Taken from a recent interview with Palletways’ Network News, our Sales Manager, John Prime talks us through a typical day…
7am – Catch up on admin tasks. Check the Palletways portal for the very latest statistics on customers’ booked volume. Issue the weekly Pipeline & Activity Report to Palletways UK & Depot 71 management team.
8.15am – I attend the Depot’s weekly review meeting with the Depot Principal to discuss last week’s sales visits, Palletways portal live demonstrations and the forthcoming week’s diary schedule.
8.45am – I collate the customer sales files required for the coming week and leave the office.
9:30am – Arrive at the first scheduled sales visit of the day and meet with the decision maker to discuss his network pallet business requirements. This equates to some 10-15 half and quarter pallets per week of printed matter. Armed with my trusty iPad I seize the moment to provide a ten minute live portal demonstration, highlighting the key features and benefits of Palletways’ flagship customer application, as well as the ease of use. Naturally this prospective customer is impressed with the portal and sees the immediate benefit of the Automated Email Notification Alerts. The seed is sown and we briefly discuss current pricing, before agreeing to a follow up meeting so I can go through the workings of the portal with his Sales Manager. Very positive outcome and the expectation to win here is high.
10:15am – I’m back in the car and email my visit report to the Depot Principal before answering emails and make two phone calls to chase up offers made last week.
10:45am – Cold call into a pet food supplier and find out they send around ten pallets a week. I ask for their contact details and will follow this up with an email later this afternoon.
11:15am – Arrive at the second scheduled sales visit and meet with the decision maker to discuss his 4-5 network pallets per week of building materials. This was a prescheduled portal demonstration and with no further ado, I am sitting at his desk using his laptop with the client standing at my shoulder watching with growing interest as I explain the features and benefits. We discuss the nature of his business and his current tariff and I make my offer there and then. Whilst it is slightly higher than he currently pays, he agrees to appoint Acclaim which is great news! Our meeting wraps up with a tour of the loading area.
12:30pm – A quick lunch so I can sit down and write up the two outstanding reports from this morning’s meetings. I phone the depot to let them know about the account win.
2:00pm – Arrive at the third scheduled meeting of the day and meet the decision maker who is moving 25-30 network pallets per week of consumer electronic goods across the UK & Europe. Meeting is conducted standing up in the warehouse where I am able to see the products and the pallet building process. We discuss the challenges the client experiences today and how Palletways can help him overcome current difficulties, and agree to a follow up meeting next week, with a live portal demonstration.
3:00pm – Cold call into a diesel engineering company and meet with decision maker. Establish they send around three pallets a week and give him the low-down on Palletways. He agrees to a formal meeting next week with a live demonstration of the portal.
3.30pm – Arrive at the fourth scheduled meeting of the day at a company that imports salt from India and Pakistan. They’re looking for a container de-stuffing and storage solution as well as the movement of 20 x 1 tonne network pallets per month.
4.45pm – Arrive home and fire up the laptop to send email reports, meeting confirmations, quotations, account pack requests and introductory emails.
6.30pm – Finally switch off the laptop after another thoroughly enjoyable day at the office!
John comments:
“I have been exposed to a number of IT visibility solutions during my 37 years in logistics and all can talk the talk and demonstrate a degree of success. However, without a shadow of a doubt the commitment and continued investment made by Palletways has ensured that the portal can indeed walk the walk, and for this reason alone makes selling the Palletways business philosophy an absolute pleasure. Express pallet visibility has finally come screaming into the 21st century.
“Palletways itself is only part of the story. For Europe’s number one pallet network to continually achieve success and drive the business forward also depends on the quality and commercial acumen of the members that join the Palletways network. From a personal perspective, the same applies to Acclaim Logistics, which has been tremendously supportive, and have a can do attitude that mimics my own. This results in the very best in relational value and a glowing advert for what can be successfully achieved between a Palletways member and a Palletways Sales Manager.”