Sea Cool
Salesperson SOP

2. Role Expectations

• Represent Sea Cool professionally at all times.
• Respond quickly and consistently to inbound opportunities.
• Move deals forward, not just answer messages.
• Keep records clean, current, and usable by the rest of the team.
• Set accurate expectations and never overpromise scope, timing, or pricing.

3. Lead Response Standards

Target response time: Within 2 hours of assignment during business hours (9 AM–5 PM Mon–Fri). Responses outside business hours are acceptable within 2 hours of the next business day opening.

First-touch standard: Phone call or text, never email alone. Email is confirmation and documentation only.

• Phone: Preferred first approach. Establishes rapport, qualifies faster, and sets professional tone.
• Text: Use if no answer after one call attempt or if the customer texted you first. Always follow with email confirmation.
• Email: Send after phone/text contact to document the offer and next steps. Use professional, friendly tone with clear CTA.

Unresponsive leads: After 3 contact attempts (phone, text, email) with no response over 5 business days, escalate to management. Do not abandon—log and flag in CRM.

4. Qualification

During the first call or text exchange, gather these baseline facts:

• Project type: Window film, shades, motorization, full system, or replacement?
• Property type: Residential or commercial? Single-family, multi-unit, office, etc.?
• Scope: Single window, whole house, office building? Interior or exterior?
• Timeline: Immediate need, spring planning, or exploratory?
• Budget ballpark: Ask "Are you looking to invest $500, $5,000, or $50,000?" Get them to pick a range.
• Decision authority: Are they the owner/decision-maker or a tenant/facility manager?

Red flags (weak-fit or low-probability):

• Purely price-shopping with no real timeline.
• Non-decision-maker without authority to commit budget.
• Unclear scope or expressed budget below $1,500.
• Decision timeline is "maybe next year."

Next steps:

• Strong lead: Schedule consultation immediately. If they hesitate, ask "What day next week works best?"
• Weak-fit lead: Politely say, "When the budget is firm and timeline is within 90 days, I'd love to help. Can I check back in [month]?" Log and update CRM stage.
• Unqualifiable: Escalate to management if you're unsure. Better to ask than waste time on a bad lead.

5. Appointment & Discovery Standards

Before the appointment:

• Confirm the appointment 24 hours prior by phone or text.
• Review the lead history and any prior notes in CRM.
• Gather the customer's address and map the location.
• Bring all tools: tablet/phone with project app, camera/phone camera, measuring tape, pen/notebook, samples if relevant.
• Dress professionally. You represent Sea Cool's brand.

During the consultation (consultative selling approach):

• Listen first. Ask open-ended questions about their goals: "What brought you to reach out? What problem are we solving?" Listen 60% of the time.
• Understand their needs. Ask about budget, timeline, decision process, and any concerns they have.
• Educate and recommend. Based on their goals, explain your recommended solution. Show samples. Be honest about trade-offs.
• Take measurements. Measure every window/area that will be treated. Record dimensions clearly in your notebook or app. Verify with the customer ("So that's 3 windows, each 36 by 48?")
• Capture photos. Take photos of the space, problem areas, existing treatments, and sun angles. Minimum 3-5 photos per location. These help the office staff prepare accurate estimates.
• Field notes. In your notebook or app, record: customer comments, special concerns, installation challenges, preferred materials, timeline, any specific requests. Write legibly—office staff will read these.
• Set expectations on next steps. Tell the customer: "We'll prepare a detailed estimate and send it to you by [specific day/time]. If you have questions, I'll follow up by [day]. We can schedule installation once you approve."

After the consultation:

• Immediately send a follow-up text or email thanking them and confirming the next step timeline.
• Pass all materials (photos, measurements, notes) to the office staff same day or next morning. Be thorough—bad data in = bad estimate out.

6. Follow-Up Discipline

What counts as a "real" follow-up: A call, in-person visit, or substantive text/email that moves the deal forward or addresses a customer concern. "Checking in" with no value is not follow-up.

After consultation (before estimate is sent):

• Day 1–2: Hand off materials to office staff. Send customer a thank-you message with timeline ("Estimate by Wednesday").
• If estimate is delayed beyond promised timeline, proactively notify the customer why and give a new date.

After estimate is sent:

• Day 0 (send day): Salesperson reviews estimate for accuracy, professionalism, and completeness before office staff sends. Do not send if measurements or scope are wrong. Flag for office staff to fix.
• Day 1: Follow up by phone or text. "Did you get the estimate? Do you have any questions about it?" Listen for objections.
• Day 3–4: If no response, follow up again. "Just checking in—do you want to move forward, or are there concerns?" Get clarity on their decision.
• Day 7: If still no commitment, ask directly: "What's holding you back?" Common answers: price, timing, need to talk to spouse/partner, wants other quotes. Address the actual objection.
• Day 14 and beyond: Space out follow-ups to every 5–7 days. Do not abandon the lead. Each follow-up should add value (price adjustment, payment option, product benefit, case study, customer testimonial, etc.).

When to escalate to management:

• Customer requests price negotiation or has received a lower competing quote.
• Customer is interested but has a real objection you cannot resolve (e.g., financing, contract language, warranty).
• Deal has stalled for more than 21 days with no progress on the objection.
• You are unsure whether to keep pursuing or let it go.

