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Author Archives: PTW Lifestyle
Sales Tracking for 2019! A cookbook and system for the year!
Time to get ready for a really great sales year 2019!
Hopefully all are closing the year 2018 with goals met or exceeded.
I will be publishing a free, monthly sales tracker. If you want to review the sales tracker SIGNUP your email address.
Fist month January 2019 will be sent first week in December.
Get ready to make 2019 even better!
Make 2019 your best year yet!
Signup for SalesTracker
2019 Sales behaviors — A Cookbook!
For years, I have been writing about the power of measurement for a sales person. Daily behaviors completed daily will produce results — For “SALES” and can be used for other measured items.
Good sales training is needed, to learn the skills of selling. However, a good mechanical “Nuts and Bolts” tracking system is needed to get-on and stay-on track.
My monthly sales tracker that provides for sales goals for the month and a tracker is available. I will send a copy to any sales person wanting to see and try it out. First Month January 2019 will be available and sent early December.
Go to the signup page and subscribe.
The excel spreadsheet will be provided free and will be available each month after for the year 2019. My request is that you look at it and decide if it is something that fits your sales life style. If not just send me an email.
Sales Tracking – Daily, Monthly, Yearly
Sales is one of the easiest jobs to measure and hold people accountable.
One problem I hear and see, is that companies don't measure sales peoples behaviors. I don't understand this. They treat sales as some “magical” process that will happen because they gave someone the title of sales person.
Recently, I met a sales person requesting help in tracking his sales performance and work. He wanted to do certain things, prospecting calls per day, face-to-face meetings per week, dollars quoted, and accountability for sales booked. He wanted help in understanding how to build a sales process.
Next month I am starting a sales accountability and tracking program, a great lead-in for starting a new year. If you would like to join and get free Monthly sales trackers opt in to Free Sales Tracker.
If you really want to excel in sales and don't have an accountability group within you company, find some like-minded people and meet weekly to see how your behaviors are working or not.
Last week I talked about goal setting and a program I am looking at – go to Goal Setting.
Make 2018 your best year yet!
Goals — Are yours written? Are you working them daily?
After much reading, discussing and watching I am convinced that over 95% of people going into a new year don't have written measurable goals for the year. Many or probably most have heard this and know the importance of goal setting goals, still not written down.
If you are a sales person and say “Wow! I need more sales to make my year!” — You may be out of luck. If your sales cycle takes longer than 10 weeks from start to close to shipment, you are running out of time.
Now is the time to begin looking toward the New Year 2019. Begin by setting an appointment with yourself for 30 – 60 minutes. Get blank paper or a blank computer screen and begin writing your thoughts and ideas for accomplishment next year. This first cut at goal setting doesn't have to be neat — just take time to think about and write your ideas and thoughts down. My beginning session is usually quite messy and unorganized.
Put this information away in a place you absolutely won't forget where it is so that you can retrieve it, early December. Then set an appointment with yourself for 30 – 60 minutes early December and get your list out.
In December you will be amazed at the progress you will have already made toward thinking about and planning your goals for next year. Your fist list may be messy, but you will be ready to define and refine the list. You will be subtracting, adding and modifying the original set of goals. Make the list a little neater and resolve to begin your goals and measure your goals.
Why do I believe in doing this? It's because I use this method every year and then I set a tracking system and measure progress. This works!
Try for yourself and get into the 5% group of people who actually write and strive to achieve their goals. Remember a lot of “Luck” goes along with a lot of preparation.
While continuing to build my own goal system I have found and in process of reviewing a software program that looks very promising — Click and have a look
I'll comment further as I look at this software — Let me know your thoughts.
Make 2019 your best year yet!
Communicating — Can you?
Do you have the skills to communicate? Can you stand in front of a group and speak confidently?
Communication skills can be one of the most important skills needed for Corporate and/or personal success.
I have wanted to communicate better for many years. I got lucky in 2005 when I joined my first Toastmasters club. I had a desire to give a good or reasonable “Father of the Bride” speech — My daughter was getting married.
I had a specific goal and outcome for joining the Toastmasters Organization. Little did I realize the impact it would have on my overall confidence in public speaking.
I have now been affiliated and participating in Toastmasters for over 12 years.
If you desire to communicate better find a club near you.
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Or – Maybe you want to get some of the basics under your belt in a more personal setting — If you want a home study program go to Speaking.
Click below and review a good home srudy program!
Make 2018 your best year yet!
“WITH” — Why is this here?
I don't have the name of the originator of this acronym. Why Is This Here? – “WITH”
As we continue the 5s + 1 journey, we find that it is not as easy as it sounds. Touring the manufacturing facility we continuously see items not in place, and in many cases not in place where they should be.
To get a feel for the process, start with your current area and surroundings. In my home office I notice piles of “Gonna-Do” projects forming. Seems like they start and stall. Look at the papers, folders, files, boxes or whatever and say: Why Is This Here? – “WITH”.
