The Business Fixer Blog by Wes Schaeffer, The Sales Whisperer®

Fast Track Your Calling With Gerren Sprauve

Written by Wes Schaeffer | Jan 07, 2021

He became a janitor on purpose to find his calling 

Click here to download the episode. 

[ LISTEN NOW ON ITUNES ]

 

Life Tips you'll learn today on The Sales Podcast...

  • What is your life calling?
  • Came to the U.S. in 2001 after college from the Virgin Islands
  • Family of educators
  • Soon became dissatisfied in business
  • His wife was frustrated in work
  • They were open to new opportunities in life
  • Their waiter/busser wasn't happy and Gerren thanked him...and that put a spring in his step
  • So he soon quit his job and became a janitor

 

  • He called companies who tried to sell him a franchise
  • He started handing out fliers to grow his own janitorial business
  • He was too broad in his initial marketing
  • Would've narrowed his niche at first
  • Still friends with his first client, a residential client, "and we're still friends"
  • It was all difficult because the devil is in the details
  • It was hard to find mentors
  • Worked with "Service Magic" for leads at $18 each
  • He asked qualifying questions
  • Better service or consistency or better cleaning, and sometimes they're just looking for a friend
  • He didn't have "game" back in the day when he was dating, so approaching people cold was hard
  • He didn't have systems set up at first
  • Worked as a courier as well so people would welcome him
  • Kept a jacket in his car, cleaned overnight, headed out when a lead came in
  • Started in 2006 and was grinding for probably four years
  • Building a business is key
  • He was frustrated when he realized he was tied to his self-employed job instead of owning a business
  • He switched from 45 contractors via two companies to employees
  • He couldn't steal them, but he didn't know them, but he saw how stressed they were
  • The contractors weren't happy
  • The cleaning company quit on him and fired the contractors in 2014
  • He showed up, and there were 17 staffers ready to work
  • He had to buy $10,000 in material right then
  • Organization and processes were not his strengths
  • Met someone at Toast Masters, and he became her first client
  • He remained focused in the 2008 downturn and always sought to add value
  • Those lessons have helped him during the 2020 COVID-19 downturn
  • "Meet...learn...share?"
  • Met a business coach through Dan Kennedy, who recommended he write down things for his own case studies
  • We are created for a reason that God knows
  • We have plans, and God chuckles
  • God has awakened someone who needs to meet you
  • Ask God, "meet...learn...share?"

Links Mentioned In The Sales Podcast