Hi All, I was reading a post earlier on here that was talking about what it takes to be a great salesperson in the machinery industry. I am a student here in Australia and I am doing an assignment on heavy machinery sales and what not. I am hoping someone can give me some names of some well known machinery sales people that they know. I would love to ask them to interview and promote them as experts in this industry. They dont have to be in Australia alone. I am looking for the superstars in the machinery sales industry. Please if anyone could give me some contact details I would be very great-full. Sincerely Cameron
Takes a lot of things to be a good salesman whether it is machinery or anything else. First of all selling high dollar capital equipment is different then selling cheap little widgets. The so called sales training classes don't cover this kind of selling. A good equipment salesman knows th equipment he is selling and what it can do. A damn good equipment salesman is also an accomplished operator of what ever he is selling also. A good equipment salesman has learnd to listen to his customer. Let him tell you what he wants, what he wants to do and how he wants to do it. Taking the attitude of "you only think you know what you want and I know what you will need" will only get you shown the door, and by the way, don't let it hit you in the ass on your way out. I have seen places where the operating people have been perfectly clear about what they want and something else was forced upon them. What got shoved down their throat didn't work. If they would have been provided what they wanted they would have made it work. In a nut shell, listen, know what you are selling and be able to make it perform.
Hey thanks for the reply, I dont appreciate it. But I am more asking for particular people. People who have been in the high capital equipment selling industry for a long time and have sold thousands of bits of gear. I would love to interview these guys and see what they know because the guys everyone can vouch for are the experts in the industry. If you dont want to reply on this thread my email is ctquin(at)gmail.com. Anyone would be helpful thanks!
I have sold high end capital equipment along with being a contractor for over 30 years. Does that not qualify me? What I said in previous post comes from MY experience.
I'm not a salesman, high end or otherwise, have no dog in this fight. But...just being a lowly high school educated spanner bender, in my humble opinion, that statement is offensive as hell. Additionally, you missed the apostrophe in "don't". If you're gonna blow some body off like that, at least spell the contraction correctly.
The way I read it,it looks like typo. Why would he thank him for the reply and then say he don't appreciate it. But then go to clarify his original question. Would help if you let us know where you are at in Oz, also equipment sales is a little differnent, insofar that the customer pretty much knows what he/she wants and it comes down to price, after sales service and a few other factors, none which are really that much to do with salesmanship.
F&^% SORRY! I didnt realize it said DONT... I mean do! SORRY GREG!!! I DO APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENT. thanks for bringing that to my attention! Really sorry mate!
I must admit, I struggled with that Hendrik, that it might be a typo, using the same logic as you that he did first thank him. But no matter how I sorted it out, "thanks for the reply, I do appreciate it...thanks for the reply, do appreciate it...", just how the heck does one typo "dont" in there??? I'm more than willing to give the benefit of the doubt, but one must keep in mind (reason I added that comment about spelling), when one comments on a worldwide venue, one must have to keep in mind that others don't have the luxury of reading body language or personal acquaintance, one must at least strive to be somewhat accurate in ones choice of words, even innocent "goofs" in spelling allow others to "read between the lines", but a typo like that...wow, I hope it is a typo.
Willie... you have every right to say that, I am a real idiot for not reading over my message! Again I do really apologize Greg! I wish I hadnt have blown you off like that because with 30 years experience I would have loved to interview you. Hi Hendrik, Ok so I'm in Brisbane... the sort of questions I want answered are things like what led the expert into the industry, top 3 things tha would make anyone become succesful in the sales of large capital eqipment, how to get started tose sorts of things.. the sort of things that come with experience... Again I do want to apologize to Greg!
Ahh, I see you posted while I was yet typing ctquin. I'm certainly glad it was an innocent error.
Thanks Willie, Yeah absolute error... looking for help not a fight haha! So back to the question.. I have had one email that I will be following up from someone who is keen to have an interview but I am looking for a few guys.. if Greg forgave me hopefully he would be keen. Do you guys know of any others at all?
Also is there any way I can change that comment... really makes me seem like a a hole....
I wouldn't worry about editing ctquin, you've done a good job of sorting it out, no worries there. Carry on brother.
