I Hired a Field Tech To be My Head of Sales

⏱️ 56:45 🎤 Mike Andes, Lee Park

AUDIO EPISODE

I Hired a Field Tech To be My Head of Sales

0:00

Chapters

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0:00

From Field to Sales VP

Mike Andes introduces Lee Park, VP of Sales at Augusta, who transitioned from a field technician role, highlighting his journey and the broad sales experience gained within the company.
3:40

Sales: Small vs. Large Companies

Lee Park differentiates sales processes for $200,000 vs. $2 million companies, characterizing the former as reactive and personal, and the latter as systematized and predictable.
8:14

Delegating Sales

The discussion shifts to the challenges and considerations for owners delegating sales, emphasizing the need to clearly define business goals (growth vs. profit) for the sales team.
18:35

Keeping Estimators Productive

Lee Park suggests strategies to keep estimators productive during slow periods, including returning to production work or engaging in proactive outbound sales and pre-selling future jobs.
31:45

Sales Compensation & Profitability

The hosts discuss compensation models for salespeople, advocating for profit-sharing alongside commission to align their incentives with the business's overall profitability and efficiency.
39:02

Hiring Sales Talent

Lee Park recommends promoting internal candidates for sales roles due to their existing understanding of company culture, operations, and industry knowledge, which streamlines training on sales techniques.
46:35

Building a Sales Process

For businesses without a defined sales process, Lee Park advises starting with data collection and metric analysis (close ratio, sales cycle, follow-up sequence) to establish a data-driven plan.
55:17

Aligning Department Goals

Mike Andes and Lee Park discuss the importance of aligning the goals of sales, operations, and admin to ensure smooth transitions and overall business success when implementing sales process changes.
1:02:42

Motivating Estimators

The conversation addresses how to keep estimators motivated in roles that may become repetitive, emphasizing clear metrics, performance targets, and open book management to show potential earnings and build trust.
1:17:35

Integrity in Sales

Lee Park and Mike Andes discuss the critical role of integrity in sales, especially when customers need to like, know, and trust a salesperson, and how an owner's trust in their team allows for faster decision-making.

Speakers

Mike Andes

Host

Lee Park

VP of Sales

Key Takeaways

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Define clear business goals (growth or profit) to tailor your sales system and measure success effectively.

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During slow periods, have estimators engage in outbound sales, pre-selling, or return to production to maintain productivity and revenue.

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Incentivize salespeople with profit-sharing, not just commission, to align their focus with overall business profitability and efficiency.

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Prioritize promoting internal candidates for sales roles due to their cultural fit and operational knowledge, making sales training more effective.

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Establish clear metrics like close ratio, sales cycle, and follow-up sequences to build a data-driven sales process.

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Foster a culture of feedback with regular call reviews and open communication to continuously improve sales performance.

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For new hires, transparently present historical financial data and clear projected earnings to build trust and set realistic expectations for performance-based compensation.

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