PE Energy: Revolutionizing Industrial Equipment Sales with Offshore Operations
Meet Shahzad Chagani, the mastermind behind PE Energy, a leading supplier of industrial equipment and supplies based in Houston, Texas. With a focus on B2B buyers worldwide, PE Energy relies on its dedicated sales team in Colombia to convert leads into loyal customers.
Chagani, who oversees operations at PE Energy, highlighted the advantages of tapping into Colombia’s pool of highly-educated talent. “Colombia is pretty Westernized. We find a lot of college-educated talent there,” he shared.
In a recent conversation, Chagani delved into the backend setup for managing a staggering 100,000 SKUs, the benefits of having an offshore sales team, and much more. Listen to the full audio of our discussion below, with the transcript edited for brevity.
Eric Bandholz: Introduce yourself to our audience.
Shahzad Chagani: As the Director of Operations at PE Energy, I have been at the helm for a decade. Our core business revolves around selling industrial equipment and supplies, with a major chunk of our revenue coming from B2B sales. We cater to a wide range of industries, offering a diverse range of products, all with a focus on quality and customer satisfaction.
Our extensive catalog boasts 100,000 SKUs, sourced from top suppliers. By leveraging dropshipping and an efficient inventory management system, we ensure timely deliveries and optimal customer service.
Our website serves as a gateway for generating leads, with a streamlined quote request process that allows us to provide personalized pricing for each inquiry. We also utilize tools like DataFeedWatch to synchronize our inventory across multiple platforms, ensuring accurate availability information for our customers.
Bandholz: How do you train your sales team to handle such a diverse range of products?
Chagani: Education and product knowledge are key to our sales training process. Our team, based in Colombia, undergoes extensive training to familiarize themselves with our offerings and customer management platform. With a customized system in place, they can swiftly respond to quotes and provide tailored solutions to our clients.
Through platforms like LinkedIn Jobs, I handpick talent with a strong educational background and proficiency in English. This allows us to communicate effectively with our global clientele, regardless of geographical barriers.
Bandholz: How do you incentivize your sales team in Colombia?
Chagani: Our sales reps in Colombia are driven by performance-based incentives, including a competitive commission structure. By setting achievable targets and rewarding top performers, we ensure motivation and commitment among our team members. This approach has proven to be highly effective, with reps earning substantial commissions on top of their base pay.
Bandholz: What’s your strategy for scaling your sales team?
Chagani: Assessing the volume of leads and customer satisfaction guides our decision to onboard new sales reps. By keeping our recruitment process active and utilizing platforms like LinkedIn Jobs, we ensure a steady influx of talent to meet the demands of our growing customer base.
Bandholz: Where can our readers connect with you?
Chagani: For more information on PE Energy and to reach out to me, visit our website at PE-energy.com. You can also connect with me on LinkedIn or drop me an email.