Sales Lead Training

Brownnblue

Well-Known Member
At a PCM this week we were informed by a rarely seen BD person that drivers who do not regularly hand in sales leads were going to get some kind of special training that was not "negative."

Anyone else heard of this? I am wondering if this is actual training or just a quick propaganda talk sandwiched between insults and belittling of those who do not participate.
 

looper804

Is it time to go home yet
Perhaps the training is just going to be how to submit a sales lead properly.Being it's not a "negative" thing the BD person just may be wanting to explain how a lead is submitted in case you aren't sure how.
 
A

aNON

Guest
sales leads are a joke. BD is a joke. Really? the drivers dont have enough work as it is already? I remember not too long ago when my center manager was really pressuring me to get leads I went out & got him 5 new leads in a week. The BD dept did NOTHING with them. I saw the same customers 3 weeks later & the responses I got were "They said they cant accomidate my international shipping." Another lead which was very promising & possibly profitable, pharmiceutical company never went through because the BD dept said I gave the wrong contact name. I went back & asked the customer again, they gave me the same name & even signed for the packages I delivered with the same name. Another lead the BD dept said it was a bad phone number. I called the number & sure enough the company answered, was nothing wrong with the number I gave them.
 

JustTired

free at last.......
Another lead which was very promising & possibly profitable, pharmiceutical company never went through because the BD dept said I gave the wrong contact name. I went back & asked the customer again, they gave me the same name & even signed for the packages I delivered with the same name. Another lead the BD dept said it was a bad phone number. I called the number & sure enough the company answered, was nothing wrong with the number I gave them.

I just had a conversation with another driver yesterday, and it was that same scenario. Evidently that is their canned response for the fact that they didn't do anything. The BD dept. is so understaffed and the things they have to do that has nothing to do with "developing business" keeps them from functioning in a productive way.

With the track record on following up on sales leads, is it any wonder drivers won't go out of there way to turn them in? Most sales leads turned in by drivers are dead ends because they are being forced to turn them in. So they just jot down some business name to get management off their back.

There's no substitute for an actual "sales rep." (I know that's not politically correct, but more factually descriptive) making a call on these businesses. Instead, they sit in an office checking email and participating in conference calls (both which are probably preaching about the lack of new business). Spend the remaining few hours putting out fires and looking at damaged packages. Then finish the day typing out a report showing what they accomplished (or more to the point, didn't accomplish).

I was hired as a delivery driver.....if I wanted to be a salesman, I would have applied for that position. Of course, if they want to double my salary, I could sneak a little sales time into my otherwise un-busy day!
 

looper804

Is it time to go home yet
Do you know who your BD representative's are? If not why not find out and introduce yourself.I'm sure they would be happy to hear any information you could provide them regarding any sales leads you have turned in.I know my reps very well and they are very attentive to the leads turned in at my facility.As for doubling your salary I think if the leads you do or could turn in could help you attain that.
 

Mike Hawk

Well-Known Member
A driver at my center got a $1000 cash card for a sales lead he turned in last year. He saw the company name on a FedEx box when he was doing a delivery and punched it into his diad or w/e. apparently they shipped a lot of stuff last year.
 

looper804

Is it time to go home yet
A driver at my center got a $1000 cash card for a sales lead he turned in last year. He saw the company name on a FedEx box when he was doing a delivery and punched it into his diad or w/e. apparently they shipped a lot of stuff last year.
That's what i'm talking about.If he didn't know how to properly submit that lead he wouldn't be $1000 richer.That fills the car gas tank for many months.
 

looper804

Is it time to go home yet
There are many ways.The best is if you see 1 of your customers shipping with a competitor ask if it would be ok if a UPS sales rep can call them and discuss using UPS instead of the competitor.If they say yes then get all the info from them (company name,address,phone # and a contact name) Enter it into your DIAD (hit the special button then the sales lead button).Hit stop complete and you are done.It's not that hard and with quick thumbs can be entered in under a minute.
 

helenofcalifornia

Well-Known Member
I always ask if the business I am delivering to (if it's not a regular one or if it's a new one) has a UPS account and if it's OK if a sales guy calls them to give them their own shipper number. That will at least get you in the door for service in some businesses.
 

