The tough test

This week, we’re evaluating a candidate in the Washington, D.C. area to be our publisher/representative for The Design and Construction Report. A couple of other candidates who have successfully the passed initial evaluation are waiting in the wings, and if necessary we can repost the career opportunity on Craig’s List.

The person we are evaluating, and anyone to follow if he is not successful, has a daunting challenge.  He needs to bring in meaningful sales within just a couple of weeks, in an environment where most of the likely and potentially suitable purchasers will be skeptical if he tries anything approaching a conventional sales “pitch”.

Ironically, once hired, the successful candidate will find things much easier.  We can set a modest actual sales quota for the early going, allowing the representative to take a patient and respectful attitude and build truly meaningful relationships within the community.

Now, however, he has to bring in the business.  He will need to be imaginative, persuasive, and able to discover the needle in the haystack — the potential client ready to make a quick decision, who qualifies for our services, and who really will benefit from them.

In our experience, candidates who reach this stage have a 50/50 chance of success.

Great sales representatives (or in the professional fields of architecture and engineering, rainmakers) can truly build your business.  You can often substitute effective marketing for sales ability; if your brand, reputation, and relationships within the community are strong enough, you won’t need to sell very much — potential clients will arrive at your door with little resistance, and your selling effort mainly will be to systematize and co-ordinate your referral and repeat business management process (and yes, you should do this rather than ‘rely’ on unsolicited inbound calls.)

Of course, your business will most successful if you can properly integrate successful marketing and sales — marketing to develop qualified leads, and salespeople who will convert your marketing leads to profitable orders, while enhancing your community relationships, reputation, and brand.

I cover these issues in greater depth in the upcoming Construction Marketing Ideas book — and this week, I will post each day one of the five candidates for the book’s cover.  You can vote for your favorite cover design here.

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