Are you really results oriented?

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Salespeople must be results oriented.

I read an article and do not remember the author’s name, but he said had a written statement on his desk “Results are the only excuse for activity.”

This statement would seem to be crystal clear, but few people are committed to a results-oriented lifestyle and I have seen salespeople over and over again who are not results-oriented. 

Many people are satisfied with their activity and best effort, they do not work toward real results.

To stay results-oriented ask yourself this question, “What am I really trying to accomplish?”

Far too many people talk about how hard they work, how many hours they spend working, how many miles they travel, and how hard the job is, and they expect appreciation and reward for this activity, regardless of the outcome.

These same people rarely talk about what the objectives of their efforts need to be. They never really talk about what results are expected.

I have witnessed salespeople do everything they can do except selling.

For sure, there is a lot of activity.

They work on lists of potential customers, go throughout the organization reviewing current customer orders, do paperwork such as daily planners, expense reports, etc., etc.

In the sales world, this is known as non-selling, non-pay time activities.

Salespeople need to understand that the only benefit of activity is to find a way for the desired result of sales and selling and getting more orders.

Activities that are important for creating sales must be completed every day.

Every day a salesperson needs to ask the question,

“What am I really trying to do today?”

The job of a salesperson is easy to describe. The number one priority of every salesperson is bringing in sales.

Strive every day to figure out how nonessential activity is being substituted for results.

Learn how to identify behaviors that need to be completed every day to produce sales.

Stop wasting time on nonessential activities.

Truly successful salespeople figure their numbers out and create daily habits to be sure that the habits are performed.

I am creating a white paper that describes the daily required habits of salespeople to perform their job.

Many companies do not have training on what a salesperson should do daily to be successful.

Thank you for reading this article. If you would like more information on what a salesperson should do daily — Let me know.

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Daily behaviors for sales success need to be taught and coached!

Last week I discussed the simplicity of the daily selling “Grind”!  Many salespeople will not do daily behaviors. Doing and tracking is hard. A lot of salespeople get little or no training in selling behaviors. I have met, hired, and fired salespeople who are afraid of the accountability a system creates. 

The best most productive and highest paid salespeople are lifelong learners.  They embrace continuous sales training and get onboard with daily behaviors; they understand the power of doing the numbers every day.  A day missed is potential lost sales.

I believe many people think sales requires an inordinate amount of time.  Daily phone cold-calling, fitting as many appointments in as possible, working 12, 15, 18 hours per day.

Depending on your goals and the goals of your organization you can set up a daily set of behaviors that produce desired results and work 8 hours or less and be very productive. 

Do daily numbers go home every night and know sales and goals will happen.  Work a little harder the week before a vacation and go away knowing everything is still happening and sales will continue.

However, from experience I have seen many salespeople who just cannot get into the daily habits and they fail to make their goals and sales happen.

I tell every new salesperson what to expect and that there will be great sales training, continuous sales training, and a minimum set of daily behaviors.  The daily behaviors are recorded tracked and accountable, for continued employment.

I usually get feedback and sometimes push back on this.

What are your thoughts?

Selling is a 230-day walk in the park.

The Selling year

1 Year                                                 365 days

weekends                                         -104 days

Holidays                                             -10 days

vacation                                             -10 days

Misc./Personal/Absence                 -11 days

Standard working days                  230 days

As a salesperson and then owner of a growing business I read and thought a lot about how to optimize selling time. Most sales trainers teach and talk about maximizing selling time and get as much time in selling during the eight-hour day as possible. 

I have observed that many sales programs do not really teach or show a daily plan for a real sales day. It is talked about, taught, and assumed the salesperson will develop and execute a daily plan.

I believe in building a daily process a daily “grind” that if performed repeatedly for 230 days will produce a year of great sales results.

During my selling career and for the salespeople I eventually hired for my company I built a system of daily behaviors based on points per behavior performed. The system is simple and set to develop salespeople over a three-year time frame depending on their sales proficiency. 

Continuous sales training, on how to sell, is a must. Continuous use and monitoring of the daily behaviors, the point system really does produce great results. 

However, I can attest to the fact that using and measuring a daily behavior program can be daunting and difficult to do for many wanna-be salespeople.

