The Sales Warrior vs. the Candy Jar Filler-Upper: A Comparative Analysis in Disaster Restoration Sales
The realm of disaster restoration sales presents a stark contrast between two distinct sales approaches: the proactive, results-driven Sales Warrior and the passive, reactive Candy Jar Filler-Upper. While both roles may involve selling restoration services, their strategies, mindsets, and ultimate impact on business success diverge significantly.
The Sales Warrior
A Sales Warrior is a proactive, strategically minded individual who consistently and intentionally seeks out opportunities and drives sales growth. In the context of disaster restoration, this entails many things.
• Proactive Outreach: Actively identifying potential clients through targeted marketing campaigns, networking, community engagement, and yes, old-fashioned belly-to-belly cold calling.
The sales warrior will cut to the chase and ask, “How do you direct your claims”? By doing this, they will immediately learn if the insurance producer manages their claims in-house regarding who gets the assignment, or if they send it to corporate for them to assign a TPA player. The decision on how they direct a loss is correlated to the Pareto Principle at its finest.
• Needs-Based Selling: Understanding prospects’ specific needs and tailoring solutions to address those needs effectively. You learn their needs by asking them. No two prospects’ needs will be the same. Yes, there will be common needs, however, a Sales Warrior digs deep to find this hidden treasure.
• Relationship Building: Developing strong, long-lasting relationships with clients based on trust, reliability, exceptional service, and a high level of integrity is a hallmark of the Sales Warrior.
• Solution Selling: Presenting comprehensive solutions that not only address immediate problems but also prevent future issues. You will never provide solutions until you find a prospect’s needs. For the Sales Warrior, unearthing a prospect’s needs, even the deeply shrouded ones, is like the hound on the hunt for the fox.
• Closing Skills: Possessing the ability to close deals effectively and efficiently. A candy jar filler-upper will rarely ask for the sale. A good closing line that a sales Warrior might ask. “Is there any reason that you wouldn’t direct your next loss to ACME Restoration?
By using this line, the producer has to answer the question, and his/her answer will open the door to prospect nurturing, or it will demonstrate that this may in fact not be a good prospect.
The Candy Jar Filler-Upper
In contrast, a Candy Jar Filler-Upper has a more passive, reactive approach. This individual relies on a “wait-and-see” mentality, hoping that prospects will magically glide through the sales funnel with little to no effort. Key characteristics of this approach include:
• Reactive Sales: Waiting for prospects to initiate meaningful conversation as they walk into the office.
• Generic Pitches: Using a one-size-fits-all approach without tailoring the sales pitch to individual prospects needs. An example: “Have you had any losses lately that we can help you with”?
• Lack of Direction: Failing to set specific goals or track sales activities.
• Minimal Follow-Up: Neglecting to follow up with leads or potential clients.
The Impact on Business success
A Sales Warrior’s proactive, strategic approach significantly contributes to business growth and profitability. By actively seeking out opportunities, building relationships, and closing deals, they drive revenue and ensure the company’s continued success.
On the other hand, a Candy Jar Filler-Upper’s passive approach can lead to inconsistent sales, missed opportunities, and stagnant growth. Relying on chance encounters and generic pitches limits the potential for significant sales and long-term client relationships.
Moral of the story
In the competitive world of disaster restoration sales, a proactive, results-driven approach is essential. By embracing the mindset and strategies of a Sales Warrior, businesses can achieve sustainable growth, build strong client relationships, and position themselves as industry leaders. So, if you are in sales ask yourself the important question; Am I a Sales Warrior or a Candy Jar filler upper?