I'm the worst salesman ever. Need ideas please.

[miket]

I am the worst salesman ever. I started a one man machine shop in 2013. Was part time until April when I went full time. I have been very busy but the vast majority of my work has been from one company. I need to diversify. As soon as things slow down for them I will be out of luck.

The problem is I am a terrible salesman. I am not very personable. I have tried connecting with buyers etc on Linkedin but nothing has panned out. I think it will take face to face contact to get them to take a chance on me. But, like I said, I am not real personable. And getting in front of them is something I dont even know how to do. I know in the end its all about relationships.

Any ideas, tips or whatever?

[boy wonder]

Find a Sales Person that will work on commission.

[Playa]

Hire a sales person, pay them commissions for the work they sale.

[Ironman]

Hire a hot chick.

[IowaHunter]

Contract out some amigos and settle on a commission.

[Monark]

Do like all our vendors do. Hire a smokin' hot young lady to be your salesperson. Opens a lot of doors cause guys will be guys.

[jason86]

Donuts are cheap and everybody likes them. Don't leave any stone unturned. I ask my customers who is their biggest competition and go call on them.

[TheHammer]

Never say No, never say I understand, answer I see where your coming from. I understand ends the conversation. Use straight line, don't stray too far from the task at hand, the sell. Stay on topic and try to land a deal. Build Rapport, try to get the trust. Never lie, never cheat, they will find out. Always be upfront and honest, but above all else NEVER ANSWER NO. Find a way to fulfill what they are asking they need. I'm not saying ever take a loss, but figure out a way to make it work. A good salesman is worth their weight in Gold. Building rapport works wonders, people trust people like themselves.

These are a few things I learned at some schools my employer sent us too when I worked as a chemical salesman

[Charles]

Their is nothing special about sales. Find someone that needs your product. Show them your product. Ask them how many do the need/want. Where most people fail in sales is they never ask how many they need or want.

[AgHntr10]

What are your capabilities? Are you in Plantersville? That is probably a little far for our trucks to pickup/drop off work but I can let you quote on some stuff and if the prices are right and we can get the logistics worked out I might can help you out.

[nchunter]

I am the worst salesman ever. I started a one man machine shop in 2013. Was part time until April when I went full time. I have been very busy but the vast majority of my work has been from one company. I need to diversify. As soon as things slow down for them I will be out of luck.

The problem is I am a terrible salesman. I am not very personable. I have tried connecting with buyers etc on Linkedin but nothing has panned out. I think it will take face to face contact to get them to take a chance on me. But, like I said, I am not real personable. And getting in front of them is something I dont even know how to do. I know in the end its all about relationships.

Any ideas, tips or whatever?

I work in sales in fact I'm the VP of a sales for our company. Hire a salesperson on commission. In your case, I guess you are going to say, I can't afford one. That may be true, so start with a referral fee network with people you may know in your industry. Offer to throw them a % of business if they refer you someone else.
Once you can bring a salesperson on part time even, do it. Its better to have 85% of something then 100% of nothing.
Also don't give up on yourself. Best book I ever read was "how to win friends and influence people' By Dale Carnegie. Honestly, no joke it works for me.
I don't go to self help seminars or hokey self help retreats. Also pick up the phone and ask like your life depends on it. When I was younger I would type out a scrip to keep me on task. good Luck

[Dusty Britches]

Any chance you could ask your current customers, including the big one, to give you referrals for more clients? I'm sure they know others that need jobs done.

[Playa]

The principle here is to hire to offset your weaknesses. You can mitigate the risk of hiring by paying commission only (within the guidelines of wage laws). They will either sink or swim.

[SAC]

Be the booger that they cant flick off their finger. I was told once that to really make as in sales, you gotta ride it out for at least 3 years. Real relationships take a while to build, but once you have one, your good.

[miket]

What are your capabilities? Are you in Plantersville? That is probably a little far for our trucks to pickup/drop off work but I can let you quote on some stuff and if the prices are right and we can get the logistics worked out I might can help you out.

I am in the Plantersville area. Actually about 8mi from Plantersville. My main piece of eqpt is a 2004 Leadwell 30x16 VMC w/ full 4th axis ( Basically the same.size as a Haas VF2) along with the regular other stuff like bandsaw, grinders, inspection eqt etc. Being north of Houston I primarily do oilfield type parts, though I recognize a need to diversify.

I do work with a couple of other shops to fill in the gaps in my capabilities. I am working towards a CNC Lathe and expect to have one by the end of the year. At this point I am at a juncture between getting enough work to justify the machine and holding to preserve capital.

If you dont mind, what do yall do basically?