I owned an Aerospace Manufacturing business. Orders ranged from several hundred to a hundred thousand with most order sizes $5,000 to $15,000. Each salesperson was required to do $750,000 in the first year, $1,500,000 a second year, and get to $3,000,000+ in the third year. Continuous training, coaching, and measurement of daily behaviors was a highly successful formula for the salespeople that could grasp, understand, and do the process. We grew the company nicely year over year.

In another segment, I will discuss the simplicity and the reasons it is so hard for many salespeople to grasp.

Let me know if you are interested in further information.

Doing business with the government?

Does your company do business with the government? 

I did with my last company and have started doing government contracting with the current company I work with. 

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.

Now is the time to find new markets to help bolster your year!

If interested — Contact me, let’s talk.

5 – Tips to keep your “GOALS” moving!

Many people have stopped working on their Goals for year 2019. 

Hopefully you have made it easy to see your goals and review them for progress frequently.

Here are 5 tips to keep your goals moving for 2019:

  1. Make sure you have goals written down and easy to find.
  2. Look at your goals daily.
  3. Make time to work on your goals daily, even if you spend a few minutes.
  4. If a goal seems too hard, revise it.  Look at smaller parts of each goal to work on.
  5. Never give up! — Make 2019 your best year yet!

Good Selling or Bad Selling?

Many years ago, I had one of the best Receptionist/Gatekeeper in business, she understood and could stop non-essential salespeople from getting through.  One day she brought me a package.  It had been hand delivered.

In the package was a T Shirt from my alma mater — Indiana Institute of Technology. There was 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. 

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?

Good selling or bad selling?

According to Jim Rohn, philosopher, Life is a collection of …..!

Life is a collection of experiences, people met, and books read – according to – Jim Rohn. Have you heard of and followed a great life and business philosopher – Jim Rohn? 

I have read his books, articles, listened to tapes and attended his seminars. 

One article captured my attention and prompted a change in my behavior many years ago.  Jim Rohn talked about the habit of keeping a daily journal.  However, he didn’t portray it a standard sit down once a day and write in your journal. He described his previous habit of writing things down continuously all day long, so he wouldn’t forget the thought of the moment. He wrote on scraps of paper, napkins, post notes anything he could find. Then he had a drawer or desk top of papers he couldn’t or didn’t get organized.

We all want to remember and save ideas of the moment. Get a great idea in your head and decide to write it down later. Many of us either forget all together or don’t feel it important later on, or like Jim Rohn we have a great collection of paper scraps with notes.  That was me.

Jim Rohn thought it best to journal, in a sense, all day long. I didn’t ever see an explanation or example of his journal style, but I did see another person that kept a notebook at his side all the time to just jot down notes of the moment.

Many years ago, I decided this was something worthwhile and started carrying a spiral notebook with a daily date for the two open pages and began writing whatever thoughts I had that seemed important to keep. Some days hardly anything some days filled both pages. 

My books are messy and not organized. I do manage to get on paper thoughts that I don’t want to lose. Then periodically I review the books to see if there is still something I want to pursue.

I sometimes listen to people who want to start journaling but don’t really know how. 

Let me say that because of Jim Rohn I now have books of my life experiences and I attest to – Life according to Jim Rohn is the sum of experiences you have, people you meet, and books you read.

Start keeping a running daily book of life and you will be astonished at how you and your life can be changed and influenced.

Make 2019 your best year yet!

A sales tracking system completed daily = Sales Success!

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?

Make 2019 your best year yet!

Do you have a solid process for tracking and following sales?

As a CEO/President for many years I can attest to the following:

According to the National Sales Executive Association,

  • 12% of sales people only make three contacts and stop
  • Only 10% of sales people make more than three contacts
  • 10% of sales are made on the fourth contact
  • 80% of sales are made on the 5th to 12th or more contacts

Sales people need a process, a culture of sales/selling success and on-going training.  I work a daily process for myself. 

We as managers need solid information to see the sales process.  Too many times it is treated as “Magic that just happens”.  I help set up and refine the daily grind of sales measurement.  If interested – Let’s talk!

Make 2019 your best year yet!