Tom Oyler loves to sell. He founded and sold U.S. Lawns, and has sold millions of dollars of products, services and companies over the past three decades. He owns and still actively runs several Florida-based companies in addition to partnering with Bruce Wilson in their successful consulting business, Wilson-Oyler Group.
Oyler’s an entertaining speaker, too. We attended the recent Next Level Network University and participated in a spirited day-long selling seminar with Oyler and a group of talented managers from top U.S. landscape companies.
Here’s Tom’s top 10 things to think about in the sales process:
1. Qualify prospects. (No bad meat in your camp. Laser sharp value proposition. Time management.)
2. Maintenance services are short-cycle and renewable services. (You do not have to sell the customer; you have to suppress the competition. Build value chains. Empathetically engineer sales solutions)
3. Build market density. (A crew behind glass is just burning gas. Speed of service and service recovery. Lower supervisory costs.)
4. Do the math. (Data base management. Time management. Meeting goals.)
5. Inside sales support may be needed. (Inexpensive. Accurate. Routine.)
6. Get there first. (Build your brand. Understand market trends. Alter pricing strategies. Sell strategically.)
7. Invest in your client. (Be selflessly selfish.)
8. Become a business leader. (Within your company. Within your community.)
9. Build trust. (Communications. Corporate and competency.)
10. Gain subject matter and domain matter expert status. (Be the knowledge leader.)
