Cold Calling / Engineering Sales Suggestions Wanted 10

[SeanDotson]

I have recently taken an Engineering Management position at a company I previously worked at for about 5 years. We make customer automation equipment (robotic cells, welders, assembly machines, material handling etc..) Currently sales are slow. To help the sales force I have decided to become a <shudder> salesman for a while to help get leads.

My current salesmen are nothing to speak of but I can't control that due to the way the company is structured. So it's up to me.

So my question is, what techniques do you find helpful or successful in selling engineering services/equipment? As the machines are customer we don't have a "product". We are really selling our services. Does cold calling work? If so what is your method. Ask for the engineering or plant manager and just talk to see if they are interested?

I'm a great engineer but have never tried sales. I could use all the help I could get.

Thanks,


Sean Dotson, PE
Autodesk Inventor Certified Expert

http://www.sdotson.com

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[PSlem]

Put together a 3-5 minute powerpoint for a laptop. It gives you something to show and establishes your company has a history and you are not newbies. We had great luck with presentations at lunch time and cater in BBQ or subs.

Engineering is the art of not constructing...of doing that well with one dollar what any bungler can do well with two after a fashion.

 

[tygerdawg]

As a participant in the automation industry, I've seen several good/bad methods. As a forced-freelancer I've had to develop my own successful methods in order to put food on the table. My generalizations (take them at face value, not as gospel):
(1) automation companies hire *salesmen*, not engineers who sell well. After all, we all know engineers don't have any personality or sales skills, right? Conversely, salesmen would have stayed in engineering if they were any good, so they're all a bunch of non-technical glad-handing dolts, right?
(2) the most successful sales calls I've been on were when the *salesman* was able to make the contact & open the door, then the *engineer* was able to talk plainly and honestly about how to solve the customer's problem. My philosophy was that most customers are engineers like me and they don't want to be BS'ed by salesmen, they have urgent problems that need solving in the most efficient manner.
(3) cold calling can work, but is an odds game, and the rejection can devestate your ego if you take it personnally. You must get thru those 49 "H*LL NO" responses to land that single "well, maybe" response that will get you the contract. I was given a psych test that clearly indicated cold calling was a personality weakness for me, so I quadrupled my efforts at learning how to do it. It's hard work, but now I have a thick skin and fearless "plow thru the gatekeepers" mentality.
(4) The automation biz is a capital equipment sales biz...the sales cycle is a long time. You've got to plow the ground and plant the seeds. Custom automation is also a typically risky investment (not like a machine tool), so the essence of the issue is to convince the potential customer that he won't ruin his career by working with you.
(5) Every company has brochures and they're all the same old story: "we're the best". Yeah yeah yeah. I have decided in my old age that it is absolutely essential to have a face to face meeting, lunch, whatever. Multiple times. That way you can establish empathy and the guy realizes that you're not some silly glossy "me too" brochure but a real live person trying to support his family in an honest manner.
(6) If the project isn't funded now, tell them to call back when it is. If they ask for an estimate for budget purposes, spend 3 minutes developing one, but move on from this guy.
(7) I've seen folks who do PwrPnt presentations and brochures. These are OK for showing pics and whatnot and will impress some people. But be careful...every other Tom Dick & Harry will be doing the same. Somehow you've GOT to discriminate your company from the others.
(8) Customers in the automation biz are harried, hurried, overworked, underfunded, hassled, challenged, management-leary, creative interesting people who have problems to solve of the nature of new products, faster production, quality issues, and goofus operators who screw things up and leave the problems for Monday morning. Fit those needs and you'll be successful.

TygerDawg

 

[SeanDotson]

Tyger,

Thanks for the humorous take on the automation biz. A star to you for that post. I agree with many of your comments. I esp agree that the salesman makes the contact and then the customer wants to see an engineer (me). Problem is I don;t feel our salesman is the type of guy who can get me in to places. Unfortunately there is nothing I can do about this. (groan).

PSlem,

Thanks. We have several presentations and DVDs to show customers. The problem is finding them and getting in to see them. I know I avoid vendors whenever I can....untill I really need to see them

I'd love to hear from others...

Sean Dotson, PE
Autodesk Inventor Certified Expert

http://www.sdotson.com

Autodesk Inventor Tutorials & More

 

[ProEpro]

The best customer is a repeat customer. Let the sales guys find the new customers while you look for new projecets with existing customers. That will let you concentrate more on the automation or quotation and less on the selling. It will also be the best return on your time. You don't want selling to prevent you from engineering.