There are no real super star sales reps any more that have done and seen it all. The top salesmen of yesteryear were said to be able to sell snow to Eskimos. The current crop couldn't sell a canoe to a drowning man. It's not all their fault either. The sales guy of today is young. They are short out of college and have degrees in psychology, marketing and history. The business, math and engineering graduates all end up in management. For the new breed it usually takes three to five years for them to figure out which end of a bulldozer is forward. If they are smart they keep their mouths shut for the entry time and let the customers talk themselves into a machine. They learn finance packages, customer perks, how to set up their schedules, how to read customers and generally everything that has nothing to do with operation, maintenance and repair of equipment. There are learned personnel to answer those kinds of questions. Ask one of the new breed about the cost per ton of material a certain machine can achieve and they will refer you to the performance manual. Ask them to do it for you and they make a phone call. Have one of them show you how to push a drive way with a D3 and all will make a wash board and try to back blade it smooth, hence knowing which end is forward. I said it's not all their fault and I meant it. The hours are many and cruel. The rejection rate from those customers that have favorites will rip the soul out of any newbie. The problems with other parts of a dealership and all the rules and regulations that go with working with manufacturers are truly maddening. The money can be very good should the young rep be lucky enough to catch a whale that likes your stuff. On the other hand when you are starting out you get the crap of the customer list. All the dead beats that don't have any money, always have a bone to pick about a service job or something that happened two generations ago and will talk to the world behind your back is what you get to start with. If you don't make your quotas, your boss gets down on you. If you keep not making your quota, you are looking at working for someone else. And also, if you didn't make your quota, you didn't make any money either. Should the economy go bad you had better get your resume in order. If you are lucky there is a spot open at the competition. If not, you are selling or doing something completely different. The gents that have been in for long time are entrenched like ticks on back of a wild pig. They have their trap lines set up. They have it made and they will undercut any newbie that has the audacity or the good fortune to end up with one of the his paying customers in a territory realignment. There are those with the egos that think the only reason a customer bought a machine is because they are the sale person. In reality that sale decision by the customer has nothing to do with the rep. He was only lucky enough to be in that territory and answer the phone. The real reason for a deal is always only set by money and manufacturer reputation. In summary, the world has changed and along with it all the sales reps in all the businesses. If you have a good rep dealing the kind of iron you like, you don't go telling the world. All the sales reps will commit the sin of envy. You make some one a hero and you have painted a target on his back. The heavy equipment industry is just too technical now days for any one person to know every facet of every business type and how to handle every situation that smacks them in the face. Truth be told, every dealership I've worked at treated the sales force as fungible. There are many who would want to get into those jobs and many in the management structures think that anyone can do it. But then again, if all you have to do is answer the phone, who is to say they aren't right?
Thanks alot for your comment John. I really do appreciate the time and effort in that writing piece. It sounds like you have been in the industry a bit? Maybe I could talk with you further? I would love to hear some more about your experiences. If I could grab your email or you could send me one at ctquin(at)gmail.com that would be great. It sounds like a lot of young students coming straight out of university are creating major problems in many industries. What would you say got the majority of people that didnt come out of university into machinery sales?
The ones in management/sales that I know at the local Cat dealer that didn't go to college/university pretty much come from one blood line - they were mechanic's in the service department. The ones that have come through the ranks as a mechanic and then into being a parts rep, PSR or other inside management, are the most knowledgable of the product.
To be hounest and dont want to upset anyone but i would never get kids out of uni to work for me ever again tryed it 2 times now and both back fired. i found they where lazy and had to hold there hand on everything. I never went to uni and to be frankly honest to be a good sales man you really just have to know what you are on about the biggest mistake you can ever do is BS your customer because if he calls you out on it you are screwed. I personally think there are few and far between goods sales reps for the machines. Also what is your driving motivation for wanting to sell machinery? money? or a passion? Like anything if your hart is not in it then you wont have the drive to be the best you could be. my advice to anyone looking at work is just find what makes you happy and stick to it lifes too short.
Well said JGS
Ok Yep all the young people coming out of college don,t no anything.Thats why Cat,Deere Cummins ect have gone out of business hiring them. The first thing a good salesman has to do is learn to listen,listen andWhile the customer is very interested in your knowledge and backround he usally has a good idea what he wants. Yes machine operation and overal knowledge is invaluable,In the end the customer doesn,t care what you know as much as what you can do for him and his needs. Your job is to make him money.
Actually I am a little curious as to the assignment and what exactly it entails, I am sort of thinking a good salesperson is not just going to share their secrets of success with you. He/she might give you a run down on the basics of selling stuff but the little things that sets a very successful salesperson apart from the rest are not easily put on paper. However you won't know unless you try. Also you might consider that truck sales are very much like heavy equipment, insofar that there is a relatively small clientele looking to buy trucks.
