Trevor Maddux - The Hidden Formula To Building a Killer Sales Team

Trevor Maddux discusses scaling sales teams and building a tech product.

Key Takeaways

Reverse-engineer scaling: Your current systems are perfectly engineered for your current results. To scale, study the systems of larger, successful companies and implement their practices immediately.
Systematize sales first: Before hiring, the founder must master sales and document the process in a "sales journal." This journal becomes the training manual for new reps, ensuring a scalable, replicable system.
Use data to drive growth: Track marketing channels by cost-per-lead (CPL) and reallocate budget to the most efficient sources. This scientific approach enables predictable growth, like Cranston Handyman's $2.51 CPL.
Develop leaders internally: Promote from within to satisfy the innate human need for growth and build a strong, loyal culture. This is more effective than hiring external "saviors" who often fail.

Topics

Scaling Strategy: Reverse-Engineering Success

Core Principle: Your current systems are perfectly engineered for your current results. To scale, you must build the systems of the company you want to become.
Method: Be a student of the game.
Tour successful companies (e.g., A-plus Garage Door, Any Hour Services).
Talk to everyone—from dispatch to marketing—to understand their systems.
Implement their best practices immediately.

Marketing: A Scientific Approach

Philosophy: Use all available marketing channels ("bring the whole army") and test new ones quarterly.
Data-Driven Optimization:
Track CPL for every channel (Angie's, HomeAdvisor, Google, etc.).
Reallocate budget from high-CPL sources to low-CPL sources to maximize efficiency.
Results (Cranston Handyman):
CPL: ~$2.51 (some weeks as low as $2.38).
Lead Volume: 483 leads last week.
CAC:LTV Ratio: A key metric; a ratio of 6:1 or higher indicates a healthy month.

Building the Sales Team: From Founder to Leader

Step 1: Founder Mastery & Documentation
Step 2: Systematized Hiring
Step 3: Ongoing Training & Development

Career Path & Retention

Core Principle: Satisfy the innate human need for growth. If employees leave, it's often because the company failed to provide a clear growth path.
Cranston's Evolving Path:
Sales Rep: Entry-level role.
Fast Start Bonus: $250/week for the first 6 weeks to bridge the gap before commissions kick in.
Setter-Closer Model: High-performing reps can close deals for setters, increasing their income.
Future Phase: Develop internal team leads to manage sales teams.

Next Steps

Trevor Maddux:
Implement swag and snack shops at Cranston Handyman this quarter.
Continue refining the sales team's career path and leadership development program.
Podcast Listeners:
Email Trevor Maddux ([email protected]) for direct contact.
Listen to the "Service Contractor All-Star Podcast" for more industry insights.
Visit Cranston.com and MotionOps.com to learn more.

You can subscribe to the podcast at https://matthewefird.com.

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