Almost every new client I talk to refers to their marketer as a salesperson. I try to diplomatically tell them that marketers are not salespeople! Salespeople get a contract signed or deliver a product and collect payment, or at least a commitment to pay.
Salespeople are partially judged on their closing ratio. How many visits and clients they call on, and whether or not they actually got a firm agreement – in writing. Typically, sales estimators, and often even senior project managers are tasked with going to a job site, evaluating, and assessing the loss, often writing a scope and or estimate and getting an agreement in writing with the property owner.
The problem arises when the owner or office manager puts a help-wanted ad
on the internet trying to fill the position of marketer, but they advertise for a salesperson. There’s a very confused public regarding exactly what position you are trying to hire. You usually get the wrong applicant. Salespeople generally do NOT make good marketers and conversely marketers don’t make good salespeople.
It gets even more complicated because many companies realize they aren’t trying to hire a salesperson, so they advertise for a “marketer.” Guess what you get when they apply? Those applicants applying for a marketing position always only want to be at a desk. They don’t want to go out and face real clients. They are afraid of being told NO. Sure, they may be good advertising, SEO, website building, graphic design and build really great flyers and brochures.
This type of “marketer” isn’t what you need or want to build your business with insurance agents or plumbers. They certainly won’t be motivated to go out on the road and call on agents and plumbers and attend networking events. Even more discouraging is that almost all the website work, or social media posting, or brochure building is passive at best, and you’ll never generate enough business that way.
The kind of “marketer” that you want working for you is someone that’s likeable, not afraid of rejection, willing to ‘cold-call’ and build relationships. They need to be hungry and quietly aggressive, always realizing that they must bring real value to those visits and interactions. They need to be self-starters and persistent, but not obnoxious.
I recommend that you have them take (complete) a Berke Assessment to help determine how they rank. Rarely does a low-ranking person do well as a marketer. It isn’t a crystal ball, but it provides you with good understanding of their strengths and weaknesses.
At the CREST Network, we administer those assessments and assist with the interview process so you can have another opinion. Many owners, when interviewing, hire someone “just because they like the person.” That person can say all the right things at an interview and then bomb terribly in the position. Having another set of ears and eyes on the candidate can prevent making a hiring mistake.
We try to help the candidate understand several things that they would be expected to perform. I’ve listed a few of them here:
- Build a route of potential prospects
- Visit those prospects
- Develop relationships with them
- Follow up and follow through regularly
- Possibly do some social media engagement (5% of their time)
- Be willing to work 45-50 hours or more each week
- Make judgment decisions of client ranking (A,B, or C)
- Be coachable and willing to follow today’s coaching
- And much more (I can elaborate on a call with you)
As is quite obvious, hiring a marketer that will generate at least a million dollars a year in revenue for you is extremely important. Giving them the proper coaching, training, and guidance is essential. During the past 15 years, I have rarely seen a marketer that is capable of generating this kind of revenue without coaching and intense RMS (Restoration Marketing Specialist) certification training.
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consultant. It doesn’t take long after meeting them and that includes marketers as well, before I instinctively know they are arrogant, cocky, self-righteous, and often have these absurd fantasies of greatness.
We have an elaborate Social Media system with almost a third of the world population on Facebook! So, it is highly unlikely that your business is: “in a class by itself, rare, special, unequaled, unique, unparalleled, unprecedented, or unrivaled.”
from the others and then promote that differentiation! Even though you will be hard-pressed to be unrivaled or unprecedented, to survive long-term, you will need to constantly identify and refine your differentiation. Let me say it again… Differentiation for your company is critical to your long-term success.
different techniques to elevate yourself above the competition, without the help of a cost prohibitive advertising budget comes down to knowing yourself, knowing your customer and playing to your strengths.
They very last thing you need in business is a frustrated, disgusted, or angry customer or potential customer! Yet, the “automated phone answering equipment” you are thinking about getting installed will be the very first aggravation your clients will deal with.
be more cautious, accepting, and aware of others around us. Clients, customers, our employees, and the public at large are all fearful of the virus, and many are so fearful they don’t want to work in the office anymore with co-workers. This thought process is at work with many of your customers also. It is no longer “business as usual!” The world has changed, and your customers now expect you to operate at a high level of safety and cleanliness.
Since we are talking about roofing, I recently (after Hurricane Irma) had to have a new roof installed. We interviewed a couple roofing companies and found a dramatic difference. They were all offering 35-year asphalt shingles, and one offered a synthetic underlayment, promoting the much better qualities and longevity.
It’s been my experience, having been in hundreds of “back offices,” that companies posting their daily, weekly, and monthly goals on a bulletin board (or large calendar) 
It’s a great attitude to firmly plant your thoughts, ideas, and values in a solid position without changing like the wind. Often, people with strong religious beliefs, or strict political positions are very unbending. That CAN be a good thing. It can also be an inflexible and potentially dangerous position to take in the world.
any points with the client and could very easily get your company kicked off the job. Remember; parking on your customer’s lawn will get you fired – and fast.
