Weekly inspiration for the staffing industry.

By David Searns

Staffing Sales, Marketing & NASCAR

Did you know that the average NASCAR pit crew member makes a base salary of $72,000? With bonuses he (or she) can earn more
than $100K! And did you know that the average pit crew has 6 team members--for a total compensation of around half a million dollars!

So why do NASCAR team owners spend so much?

After all, every team has a talented driver. And the driver knows how to change a tire and fill the gas tank, right? Okay, the answer is
obvious. Teams need their drivers on the track. And the faster the team helps the driver go, the greater the chances of winning.

So why do staffing firms have so many drivers without pit crews?

In staffing, the driver is your sales team. They're out on the track every day racing against the competition to win over employers.
They are battling, neck and neck, with dozens or even hundreds of other staffing sales professionals in a race to convince staffing
buyers that your firm can outperform the competition.

Yet, most staffing executives have their sales people changing their own tires and filling their own tanks. Think about it. Are your sales
people responsible for identifying their own sales leads? Do they do their own email marketing, social media work? Are they still
spending most of their time making cold calls?

Why doesn't your staffing firm have a pit crew?

In staffing, your pit crew is your marketing function. The role of marketing is to keep sales on the track, racing at the highest speeds
possible. Great marketing gives your sales team a far better chance of winning the race.

Yet as an industry, staffing firms spend about 1/4 of 1 percent of revenues on marketing. That's 25 cents out of every $100.
That's a ridiculously miniscule amount.

If you ask a staffing firm owner why they spend so little on marketing, they'll tell you it's because they already have great sales
people that they are paying. So why spend their hard earned profits on marketing? And why don't NASCAR drivers change
their tires?

So what should your marketing pit crew do?

In staffing, a great marketing pit crew keeps your sales people on the track. It allows them to go faster and sell more effectively.
Marketing's job is to generate leads. Educate prospects. Differentiate your services. And keep you top-of-mind.

Marketing eliminates low value, time wasting activities and ensures your sales team is spending more time talking with clients
and prospects.

Here are a few specific ideas for your marketing pit crew:

Prospect Research	Build a profile of the kinds of businesses you want sales to target. Research the names of companies that match your profile. Dig up the names of key decision makers in those firms. Collect background research on each firm.
Lead Generation	Warm up calls with direct mail, email and social media. Script sales calls to make follow-up calls more productive. Attract employers by improving your website. Write regular blog posts to optimize your website AND give the sales team more to discuss on their calls. Provide creative drop offs and call leave behinds that help the sales team to more clearly demonstrate the value of your services. Educate prospects about the strategic value of staffing, and show them how they can use it as a tool to resolve business problems. Develop PPC (pay-per-click) advertising campaigns to generate leads. Create PR, speaking and event marketing to build your firm's reputation.
Lead Nurturing	Help sales people stay top-of-mind with regular letters and emails. Write blog posts that sales can share with prospects and clients. Holding client appreciation events and educational workshops. Provide innovative sales collateral that differentiates your firm.

Want ideas specifically for your firm?

Let Haley Marketing be your pit crew. Call us at 1.888.696.2900, and we'll happy to help you evaluate the track you're
racing on and determine the best strategies for making your drivers run faster!