[jermaine1983]

What commission should I pay my janitorial sales reps for acquiring new accounts I live in Philadelphia pa does anyone know?

[Fr_Chuck]

Will they be getting just a one time fee for getting the account, or will it be a fee they get each month as the client is retained

[Stringer]

What we do is pay 25% of the net profit for each job sold, one time for each job.

We have each salesperson then 'watch', visit each twice per month and they are responsible for their own accounts. For this they receive another 10% each month for each of their accounts. Plus a base salary of $25,000.00 per year.

We also either give them a company car or pay $500.00 per month to use their own vehicle and we cover all expenses.

They are also responsible to turn in a detailed 'Daily Report' each day or $10.00 is deducted for each day that they do not. This report is about their existing accounts and all sales call with complete information.

Stringer

[jermaine1983]

Will they be getting just a one time fee for getting the account, or will it be a fee they get each month as the client is retained

They will get paid residual as long as the account stays active

[jermaine1983]

What we do is pay 25% of the net profit for each job sold, one time for each job.

We have each salesperson then 'watch', visit each twice per month and they are responsible for their own accounts. For this they receive another 10% each month for each of their accounts. Plus a base salary of $25,000.00 per year.

We also either give them a company car or pay $500.00 per month to use their own vehicle and we cover all expenses.

They are also responsible to turn in a detailed 'Daily Report' each day or $10.00 is deducted for each day that they do not. This report is about their existing accounts and all sales call with complete information.

Stringer

Stringer thank you for the information it really helps, do you also do draws?

[Stringer]

Stringer thank you for the information it really helps, do you also do draws?

In the 17 years that I have been doing this with my company I haven't as yet. I is always an option however in my opinion it is pretty much the same as you can never get back any draw. The important thing is in your hiring the right self starting people. However you must still maintain a lot of control and feedback.

Salary or draw, if with in 3 months there aren't any see-able results... well it is decision time. In my opinion, great salespeople are a special and rare breed.

Stringer

[jermaine1983]

What we do is pay 25% of the net profit for each job sold, one time for each job.

We have each salesperson then 'watch', visit each twice per month and they are responsible for their own accounts. For this they receive another 10% each month for each of their accounts. Plus a base salary of $25,000.00 per year.

We also either give them a company car or pay $500.00 per month to use their own vehicle and we cover all expenses.

They are also responsible to turn in a detailed 'Daily Report' each day or $10.00 is deducted for each day that they do not. This report is about their existing accounts and all sales call with complete information.

Stringer

Stringer I have one more question for you would that 25% come from the monthly amount of the account or would it from the full year amount? Thanks again

[Stringer]

Stringer I have one more question for you would that 25% come from the monthly amount of the account or would it from the full year amount? thanks agian

The 25% is paid monthly along with the 10% and other.. Should that account add space of reduce work it affects the salesperson's account. If the account is lost so are all commissions.

We pay twice per month; the 15th and the last day.

Stringer

[jermaine1983]

In the 17 years that I have been doing this with my company I haven't as yet. I is always an option however in my opinion it is pretty much the same as you can never get back any draw. The important thing is in your hiring the right self starting people. However you must still maintain a lot of control and feedback.

Salary or draw, if with in 3 months there aren't any see-able results...well it is decision time. In my opinion, great salespeople are a special and rare breed.

Stringer

Hey stringer what do you think would be a realistic amount I should set or expect a sales rep to do per month. Thanks again

[jermaine1983]

Stringer I have one more question for you would that 25% come from the monthly amount of the account or would it from the full year amount? thanks agian

Thanks again

[Stringer]

Hey stringer what do you think would be a realistic amount I should set or expect a sales rep to do per month. Thanks agian

In sales?

A new salesperson has to be trained in the technical part of the actual cleaning part of the job to add vastly to their experience. A new sales person with us, regardless of past sales experience, spends two weeks nightly with our Operations Director on sites. He/she will actually do the job for a few nights in different locations, different types of buildings; medical, retail, warehouse, general office, labs, etc. They also spend time with the Floor Crews, actually learn how to strip and refinish VCT properly, carpet cleaning, window cleaning, etc. This allows them, first hand, to see what it actually takes to do the job properly, an overview of how much time it takes to do it, and then understands the problems that Operations have. This overall gives them insight when selling and bidding. AND 'knowledge breeds CONFIDENCE!'

It begins with prospecting, stays with prospecting and ends with prospecting! Too often a salesperson 'gets lucky' and then stops prospecting for a while. This is disastrous. Generally it takes a lead time of three months on average from first contact to sale. (Decision time, present contract 30 day notification terms, etc.) They have to keep things 'in the pipeline.'

They have to learn to network constantly, 30% of our new business comes from referrals. Even if the person that they are talking to does not have a business, they probably know someone that does. Also, have them join groups; local chambers, local networking groups, read all the local news papers, business and trade magazines, etc. There is much that you can do to assist; website, good brochures, give aways, local stories of accomplishments in your local news paper/s about them and your company, etc.

