How to build a sales force on a shoe string budget.

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I get a couple PM's about this semi regularly,
There are two other off liners who have asked me about this
that are currently looking for offices.

also i owe an explanation from another post about
" building not finding " a sales force.

So i figured i would start this thread and try to roll it all into one.

-

First, as we all know, i am a phone guy. I know this works for
phone rooms, because i have done it.

However i believe this will will work for door to door sales as well.
But i am not positive, because i have never built a door to door
sales force.

This is a model that i was taught and have added to, it has never failed once.
It is a model i will never stop using.

-

I will explain my "system" ( i hate that word ) but it is exactly that.

i will show you my system, and then show you how to build the
same system on a budget ... please understand i did not say at no cost
i said on a budget. It takes money to make money, i am just
going to show you how to get the best bang for your buck.

This is currently what happens if you come to my company for a sales job.

You get interviewed, get asked about past experience, asked for referrals,
and then you read a script into a recorder. ( not our real script )

Then sent home. Some one else listens to the recording.
if they like what they hear, the applicant gets to come back.

we don't bother with the referrals, we don't really care about them.

we care about the experience and the recording.

If you have "to" much experience, or have worked for a company where
we know they have sleazy sales tactics, we wont hire you.

If you can read a pitch cold, under pressure, and you don't sound horrible
we will give you a chance.

Next

You now have to go through training.

Training is 6 weeks.

( it is really 8 but we tell them 6 )

Week one they sit in a class room, with a trainer ... dry erase board and all.
They are then taught the products, Inside and out.

they are provided written material explaining the products, answering
questions, ect.

They are provided the scripts and rebuttals.

We also have a pbx system where the trainees can hear live sales
from any of the sales person on the floor.

During that week that are expected to memorize the scripts and rebuttals
we even break them up into pairs and make them pitch each other.

They are also expected to memorize the products.

During this process they are tested, those that don't look like they "have it"
are generally cut. those that fail the test get cut.

last phase at the end of the week , if they have passed all the written tests
and oral script test ( proving they memorized them and the rebuttals )

they have to record one pitch from memory.

that's it, week one of training is complete.

that doesn't mean they have a job yet. The final recording goes
to the floor manager. If the manager does not like the recording
they are cut, and no moving on.


Week 2 and 3 ---

These two weeks are designed to get rid of the whiners and quitters.

It is also designed to start teaching accountability, confidence and sales 101.

There is a training teacher / manager for each set of training.
this is where they meet the first one.

When the newbies get on the phone they generally sound like crap,
completely unsure of them selves....

So we give them the worst leads we have. Our leads are segmented
We alphabetize them as campaigns. The leads they are calling are called "D"
leads.

Every single sales person in this office .. has spent two weeks calling that list.
Same list, no exceptions. These companies ( the ones who have not been asked
to be removed ) have literally been called 1000's of times...

They have two weeks to make a sale, and move onto the next step of training.
With the "D" leads, if they don't they are fired.

Their teacher / manager is also on the phones selling ( not in a "D" camping )
They can listen to him, and when they are stuck, or he hears some thing wrong
he takes the time to teach them properly, and even TO a deal for them.

These guys are all sitting in a square next to each other, so they can feed of
each other and learn... and the teacher / manger ... is making sales while
helping them.. so it adds to the "i can do this" mentality.

The sales manager makes commission for each sale, he helps the trainees get.

( this is to ensure he does his job properly )

week 4.

same deal just with "C" campaign. These leads are slightly better...
which just means instead of being called 1000 times... they might have been
called 500.... lol. like i said slightly better.

The sales teacher /manager spends more time with them on technique
they should have already started sounding confident. and they got at least
one sale, or they would not have made it to this group.

again, trainer gets commission based on trainee sales.

again, no sales in this week, your cut. no moving on.


week 5 and 6 are exactly the same, no sales in those weeks ... your cut.
they also have trainers helping them.the only difference
is they leads campaigns get better each week.

with the exception, that during week 6 if you do not get at least
one sale, with out a TO, then you will be cut.

you have to show you can get sales with out relying on any crutches.