1989

Well-Known Member
I was under the impression they were going out with the 5 least best sales leads drivers to teach them how they can talk with the customer about volume opportunies. The worst that can happen is you get extra money. Many customers think they are doing you a favor if they don't ship anything out.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
I just passed the $9,000 mark since I have been involved in the sales lead program. Submitting quality leads and then taking the time to follow up on them, whether by checking the status online at upsers.com or by working with your account reps (we have 3 and they are all very receptive and always willing to work with me or any other drivers on any aspect of the program.), are key to ensuring your success in the sales lead program. UPS recently increased the max. amount that you could receive for an individual lead from $500 to $1000 which, as was stated above, can fill that gas tank a lot of times. In my case, it put a home theater system and blu-ray DVD player in my living room to compliment my 42" plasma which had been purchased with the proceeds from an earlier sales lead.

In our center they actually prefer if you submit the sales lead in writing rather than through the DIAD but I always input mine through the DIAD as it is much easier and, as I asked my center manager, does the method of entry really matter as long as we are submitting the leads?

There was an earlier thread regarding sales leads and it seemed as though the majority of responses echoed aNON's in that we are not salesmen and that it is not our job to solicit new business for the company. That may be true, but another thread discussed layoffs and, IMO, there is a inverse relationship between the two--i.e. Increased volume equals decreased and/or zero layoffs while decreased volume equals increased layoffs.

Looper 804 and helen both summed up just how easy it is to participate in the sales lead program; however, they both left out the fact that it is the strong relationship that they have with their customers that allows them to be successful in the program.
 

PassYouBy

Unknown Acrobat
There are many ways.The best is if you see 1 of your customers shipping with a competitor ask if it would be ok if a UPS sales rep can call them and discuss using UPS instead of the competitor.If they say yes then get all the info from them (company name,address,phone # and a contact name) Enter it into your DIAD (hit the special button then the sales lead button).Hit stop complete and you are done.It's not that hard and with quick thumbs can be entered in under a minute.

If that "customer" also ships with UPS, can you still ask them to use you strictly? Would this be considered a sales lead too?
 

DS

Fenderbender
looper804 is right.If you put the saleslead into your diad,they will act on it.If you know the name of your account rep,make sure to include it,and he will make sure you get your points.I myself cant think of anything in my area that would want to change,but I did get about $375 credit over the years.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
If they are currently a shipper and you notice that they are also shipping with another carrier than you can put in a sales lead looking for new and/or additional volume. If they use us exclusively but you notice that they have increased their volume significantly you can also put a sales lead in for additional volume. They will track shipments over a 13 week period, compare it to the same period for the previous quarter, and award you accordingly.
 

PassYouBy

Unknown Acrobat
Thanks for the input....Even though I only cover drive, I was never really told how and what to do about sales leads!
 

looper804

Is it time to go home yet
If that "customer" also ships with UPS, can you still ask them to use you strictly? Would this be considered a sales lead too?
Yes,if they use UPS and any competitor you can still submit the lead to win the volume the competitor is getting.If we(UPS) wins this volume you will get credit for the additional volume generated.
 

looper804

Is it time to go home yet
In our center they actually prefer if you submit the sales lead in writing rather than through the DIAD but I always input mine through the DIAD as it is much easier and, as I asked my center manager, does the method of entry really matter as long as we are submitting the leads?
quote]
Actually the best way is to input the lead via a computer within your center/facility.That lead will be sent to the sales reps right away.Submitting thru the diad takes 24 hrs which I believe has something to do with the way the diad's download in the base.
 

UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)

Well-Known Member
They actually prefer that we use the sales leads cards and then hand them in to the OMS clerk who then input them in to the computer. You are right, sales leads input through the DIAD take 24 hours before they are in the system.
 

helenofcalifornia

Well-Known Member
Does anyone have an answer to the business reply of "Our national office decides on who we ship with-we have no say." I get this answer and it always stumps me. I look at sales leads as a game, a challenge. And it forces me to get to know my customers better as well. I am always giving them supplies, etc. But I understand about our more expensive shipping costs if they don't want to ship with us.
 
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