BEST OF THE BLOGS: What should I pay my new employee?

It’s a common problem for people running small businesses, especially as more and more jobs are created in new economy industries that don’t necessarily have an old economy precedent: What exactly do you pay your new social media content manager?

Our HR bloggers, Janelle and Abiramie, give us a quick and simple rundown on where to start when you’ve found that great new recruit but have to work out exactly what you are going to pay them:

Never assume what your employees’ minimum entitlements are, always ensure you know for certain. We once worked with a client who set pay rates solely based on what they knew other similar businesses were doing. Unluckily for them, due to relevant legislation that kicked in after they had formed their business, they were paying hundreds of dollars over what they needed to pay their employees.

Knock, knock… what are you selling?

Door-to-door sales can be a largely thankless task but there are means and methods that can turn it into an effective way to generate more sales.

Behavourial economist blogger Bri Williams critiques two different approaches she encountered recently and finds that timing, props and manner can make all the difference:

Both Sally and Bruce had a ‘free’ product for me; a free power switch and a free trial. There is no doubt that ‘free’ is the most persuasive price point you have at your disposal – it can definitely change behaviour because it wipes out the economic risk on the part of the buyer. But with ‘free’ comes the invariable question, ‘what’s the catch?’ which is the buyer’s attempt to assess the social and psychological risk involved in the transaction.

By its nature, door-to-door sales is in-your-face selling. There’s a touch of the mercenary about it and its practitioners can sometimes end up antagonising potential clients rather than selling them anything. If your company uses door-to-door salespeople, it might be worthwhile reading this and assessing the means and methods used by your sales team.

Know your carrots so you don’t end up looking like a bunny

Sales specialist Trent Leyshan takes us deep into Bugs Bunny territory with his look at why you should always walk-the-walk when you talk-the-talk because, just like oils ain’t oils, carrots come in many different varieties:

There is nothing more disempowering than selling to a customer who has more passion for and a deeper understanding of your product than you. These customers can see things from a higher vantage point. The rabbit will know the finer details about carrots, like where to find more of them, what constitutes quality and how value is best measured.

So, even if carrots aren’t necessarily your thing and you’re a bigger fan of celery or leeks, it’s up to you as a sales professional to deliver the best possible sales experience for your potential client. Your client will soon see if you know your Altrinchams from your Imperators and call your bluff when you display little enthusiasm for discussing the finer points of a Langerote Stumfe.