s clearly outlined so you and your team can stay consistent, be held accountable, and be authentic to your brand.
BONUS: this is another opportunity for you to template your communications.
Need help with this step? We can help.
Customer-led mindset
During your entire sales process please, please, please, remember this is about the customer and making their life better. It’s not about you and how awesome you are (although we know you are!).
Always, keep the customer and their interests top of mind and make sure your future sales rep has the same mindset.
You've got this!
Now you’re well on your way to having a killer system that your new sales rep is going to be able to knock out of the park for you! We’re so proud of you and know you are going to rock this scaling business. You’ve got this Chaos Crew.
We want to know which step you’re going to start with! Comment below to let us know or tag us on social media.
Comments