By week 6, we have weeded out all the liars, the ones who cant follow
directions, the ones who don't have what it takes. and they have
started to make more then one sale a week.

Week 7 and 8.

They are put onto the main floor. They think they have passed all training
and have are officially hired. In reality they are... and they aren't.

Now the floor manager, has eyes and ears on.

He has the ultimate say, if he thinks your not cut out for this
then your out.

Those final two weeks your on "A" leads... if you cant sell these leads
your wasting our leads and we don't want you.

also during those last two weeks, we have inhouse compliance monitors
they listen to them, all day every day for two weeks.

They have a list of things you can and cannot say.. all things you have been
already taught. They take notes .. cross over the line they make a report
and give it to the floor manager. 3 strikes... your out.

3 strikes your out, applies to every sales person .. no exceptions.

These compliance monitors are a group of retired ladies who
who have been taught .... there only job is to make sure...
we don't ( as a company ) get in trouble by selling in a way
that makes us vulnerable.


Now if your not fired in those two weeks ... you are now officially
one of the gang. and you have already paid the company back on
its investment in you ( via sales )

you are now on 90 days probation ( that has nothing to do with sales )
and everything to do with, showing up on time, coming back
from lunch.. not showing up drunk. ect.

after your 90 days are up. benefits kick in ect.


=

Ok, here is the bad news.

The odds of making it to the main floor are about 1 per 100.

the good news.

they are bad asses in the making. They don't want to go any where.
and you will make boat loads of return off of the initial training.

btw training for us is never really over, we do morning mojo meetings
that teach everyone each others style, gets the vibe humming
and the vets love show boating with advanced tactics.
#offline marketing #budget #build #force #sales #shoe #string
  • Week one Trainer, does not have to be any one special ... as far as sales go.
    As a matter of fact I have found through trial and error, the best ones
    are middle school teachers.

    I interviewed hundreds, hired many, kept 4.

    three of those four that worked out longer then a few weeks were unemployed teachers.

    two of them were middle school teachers.

    Teacher unemployment is high. It should be easy to grab a few.

    The way to keep them, is to provide a commission based on sales, based on
    trainees that make it through the class.

    We pay her 1% off all trainee sales for 180 days. From start of class.
    For the first 60 days, it really doesn't amount to much.
    It is designed that way on purpose, it insures she does not push through unqualified people.


    The rest of the training managers get hourly ( min wage ) + a sliding scale commission.
    And 1% of all trainees that pass from their level, for 180 days.

    again, this is done on purpose, to insure no one gets bumped that should not.
    .

    Just to answer the question now, before i get PM ed to death,

    The sliding scale is 7% to 14%. You get 7 % if you only make quota.
    More if you exceed it. If you fail to make quota, you get minimum wage
    for the pay period. If you do that 2 weeks in a row, your fired.

    Our quota is weekly.

    No, i am not going to say what quota is.

    ============================

    Now lets build this on a budget.

    First. If you are new to phone rooms, I would stick with ONE product or ONE service.

    Next, i would take everything you know and write it down. Try to make a manual
    on all steps of the product or service.

    If you don't have this proper in your mind... you will never be able to teach the teacher.

    the teacher will learn from your notes, and then make her own.

    yours will not be good for teaching, your job, is to make sure she understands everything
    inside and out... remember, she does not need to understand sales .. she needs to be able
    to teach people about your product or service.

    Test her ... then test her some more, each time you will see you need to explain a part
    or clear up an understanding... this is good, it solidifies things in your mind.

    If you are not clear on what your doing.. you are doomed.
    If she is not clear on what your doing.. you are doomed.
    So this step .. imho .. is vital.

    Once you both have things clear, you now also have things in print.
    And you have some one ready to teach your product.

    Put an add in the news paper.. hiring sales people.

    Don't get creative, don't say in the add best sales since sliced bread

    Just say some thing simple like.

    HELP WANTED
    Phone Sales
    $700 - $1200 a week
    + Benifits
    555-5555 for interview.

    Trust me, your phones will blow up.


    Interview everyone that calls.

