David Buttress – Inch by inch…

When I was recently in Canada I asked one of our ‘old’ UK salesman to start sending me a update for all the UK team and restaurants that read my blog. Ben has left his home town in Norwich and moved to Toronto to help Just-Eat launch there b2b wise. Ben was a top performer in the UK so we were sorry to see him go but it is a great strength of Just-Eat now that we can send our best people to help support new markets like Just-Eat.ca.

In his first blog he talks about the challenges he has faced, also has a few good points on internalising and finally a bit of ‘typical Ben’ comments. (he is young single guy after all!)

By Ben Jones – Just-Eat.ca

Area Sales Executive Toronto

My first ever attempt at a blog so here we go.

We all face challenges in whatever role we do, It is only now im starting to realize the difference between a sales guy and a decent sales guy. It is how those challenges are handled. For example in the UK my GPS broke, at the time my answer was simple, ill stay local and bitch and moan that i don’t have the correct tools to do my job. Needless to say that was met with a ‘get a map and do you job jones’ from the very lovable DC. Other challenges in the UK were things like, restaurants not wanting JE, not wanting to pay, its wet, its cold and just getting generally fed up of with everything and everyone.

However after being in Canada for now 2 months exactly (as of the time of writing this) im starting to learn that i would take every single one of those problems over the -26C the foot of snow and the fact no one has ever heard of JE. On top of that we can include that a large percentage of the first 100 restaurants didn’t have to pay anything to join JE and now why should the people joining now have to pay $800. On my first day in the Canadian office i was told it was going to be bloody hard to sell and that 15 a month would be a very good number..

As of today my average sale is $700 (about £500) and this month i have sold 27. Im pretty sure that if i was put back in the UK market right now, id be confident of doing 5 a day.

Im learning faster than ever that selling Just-eat and in fact any thing is 97% mind set organization and belief, 2%pitch and 1%luck. I have to see more people in Canada than i would of done in the UK to make my sales, i have to go around in ALOT colder weather, I have a 1.4 Kia rio with no Cruise control and I have a GPS that hates me and never wants to work (David Buttress will back that point up) I also have to drive on the other side of the road, have completely different driving laws to stick by and have no idea where anything is still, and for some reason i’m still able to do the magic 20+ sales a month that is expected. Anyway the point i’m making is it doesn’t matter what you are selling or who your selling it to, if your organized, believe in what your doing and above all handle every single challenge head on without letting it affect you then the numbers will happen easily

Any way, Canada is great fun, the girls are gorgeous and they love the english accent. The beer is a minimum of 5% at cheaper prices and its just a great place to be. We had a HUGE  snow drop this week.. about another 4-5 inches i think with more on its way. The MD is teaching me a lot, and i know im going to grow a lot while over here! Both professionally and personally. Hope you are all well and how you had a great February and have an even better March.