When Mike Huey looks at the typical manufacturing business, he sees a familiar pattern: a founder who’s great at systemizing operations, finance, and production — but who can’t seem to let go of the sales reins.
“They probably got SOPs and ISO documents and standards for the operation side,” Huey said on a recent episode of the Manufacturing Executive podcast. “No idea how to do that on sales, because sales is a little squishy and soft, and can’t figure that out.”
That’s the reason why a lot of them keep that sales hat on way too long. They just don’t know how to get rid of it.
It’s a challenge Huey knows all too well. As the owner of Scalable Sales Solutions, he’s made it his mission to help B2B owners develop the processes and recruiting plans they need to scale their operations — or prepare for a strategic exit. And more often than not, that means convincing them to fire themselves as head of sales.
So what’s the key to making that transition? According to Huey, it comes down to a seven-step approach that he’s honed over years of working with manufacturing leaders.
It starts with developing a standardized sales process — a way to consistently generate leads and move them through the funnel. From there, it’s about putting the right systems in place: a CRM to track progress, a compensation plan that incentivizes the right behaviors, and a recruiting plan that allows you to quickly scale your sales team up or down as needed.
But perhaps the most critical step, Huey argues, is onboarding. Too often, manufacturers rush to hire sales reps without a clear plan for getting them up to speed — and end up with rookie reps who sound inexperienced and struggle to close deals.
Huey’s solution? A four-month intensive onboarding program that covers everything from shop floor training to sales process drills. By the end of month one, new reps have a deep understanding of the product. By month two, they’re fluent in the sales process. And by months three and four, they’re building their book of business and being held accountable to clear metrics.
By month four, they’re off and going. And so it’s really key to have that kind of repeatable onboarding program that you can turn on and turn off.
Of course, even the best onboarding program won’t matter much if you don’t have the right person managing your sales team. And that’s where many manufacturers make a critical mistake: promoting their top sales rep into a management role.
“Sales manager is, how do I keep people accountable? How do I keep making sure the CRM is being used? How do I revise the compensation plan? What’s my dashboard? What’s my training?” Huey explained. “Totally different skill set.”
Instead, Huey advises manufacturers to look for sales managers who excel at coaching and development — and to compensate them based on the performance of each rep, not just total sales. That way, they’re incentivized to invest in the success of the entire team, not just their top performer.
So when is the right time for a manufacturing leader to start thinking about taking off the sales hat? Huey suggests that companies under $1.5 million in revenue are likely too small to leap — but those in the $5-10 million range are in the prime position to start implementing his seven-step approach.
And for those who are ready to make the transition? Huey has a simple piece of advice: start documenting and preparing now.
“If you’re under a million dollars or you’re under 1.5, you probably should not be going through all this product,” he said. “You could probably be documenting and doing some of the stuff we’re going to talk about today to get ready.”
In other words? The time to start thinking about taking off the sales hat is before you’re desperate to do so. Because as Huey sees it, the manufacturing leaders who are willing to fire themselves as head of sales are the ones who are best positioned to scale — and to sell.
“The company is too small and too fragile for you to let go,” he said of those sub-$1.5 million businesses. “If you’ve ever had a child or if you’ve ever been a child, you can’t just let the baby and the diapers go for days without looking at it.”
But for those who are ready to graduate from the diaper days? The rewards of a scalable, saleable business await.
To learn more about Mike Huey’s seven-step approach to taking off the sales hat, check out his books on Amazon or schedule a free 15-minute diagnostic call at scalablesalesolutions.com.