    DO NOT OFFER ANYONE A JOB ON THE SPOT.

    Segment your applications .. AFTER the interview

    good / bad / ugly ... you get the jist.

    You will know which ones feel right for each of the week
    training positions.

    Call them in, let your teacher teach them.

    Test them. If they pass, hire them on probation

    I forgot to mention, I like to hire in batches.
    Because i know i am a softy, i always let a few
    in that should never have made it through the door

    I feel its easier to fire some one, then it is not to give them a chance.

    I make up for it, by over hiring.

    Also, you should know.. I don't hire any more.. that's some one else s job now

    So, now you have 5 people. 1 trainer , and 4 people on the phones.

    Four people on the phones will make you money. You cant argue that.

    But after a month or so, after you get your act to together.. after
    you have made sales, payed out payroll a few times, garnered some trust
    in your crew, it is time to grow.

    Now, you offer the orig 4 sales people the idea of being training managers
    and explain to them what that entails, and offer them the position.
    and of course the extra money.

    If they jump on it. Put another add in the paper.

    And start the ball rolling.

    That's pretty much it. Fairly rudimentary process.

    ==

    If you need to do it on even more of a budget.

    Hire and teach the trainer.. .. then hire the sales people / trainers
    one at a time... slower to grow.. but nothing is wrong with that.


    =====

    I was in a rush, i will com back in and tidy this up in a little bit.
    • [ 4 ] Thanks
  • Thanks for sharing this its top class information and super actionable.
  • Wow! That's a hell of an intricate system
    I can see how that weeds everyone out that wouldn't be a good fit.
    You get left with some hella-good phone guys.

    If any ever leave you, give them my number!

    Sidenotes:
    Do they just get a base pay during training?
    How much more could there be in a part 2???
    • [1] reply
    • Min wage for that first week.

      min + comm after.

      Part One just showed what i do..

      Part two is going to show how you can actually do it
      with out breaking the bank.. or your sanity.
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Wow Ken, that sounds like an aweful lot... It sounds like a great system though.

    I have traditionally just given them a half day of training, an hour monitoring someone else, and stick them the phone to bang it out.... within a week they either produce profit or we let em go.

    Of course the leads I use are expendable. Info usa, or sales genie. I dont care if they burn through a million leads training, as long as they bang it out and start producing shortly thereafter.

    If your leads cost alot of money, I can see why you would want to do all that. I just use regular ones, and I have always just given people a little training and let them take off.

    Just trained some telemarketers for another warriors call center that way last month. Trained him for a week, live on the phone, just monitoring and guiding a couple of hours per day. At first he only got a couple of leads a day, but by the end of the week he was up to writing 8 phone appointments per day...and The call center owner informed me this week that he is still going strong.

    Alot of companies do what you are doing, so Im sure there are alot of good reasons to do it. I just personally dont. If a guy can do it he can, and he can make you money IN the training process has always been my motto. I would feel pretty risky investing 3 weeks into someone before I found out what they could do .

    I dont normally disagree with you because you are the most brilliant guy I have come across on this forum frankly, and Im not now...but I just have a different approach. I train em on the phone.

    Ps. Great insight and contribution!
    • [ 6 ] Thanks
    • [2] replies
    • That is how I started on the phones back in '99. I worked there for 3 years and I don't think the sales team was ever 100% the same from one day to the next lol
      • [1] reply
    • Yes, it is a lot of work. to set up, more then anything, and to keep
      the cycle running. other then that. not so much.

      the way we keep the cycle going is we offer the sales people
      1% commission for 90 days for any new sales people they bring in.

      payed out ONLY if and when some one makes it thru probation.

      plus lots of help wanted ads.


      that's exactly why, our leads cost us.

      matter of fact, that cost might be getting ready to go up, if i can pull
      off a plan i have.


      Plus one more reason, that has nothing to do with economics.

      its just plain hard as hell to find that one magic trainer.

      Splitting it up this way plays on different strengths, and nobody
      has to rely on one guy.
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Great thread Ken! I really appreciate the time you have taken to share this here and I am sure I am not the only one.

