The Ultimate Sales Machine - Chet Holmes [55]
HIM: Right.
ME: And how many of those could you handle per month?
HIM: Probably four per month.
ME: So $5,000 times four projects per month is $20,000. Put that in the newspaper and see what kind of talent you pull.
Here’s how the graphic designer could get someone to work full time at getting him more business and keep the projects going. Later, we’ll show you how to get a constant stream of new and big clients no matter what business you’re in. But let’s play with this for a moment.
Say you’re a chiropractor and you’re seeing 100 patients per week now. Hire a person who gets 20 percent of every thing above that number and put her out there to form relationships all over your community—in gyms, community groups, companies, and so on. No matter what kind of company you have, there are ways to get more business flowing than you can handle if you follow all the advice in this book. So far, we’ve only covered the high-level, more strategic aspects. Subsequent chapters get down into the nitty-gritty of getting you more buyers than you can handle.
As long as you’re willing to pay, even just on performance, you might be shocked to learn that there’s someone perfect who will build your company for you as long as you share the wealth as she does so.
How to Manage a Superstar
Once you’ve hired a superstar, you need to be very strategic in order to keep that person in your organization. Top producers share a number of traits that easily translate into restlessness in most companies. They are original, intelligent, and sure of themselves. They are generally frustrated in most organizations and usually end up starting their own companies.
The key to keeping superstars is to never say no to them. Instead, redirect their energy or give them a few hurdles to jump in order to get what they want. Here’s an example of how to respond to a superstar.
SUPERSTAR: Hey, boss! If we had better communication between departments, I believe our sales would increase. Could I put together a program for that?
YOU: Great idea! Tell you what. You get me three more sales per month for the next three months and I’ll let you run with that idea.
While many people are turned off or get offended by a little ego, you need to be grateful for your superstar’s ego and let go of your own for a minute. Here’s how to handle a superstar who is criticizing something you created.
SUPERSTAR: This promo piece is terrible. We should have a better one.
YOU: I designed the one you’re criticizing, but great! Let’s see what you can come up with.
There is no need to react or get defensive. Just direct their energy, challenge them, and see what they create. Great managers know just how to capitalize on a big ego.
SUPERSTAR: I could definitely increase sales.
YOU: I’ll believe it when I see it. Talk is cheap.
The more you challenge superstars, the more you encourage them to overachieve. But don’t forget to compliment them when they meet and exceed your challenge.
A Note on All Hires
This chapter focuses primarily on sales talent, as they are the driver s in most organizations and a critical component of your success. But much of what is outlined here can be customized to fit other departments. For any position you are looking to fill, break it down into all the different skill areas needed to do that job and have the candidates rate themselves in those skill areas. The relax-probe-attack method is a great interview tool, but go soft on the attack when not looking for salespeople. Say things like, “I wish I had more than one position because I really like you. But I’ve only got the one position and I’m wondering if you’re really the right fit.” Make all candidates sell themselves at least a little for every position. This is really just a test of how people meet adversity, whether it’s a receptionist who must handle 100 calls per hour or a finance executive. A little attack is very telling of what type of person you are interviewing.
In fact, every thing said here about hiring superstars also applies to