It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Hello dear readers. I want to apologize for my lack of blogging in recent months. I am a recent newlywed and with the honeymoon and wedding, coupled with the increase in new customers for the new year, my blogging has taken a back seat.

Please feel free to follow me on Twitter. You can find me at http://twitter.com/caseykraus where I send small notes and updates daily.

Just and update from our sales department, all of our Sales Managers, our Executive Vice President, and President have been heavily involved in sales this fall. We have brought on many clients both large and small to round out the year. Despite talks of recession in the country, TempWorks had a very successful year and has a great outlook for 2010.

There are many things that contributed to the successful year. Our developers have worked hard to ensure that Enterprise is on the leading edge of technology and pushed the limits of staffing software. Our implementation had completed many successful implementations and ensure customer satisfaction for all of our new partners. We have introduced payroll processing and payroll funding to make TempWorks a more complete package for prospects. The list really goes on and on.

One thing to keep in mind is that TempWorks always has and will always be a service company first. To end the latest installment on my blog I want to leave you with a letter I recently received from a new client:

"I have contacted several companies to find the best software that fit our needs. Your account executive went over in detail how your system worked and the benefits that your system had that would fit our company's needs, he was excellent and gave me the best presentation of all the companies that I had contacted. I would also like to personally thanks Todd Glander for his patience in explaining the TempWorks program to our office staff. He was superb and made it all the difference in getting our staff started in a positive way."

If you feel we can help you and your organization in anyway, we are always available. You can reach me personally at 651.452.0366 or on my email: casey@tempworks.com

A new member to the TempWorks family of bloggers!

Fellow colleague and co-worker here at TempWorks, Jack Terrana, has recently joined a few other employees in blogging.

Jack Terrana is another member of the sales team and VP of Sales for TempWorks Venture. Please check out his blog as it pertains to payroll funding. He has many years experience helping companies of all shapes and sizes to realize potential and gain strategic accounts.

His blog can be found at: http://tempworksjack.blogspot.com/

The latest from TempWorks

Laura Baratto, our Director of Marketing, recently put together the September newsletter. It created some buzz with the people that recieved it via email.

If you didn't get a copy, or if you're interested in what's happening, check it out!

http://www.tempworks.com/media/105414/revised%20sept%20newsletter.pdf

Any questions? Feel free to call me directly, 651.287.8377.

Underestimating the follow up call!

Let me start off by saying that selling is a great job, a good skill, and one of the oldest professions that will stand the test of time.

With that being said, sometimes it's not all roses. This recession, I'm sure, has taken its toll on the sales community. When nobody is spending money, nobody is selling. When nobody is selling, the salesmen is the one to blame!

Luckily here at TempWorks we have positioned ourself in a way that we have a steady stream of new clients and client upgrades, but I know many other companies can't share the same story.

Here's a tip: Don't underestimate the power of a follow up call!

There are two things that a follow up call can do for you:

1) Provide you with the almighty referral, the foot in the door to some new business. (refer to a previous post on referrals)

2) Ensure that prospects keep you and your offerings fresh in their mind.

Having already discussed referrals in recent months, let's focus on the second reason for a follow up call. As a sales rep you understand that cold calling is tedious and, in most cases, not to fruitful. If you can get a decision maker on the phone during an attempt or two on cold calling, you are in a great place for the follow up call.

Most sales reps, and I probably more than most, have heard time and time again from prospects; that there is no budget for software, now is not an opportune time, we have an excellent solution, etc. and the list goes on and on.

There are close personal friends of mine that like to think that following up on those calls is even a bigger waste of time then the first cold call you made.... That's where the mistake is made.

There may be a day when their current software is no longer supported, they have the budget for software, or it is a great time to buy; but they just can't remember the name of the sales rep that tried to sell them previously.

A simple call stating, "Is there there anything I can do for you at this time," goes further than you think.

Stay positive and upbeat each and every call. At some point with someone you will be able to turn them from the general information gathering stage, to a sales presentation stage, and the over all goal of the sales rep... the sales negociation and closing stage.

Try it and let me know. TempWorks has earned many contracts from a simple follow up call at an opportune time, or a call back as your name was fresh on their mind.