    Keep up the great work.



    Oh forgot to ask, during this training are you paying them or they working for gratis?
  • @ Ken,

    I hear ya. I know how create get your leads and Im jealous because you are so damn smart. lol I have told a few people here that you have the most brilliant lead gen system but I swear not to tell and havent! Its brilliant. If a guy master your lead gen system for himself, even if he didnt have a big floor, he would be rich , and an army of ONE!
  • Ken -- you still running a floor?

    Or are you solo now and got tired of dealing with people's (employee's) bullshit?

    Wondering if the time/stress differential is worth (or actually turns) the profit.
    • [2] replies
    • I have specific monetary goal in mind. Until i reach that goal.
      I will always have a phone room. It is the only way that i know
      how to make the type of money i need.

      That's not to say my eyes aren't open to new ... or better ideas.

      Sometimes people stick to what they know, for better or worse.
      I hope that i am smarter then that.
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
    • Most people here would be happy with a million or two reardon, it would shock you if you knew what this guy is use to....you might not even believe it, which is a good reason not to throw numbers around because alot of people wouldnt believe some of the things these warriors accomplish around here.

      And I agree...if you want to make 100k per month thats one thing...but there is not a single marketing technique talked about at the WF that could achieve the kind of stuff Ken is talking about, other than a large call center.

      With Bowers call center that I use to manage, we did 50 million selling web pages in one year... and they were only 20 dollar per month web pages with no design fees. Telemarketers can accomplish things like an ant army...that no other form of marketing can touch that I know of.

      You could easily achieve a couple hundred grand per year by yourself as a telemarketer, just cold calling 15 hours per week...now just think if you had 100 of you.

      Now add to that 100 of you calling 40 hours per week instead of 15

      Now add to that a system like Kens that makes conversions 3 times higher...

      You are starting to get the picture of whats possible.

      Its hard to wrap your mind around , but a hundred telemarketers can create hundreds of millions of dollars.

      You have to be very special to be able to wrap your mind around something like that.
      • [ 6 ] Thanks
      • [2] replies
  • Great read! It's still too early for me to hire a sales team, but eventually I would like to try this system to build a kick-ass sales team!

    I look forward to part 2.
  • When are you gonna give us part 2.

    You got me hungry for more.....
    • [2] replies
    • few hours give or take... sorry about the delay. i got busy
      doing nothing, then it was late... lol

      its easy to burn through time reading posts and what not.

      I'll get on it soon as i get home from the office.
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
      • [1] reply

    • There ya go bro.

      BTW, are you interested because you are thinking of opening
      a phone room ?
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • @ Claude Whitacre

    That is very insightful, i am sure it will help some one , thank you

    also i just have to ask... was it Kirby or Electriclux ? or some other?
    • [1] reply
    • It was Tri-Star for 19 years, Rainbow for about a year, and then Thermax (Like a Rainbow) for 6 years or so. I was a distributor for them all.
      I would leave one company typically because they would raise my price more than I wanted, or some other silly reason. I stopped selling Themax vacuums when I decided to become more active in speaking.

      Before vacuum cleaners it was life insurance for a couple of years, and in 1981 it was life insurance again for a year or so (because financing was lost during the recession, and credit cards weren't as popular then)

      An interesting "vacuum cleanery side note"

      All in home sales of vacuum cleaners have roughly the same price point.
      Most in home vac people have a terrible reputation with finance companies, credit card companies, and consumer groups..and deservedly so.

      The internet and amazon.com & e-bay have made in home selling far harder. It's just so easy to find the exact same machine for 60% less from an online dealer. There are still in home vacuum cleaner guys, but it's just a whisper of what it was 10 years ago. And there hasn't been a single encyclopedia salesman for over 15 years. Times are achangin.

      added later; I want you guys to understand that the fact that I sold vacuum cleaners was completely unimportant. This model would work for many different businesses. I even acted as a consultant to a water purification company to show their distributors what I did.

      And the brand of vacuum cleaner is the least important part at all. When I speak at the annual vacuum cleaner dealer trade association meetings (usually in Vegas), everyone asks what brands I sell (I also own a successful retail store). They think thats a key....like what color sweater I wear.

