Here’s Why I Don’t Actively Recruit Salespeople

By Mike Coday •  Updated: 03/29/21 •  6 min read

Recruiting Salespeople

For those of you who have been reading my articles for the last several years, you know that I do not use my platform to actively recruit salespeople.

Why?

Well, that’s a great question. I’ve had roofing company owners call and ask about buying this website. They realize how powerful of a recruiting tool this website could be if I wanted to leverage it for recruiting.

Let me try to explain why with 3 quick points:

First of All

I don’t have time to work with all the new salespeople who contact me every month asking for an opportunity. As any roofing company owner or sales manager already knows, training newbies one-on-one takes a lot of time… and money.

Since 9 out of 10 new roofing salespeople never pan out anyway, based on my experience, that can be really frustrating. In the immortal words of somebody I can’t remember, “Ain’t nobody got time for that!”

Our small group of seasoned salespeople don’t want a lot of hand-holding, need extra training, or have the patience to sit through mandatory sales meetings. They just don’t and I get it because I’ve been there before.

We text, fax, and email for business. When we talk on the phone, we mainly talk about life, family, outside interests, and then handle our business.

We all like each other, respect each other and get along way better than any sales team I’ve ever been around. Sure, if somebody needs a pep talk, and wants one, we’ll make it happen, but that isn’t the way we roll.

I’ll meet the guys when we need to and occasionally go out to help close a deal if that’s what it takes, but our small, tight group handles all their own sales business for the most part, and the office handles production and paperwork… which can be full-time jobs in and of themselves… especially during hail season.

If you contact me through the website or another social media platform, I’m probably going to refer you out to another roofing company almost every single time.

I’m really and truly sorry, but if you “have your heart set on working with me,” or “can’t imagine working with anybody else,” and I get those emails often, that just means I’m going to refer you out even faster.

If you want to try, chances are slim to none we’ll ever work together because…well, just because.

Please don’t take it personally.

It’s not you.

It’s me.

Really.

Second

I started this whole thing to help people who are struggling, or want to go to the next level, and to give back to the roofing business that’s been so good to me ever since I started my first roofing sales job under my mentor, Dennis Tuttle, back in 1995.

There’s a wealth of information for anybody getting started published right here on this website. You can follow me right now on social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) or invest in my private training to get even more sales tips, tricks, and motivation.

You don’t have to pay a dime for any of that stuff… It’s all free!

If you absolutely have it, or you just crave more, you can buy my audio sales training right now. In the future, I’ll have more available, but there’s already a wealth of information already here for you.

Eventually, I’ll publish my first book simply titled, “Roofing Sales: How To Make Money Selling Roofs Door To Door” or maybe “Getting Started in Roofing Sales.”

I’ve been asked over and over again to create sales training manuals, and sales meeting curriculum for sales managers, or a members only subscription for small roofing company owners, but you don’t have to wait for any of this… just read the articles on this website, follow me on social media, and subscribe to my basic newsletter.

I’ll tell you what I think if you’ll give me a minute!

If you have a good, solid roofing company outside of the Dallas / Fort Worth market with a decent monthly advertising budget, you should contact me about handling the marketing for your roofing company. I’m not cheap, but I’m a lot better than the crap you’re paying for now!

Finally

I don’t actively recruit roofing salespeople because I don’t compete with the people I’m helping.

Roofing company owners and sales managers trust me to help them and I will not betray that trust.

In the end, your reputation is all you have, and my personal reputation is rock solid. The people in business close to me know, and it drives them absolutely crazy, but I would rather walk away and take the short end of the stick than to

Never ever, not one time, has any roofing company owner ever said, or will they ever be able to say, “Mike Coday stole my salespeople!”

Nope! Not going to happen.

I don’t want your salespeople.

If they were trouble for you, they’ll be more trouble for me.

If they left you high and dry, owing money, they’ll do the exact same thing to me…maybe even worse!

You get what you give in this life and in the life to come.

Why would you want to store up for yourself wrath, resentment, and heartache when there’s a far better way to build a solid business?

Find your own salespeople. Train them yourself. Pour into their lives. Invest. Give, give, and give some more. Give when you don’t have it to give. Give when your bills are due and your lights are about to be shut off. Give when your car payment is way past due. Walk door-to-door with them. Do sidewalk training sessions. Help them close deals and give them their full commission.

If you want somebody to be “dive-in-front-of-a-bullet” loyal, you better be prepared to do the same thing for them because salespeople are really good at sniffing out the bull crap. You’re not going to fool them for long.

If you’re in it for them, they’ll be in it for you.

And now you know why I don’t actively recruit roofing salespeople.

If you have any questions, let me know because I would love to hear from you.

Peace,
Mike

Mike Coday

Mike started selling roofs in '95 while working as a youth pastor at a small church in North Texas. A decade later he transitioned to speaking at industry conferences and training outside sales teams. Today, he works exclusively as the premier consultant to roofing company owners who are driven for growth.