ProEpro

http://www.whitelightdesign.com

Pro/E FAQ

http://www.whitelightdesign.com/servicestips.htm

 

[tygerdawg]

Something else that I forgot to add in my haste to post. I can't claim this as my own idea, it was given to me by a very successful engineer-turned-lone-wolf-consultant&sales guy.

His strategy was to sell small stuff (a few hundred dollars of PLC programming, installing & programming a DVT camera, little "crumbs off the table" mechanical design jobs) to the maintenance, production, and technician level folks. Then do an excellent job, schmooze'em like they've never been schmoozed before (they're just TECHs fer Gawd's sake, THOSE guys never deserve respect, right?), and try to use them for a referral to big money spenders. The idea was that a tech would give a thumbs-up to the engineer who had charge of a larger project.

He was very successful.

TygerDawg

 

[SeanDotson]

That is a great idea as well. I'm actually do this right now. We are doing some programming for a maintenance tech. Now we have him as a loyal customer and it's time to hit up the engineers for a full-blown machine.

ProEPro, I agree but you can only buy so much custom automation. There are time when your current customer base is just tapped out. But it's a good observation nontheless.

Sean Dotson, PE
Autodesk Inventor Certified Expert

http://www.sdotson.com

Autodesk Inventor Tutorials & More

 

[NOx]

Hi Sean,

From having worked at the company before you will propably have a good understanding of your existing customer base, therefore talk to them find out why they have not bought from you as well as why they have, get the feedback its invaluable. Find out who their competitors are and target them as well. You don't always need to look for the "sell" first visit (my boss will kill me if he sees this) information gathering is key.
Target the right companies and find the right people look for niche sales, set out a stratergy and focus on it.
Don't let your sales "collegues" tell you -
1- we have spoken to so and so with no intrest etc etc
2 we have tried that company no intrest etc etc.

The only problem with succes at this is you could end up being labelled a SALESMAN (shock horror)

Good Luck
NOx

 

[pmkPE]

Many if not most engineers have a very hard time making cold calls. I offer the following suggestions:
1) first (clever heh!) determine the most likely point of contact; it could be a plant manager, plant engineer, process engineer or even the maintenance supervisor.n [I am speaking wit respect to my firm's multi-discipline engineering services].
2) Call the potential client and just be direct with the secretary/receptionist - " MY NAME IS ________ AND i WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK WITH THE PLANT ______ TO INTRODUCE MY FIRM AND THE SERVICES THAT WE OFFER". They will usually be receptive to such simple and direct request and they will most likely help you to identify who would be interested/responsible in retaining your firm's services. If you can get the name and direct extension, great - be sure to ask. I find getting the direct extension from the receptionist can sometimes be difficult at this point. Nevertheless if you don't ask you may just have to end up calling the receptionist each and every time until you get a hold of the person you are trying to reach.
3) Assuming that they patch you through to the person in question I try to be brief and right to the point. "DO YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE TO TALK? (IF SO) MY NAME IS _______ AND I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH YOU ON ______ TO INTRODUCE MY FIRM TO YOU AND TO DISCUSS HOW WE MAY BE ABLE TO SERVE YOU, (MEET YOUR COMPANY'S NEEDS, ETC.).
WE WON'T TAKE MORE THAN 5-15 MINUTES OF YOUR TIME." (If they don't have time to talk they will appreciate that you asked and will most likely tell you when you can call back - be gracious). At this point they want to know what my firm does. (Remember they have many different vendors and professions vying for their business) so have a 10 - 30 second description for their consideration ready and rehearsed. By the way have your desk clear of distracting materials, be dressed appropriately to give yourself the confidence to speak with an upper level representative from what you want to be a long term client. (Play the part as if you were knocking on their door.)
3) If you can, tape record YOUR SIDE of the conversation and objectively listen to it after running through a few contacts. Do you stutter, or trip over the same statement? Do you hem and ha and ummmmm when on the phone? If you do, take notice and stop it.

After awhile you start to get the hang of the different roadblocks that pop up. For example - I never leave a message on an answering machine UNLESS I am going to be in their town on a certain date and I have not had any success in getting a hold of them. Rarely does anyone, including myself return phone calls left on answering machines by salespeople, I don't.) Some managers are constantly on the go and catching them at the right time can be nothing short of a miracle. (I have found that Mondays and Fridays are usually bad times to try to make contact, but you need to verify this on your own).

Just like a resume a cold call is only to get you into the door to hand them your brochure and to meet face to face. At this point you can find out alot about them. Remember that these are extremely busy people and they are constanly getting hit on by your competition as well as other sales staff. Be considerate of their time and LISTEN to what they have to say. Once you know what is on their minds (needs, problems and the like) you can taylor a more "seductive" follow-up showing how your firm is the one to meet their needs.

