[quote]I’ve read around here that it is typically 10%, is that typical or not? Do they usually get a base pay or some kind of draw? When do I make the payouts to them?
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10% is the norm, some guys give a base salary off the commission some just have you out there on your abillity. Depends on how good the sales guy is and how confident he or she is. I feel there should be a base of what you need to live because lead quality and amount will hurt a sales person dramitically to the point where selling the job becomes more important than profitt.
Payout can be done several ways. I had worked for a good company that did not give a draw but as you brought in signed contracts you were given 5% that week to hold you over. I liked that also. 1 thing you should think of doing for the sales guy is having taxes taken out. NOw alot of you are going to frown on this but it helps make the salesman more comfortable thruout the year equaling less stress and more sales. The less worries he or she has the better they will perform.
[quote]What should be expected of me as the owner and what should I expect from them as the salesperson? Shouldn’t they also be the person that deals with customer service? Should I pay more for cold leads than leads provided by me? Would the task of pulling permits with my licenses and insurances typically be his responsibility?
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What you should expect is estimating, sales, all needed materials written down and what colors for the job site, customer service questions, working with the crews to ensure proper colors and specs are used and to pick up the check. He or she should expect from you a few things also. Possibly a gas allowance, cell phone possibly for business related calls. He or she should not pull permits that is the owners responsibility. If your salesperson brings in work yes you should give them a little extra for doing so, he or she does not have to bring any work into the business, they do it for a reason.
[quote]To help me know if my crew is ready to support a salesperson, what does a typical roofing salesperson expect to make in a year?
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Well depending on what type of salesperson you hire is going to dictate how many jobs they sell vs how many leads they get. If you are getting 10 calls a week a good sales guy should be able to cover 3 to 4 a week for you. Now depending on your crews ability and speed will let you know if they can keep you busy enough or buried in work. Best year i have had so far i had 2 crews running for most of the year 5 days a week, but i had enough leads to cover the dead ones that you will get. I have said this many times, it is the easiest low paying job or the hardest high paying job you can find. Last year i made well enough to put over half of it away for a rainny day like most years. Tyipical sales person should cover 50k a year after taxes. There are months i have taken home 10k and months i have taken home 2k depends on the week and what is provided as far as leads. Hell there are weeks I have taken home nothing so it varys from week to week.
If you have more questions or you would like to talk more indepth feel free to email me and we can get a call going on this. I have no problem helping other roofers.