Expanding our online presence! Check us out on Twitter

If you're looking for the latest and greatest on TempWorks, or even just to hear random thoughts and opinions from our staff we can be found anywhere!

Be sure to check us out on Facebook, and Twitter. You can follow me by searching my name "CaseyKraus" in the name search and other TempWorks tweeters and employess by seaching "TempWorks"

Two posts in one day... I must have found something exciting!!

Exciting to few, but hopefully interesting to most...

I was crusing around a blog I read occasionally and found a post I really enjoyed. The post was about sales presentation and how the misconception of sales reps are to spend to much time focusing on information that is not pertainent to the sale.

At TempWorks we can certainly relate. I have heard horror stories about software vendors and their long winded presentations where the sales rep spent half the time discussing thier history and accolades they have achieved. What should be taking place is to demonstrate the value of how they will save time and money, or streamline processes. Let's face facts folks, the majority of staffing software on the market has a resume parser, there is no need to spend 30 minutes demonstrating that functionality.

If you have ever caught yourself in one of those presentations, I'd love to hear about it. Also, if your in the market for some new solutions, let me spend some time with actually showing you the benefits we can offer and how you can add a few dollars to your pocket. I can be reached directly at 651.287.8377.

If you are interested in checking out the blog post I am referencing, please visit: http://www.salesbloggers.com/2009/07/give-em%e2%80%99-the-%e2%80%9cgoodies%e2%80%9d-in-your-presentation/

A big high five to the implementation team at TempWorks

I just got off the phone with a customer who had nothing but rave reviews about the VMS application.... That's right. TempWorks has its own VMS module available. It links into your application and allows vendors to work with you in an easy and efficient manner.

Congrats on another successful implementation TempWorks Implementation Department!

If you would like to learn more about how you might be able to streamline your efforts with your vendors check out http://www.tempworks.com/products/software/vendor-management-system-VMS.aspx

The end of summer and the beginning of the fall trade show season!

I woke up this morning to a nice brisk 60 degrees here in Minnesota. The day before Labor Day weekend seemed to come faster than normal this summer. As we end the month of August and begin the start of September there is some good news to report here at TempWorks.

This week the sales department at TempWorks was able to close 4 different contract this week. We created these new partnerships in various placed around the country which makes me believe that everyone is, at least hoping, if not experiencing some brighter days then what the recession brought the past year or so.

We are excited to welcome the newest members of the TempWorks family and look forward to growing with them. We have recieved new partners both through our enterprise software, as well as payroll processing agreements. We were able to create value and go above and beyond their expectations and I would be happy to see if we could do the same for you.

The next few months will be busy for not only the sales team, but the entire company. We will have various attendents at numerous industry events and trades shows this falls, so please keep an eye out for us or even call me to arrange at time for us to talk.

We look forward to helping more and more companies realize what they could accomplish with an experience industry partner like TempWorks in the upcoming weeks and months.

As always for questions or comments, please feel free to contact me at 651.287.8377.

Creating value and watching it in action!

There has been a lot of buzz around the country regarding the current state of the economy. One of the most common trends to keep a business ahead of the curve is the idea creating value and capturing value to make a more deliverable product to the end consumer.

TempWorks is certainly ahead of the curve in those regards. The value created and captured by TempWorks, as of late, is due largely in part to the addition of new products and services. On top of providing the premier staffing/recruiting software on the market, we have expanded our expertise and our services to include payroll funding and payroll processing.

Not only has this allowed TempWorks to expand the amount of functionality we can deliver, but we are also the only provider in the staffing industry to provide a complete all in one package.

If you're simply looking for ways to reduce some costs and eliminate some administrative overhead, or if you are thinking about the future and how you can secure the resources necessary to build your business; give us a call and allow us to help you out. We take the hassle out of dealing with multiple vendors and give you everything you need with one simple phone call.

Ask any of our satisfied customers utilizing these services and they will agree that nothing is easier and more beneficial for your organization than working with TempWorks and allowing us to be your one stop shop.

As always, feel free to call me directly at 651.287.8377 with any questions you may have about getting started with TempWorks.

Busy days at TempWorks!

It has been a while since my last post. I apologize to those who are looking for the latest and greatest from the sales department here.