Look at just one item/project for a few minutes. Review what is in the pile, folder or box and throw away the truly non-essential items. Decide if it is really a goal contributing project, a nice to have project, or maybe a wishful non-critical project.
You will be amazed just sitting at your own desk, home or office and look what is out and waiting, or not needed. I know this thinking is not for everyone, but you will find out of place clutter in the oddest areas.
Walking around with this attitude helps keep momentum going especially if you are trying to 5s + 1 a manufacturing facility. Getting started, doing and sustaining the 5s + 1 attitude is a difficult process.
- Sort 2. Straighten 3. Sweep/Shine 4. Standardize 5. Sustain +1 – Safety.
Remember: Why Is This Here? – “WITH”
Good Luck on your Lean Journey — Once started you will find applications at work and at home.
Make 2018 your best year yet!
Sales planning — Visualization?
Sales planning — Visualization?
I am a salesperson. I have been associated with selling most of my life. My dad was a commission man. I was intrigued with what he did. I traveled with him and observed the ups and downs of selling.
When time to choose a career, I rejected sales. I decided to go to engineering school and get my BSME – Bachelor of science mechanical engineering. Then figuring I didn't have enough business education from engineering I went after and received an MBA.
I went through several engineering jobs and finally ended up in inside sales, quotations, warranty — sales support but not direct selling.
One day in the early 80's business was slowing down and my boss came in and said he wanted me to go on the road and sell and bring in business. I told him emphatically I did not want to be a direct salesperson. He told me to go home and tell my wife I no longer had a job. I decided right then and there that selling was exactly the career path I wanted to be in.
I asked for sales training and was told no. I bought and read every book and article on selling I could find. I was successful (The definition of success at that time was selling enough product to fill the plant and I was asked in September to stop until next year.)
So even though I have had many roles in business, I have stayed the course as sales and selling my real career path. I have hired and trained many sales people over the years. I subscribe to the “Sandler Selling System” and work with Acuity Systems Inc. here in Dallas.
I have a proven system for tracking behaviors and a cookbook for tracking. Over the years I have always wanted a good visual program to look at and review my sales year. I'm about to come out with an excel spreadsheet and white paper, that outlines an entire year. I will be able to plan each month, day and week for the year, look at and review it everyday.
The problem with this for typical sales people will be discipline of doing the daily behaviors and committing to the grind.
Thoughts and comments welcome.
Make 2018 your best year yet!
Sales planning — Visualization?
What role are you in?
As a sales person or actually anyone for that matter, do you know what role you are in?
Good sales training teaches that you are you first. There are many, many “roles” other than just sales, of who and what you are in your life.
As an example, I have many roles that I need participate in to be successful in my life. I am husband, father, grandfather, wanna-be-golfer, company owner, sales person, and on and on. There are many roles I am in my life. Not one role defines me, but they all collectively define who I am.
Too many times I see sales people not performing in the proper role. Selling is difficult! You need be in the proper role to make it work. Good sales training combined with on-going sales training helps to understand the process of roles in all aspects of life, especially in selling.
So. what does it mean to not be in proper role for sales — here are three there are many more:
- Sales people in sales role, must learn not to take rejection personally.
- Sales people in sales role, must stay motivated to do daily behaviors that bring success.
- Sales people in sales role, must create a self-worth high enough to achieve success they want.
Think about the roles in your life. Are you able to get into the role of the moment. It took many years of study and sales training for me to get the concept of being in the proper role as the moment requires.
Think about your roles and where you are or will be. Can you get into the role of the moment and be the best you can be in that role.
Heavy thoughts — but — with proper application you can create the success you want and deserve, in all areas of your life.
Make 2018 your best year yet!
Customer satisfaction!
Have you ever made one or more of your customers mad and didn’t even know it. Consider the following:
What is one of the worst things you can do to a customer — Cause opportunity for an RMA – Returned Material Authorization — something is wrong and the customer is not happy!
An RMA is the black mark of black marks.
I started my career of customer service in the world of RMA and Warranty.
It can be one of the most frustrating things you can do to a customer.
1. The product was bought to use not send back.
2. On-time, instant gratification, great product — gone.
3. There is a tremendous need for a system, procedures, and people to handle the returns.
4. Both Sides are MAD – Customer returning product and the supplier trying to handle non-routine work.
From experience of owning a company I have witnessed the process of people in the organization knowingly shipping product, that was bad, to make the monthly numbers.
When I discovered this several people were immediately removed from my organization.
BUT
As I stopped and reflected on what happened, I decided I was probably part or all of the cause.
I stopped cold — all managers were summoned and we decided this needed correction. Aanother moment of getting the Lean Journey started and not really being aware of it. The underlying cause was bad operating systems. We did not have good repeatable processes to ship material.
So began the journey. We did get better and improve. We began the real “Lean Journey”
I was amazed at the rate we lowered RMA’s at our company! — and — our growth took off.
Make 2018 your best year yet!
Comments welcome!