Do you have a sales process and daily
system for generating business? I do! I have developed and use a sales process involving
daily point accumulation. Diligently
follow a selling process and create sales.
Daily point accumulation allows
for measurement and tracking of the sales process. Daily work on this process coupled with good
sales training creates a dynamite selling opportunity — almost guaranteed
(Some sales people just don’t get it!)
Do you have a process and training to keep your sales group on Track?
I have a goal that
I really want to accomplish. I can’t do it in a day or month or probably
a year. It may take 2 to 3 years. I found myself not working this
goal with the same momentum as goals more achievable on shorter terms.
That is probably the human nature side of accomplishment.
Well — I
reaffirmed my three year goal as being very important to me when
accomplished. I have reaffirmed and dedicated daily time 15 – 30 minutes
to stay on task. I haven’t missed a day this year.
My reaffirmation
of this goal was easy. The hard part was not having a very easy to use
measurement tool to follow progress. As much as I hate to admit this, I
have a really good tracking system for my goals and accomplishments in life but
not a really good tracking system for something new. I was half heartedly
tracking progress but nothing really jumped out to me saying — Hey, you are
not on track here. Now I have a spread sheet that shows Green when on
track and Red when off track.
Do you have a
measurement system for your important Goals?
I found some old
calendars from years ago. When I wanted to start and follow a goal
(Weight, Exercise, Playing the Banjo, Etc.). I kept the Calendar in a
drawer in the bathroom. I opened that drawer everyday (My hair dryer was
in it), and I plotted my daily goal progress.
Looking back on
those calendars I see that I accomplished many life goals. Do you have a
tracking method daily to follow your progress?
Setting results-based goals can be dangerous. You can’t directly control the outcome of
your work. If you want 6 face-to-face meetings
per week you may not make it. People may
be out of office or too busy and you miss your goal. Instead, look at your historical data and
decide how many calls you need make to book 6 meetings. If it usually takes 35 emails and 20 telephone
calls to make 6 appointments try increasing or doubling that. Keep doing activities that work.
They share their goals with others –
Reps who make their goals, share their goals. By telling and sharing with others there is
an accountability factor created. Your
peers will know what your plans are and will be curious if you pulled through. Also, writing goals and posting them for
yourself and others to see helps drive vision and completion.
They choose small, specific, short term
goals –
The larger
the goal, which may seem insurmountable, the more likely reps will fall off and
not achieve. Pick goals that are small,
specific and short term. You feel
energized as you meet and complete goals.
Then start setting harder ones.
They walk away from dead deals early –
Walking away from dead deals early is hard and requires discipline. I have found that few reps have the strength to
do it. However, by walking away you have
more time and a better chance of working on deals more likely to close. Many times we make an emotional connection with
a deal and that can become dangerous, and not allow the rep to walk away. The longer a bad deal is worked, the harder
it is to walk away.
Some years ago, I had possibly the best
Receptionist/Gatekeeper in business, she understood and could stop none
essential sales people from getting through.
One day our Receptionist/Gatekeeper brought me a package. It had been hand delivered.
In the package was a T Shirt from my alma mater — Indiana
Institute of Technology, and a note from the salesman requesting an
appointment, and comment that he hoped I appreciated his effort to get my
school T shirt. He said he would call in
a few days.
I graduated from IIT in 1973 with a Bachelor of Science in
Mechanical Engineering, the idea that this salesman had gone to the trouble to
get me the shirt was unique and I liked his style.
At that time I instructed our receptionist/gatekeeper that I
was impressed by this salesperson and that when he calls I will take the call. After a little research on his company, I was
pretty sure I would not need his services.
However, I would listen to him and then if possible direct him to a
referral.
He never called!
How many times have you had seemingly good salespeople just
not follow through?
Does your company do business with the
government? I did with my last company
and have just started with my current company.
There is a very large “river” of bids
coming out daily. Once you figure out
what you can sell to the government learn the process and get going.
Many people talk with me about how hard
or how easy it is to begin selling to the government.
I have helped several companies get started. The process is not complicated. However, it does take consistent effort,
daily oversight and certainly work.
Daily
behaviors completed and measured get results.
I
utilize and require sales people working with me to use a tracking system
consisting of 7,500 points per year. I know that if a sales person does
the behaviors consistent with Prospecting, Telephone, Email, and Face-to-Face
customer contact at a rate of about 33 points on average for 230 working days
per year, can bring in $3,000,000+ in sales bookings for the company. It
is a proven process. It works.
Many
sales people won’t do daily behaviors. Doing and tracking is hard.
A
lot of sales people get little or no training in selling behaviors. I’ve
met, hired and fired sales people who are afraid of the accountability a system
creates.
Couple
a good behavioral system with consistent on-going training and sales
happen.
The
system can actually be set up for the entire year. Think about that. Set up
your sales schedule for the next twelve months, do the daily behaviors and
watch your income go to where you want it to go and no excuses.
POWERFUL
STUFF!
Contact
me for more point system information. I’ll also direct you to some good
sales training to go with it.
If you spend 8 hours working, you sleep 8 hours, work 8 hours and bathe, eat, and drive 3 hours — what do you do with the other 5 hours.
Ready Eat Travel?
Bathe, eat, travel / commute — I call this time RETy (Ready, Eat, Travel time). Most of us can quantify the travel time fairly closely. I typically spend 45 minutes in the car going to work and coming home. For 2019 I want to maximize this time, as learning time. If I go to work 5 days per week 50 weeks a year I have 1-1/2 hours / day x 5 days x 50 weeks = 375 hours that can be used for listening and learning.
Remaining
daily 5 hours?
So, if you come close to this
daily living model. What do you do with
the other 5 hours.
Some people spend the time
unwinding some people spend the time working toward life goals. Some do both.
5 hours / day x 5 days x 50 weeks = 1,250 hours that can be used for leisure
and life goals.
Think about it, that’s on week
days, not even counting weekends.
How do you spend time? Track it and see what you do with your
time. Then look at weekends — It adds
up!
Yesterday on the news there
was an article about Saturday the 12th being “Quit Day!”. I couldn’t believe it, being a news article.
The discussion revolved around
the idea that the 12th is unofficial day that many people “Quit”
working on and abandon their New Year goals and resolutions. — WOW!
I write about the importance
of goal setting and maintenance for the entire year.
Don’t give up:
Here are 5 tips to keep your
goals moving for 2019:
Make sure you have goals written down and easy to find.
Look at your goals daily, create the habit – Look at them
daily.
Make time to work on your goals daily, even if you spend a
few minutes. Just spending time to review them keeps you aware.
If a goal seems too hard, revise it. Look at smaller parts of each goal to work on,
keep forward progress.
Never give up — Find a way to stay accountable and you
will see and feel results.
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.
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.
