If you’ve been in the home improvement business a while, then you’re all too familiar with how sales ebb and flow. Some months, you feel like you can’t keep up with the amount of work you’re booking.
But inevitably, you’ll have periods when it seems like you can’t find a single customer. If you’re trying to nurture leads only when things get slow, that’s how cash flow crunches happen.
It doesn’t have to stay that way, though. There are proven techniques to getting a more reliable influx of work that keeps you solidly in the black and growing. It starts with creating a strong sales team.
Take Steps to Build a Successful Sales Team
Value Consistency
Great salespeople manage the ebb-and-flow cycle of business by keeping up their consistent, dedicated, strategic approach—no matter what the current circumstances look like. Rather than slacking off, they drive forward on finding, connecting with, and closing customers at all times.
Train the Team to Present All Options
There’s an old saying in sales: You can’t sell what you don’t present. Train your salespeople to be aware of and ready to offer your full range of services.
For example, if you’re a roofer and you’ve found a small leak during an inspection, repair may be an option. But salespeople should present all options—including installation of a new roof. Even if a homeowner doesn’t need that service immediately, it prepares them to be more receptive later on when they do.
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Create Accountability
In home improvement, it’s common for contractors to keep the sales team on commissions only, or salary only. This can lead some employees to feel as though there’s not much motivation to work hard.
To manage this, inspect what you are expecting of your staff. Stay connected with them, and set clear goals that allow you to keep them accountable to both results and actual productivity.
Insist on a Methodical Approach
Whether it’s a record sales month or the worst sales months ever, your team should be consistent in its daily and weekly activities. Schedule and stick with regular meetings, training, reporting, and other actions that prevent complacency.
Establish Clear, Relevant Metrics
The average dollar spent per lead (ADL) is a key metric for evaluating sales. It allows you to compare performance based on the number of leads your salespeople are working on and the numbers they are closing, not just revenue they bring in.
For example, if John works on 10 leads in a week and brings in $20,000, he’s generating $2,000 per lead. If Jane works on 5 leads and brings in $15,000, she is generating $3,000 per lead. This makes Jane the more effective salesperson, especially if she can consistently produce such successes.
Successful Sales Begin with Strong Marketing Strategies
Set your sales team up for long-term success by creating a clear plan that ties their efforts to everything you do.
Get a jump start on your strategic business planning today. Apply for a free coaching session to get started.
