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I work for an automation engineering company with 24 people and average around $5M/ year in sales. We design and build automated assembly and test systems (AATS). The equipment can range from small stand alone pieces of equipment ($65K) to large sophisticated assembly equipment with robots ($2M). The systems are used by manufactures that need to automate a process because it’s too repetitive for an operator, or the process can’t be done fast enough by manual assembly or the quality can’t be obtained by manual inspection.
I am the only person in our company responsible for sales. I don’t work on a commission but I do get a good salary. Our sales have been generated from a small base of repeat customers. These customers have been from the automotive industry and that business is down. For the last four years my role has not been sales but generating quotes and negotiating prices. I’ve always known we’ve needed to be proactive in sales but our companies structure provide me with the time. Someone had to do the costing and quote write ups and that was me. Now we are in a jam and need to be proactive in sales. I’m having a hard time figuring out what would be the best approach. I think I know what I need to do, but I can’t seem to get off of square one and go out and do it. I’ve never really had to prospect and sell. I’ve had some Sandler training. I’m not sure why I keep procrastinating, but I just am. I like to work hard if I know what to do and I just am not sure what I should be doing.
I need to keep my prospects within a 200 mile radius. It’s the only way we can service our customers properly and make money. My list of potential customers are now companies that use automation, located within 200 miles.
So, I have a list of about 4000 companies along with some general information about them. I don’t have any contact names. Sometimes I can call the gatekeeper and they will give a name and sometimes they won’t. I have stopped at companies and gone in to talk to the gatekeeper. That’s works sometimes and sometimes there is a list of names in the lobby. Usually customers won’t see you without an appointment. I have to contact them to make an appointment. Most of the time once I do contact them they want to meet with me. Our company builds equipment that not a lot of companies can build, so people are generally interested, they just may not have a project at that time. I have to establish a long term relationship so that when a project does pop up they will come to me and ask for a quote.
Questions:
1. What would a good sales plan look like?
2. How do I target the best companies?
3. What should my goals be when I do go in a meet with a customer for the first time? I do know that gaining trust and rapport is key along with listening and find out out about them and what they like or dislike about current automation providers. Is there anything else I need to be trying to establish?
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!
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Liberty