Author Topic: Finding customers IT sales  (Read 2388 times)

Uturn

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Finding customers IT sales
« on: November 01, 2016, 08:40:08 AM »
For the past year, I have been a sales engineer for an IT VAR.  I have an extensive technical background in networking and security, but this is my first foray into sales.  Being sales has been quite an adjustment from being on the customer side.   As with all jobs, it has it's ups and downs.  One of the ups is that I do not have a quota, one of the downs is the sales guy I work with doesn't either.  He is just not that motivated.  The way it works is he sets up the calls and I am there to answer technical questions, do some design work, and perform some installs on smaller projects.  If the project is more than about a week, we turn it over to an implementation team at corporate and the NOC for post sales work.

My problem is I'm bored.  I have not found a way to motivate the sales guy to drum up more work, so I think I want to see if I can.  My problem is I have no idea how to find customers.  Short of cold calling, how does one go about finding IT customers?  I've already reached out to friends who work IT. 

2Birds1Stone

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Re: Finding customers IT sales
« Reply #1 on: November 01, 2016, 11:18:46 AM »
I am the sales guy for B2B enterprise software sales (mainframe & workload automation).

Talk to management and see if they could align you to more than one sales rep.

That being said, how the heck does a sales guy not have a quota? What does the comp plan look like? Sales folks are inherently motivated by money.

Uturn

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Re: Finding customers IT sales
« Reply #2 on: November 01, 2016, 01:19:58 PM »
I am the sales guy for B2B enterprise software sales (mainframe & workload automation).

Talk to management and see if they could align you to more than one sales rep.

That being said, how the heck does a sales guy not have a quota? What does the comp plan look like? Sales folks are inherently motivated by money.

I have another sales guy about 200 miles away that I work with, and am engaging with him more.  He mostly focuses on server/storage, where I'm network and security.

I don't know if the sales guys have quotas, but I don't.  If they do have quotas, it's low.  I believe they make 35% GP, I make a little over $100k salary plus 3% GP.   The main sales guy I work with is at about $400k GP for the year, which ranks him 11 of 19. 

I guess I need to figure out a way to word it to management that I want more to do without sounding like I do nothing.  Aligning with more sales folks might be the correct wording.  One of the obstacles I'm facing is geography.  Most of the company is on the east coast, plus the three of us in Texas.  We are often forgotten outliers.  But still, there should be plenty of opportunity in the TOLA region. 

2Birds1Stone

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Re: Finding customers IT sales
« Reply #3 on: November 01, 2016, 01:23:17 PM »
I am the sales guy for B2B enterprise software sales (mainframe & workload automation).

Talk to management and see if they could align you to more than one sales rep.

That being said, how the heck does a sales guy not have a quota? What does the comp plan look like? Sales folks are inherently motivated by money.

I have another sales guy about 200 miles away that I work with, and am engaging with him more.  He mostly focuses on server/storage, where I'm network and security.

I don't know if the sales guys have quotas, but I don't.  If they do have quotas, it's low.  I believe they make 35% GP, I make a little over $100k salary plus 3% GP.   The main sales guy I work with is at about $400k GP for the year, which ranks him 11 of 19. 

I guess I need to figure out a way to word it to management that I want more to do without sounding like I do nothing.  Aligning with more sales folks might be the correct wording.  One of the obstacles I'm facing is geography.  Most of the company is on the east coast, plus the three of us in Texas.  We are often forgotten outliers.  But still, there should be plenty of opportunity in the TOLA region.

Sounds like the sales guys have a sweet gig!

Are you hiring? Feel free to PM me =)

Rhoon

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Re: Finding customers IT sales
« Reply #4 on: November 01, 2016, 01:41:20 PM »
I'm in the Sales Engineer role as well, which matches with the job description you have; support sales, but not direct sales yourself.

Tips I've picked up;

- Trade shows are good place to go if you don't already; buy a ticket for yourself and network with people; bring lots of business cards. I get tons of them from the shows I attend and pack them away with what they were selling.

- Ask your current customer base if they know anyone who might be in need of similar services

- Get your PMP and ask to be on the larger projects (PMP may not be needed??)

- Any of your counterparts over loaded and need someone to take some extra calls?

A great way to phrase this to management is : "I'd like to take on more responsibility / larger territory and/or be added to the larger projects we find."