Salesguy - It's a nice idea that everyone would submit a lead and your assumption is that to win business would be just to turn in a lead. You should obviously know that this is an incorrect assumption. I think the vast amount of drivers/service providers would love to turn in leads, and get the "points" (let alone the job security) but there are problems as you may well know.
Some drivers may indicate that if they turn in leads they will only get more work. I hear that sometimes in my travels through the centers but I don't think that feeling is common. What I do think is an impediment to sales leads, among drivers, is that they turn in the lead and don't understand why; 1 it doesn't get followed up on, 2 we don't win the business (even though their friend in the shipping dept/front desk said it's a shoe-in).
We need to educate our drivers/employees, who we want to have turn in leads, about our services that is easy for them to translate to the customer and that they believe in and educate them on the sales cycle.
For example, most people in sales do understand that UPS services are, for the most part, as good or better than our competition. But to "tell" that to our drivers won't get much traction. Make it real and down to the local level, say provide them with a service report for the customers on their route and you begin to build trust. This isn't going to happen overnight.
The second point is that the sales cycle is mostly about needs and price. If you recall your sales training - SPIN, our drivers do mostly situation gathering and feature dumping (if they get a chance). If that doesn't work, they resort to "I'm sure we can do it cheaper" verbage which is not how we want out sales force set up for a sales call. However, that's what usually gets the driver a business card or a nod for an appointment from sales.
Well I think I said enough but I hope you get my point.