 

[SeanDotson]

pmkPE,

Wonderful suggestions. Thank You.

Sean Dotson, PE
Autodesk Inventor Certified Expert

http://www.sdotson.com

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[ProEpro]

Sean
What about going back and upgrading the currently installed equipment? Have you got some new technology or components that would be a good addition to an older system? Are there things like controls that have become obsolete and hard to get parts for? We had to find a 486 CPU for an CNC last week. I’d consider an offer to convert it to a newer control. You may also find that they have identified a bottleneck you could remove. As an engineer your customers will listen to your suggestion in this area better than from a salesman.



ProEpro

http://www.whitelightdesign.com

Pro/E FAQ

http://www.whitelightdesign.com/servicestips.htm

 

[SeanDotson]

PrEpro,

This is actually something we are doing. Updating older machine. Seems to be working rather well.

Sean Dotson, PE
Autodesk Inventor Certified Expert

http://www.sdotson.com

Autodesk Inventor Tutorials & More

 

[TheTick]

I've stewed over the original post on this thread for a month now. Something about this whole scene bothers me: you were hired to manage, not to sell. If you are going to just jump in and start making calls without doing anything to improve the way your sales force does the same, you have failed as a leader.

Everyone loves a hands-on manager. However,I have seen many well-liked managers fail because they can't keep their paws off little things and do the things managers are supposed to do: watch the big picture, set priorities, and ensure that subordinates have a clear path to get their work done.

Due to illness, the part of The Tick will be played by... The Tick.

http://www.EsoxRepublic.com

 

[pmkPE]

TheTick(meister),

I disagree. If the company allows for the manager to make sales this could be a major turning point for them and for his career. Marketing, sales whatever one wants to call it is probably the most important attribute that one can develop in any career or employment situation. How does anyone get their first, and subsequent jobs? How does anyone promote their ideas and abilities but through the active selfinvolvement of selling themselves, their abilities their ideas.

Each of us in every company should realize that we can and should be our company's sales reps. Sell your firm, sell your self (I don't mean to imply prostitution). But, we as engineers need to do a much better job of selling what we do and how we do "it: and how so many people benifit from what we do. This would help our standing in the community and to as a side benifit realize better fees.

 

[TheTick]

All good points, pmkPE. However, there are some danger signs in this situation. The biggest of these is that Mr. Dotson does not seem to have authority to choose key people for himself or hold people accountable for lackluster performance. From what I can see, the situation requires a lot more than rolling up sleeves and pitching in on the dirty work.

 

[pmkPE]

The Tick;

Why do you call it "the dirty work"? Without sales how does any firm acquire clients and work? President Reagan is/was supposedly known for getting things done not because he took credit but because he didn't care where the credit went.

[BTW I appreciate your comments and insight in this and in other threads :>)]

 

[SeanDotson]

Tick,

I think you need to ask a few more questions before making statements like

"If you are going to just jump in and start making calls without doing anything to improve the way your sales force does the same, you have failed as a leader."

Failed is an awful strong word. ‘m not the sales manager. I’m the engineering manager. I control what I can control. In this case I’m trying to control my destiny by doing extra work that I shouldn’t have to be doing.

Sales is controlled by another division in another state. I have no say whatsoever in who my sales people are or what they do. They could sit in their office playing solitaire all day and all I could do was complain to their boss (which may or may not affect a change). We are the "forgotten" division and have to fend for ourselves in many cases. This requires me to wear many hats. If I don't get out there and bring in some business then thee will be nothing left to manage.

Is this an ideal situation? No. But it is one that I am in and I need to do what I can to make it better.

To address your final point, it is not only I who will be "selling". Each of the PMs and engineers will need to do their part to "sell" the company. However they need guidance and a path to follow. This is what I am trying to set up for them.




Sean Dotson, PE
Autodesk Inventor Certified Expert

http://www.sdotson.com

Autodesk Inventor Tutorials & More

 

[TheTick]

I knew my opinion wouldn't win me any popularity contests, but I still stand by what I said, in light of the information you made available at the time. I especially stand by my point regarding the fact that Mr. Dotson can not choose or control key people. You would be hard pressed to find a successful manager who does not see a problem with this.

"Failed" is not too strong a word, if you carefully consider what I said. I did not say that he shouldn't make the calls. I did say that he should do more than just step in for underperforming personnel. I must say that Mr. Dotson's comment about setting an example for his subordinates is a very positive sign.

This new information in Mr. Dotson's last post does clarify much. Thanks for the additional information. I sincerely wish you the best of luck and great returns on your effort.

Due to illness, the part of The Tick will be played by... The Tick.

http://www.EsoxRepublic.com