After having a great month in June, July has been the month to refill the sales pipeline. Looking forward to August we have many projects starting right off the bat with a good outlook on the remainder of the month.

As always, we are constantly reinvesting in our products and services and continue to expand our offerings at a rapid pace. Browse through our website at www.tempworks.com to see what maybe have changed since the last time you stopped by.

After talking to various prospects and clients around the country, the economy is still on the minds of staffing professionals. The reports are strong that things are starting to stabilize and if it is true; it should make for quite the exciting third and fourth quarter here at TempWorks.

If you are looking for staffing solutions to put you ahead of the competition and pick up some market share when the economy make the charge upwards, give us a call and see what we can do for you.

Call our office and ask for me. I would be happy to see if your needs match our services. 651.452.0366.

Sales Update

Hello blog followers. It has been a while since my last post, but there are some new and exciting things to report.

Last week I was able to take a nice trip out to the East coast to visit some prospects and current customers. The weather was fantastic and the meetings were even better. There is some optimism from the companies I met with and it seems as if the staffing industry is starting to rise once again. This is further reinforced by the amount of leads that are coming into TempWorks. It is certainly keeping the sales force on their toes!

In terms of new business, TempWorks brought in a large number of deals in the past two weeks. There has been a a variety of funding, payroll processing, and software only deals that have come in from all regions of the country.

We are quite excited to form these new partnerships, and we are always looking for more! If you or anyone you know could benefit from our products and services let me know. I can always be reach at my direct line, 651.287.8377.

This was another quick note, but please watch for an in depth discussion on the previous weeks events and our outlook for the next few months shortly.

Heading to the East coast!

Next week, May 11th-14th, I will be traveling on the East coast. If you are follower of this blog and are interest in a potential meeting with myself, please feel free to contact me. My main areas of travel will be in the Baltimore/Washington D.C. area, The Philadelphia area, and making my way over to Pittsburgh.

This blog has stated the immediate cost savings services we offer, and I would be happy to discuss way to eliminate administrative overhead and save money immediately with some of our new service lines. Let's not forget that the TempWorks Software package is provided with our payroll funding and payroll processing division at a significant discount.

If the current state of the economy is making you weary, give me a call. We can get the best piece of staffing software on the market, as well as help you eliminate some fixed costs that could be better allocated elsewhere in your organization.

My direct line is 651.287.8377, if you catch this post after the 8th of May, please reach me on my cell phone at 651.216.9124! I certainly look forward to speaking with you and exploring ideas that will help your business reach new levels.

On the road again...

Last week Gregg Dourgarian, CEO of TempWorks, headed on the road for a sales trip across the midwest. He drove all the way from our corporate office outside of Minneapolis, MN to New York City. There were plenty of stops made to current clients and prospective clients.

With the recession now more real then ever, Gregg found a surprising amount of interest in our ability to process payroll and reduce the amount of administrative overhead. The amount of time, energy, and resources to keep back office functions completely in house are now being realized by many as an expensive process that is not necessary.

If you are reading this and would like a visit from us next time we are in the area, certainly feel free to contact us and let us know. Also, if you are intrigued by this short blurb and think that you are spending too much on back office activites; I would be happy to go further in depth as to what we can do for you.

TempWorks Pushes the Envelope on One-Stop Shopping

I would like to start with a quote from Steve Forbes, "The real source of wealth and capital in this new era is not material things; it's the human mind, the human spirit, the human imagination, and our faith in the future."

With the change in seasons, come some changes with the TempWorks sales team. In recent years TempWorks has worked to develop our products and services to provide a one-stop shop for current and prospective clients.

David Dourgarian, our President, has developed TempWorks Venture into an integral part of our service line. TempWorks Venture not only allows clients to receive necessary payroll funding, but also provides payroll processing and software all with one vendor. There has been a tremendous response from the staffing industry in regards to this new idea. Over the past year we have been able to add significant accounts that are looking to reduce the number of vendors and eliminate administrative overhead.

Just recently TempWorks welcomed Jack Terrana to the sales team. Jack is a seasoned salesmen and has been involved with payroll funding acquisitions for a number of years. Jack's experience and knowledge of the industry and the benefits that the Venture program can offer will certainly help not only TempWorks expand, but also help clients expand to reach new heights.

