Wanting to hire a salesperson, looking for best ways to be successful.

You are the best salesperson you will ever find. Why not hire some shop help to free up time for you to meet with new clients?

 

I have tried the 100% commission route and I have gone through over 10 in 2 years. Just trying to find motivated and dedicated sales people is very trying. I would suggest offering 100% and offering a salary position after they prove themselves.

AF is 100% correct the best person would be yourself. You know what the it takes and the cost to complete the job.

 

I think it's better to find salesperson who has experience in this field before, about salary, at first, you can try low salary plus commission, after he has proved his work ability, the salary will be added accordingly. Moreover, you also can add advertisement.

 

When I hear that word "salesman" it makes me cringe. YOU need to be out there selling not some dolled up person that is not as experienced in the process of what you do. I do all my own selling but i hear the horror stories of how "sales" folks just dont care anymore, hard to find them and how many a company can go thru

 

The best salesmen you'll ever have are people who know the product. If you can snipe a production or install guy, who is tired of beating themselves to hell for ~$14 an hour, do it. They'll know the signs, how they are made, and how to BEST recommend the right materials for the job. Just gotta find one who can sell, as well.

The worst thing you can do is grab a car salesman. It never works.

Base plus commission starting - you gotta give them time to build their base, at least 6 months. I'll never take a 100% commission job again - those that have one are unicorns with an established multi-million dollar shop with referral chains and a developed strategy to win big ticket items. The take home money simply isn't there for any salesperson unless they are pulling ~40 grand a month in sales - and the only way you do that is with fabricated signs and full signage system buildouts on shopping centers, apartment complexes, and hospitals. A mom and pop shop simply doesn't get those projects, and any owner that offers one and isn't making a million a year AND supplying their sales guys with leads is just a cheap a**. Pay for talent, or lose it.

In my experience, good sales guys are slim pickins. This industry needs about 3000 more of me, lol. With my experience and skillset, I never wait more than a week or two before someone scoops me up at a rate that I want.

 

Are you ready to hand over all of your accounts and immediately double your output capacity? Do you have the equipment and personel in place, right now, to do that? If not, I would stick to what you are doing and grow at a more measured pace.

A good sign salesperson is going to want to see that the company can support $1 million or more annually directly from their efforts. It is rare (except for cases of family owned businesses, where the owner is turning over sales responsibilities to a family member) to have a company turn over existing accounts to a new person. Usually they want to see new business. And a good salesperson will want to be sure that the company can support the work he will bring to the business. A common scenario is that the owner's clients and projects get priority, and the salesperson has to settle for second pickings. Or the salesperson ends up doing it himself (why bother - should have just got into business for himself). Salespeople and Account Managers are an important part of most big sign companies, but rarely do small shops (under $1 mil. annual sales) have the capacity or growth capital to support them.

Note: any manufacturing or service company is limited by how many widgets they can make or install. Selling signs is not like selling intangibles, like insurance, or a fungible commodity like treasury bonds or grain. The last thing a sign salesman wants to hear is, "sell it, we will make sure it gets done." What you want to see, up front, is the capacity and track record of the company to produce the goods before you commit to selling their products.