b"16 Tools For Success Auto Recyclers ToolBoxSALESPERSONSLordy, Lordy,Where Do I Get a Good One?By Ron Sturgeon doesnt work, and it will provide useful I ts the same old story: how do weinsight into why some folks have what itwell. (For instance, if the second months takes, and others don't. The book is also find good salespeople? First, letshelpful in understanding how to have take a SWAG (sophisticated wildhappier employees and what that can ass guess) at defining what a good onemean to your profits.is.goal is $30k, make the first week $5,500,If you really want to Good job descriptionbut the last week $8,500). There is nocompete, stay with what Acceptable salespeople Make sure that you have a goodreason to keep a salesperson whose sales trend isnt moving upward. When theyyou know and do best.The following is a rough list of thejob description, albeit brief, for allstall at $30k, they can stay there for attributes of acceptable salespeople: new applicants for salespersons. Somemonths, even years. 1. Sells at least $100,000 monthly. folks use personality testing: I don'tI recently saw an owner of a new 2. Has happy customers, creditshave a strong opinion on its usefulness.yard put someone in place as a salesper-below the median, and writes(Please send me info if you are usingson because he thought this person could credits in a timely manner. personality tests to successfully hiredo the job. After about six weeks, it 3. Has good attendance and a goodsalespeople.)became obvious that this person just did-attitude. nt have what it takes. The owner got 4. Protects our margins, by not justReasonable milestones lucky and replaced the weak person with selling on price (Pinnacle willThe real key? Make sure that yousomeone who could do the job and had track this for you.) have some reasonable milestones for thethree near-record days in a row. The 5. Is willing to train and mentor new staff, following a week or so ofmoral: We lose a lot of potential sales fool-others. training and tutorials with existing staff.ing around with weak salespersons. Also, I see folks lingering with weak staff sixall your salespersons should be on com-How do we get one, train one,months after they are hired, hoping theymission; the days of salary are gone. This and keep one?will get better. The gift of gab, quickis one of many areas where I help yard Where do they come from? I havethinking and other skills necessary to fillowners to become more productive using seen ex-shoe salespersons sell overthis position, will present themselvespay for performance.$200,000 monthly, and others whowithin days, certainly within weeks ofRemember only you appeared competent with good atti- placement. If your goal is $100k percan make business great!tudes who, after a year of training,month as a minimum level of accept-couldnt sell $25,000 per month. I amability, $15,000 in the first month ISNT firmly convinced that they dont haveGOING TO MAKE IT.In the second to come from within our industry. Ifmonth, use $26-$35k as a minimumRon Sturgeon, Mr. Mission Possible, has been a suc-you can, hire a good one from withinrequirement. Set your own minimumcessful business owner for more than 35 years. As a small the industry, and you should, of course,milestones and make sure the applicantbusiness consultant, he can deliver wisdom and advice always consider promoting fromgleaned from an enviable business career that started when knows those goals, in advance. I evenhe opened a VW repair business as a homeless 17-year-old within. In all cases, some criteriaprefer to break the goals into weeks asand culminated in the sale of several businesses he built to should be used in hiring, training andFortune 500 companies. Ron has helped bankers, lawyers, evaluating. insurance agents, restaurant owners, and body shop own-ers, as well as countless salvage yard owners to become The first article in this series listedmore successful business people. He is an expert in helping Written salesperson policies morethan25tacticstoincreasesmall business owners set the right business strategies, If you dont have some written pol- implement pay-for- performance, and find new customers your business success, all of themon the web. His upcoming and last book is titled Homeless to icies, consider putting some togetherbased on my experience. I started100 Million. Ive been giving business advice for years, but for salespersons. Also, although I havewith nothing and didnt get to col- have never advised on how to build seen strict sales scripting, and nolege, so I know you can achievewealth, with an actionable road map. The mantra of the book is to build scripting, I am convinced that somemaximumsuccess,regardlessofwealth, not income, because they folks have the gift needed for this job;your education. E-mail me to getare not the same. To inquire about others simply dont (more on how tothe first article (or any of the otherconsulting or keynote speaking, con-tact Ron at tell in a moment). Please read Marcusarticles) in the series. Each takes a817-834-3625, ext. 232,Buckingham's book, First Break Allcloserlookatoneofthetacticsrons@MrMissionPossible.com, the Rules. This book devotes a wholelisted in that first article. 5940 Eden, Haltom City, TX 76117chapter to why scripting does and"