      Here is another tidbit. The retail vacuum cleaner guys are completely different from the in home guys.
      • [ 2 ] Thanks
  • Its sounds like Kirby... but ran better than the distributorships around here.
    Or it could be Rainbow?...unless that is Electrolux

    Over here they knock doors for appts. with a lead in of a bottle of tide or something like that.
  • My guess is Filter Queen.
  • It is something I am considering...
    But I will have to see how my two current projects turn out.

    I wouldn't mind the 4 callers and a trainer to just set appts for me.
    Then I could just be closing...
    • [1] reply

    • uggggg... if they are on the phone .. close em..

      no offense.. i just feel multi contacts and or road trip is just a waste of time.

      Actually .. just think about it for one second.. ( not that i am trying to change your MO )

      if you can handle everything over the phone.. you save time.. and money...
      and who can you pass that onto ? ... your customer...

      I know everyone has there own way... and everyone thinks theirs is the best....
      i just felt obligated to mention my thought on the subject.

      However... if you decide to hire app setters and need help... let me know
      i will be more then happy to help out if i can .

      You are one of the strait up guys around here...
      i would be more then happy to help you out.
      • [ 2 ] Thanks
      • [1] reply
  • Well, I was just thinking of how I could use them with my current biz model which is consulting.
    So, I currently set appts. and then present later when I know I can get an hour of their time.

    I would have to create a seperate biz model to use something like this.
    I like the idea of a directory or something simple.
  • I have found this topic very interesting and i to say thanks because i have learn't something here.
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  • I am trying to see how this can be classed as employing on a "shoe string budget" if you are required to have several trainers/sales managers to complete the process?

    How much total $$ would you be paying per employee trained from start to finish? Wages etc.

    This seems like a system that would work really well for a medium sized business, but I can't see it being practical for your average Warrior.
    • [1] reply
    • ====================================

      If you need to do it on even more of a budget.

      Hire and teach the trainer.. .. then hire the sales people / trainers
      one at a time... slower to grow.. but nothing is wrong with that.

      =====================================

      I never said it was for the average warrior, i suspect the average
      warrior will never read it.

      I specifically wrote it for 4 people, mostly because i am lazy
      and did not want to piece meal it over and over via skype

      and only because i was asked about it.
      they will find it.. when and if they are ever truly ready.

      I applaud your honesty .. it is refreshing..
      • [1] reply
  • @ Claude and Ken,

    To me, alot of being able to read peoples thoughts on the phone has to do with making thousands of calls - If its worth it to you to do that.

    After awhile you begin to see the same group of ten people over and over and over...and while they dont know you, you come to know THEM.

    You know that x type person is going to think z when you say y, and that they will turn around if you say q

    Then you BARELY have to rebut as long as you pay attention to their energy. You can guide it.

    It comes from caring enough about mastering your art that you are willing to do it thousands of times, and learn to recognize the behavior of those ten characters...thats when you are a JEDI

    The other thing you can do is listen to peoples advice and not argue with it, who ARE that...but just as few people are willing to listen, as they are to make thousands of sales calls.

    I asked my brother, who wasnt known for being a rocket scientist before he accomplished MLM success "Whats the difference between you and a failure".

    He said "I was just dumb enough to listen to exactly what the experienced people told me I should do, and I didnt add anything or try to re invent the wheel".
    • [2] replies
    • John; You call it "guiding energy", I call it "guiding intention". The words a prospect says are just a result of the direction they are going emotionally. Once you see past the words you see the direction they are headed. You can slightly redirect their momentum, and the rapport you established will gently guide them to follow your movement. I know you already know this, I just wanted to sound impressive.:rolleyes:

      And what Ken said earlier about a second voice providing authority certainly rings true. Occasionally, when I was phone closing, I would talk to the customer. But only if I thought the rep would screw it up on their own. And sometimes I would hear the prospect say something that took a little time to overcome (more than just a simple counteroffer), I would get them on the phone to explain it.

