What does it cost to hire a good salesperson? Many companies spend about one fourth the annual salary of a salesperson on job placement. They spend another fourth on sales training before the salesperson becomes effective and efficient. Most of these costs are hidden costs which the business doesn’t take into consideration. If this is true, then half the annual salary of a new salesperson is spent before the salesperson makes their first sales appointment for the company. If the salesperson takes six months ramping up to speed and then decides to leave, the company investment is completely lost.
The hidden costs of hiring a salesperson are found in the time spent during the job placement and interview process, management time, sales training, advertising costs and all the resource time invested. These costs are real dollars associated with lost time. You must account for the time spent by the company. Consider the time anyone who worked with your salesperson, particularly when they could have been more effective in other areas of your business.
The Sales Assistant Investment Advantage
A sales assistant is completely different than the investment of a salesperson. A sales assistant is more reliable, less expensive and more predictable. The personality traits of a sales assistant are also much different from a salesperson. You won’t be dealing with a maverick personality requiring constant attention. Instead, your assistant comes with strong organizational skills, which will follow a strict sales program. You will want this assistant to always be there whenever you need them. The assistant typically doesn’t ask for higher pay, incentives or take vacations. Assistants are often the first to get started, the last to leave and don’t mind working overtime.
Perhaps you recognize the assistant is an automated sales program on your computer. Your right, many companies invest in a sales system such as ACT, Outlook, Goldmine and other contact management programs that meet the sales assistant’s advantage. The challenge is to automate these systems with your sales action plans. Many of these programs have the potential to become your sales assistant and the investment is much easier and far more reliable than a salesperson.
Taking the First Step Towards a Sales Assistant
Your first step toward using your sales assistant is to evaluate your sales program and define the actions you can automate with your contact management system. Many of these programs have events you can customize and reduce your sales cycle through automation with a sales assistant – your computer.
Steve Martinez implements sales management strategies with a focus on automating sales for printing organizations. Selling Magic teaches businesses how to automate and customizing ACT or Outlook with the best practices of sales management while integrating email marketing and technology for greater profits. http://www.sellingmagic.com
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