ctquin: To start with us old "jarheads" can forgive in most cases but rarely forget. I left the part out about the 30 years first time because the oldest trick in the book for me has always leave them something to ask about because it keeps the customer coming back for answers. The high dollar capital equipment I have sold is all specially engineered for a specific application. That makes it tougher yet. I have operated it, installed it, fixed it, serviced it so that taught me to know it inside out. No better qualification then knowing it inside out if you are selling anything from mouse traps to space stations. You have to be able to answer anything about it any potentional purchaser asks and you better be able to operate better then the buyer or anyone of his hired help. On my end we have never had to address the financing end, that was always taken care of by the purchaser. Still comes down to you better listen to what the customer is saying. As far as new college grads, especially engineering school it takes at least five years for them to achieve the status of "becoming dangerous." Up till that point they are learning about what they are going to be working at or on. That is if they want to learn. The vast majority of them now expect to sit behind a computer monitor and do it all with a keyboard. Most of them don't come out with the fundimental things that we learned when I was there 40 years ago. GOD I am getting mature. Can't believe I admited to being around this crazy business that long. I have talked to many who work for Caterpillar who have never been on a machine, only work on one component, don't get exposed to the customers and what they want or need. Just design a thing and put it out there with tons of computer based things not required or wanted by the owners and operators of the equipment. Many of the dealerships service departments are totally compartmentalized. I know of individuals in Cat dealerships who have never worked on anything but transmissions, others engines only. Never out on service calls, never on a machine. There is no way that this kind of a guy can go out and try and sell equipment.
ctquin, PM me if wish. We can then direct the conversation through private email. John C.
Well maybe in the states they put them on , but i have never never seen a job advert saying WANTED unigrad no experiences for sales work? but hey maybe i am not looking enough :beatsme
Ok, so just to let everyone know that this is a business related course. I have to find experts in an industry and interview them to create a document for people wanting to go into the industry... So really this is all great information. Truly is. I am very interested in heavy machinery as I am third generation earth moving family here in Brisbane. I am reading the comments and thinking to myself imagine if these uni grads had a small crash course with this information in it BEFORE they went into number one sales, but more specifically heavy machinery sales. I really want to either sit down and talk with the game changers and the pro's in this field for a reason. Talking about engineering specific pieces of machinery for particular clients.... would I be right to say that it would be easier to sell when the client has actually come through the door but you would have a smaller demand, thus rather then "selling" so to speak you are trying to find the clients? "The ones in management/sales that I know at the local Cat dealer that didn't go to college/university pretty much come from one blood line" I can understand this a lot. I really do enjoy the heavy machinery industry but not much young blood is coming through and taking on the selling aspect of it all... would I be right to say that this is reducing trust in the machinery industry with everyone sitting behind computers and not putting a face to any sale? I would love to hear your replies. Has anyone read the book 'Think and Grow Rich'? How it goes through and interviews some of the most successful people in the world and gives you the information on how the PARTICULAR people got their. I think this sort of information would help uni grads greatly if they wanted to go into this sector.
Mate are in Bris ? if you are why dont you call RD willams or Komatsu or Hitachi or someone in the local are and go and see them but be warned they wont tell you much, as a few others have said no one is going to give away there secrets mate.
From your description it sounds like the way the industry used to work here in the states, ten years ago. Basically if you weren't a relative or knew someone who could get you in, you started somewhere else and hoped to get the experience and meet someone who might consider an outsider. Today it still helps to know someone but if you can get an interview you won't be washed out because of your genealogy. I know a couple of guys that started in the warehouse that turned out alright as sales reps. I know a couple more that started in the shop and gravitated to sales, because they were no good with a wrench. At this point in time I know of only one wrench bender working as a sales rep. I've never known of a wrench bender that became a successful PSSR. The good wrenches never get the chance to do anything else. The industry today is going to electronics in many more ways than just making the machines operate. Computers rule all facets of the sales process. If you want to sell, you better know how to work a data base, spread sheet, presentation software, electronic calendars, net meeting and email. Ethics, etiquette and manners are the absolutely necessary social skills to be successful. Being mentally sharp really helps. Only after becoming competent with this stuff do you get to start learning about the machines. Sales reps used to have geographical territories in which everything in that territory belonged to the rep. Now days you see prescribed client lists assigned to each rep. In the trucking industry you have specialists who work in one kind of truck. One guy handles refuse, another does cement trucks, another guy does line haul, someone else might work dumpers and still another does logging and forestry units and on and on. That doesn't work with heavy iron. The change that is coming concerns the internet. You can spec out a machine most anyway you want and put an order in. You will still have to negotiate with a local dealer but I don't think it too far in the future that you will put your order in, submit your credit info and get a delivery date. There is no crash course that will be able to prepare anyone for a sales job in this industry. I know Cat runs a distance education program for new hires and continuing education for most all their and their dealer's employees. I know they were working on the same types of things when I was working for the Komatsu dealer. You didn't mention whether you were a student or the instructor.