So with that said, (and there is so much more) initially all the person's time is devoted to sales not tending to care-taking of existing accounts. If you give them an established territory then they should also get any other leads that come from that territory. I would start with a sales goal based first upon prospecting and appointments, say 15 to 20 new prospects daily, 1 to 2 appointments daily, etc. Then after the first three months evaluate this. Then establish a dollar sales goal going forward. I would do this with their participation as they need to feel that it is doable and they 'buy into it' also.

I would establish a minimum sq ft for buildings that you want them to pursue, say 2,000 sq ft or larger. Figure your sales price on this size building/s and for the second quarter I would say that 6 to 10 sales at this figure for a monthly goal, say $4,000.00 per month. Then upon seeing the results make adjustments accordingly. Next quarter, after review, say $5,500.00 per month, and so on to arrive at an 'up and running' sales person monthly goal.

Make the adjustments according to territory potential, this person's ability, etc. After 6 months, I would think that an aggressive, self starter should have a monthly sales goal of at least $10,000.00 +, that is $120,000.00 annually +. This, IMO, will make profit for your company and certainly make money for the sales person.

You need to sit down and run your own figures as far as cost balances... One thing that greatly discourages a successful salesperson is to change any commission plan or sales goal/s later that are not in the person's interest. You WILL destroy their attitude and probably lose a good salesperson.

I hope this helped some, if you have more questions please ask me, thanks.

Stringer

[jermaine1983]

In sales?

A new salesperson has to be trained in the technical part of the actual cleaning part of the job to add vastly to their experience. A new sales person with us, regardless of past sales experience, spends two weeks nightly with our Operations Director on sites. He/she will actually do the job for a few nights in different locations, different types of buildings; medical, retail, warehouse, general office, labs, etc. They also spend time with the Floor Crews, actually learn how to strip and refinish VCT properly, carpet cleaning, window cleaning, etc. This allows them, first hand, to see what it actually takes to do the job properly, an overview of how much time it takes to do it, and then understands the problems that Operations have. This overall gives them insight when selling and bidding. AND 'knowledge breeds CONFIDENCE!'

It begins with prospecting, stays with prospecting and ends with prospecting! Too often a salesperson 'gets lucky' and then stops prospecting for a while. This is disastrous. Generally it takes a lead time of three months on average from first contact to sale. (Decision time, present contract 30 day notification terms, etc.) They have to keep things 'in the pipeline.'

They have to learn to network constantly, 30% of our new business comes from referrals. Even if the person that they are talking to does not have a business, they probably know someone that does. Also, have them join groups; local chambers, local networking groups, read all the local news papers, business and trade magazines, etc. There is much that you can do to assist; website, good brochures, give aways, local stories of accomplishments in your local news paper/s about them and your company, etc.

So with that said, (and there is so much more) initially all the person's time is devoted to sales not tending to care-taking of existing accounts. If you give them an established territory then they should also get any other leads that come from that territory. I would start with a sales goal based first upon prospecting and appointments, say 15 to 20 new prospects daily, 1 to 2 appointments daily, etc. Then after the first three months evaluate this. Then establish a dollar sales goal going forward. I would do this with their participation as they need to feel that it is doable and they 'buy into it' also.

I would establish a minimum sq ft for buildings that you want them to pursue, say 2,000 sq ft or larger. Figure your sales price on this size building/s and for the second quarter I would say that 6 to 10 sales at this figure for a monthly goal, say $4,000.00 per month. Then upon seeing the results make adjustments accordingly. Next quarter, after review, say $5,500.00 per month, and so on to arrive at an 'up and running' sales person monthly goal.

Make the adjustments according to territory potential, this person's ability, etc. After 6 months, I would think that an aggressive, self starter should have a monthly sales goal of at least $10,000.00 +, that is $120,000.00 annually +. This, IMO, will make profit for your company and certainly make money for the sales person.

You need to sit down and run your own figures as far as cost balances..... One thing that greatly discourages a successful salesperson is to change any commission plan or sales goal/s later that are not in the person's interest. You WILL destroy their attitude and probably lose a good salesperson.

I hope this helped some, if you have more questions please ask me, thanks.

Stringer

Hey Stringer, do you know of any good janitorial books?

[Stringer]

HI Jermaine,

Please be a little more specific; Sales (phone/cold calling/direct), operations, green cleaning, medical cleaning, admin?

[jermaine1983]

HI Jermaine,

Please be a little more specific; Sales (phone/cold calling/direct), operations, green cleaning, medical cleaning, admin?

Hi Stringer,

More like sales and operations, and what do you think about government contracts?

[jermaine1983]

HI Jermaine,

Please be a little more specific; Sales (phone/cold calling/direct), operations, green cleaning, medical cleaning, admin?

Hi Stringer,

Basically any books on sales, operations and what's your opinion on government contracts? Thanks Again

[Stringer]

There are tons of books and articles on sales and some specifically pertaining to operations in the cleaning business Jermaine.

