Justin Roff-MarshFounder at Ballistix
Bio

My speciality is the design and build of sales environments -- particularly for complex sales. Work mostly with tech companies and B2B. Also expert in the Theory of Constraints. I'm the author of The Machine: a radical approach to the design of the sales function.


Recent Answers


My advice is to download the community edition of MAUTIC, the open-source (i.e. essentially free) marketing-automation application that competes with commercial applications like Marketo, Eloqua, Pardot, etc).

If you discover that your email software has some significant technological advance over Mautic, then continue your search for answers.

If it does not, abandon the idea and go back to focussing on your core business.


Your big problem is lack of time and headspace.

Consequently, you can't afford to prosecute multiple campaigns simultaneously. You need a SINGLE, simple, approach to client-acquisition that will top-up your client register whenever you find yourself under-utilized.

And this approach MUST consume less time than the billable time that it generates.

Initially, you should run a series of tests to arrive at this SINGULAR approach.

Avoid any advice that results in a list of activities that you must perform in the hopes on future, indirect, benefit.

If it were me, I would NEVER discount. However, I would give away initial visits. But only if these visits have a specific purpose.

For example, you might give away a 45 minute back-mobility session to get potential clients through your practice.

The other thing I'd test is running in-house workshops for small groups of participants.

For example, a 45 minute workshop where you teach a small group of participants the 10 exercises they need to banish back pain (or tennis elbow, or whatever) forever.

But, remember the goal. You need a SINGLE, simple, repeatable client-acquisition process.

Without this, your practice is not commercially viable. You'll never be a $10m business with a marketing department, unless you open a ton or practices. So, until you do, start with the search for this one simple formula.


If you don't have experience managing salespeople, don't -- under any circumstances -- hire someone into a non-existent role.

A better approach is for one of the three founders to take on the sales role, develop it, document it and benchmark it.

If you're concerned that the founders can't sell, don't be. Founders can always sell -- because they are founders. (If your founders can't sell your product, you have a product problem, not a sales problem.)

When you hire your first employee, pay them a salary (not commission) and have them work side-by-side with your founder-salesperson until they are able to equal or better your founder's numbers. At that point they are trained.

They should be held accountable to your founder's benchmarks until they better them (at which point the bar shifts). Salary should be determined by market value (not commission) and performance should not be optional.

You should monitor the number of meaningful interactions a day (in addition to sales, of course). You'll quickly get a feel for the optimal number (probably around 45 a day) and once you know, this volume of activity should be compulsory. Activity isn't everything, but without activity, you have nothing!


Contact on Clarity

$ 5.00/ min

5.00 Rating
Schedule a Call

Send Message

Stats

3

Answers

3

Calls


Access Startup Experts

Connect with over 20,000 Startup Experts to answer your questions.

Learn More

Copyright © 2024 Startups.com LLC. All rights reserved.