In addition to TempWorks Venture, our payroll processing division is in full swing. This program is for clients that are looking to reduce the amount of administrative overhead and the cost associated with paying multiple vendors. If a company is paying for both software through a specific vendor and payroll service through a firm like ADP or Paychex; TempWorks can significantly reduce the costs associated with multiple vendor and provide the entire package at a much lower cost.

With everyone down and out dealing with the economy, TempWorks has been able to surge ahead due to the innovation and advancement they have made with their products and services. In a time like this where your bottom line is more important that ever, its nice to know that there is a vendor out there looking out for your best interest. If you have the need to reduce the amount of vendors you write checks to, if you are looking to reduce the amount of administrative overhead, or if you are simply looking to save some money; give your industry friends at TempWorks a call and allow us to see if we would be a good fit.

I would like to end with a quote from Steve Jobs, "Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower."

TempWorks' Sales Presence in Staffing Associations

The snow is melting in Minneapolis and the temperature is heating up. The same can be said about the interest from prospects in the different services and products that TempWorks can provide.

Despite recent trends in the economy, TempWorks certainly isn't short of business opportunities thus far in '09. After a a surge the past few weeks in the stock market and a good report from housing and banking it seems as if things may be turning around.

The sales force at TempWorks has been extremely busy and there have been numerous calls and demonstrations scheduled for new products to bring new prospective customers to the next level. All of our divisions are running on all cylinders as there is an equal distribution in people looking for software, payroll processing, and payroll funding.

The past few weeks the sales force at TempWorks has been busy with various different activities related to the staffing industry. A few weeks ago TempWorks had three people attend the SI Review's Executive Forum. Despite the low number of projected attendees, there was quite the turn out down in Miami. A common theme this year is to reduce the amount of expense on trade shows and conferences. A report on Las Vegas stated that they are around record lows for conferences this year.

Two members from the sales force also attended a local event here in Minnesota. I was personally in attendance for a presentation put on by the MNRSA (Minnesota Recruiting and Staffing Association). There they had Terry Petra, a well known and successful staffing leader in Minnesota, discuss "Strategies and Techniques for Prospering in 2009"

I enjoyed the presentation because he highlighted some of the things I mentioned in previous posts. Terry spent ample time discussing the need to connect and establish good relationships with your clients and work toward helping them expand your business. He also spent a great deal of time discussing strategies for sales reps and recruiters in order to gain more prospects and business. He mentioned the important rule of not relying on emails when trying to connect to a customer contact, and the importance of knowing who you are calling in order to make a more educated phone call. Those are all relatively simple concepts, but are seldom thought about and discussed.

My favorite part about the presentation was the idea that I try to push forward that Terry seemed to agree with... There ARE opportunities out there. One example Terry used is a large company in the Twin Cities went on a 'hiring freeze' yet still have job postings on their website. There ARE opportunities out there, from a sales perspective you need to be able to bring and deliver the added value in order to capture those opportunities and prosper in these times.

Are you paying attention to the needs and wants of your customers?

Where are your current leads coming from? What is your close percentage? Are you even generating leads with the current state of the economy? If you aren't finding new companies and new sales then maybe you should look to your current clients for help.

We all know that the almighty referral is a powerful tool for any company. A referral is even more important to sales reps. A referral is one of the best tools a sales rep can use to generate new business. If you can get a name from a current clients that means you are doing your job as a company. A referral is a pat on the back from your customer base letting you know that you are either providing the excellent quality of service you promised, or your product has met and exceeded expectations.

In today's economic conditions those referrals could lead to a great piece of new business for your firm, it could help you reach your quota, and it could lead to even more referrals. You hear on the news everyday that the economy is terrible, that the markets are at the lowest point in x number of years, and that unemployment is on the rise. In times like these, one of the most important assests to an organization is its customer base. If you have satisfied customers you can get two things; one is the continuous revenue due to loyalty and the relationship you built, and the other is referrals to potential customers who are new to your business.

In order to generate that continuous revenue and referrals you have to look at how you are treating your clients and that you are addressing their needs. Do you make calls to your contacts asking if they need anything else, or if they are being taken care of? How are your relationships with your contacts? Do they know you and feel comfortable speaking with you? Pay attention to the needs and wants of your customers. Try and deliver the best that you can and the better off you will be. Create a "wow" effect with your personality. Help your prospects and customers feel comfortable with you and feel as if they are making the right decision.