Let me check my 'Stash' :) and you take a look later back today or tomorrow, OK?

Stringer

[Stringer]

Jermaine, here are 8 points when calling on the phone and especially when you get their voice mail...

1. Get down to
business right away, don't make them feel that you are wasting their time.

Your prospects don't like
phony friendliness. Instead,
be professional and state,
"Eric. Jill Konrath calling.
123-456-7890."

Even though
you feel compelled to share
your position and company
name, they're irrelevant
in a voice mail.
Reference any
referrals upfront

2.The single best way to keep
prospects listening is to
mention the name of a
respected colleague. Make
sure you state this person's
name immediately after your
brief introduction: "Pat Jones
suggested I call you."

3. Show you've done
your homework.

Let them know you prepared
for this call by researching
their business. Tell them if
you've worked with other
similar people or companies.

You might say,
"I was on your website and
noticed…" or "In working with
other CPA firms, I know
they're struggling with..."

4. Mention a recent
newsworthy event.
Bring up recent events that
create a need relevant to
your offering. This includes
things like 3rd quarter
earnings, new management,
acquisitions, down sizings,
higher interest rates or new
strategic initiatives.

Let them know this is what
triggered the call.

5.State a strong
value proposition.

Prospects are always
interested in the business
outcomes you can deliver.
Instead of talking about your
product or service, use
business terminology and
metrics: "We help companies
shrink time to revenue on
new product launches
by up to 47%."

6. Share a fresh
perspective.

Nothing is more tempting
than ideas, insights or
information that can help
eliminate their problems or
achieve their objectives:
"I have some ideas on
speeding up your sales cycle"
or "We recently did a study
of CFO's primary concerns
in today's business
environment."

7.Eliminate any self serving
verbiage

Much as you might like to
talk about your state-of-the-art
systems, unique
methodologies and passion
for excellence, it turns your
prospects off. Get rid of all
self-promoting puffery,
creative crap and
technical tripe.

8. Sound like a
trusted peer.

Today's buyers want to work
with savvy sellers who bring
personal value to the
relationship. Don't sound like
you're hoping to meet with
them or grateful for even 10
minutes of their time.

Instead, talk like you would
if you called a colleague
with an idea.

I look through more, I hope this helps some.

Stringer

[Stringer]

When you write letters to prospects:



Prospecting letters can uncover gold-but only if you observe these tried-and-true rules:

Personalize. Businesses don't buy from businesses; people buy from people. Address your prospecting letter to people, not to their business-and never to "occupants." Target your letter by using recipients' names and titles-spelled correctly of course.

Demonstrate expertise. Before prospects will consider you, you need to demonstrate that you know what you're doing and that you have the track record to prove it. Are you the "largest manufacturer of widgets?" Are you rated highest in Consumer Reports? TELL THEM!

Emphasize. Instead of reading, prospects may just scan for essential points. Make your most important points easy to find and easy to come back to. Use underlining, color highlighting, boldface, UPPER CASE-even circle your most important points.

Keep it simple. Brevity and simplicity reduce clutter. Prune your words to their essentials by reading and re-reading your letter before it goes out.

Say what you mean. Choose active, colorful words that say exactly what you mean. Avoid over-used expressions and wimpy words that lack punch.

Appeal to the eye. Today, layout is often as important as content. Place your key points first. Ensure readability by careful choice of typeface, paragraph spacing, margins, logo placement, and color usage. Use your computer to automate and enhance impact, but don't go "font crazy"-nothing says amateur so much as too much.

Show respect. Don't waste your recipient's time through irrelevance or exaggeration. Tell the truth, and relate your service or product to the real world-their world. Address their goals; solve their problems. After all, a trucker's concerns will differ from a cosmetic surgeon's.

Make replies easy. Enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope or postage-paid card. Emphasize phone numbers and contact names, and be consistent and clear when describing what you're offering. Unless recipients can easily restate your message, they haven't grasped the nature of your offering.

Add a postscript. Many sales are made solely on the basis of what comes after the main body of the prospecting letter. Got a special offer to make (trade-in allowance, clearance prices, extended warranties)? Place it at the end, in a postscript. A p.s. is an effective summary-your offer in a "nutshell"-and may be the one item of content prospects refer back to and remember.

Call for action! Tell readers what you want them to do-and remind them of why they should act right away: "To take advantage of this one-time only, 50% discount, reply by December 31 using the enclosed, postage-paid envelope." Few products or services can survive the selling silence of a prospecting letter that omits the call to action.

Go for the hidden gold-put these prospecting tips to work today!

-Sandler Systems[/B]

Stringer

[mapchicago]

Do you suggest face to face prospecting for janitorial accounts or cold calls via the phone. How many face to face and/or phone calls is possible.

[mapchicago]

When the rep visits the account twice a month do they visit and speak with the client and/or do they go and speak with the crew also in the evening?