      I'm beginning to think about a small phone room (maybe 4 or 5) to sell tickets to my seminars. And I know a few marketing gurus that have phone reps selling $5,000 Bootcamp tickets to people who just ordered an inexpensive report. Right now, the only cold calling I do is to meeting planners. You guys are getting my juices flowing. And of course, I'm transferring all this to my personal selling. good stuff all around.
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
      • [1] reply
    • I might not be able to explain things as eloquently as you ...

      but i do know, if you pound the phones for a year or so solid.

      at the end of a year, you will be a god among men.

      i am not trying to be sacrilegious, i am trying to say you will have seen
      and heard everything. .. and every possible angle.

      it sorta gives you a sixth sense.

      you can see , hear, and grasp the BS... before it ever leaves their lips..

      that is an edge... a real bona fide edge..

      one that turns players into kings ... of industry.

      ( cough cough ... Nathan )
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
      • [1] reply
  • Wow. This information in this thread is so great I almost feel like repackaging it, selling it as a WSO, and disappearing when people start asking for a refund because they discover the "Search" function.

    "ALMOST"...
    • [1] reply
    • I don't think people actually use the search function,
      i would be willing to bet you a Buck, that you could get away with it... almost
      • [ 1 ] Thanks
  • Shout out to the OP for starting a great thread filled with so much value!

    I started with this strategy approximately a year ago. I found a local call center who "specialized" in cold calling and lead generation. They were to set appointments for me to go in and close. I had 2 ladies making my calls. They worked for 20 hours each week. This went on for 2 months. They generated 22 appointments for me. Horrible considering they talked to hundreds of business owners.

    I stopped in one day on a whim to drop off some paperwork, and to my surprise here's what I saw:

    1. Both of them had phone books calling from them (I provided them with phone numbers for specific niches)
    2. They were jumping from section to section to section in the phonebook while calling
    3. They weren't using scripts provided - instead they "were going with the flow"
    4. They were saying things that clearly wasn't true (I went in for one appointment and this guys started to ask me about his free advertising? Turns out they told him I would offer free advertising on a trial basis. Total BS)

    Needless to say I fired these guys (gals). And that ended my stint in cold calling. I'd love to pick this back up and totally outsource this whole process.
  • This an absolutely priceless thread. It can be tweaked and conformed to just about any sales type of position needed. Thank you to the OP as well as the replies afterwards.
  • I would also add to what Ken is saying that , in several telemarketing rooms I have found that its hard for people to make the jump into credit card closing, and a TO works great.

    It has been the solution ALOT of times for me in piloting different programs.

    A: It takes the pressure off of the telemarketer to close...they dont have to gear down from pitching and being the prospects best friend to asking them for money.

    B: It takes the pressure off the closer, because they come on like an order taker, not a salesman. In fact I have always used low performing sales people as closers because its best if a closer has little personality and acts like a telephone operator with no agenda.

    C: Its good for the prospect because they think you are more legit since you have dedicated "processing people" and you dont just allow any random telemarketer to take their billing information.

    At the end of a call the telemarketer simply says "Okay thats about all I need from here... Now Bob, Im not authorized to take your billing information over the phone, but if you will hold just for a second I will transfer you to our processing department and they will take care o0f you and get you off the phone as quickly as possible okay? Great. Please hold".

    Then the telemarketer transfers the call to closer

    Closer picks up and says

    "Hi Mr. Brown, this is Dan from processing?"

    You doin okay today?

    Great.

    Mr. Brown it looks like you are going to be going with our xxx package today is that correct?

    Great, well I will try to get you off the phone as quickly as possible, this portion of the call btw may be recorded for both your protection and ours is that okay? Great.

    Im sure cindy covered this with you, but just to recap your total for getting started today is going to come to $99.95..., and we will just be billing you $9,99 per month after that, you can cancel at any time.

    Is that what you understood?

    Great.

    Now before we close Im going to give you a number you can call if you have any concerns or questions after our conversation have you got a pen handy?

    Okay, that number is going to be _______, and like I said you can call us anytime. If Im not personally available to help you, one of our friendly represetatives will be glad to answer any questions you may have.

