Multiple Territory Management, Chapter One...
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This is easy to explain but its hard to explain at the same time. I don’t do anything special to run multiple territories. I follow the same system in each business. In my area, we are able to grow outside of our established Fish territory and expand geographically by simply doing what we do. I understand I am working out of my territory, but there’s nothing between Eau Claire and surrounding areas but small towns and cropland. You guys in New Jersey need to realize I have no territory to jump over and no one’s territory to work around. We move into small towns in our area and establish service and cold call the town. There is far less competition, if any at all, in our small towns. Yes, I am working out of my territory, but I understand the risk that someone might “buy” the territory is very minimal.
We simply go into town. Cold call for next week, and establish service. Most businesses are very happy to have a large company asking for their business and word spreads fast! Yes, there are still bucket Bobs and the town’s “challenged” person that pretends to clean for a few bucks, but closing ratios for us are still huge! We keep selling in that town until the route hits $300-350, we then go back in a month or two to try to get another $300-350 so we can provide service every two weeks. Some larger towns have been so receptive we have weekly service and have to go to one town five times per month! As I grow closer to the next large town that could in fact support another territory, I then call John English and close the deal on the next city.
To do this, you must pay your cleaners mileage with their wages. Fish currently recommends 30% + 2% for mileage. I pay similar, but use the actual mileage they drive. I keep in mind minimum wage and I keep in mind the cleaners like to cheat on their mileage sheets and I have some micro managing to do, but it works for them and me. Bottom line, you have to have guys that will travel. OK, now we have grown to a franchised area and have purchased the rights from Fish. Then you have to hire a manager. This is the part that really stands apart. You need someone you can trust. You need someone that will work for YOU in an absentee manner. There are a few other owners out there that are relatively absentee, and expect a lot out of the manager, and I have to do the same. I spend a lot of time and energy looking for these people and am very picky. I don’t have time for someone to test drive my business to see if it’s right for them. They have to know it going in….
How do I do that? After trying to hire many, many sales people in Appleton, I found Roland from an application for a Sales job in Eau Claire. We talked and couldn’t put together a deal for the sales job. After a while I decided it was a long shot and called Roland back. We talked about the Operations Manager job in my Appleton Franchise. He liked the position. I decided it was time to make him an offer. After I thought about what I needed, I decided here’s what I need: I need someone that will move into my operation and have as much risk in taking the new job as I have in offering it. I offered Roland the position. HE ACCEPTED AND MOVED for the job!
Here’s what I learned…If you can find someone that will “buy in” to what you are doing from a distance, and they are willing to make the move, they will succeed, they HAVE TO! They have as much risk as you do! Tyler and I hired countless people for a sales job in Appleton that might lead to the Operations Manager’s position. Every one that tried gave up too soon. All the while, they were “test driving” the job and since it’s such a narrow field, they quit before they fit in. Not Roland, he moved his family across the state for the job. I talked him into taking the risk. He did. Today he’s fitting in great, he loves his job, and I’m very proud to say that he’s nearly doubled the size of the Appleton/Green Bay Franchise since April….I will make certain to take good care of him as we grow the operation.
So, find someone you can trust and “move” them for the job…the investment is worth it! It’s all about people, anyway. You know that. Finding the right person for the right job is hard, but this way I had just as much invested as the candidate! More on what I do later...