7. CRM Behavior (HubSpot)

Core rule: If it happened, it goes in CRM. No shadow pipeline in email, text chains, or notebooks.

When to update:

• Within 30 minutes of lead assignment: Create contact (if new) and add to a deal.
• After first contact: Log the call/text/email interaction. Set deal stage to "Qualification."
• After consultation appointment: Update stage to "Discovery/Consultation." Add event with date/time. Attach photos and measurement notes.
• After estimate is sent: Update stage to "Proposal/Estimate Sent." Update the deal value to match estimate if not yet set.
• After every customer communication: Log the interaction (call, text, email). What did they say? What's next?
• Before month/quarter end: Review your open deals. Update any stalled deals with current status.

Required detail in notes:

• What was discussed (needs, concerns, objections).
• Next step and target date for follow-up.
• Any commitments made (timelines, pricing, samples, etc.).
• Customer tone and buying signals (interested, hesitant, comparison shopping, etc.).

CRM stages (use these, not custom ones):

• Lead Assigned
• Contacted / Qualification
• Discovery / Consultation Scheduled
• Consultation Complete
• Proposal / Estimate Sent
• Negotiation / Follow-Up
• Closed Won
• Closed Lost (with reason)

No exceptions: Do not keep deals in email or text. Do not use private spreadsheets. CRM is the source of truth. Management depends on accurate CRM data to see what's happening in the business.

8. Communication Standards

Professionalism and tone: Be friendly, confident, and honest. Customers buy from people they like and trust. Return messages same business day. Use correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation in written communication. Avoid jargon unless the customer uses it first.

Never overpromise:

• Timeline: If you say "estimate by Wednesday," deliver by Wednesday. If you will be late, tell the customer 24 hours in advance.
• Scope: Do not commit to "custom colors" or "special shapes" without confirming with management first.
• Pricing: Do not promise a discount without approval. Say "Let me see what we can do" rather than "I'll get you 20% off."
• Installation: Do not promise a specific install date until the job is scheduled and confirmed. Weather, crew availability, and other jobs affect the timeline.

Pricing discussions:

• Do not quote a price on the phone without seeing the space. Say "Once I measure, I'll have a number for you."
• Present pricing confidently. Justify it: "This price reflects [material quality, custom measurements, professional install, warranty]."
• If they mention a competitor's lower price, ask "What are they including? What's their warranty?" Do not immediately drop your price. Let management decide.
• Discuss payment options and financing early if the project is large ($5K+).

Handling objections:

• "I need to think about it." Ask "What specifically do you need to think about?" Get the real objection. Common ones: price, timing, need approval from spouse/partner, comparison shopping.
• "I'm getting other quotes." That's smart. Ask what they're comparing and on what criteria. Offer to help them evaluate (quality, warranty, timeline, service, price).
• "Your price is too high." Ask "Compared to what?" If they have a competing quote, ask to see it. Explain the difference in scope, materials, warranty, or service. Do not immediately discount.
• "I'm not sure this will work." Ask "What's the concern?" Gather details and escalate to management if needed. Do not guess at a solution.

9. Daily / Weekly Expectations

Every business day at 9 AM (or start of shift):

• Check CRM for new leads assigned to you. Within 2 hours, make first contact on each.
• Review your open deals (any stage from "Contacted" through "Proposal Sent").
• Identify deals that need follow-up today (based on promised contact dates, 3+ days of no response, or customer waiting on estimate).
• Block 30–60 minutes for focused follow-up calls and emails (do not scatter follow-ups throughout the day).

Every Friday (end of week):

• Review all open deals. Update any that have moved or stalled.
• List deals by stage: How many are in "Contacted"? "Proposal Sent"? How many are waiting on your follow-up vs. waiting on customer decision?
• Flag any deals over 14 days in "Proposal Sent" stage without response. Plan escalation or closure decision.
• Check CRM data quality: Are all notes current? Are stages accurate? Fix any gaps.

Minimum activity standards:

• Respond to all new leads within 2 hours.
• Schedule and complete one consultation per day (or maintain a realistic pipeline for your geography/season).
• Follow up on every estimate within 1 day of it being sent.
• No deal should sit in "Proposal Sent" stage for more than 21 days without a decision (close it or escalate).

Monthly review (with management or solo if solo salesperson):

• Total new leads contacted.
• Consultation appointments completed.
• Estimates sent.
• Closed deals and deal value.
• Pipeline by stage.
• Any process or product feedback for the team.

10. Key Points to Remember

• Estimate preparation is office staff's job; your job is consultation, discovery, and follow-up. You review the estimate before it's sent to make sure it's accurate.
• CRM is the source of truth. Everything goes in HubSpot. No shadow pipeline.
• Speed and follow-up win. A quick response and consistent follow-up will close more deals than a perfect pitch ever will.
• Consultative, not transactional. Listen more than you talk. Understand the customer's real needs before recommending.
• Ask for the business. At the end of a consultation or after an estimate, ask "Does this work for you? When can we get started?" Do not leave it vague.
• Escalate early. If you're unsure about pricing, scope, or next steps, ask management. That's what they're there for.