By adding that "wow" factor into your sales efforts you will enhance customer satisfaction, generate more sales and this leads to increased profits. The "wow" factor will create more orders from your current customer base and they will talk up your products/services to people that are interested. Following through on your word and your promises is crucial in developing a good relationship with your customers. If they have trust in you and what was discussed in the sales process, they will have enough trust in your company to recommend you to other people.

As you read this you may think to yourself that this is obvious and is well known. Customer service is a preconceived notion in doing business... How you set yourself apart is by providing GREAT customer service. If you can figure out how to deliver a memorable sales experience, then you are one step closer to creating a stream of referrals to keep pushing your products/services.

Important!!: All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like and trust.

How are your sales doing in 2009?

So far in 2009 it seems like you can't turn the corner without hearing the word recession. Perhaps your sales aren't quite as high as you would like them to be, or close to where they were this time last year? I can assure you that you're not the only one. However, it is very important to understand that opportunities are still abound even in an economic downturn.

Today as I am typing the Dow dropped another 300 points to below 7,000, but as you hear from every financial analyst, it is important not to panic. I was out running errands this weekend and couldn't believe the amount of people spending money. As a drove past a shopping mall I was surprised to see a packed parking lot at huge retaliers like Macy's, Best Buy, and Target. I even had to wait for a table trying to get a quick lunch. The reason I bring this up is the idea that the economy is indicating that times are tough, but there is always someone out there needing/wanting/willing to spend money.

At TempWorks it's no different. From a sales perspective we have had a very steady increase in the number of prospects over January and February. Our payroll processing, payroll funding, and software divisions are all staying busy. The trend as of late seems to be smaller firms are out there spending money. Whether they are looking to improve their interal processes via software, or looking to outsource their payroll to eliminate administrative overhead; we haven't been short on prospects so far in 2009. We have had some of our larger prospects put the project on hold due to the economic uncertainty, but for the most part conversations keep continuing.

I am not saying that everyone else is experiencing smooth sailing with thier organizations, but if you focus on the right items you can keep gaining sales in tough times. Certainly for TempWorks our success has stemmed from creating extra value to our customers and prospects. We continue to develop and expand on all of our product lines to demonstrate the value and need our services will bring. Although our clients are spending money with us, we are able to effectively show them the return on investment they should see. I am hearing many people worrying about the next sale they will get or how they really need that big sale. This is the incorrect mindset.

If your sales are lagging focus on how your customer will be able to improve their business with your product, not how you will be able to improve your business with the sale. Whether you sell staffing software or sell ballpoint pens your product has value, help your customers realize what that is and how they will benefit from it and you will be better off. What are you doing to create value? What can your customer expect in return if they decide to do business with you? Don't panic. Don't worry about your next big sale. You already know your job is to contribute to the economic growth of your organization, but in order to make sales you need to know how your products and services will contribute to the growth of your customers organization.

Any thoughts or comments on this issue? I would love to hear some feedback.

Welcome to my blog!

Hello everyone,

Thank you for being one of the first people to stop by and hear my thoughts. With my first post I would like to take the opportunity to introduce myself and explain why I am starting this blog.

My name is Casey Kraus and I am a Regional Sales Manager for TempWorks Software. TempWorks Software is a company that provides various solutions and products for companies mainly in the staffing industry. We provide a wide variety of products from applicant tracking, contact management, and payroll software to online applications and online timekeeping. On top of that we provide additional services like payroll processing and payroll funding. If you are unfamiliar with TempWorks Software please visit our website at http://www.tempworks.com/

The reason for this blog is to post my thoughts and ideas from a sales perspective as it directly relates to the staffing industry and TempWorks. Through my travels and conversations with various people in the staffing industry I have been able to not only see how vendors in the staffing industry adapt and change to the needs and wants of staffing and recruiting firms, but also how different elements affect the operations of the firms we are trying to service.

I hope I can provide some insight and some ideas on what is going on within the staffing industry, within TempWorks, vendor relations throughout the industry, and how they all relate to each other.