Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1515304
18 SMT007 MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2024 cra, so never stop learning. Read books, attend seminars, and find a mentor. Feinberg: When you succeed, have pride in your accomplishments. Beaulieu: Absolutely. Matties: Now, when you're selling or mar- keting your board shop, they're all about the same: ey all have application engineers, sol- der mask departments, process engineers, and so on. How does a board or assembly shop stand out? What do you say? Beaulieu: e simplest answer is to bring the customer—both literally and figuratively—to the table and create a plan. I'm sure big EMS companies had sessions and asked, "What can we put in front of this major customer?" Board shops don't do enough of that. I feel like I have to wrestle them to the ground to have a two-day sales meeting once a year. Aer that, the challenge is to put the sales plan into action. Respecting the customer includes understanding how a customer is hurt when you screw up. I've fought with board shops who think on-time product delivery doesn't matter that much. A few years ago, domestic board shops were 83% on time. ankfully, I think it's in the 90s now. So, bring the customer to the table, respect them, and provide what they need to be suc- cessful in their industry. Do what the cus- tomer cares about, and you'll be outstand- ing. Once you do all that, use marketing to tell your story. Matties: at's a perfect way to wrap up this discussion. ank you all. SMT007 tions, whether that's an AE or someone in quality assurance. en, ironically, when the customer is mad that something went wrong, they want a salesperson to show up so they have someone to yell at and who eases the way. Matties: What advice do you give a board shop today about sales and marketing? Beaulieu: First, you need marketing; you have to be found. en there needs to be more edu- cation for the salespeople, and more respect. People think sales is black magic, but it's not. It's a comp lete, str uc tured process, right down to qualifying the account, forecasts, and weekly reports. How can you play a game with- out a scorecard? Matties: How does someone pre- pare themselves to become a salesperson in this industry? Beaulieu: is is a cool product, so get excited about it. at's where we've fallen down, frankly. Respect the prod- uct. We couldn't have gone to the moon or built a Tesla with- out it. Young people have passion. ey want a mission, to believe in what they're selling, and that they're doing the customer a favor by selling boards that will go to Mars, for example. Next, show them their future. A high school graduate working in customer service makes more than the starting salary of a teacher with a $160,000 education. You can make a good liv- ing in this industry, so show that, with ambi- tion, they have a career path. Finally, have respect for the process. Help them have a regard for what's being built and the people who are building it. As a salesper- son, you represent them. Also, this is your People think sales is black magic, but it's not.