    Now as far as billing goes we prefer to do all billing electronically via visa mastercard, or check by phone. Which of those will you be using today?

    Great have you got that in front of you...?



    The TO is just pretty much an order taker.

    I cant stress enough how this has turned several slow performing programs for me into winners that worked like clock work, when telemarketers had trouble closing credit cards, this changed it all!

    Its an easy going close and works for alot of reasons that Im not even listing here...point is that it works.

    Usually when Im piloting a new idea, we dont even transfer calls... I pick a telemarketer to test it with, tell the telemarketer to mute the phone when it comes time to transfer, then I jump in their seat, take it off mute, and go on with the closing pitch.

    If the program starts working we set up the dialer for transfers and do a TO department.

    Ive never had it not work.

    -JD.
    • [1] reply
    • John; That's completely different from what I thought the closer was doing.
      In your example (I've had plenty of those calls), I assumed that they were with the home office to guarantee that everything was clear and that there was no miss-representation. Just keeping the troops honest.

      Awesome script. I'm learning so much. Thank you.
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  • Great thread! few questions for you..

    Would it be much to ask what exactly are you selling, and why did you come around to that?

    also, what about lead generation? are you getting those list from brokers or just search?

    do you instruct the callers to focus on a specific niche, or they spread around ?

    most importantly, what about customer service and the actual work? do you open up a small division that handles the process of making the product ( i asuume web services) and delivering it, then also handles any problems from the clients?

    Cheers and thanx for the great insights.
  • I agree that a TO shouldnt be pitching. If they cant take the order as is, then they let it go and its on the salesperson. By the time a call gets to a TO it should be ready to close.... I dont encourage TO's to pitch either. If it dont come easy, it aint sold. Let it go. Otherwise they get confused in their roles, and they lose that mundane "operator" style that make a good TO. If a TO has to pitch then the salesperson is taking advantage sending them wood, and I dont encourage them to pitch it.
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    • I find it very interesting how similar and how different you and I do things.
      This conversation has been a real eye opener for me.

      Glad you chimed in brotha
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  • I want to thank you again for putting all this out here.
    I really like the idea, just wasn't sure how I could make it work without creating a new system.

    So, like any other nut, I went on a cold calling spree!
    Figuring out the best model for me, that will enable me to use it.
    Just got off the phone with a company that offers a product that fits this perfectly!

    So, now I can look at implementation. I can't thank you enough!
    Thanks to John and Claude for their input as well.
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  • @Ken

    You arent weird my friend.
  • Would I be safe to assume that you don't know how much this hiring exercise costs on a per-employee basis?
    • [2] replies
    • you would be wrong.

      easy math. min wage is what 7.25?

      times 8.

      and i said they have to get a min of one sale in order to move on to the
      next set of training... so safe to assume 1 sale per week

      minus the fact two weeks n the first set.. plus the classroom .. no sales there


      so 8 minus 2 = 6.

      so 8 weeks min wage. Plus min of 6 sales. at the bottome of the sliding scale.

      see ?

      easy math.

      BTW, my math really doesn't matter... what matters is yours.
    • Cost is relative....

      What is his result???

      Highly trained professionals bringing in profits on a continual basis...

      So Snake.... How much would you pay for the same?
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  • try fiverr, there are tons of young students willing to make you a buck and help you sell things, i personally have gigs on there, but its rude to spam!
  • Seriously????

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    • Anyway, maybe JD can chime in on this...

      Would this method differ for building a workforce through a virtual call center? I'm not ready to make the investment in an office to build my call center but I have about $4k to play with which would probably be better for building a small team for a virtual call center. Are there certain things I should look out for by applying this same method online?

      I know for certain that a strong call center is one of the most sure fire ways of making great money. My main concern has always been employee turnover. This method looks great for weeding out the flakes.
  • This is an awesome thread. I am glad I have found it.
    I don't know if I will be going through the full system, but I am just trying to find people that can open a phone room for a company I work with.
    I thought of starting here rather than just Google it. Getting a solid advice from one of you guys will be worth much more than Google results

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