Category Archives: Uncategorized

Have you ever completely Hacked off your customers and didn’t even know it.

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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 is quite possibly the worst and most frustrating thing 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.  (I wrote complete procedures with cost to handle.)
  4. Both Sides are MAD – Customer returning product and the supplier trying to handle the non-routine work.

From experience of owning my own company, I have witnessed the process of people in the organization knowingly shipping product, “under my watch”, that was bad, to make the 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 summoned all managers and as a group we decided this needed correction.  Most likely another 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 flawless material.  So began the journey.

We did get better and improved.  That year we began a real “Lean Journey”.  I was amazed at the rate we lowered RMA’s at our company!

Think about the impact of RMA’s on your business. 

Have a great year!

Selling is a continuum of numbers!

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A continuum of numbers make the game of sales work!  Do you know your numbers?

Last year, several salespeople from different companies asked that I start an accountability group. We met Fridays, 5 to 6 people per call. Great learning for all and they are on the way to understanding and managing a continuous sales process.

Just finding salespeople that want help in learning and being accountable is refreshing.  Also, learning that companies don’t have sales training or don’t understand and teach a sales process is too bad, actually sad.

So — To have a group of salespeople requesting an accountability group is great. As I explained, this is a tough profession — but — can be very rewarding.

When I sold my company, I was criticized by the new owners for high turnover in the sales force. I explained that selling is the easiest job to look at and see if results are happening.  I provided continuing sales training. Sales training is not a onetime event it is truly a continuous process. Even today, I attend training and read new books on selling.

My challenge as facilitator, has been to teach and help these people learn, and that once you have a working set of numbers to define your particular sales process — sales potential is unlimited!

We look at numbers every week and discuss the selling process. Each person has up to 5 minutes or less to tell us about the week, lessons learned, victories and defeats.  The people not doing their numbers and making excuses are called out by the others.  Bottom line for this group is — are the numbers being completed or not. 

All realize that if Face-to-Face meetings, calls and follow-up are completed properly, sales will result.

Have a great week! 

Do you finish what you start? Or – like me have many projects ready to go!

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I have many things and projects in my office of “Started but unfinished ideas/projects/business”.  Do you?

Over many years these things have been piling up around me.

Some projects were doomed from the start.  Other projects are staring at me ready for action.

What things have you started and never finished?

What ideas or dreams are waiting for you in a file or a stack of papers as “Started but unfinished”?

It’s time to start now and head them toward completion. 

For me I have had two projects on my mind:

  1. Finishing writing the details of a one a 1 year sales accountability plan.
  2. Restart my learning and playing guitar. 

Pick at least one project or idea and begin!

Put this on your goal list and monitor and record daily work toward seeing a finish line and completion. 

Even if you only work a few minutes per day, you will be surprised how quickly the idea or project will take shape.

Then it can be ongoing or complete.

William Shakespeare – “All glory comes from daring to begin.”  Good Luck!

7,500 — A magical sales number?

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How are your numbers going for 2019?  Do you know your numbers? Do you track your numbers? Or – Do you let things happen and hope you have a good year?

Daily behaviors completed and measured get results. 

I utilize and require salespeople working with me to use a tracking system consisting of 7,500 points per year. 

I know that if a salesperson 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. 

Let me know if you want more point system information.  I’ll also direct you to some good sales training to go with it.

How many times do you call a prospect?

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I read the following about sales people:

44% of sales people give up after one “call”, 22% give up after two “call’s”, 14% give up after three “call’s”, 12% give up after four “call’s” — 92% give up after four “call’s”!

Only 8% of sales people go in and ask for an order a fifth time, or more.

After 35+ years of selling, and owning my own business I can attest to these numbers from both sides as sales person and company owner/purchaser. 

As sales person I knew that there were customers needing my product. However, I quickly found that timing was crucial. After a year or so of walking out too soon, and not going back, I learned that timing was everything. 

Maybe the customer wasn’t thinking of buying my products that day, maybe the budget wasn’t set, maybe, maybe, maybe. I had to keep talking with them until I received an ultimate “NO NEED EVER – GET OUT AND STAY OUT!”, — or — an Order!

As owner of my own business for more than 15 years, I had countless sales people call only once and never come back. I believe from experience that the above statistic of quitting after the first call is not correct, the number is much higher than 44%. 

let’s go with the above. If only 8% of sales people call more than 5 times on a prospect — it is no wonder why these 8% get 80% of the business.

If you are certain a customer needs your product — You need to be hovering and creating some form of non-confrontational awareness to that customer. I have had people wanting me to contact once per week, once per month, others, once per quarter, Etc. Always try and find an approach that keeps you in the “Awareness” zone.  Not pestering, no whining, not in the way. 

Learn this and your sales will soar. 

Make 2019 your best year yet!

A sales tracking system completed daily = Sales Success!

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Do you have a sales process and daily system for generating business? 

I do!  I have developed and used 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!

Is your sales team on track?

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How was performance for the first half of the year? 

Now that we are in 2nd half what does the remainder of the year look like?

Is your sales team on track?

Are your sales people resting on their laurels?  Are they selling more products to current customers rather than going out to do the harder work of landing new customers?

Your sales force may not need an overhaul, but if the idea of having a well-developed sales pipeline seems like a pipe dream, it’s time to fix the situation.

All too often companies think that the key is to just hire more sales people.

 Focus on how customers prefer to buy.  Knowing customer preference can ultimately help you see how many salespeople you need and how best to use them.

I developed a point system with minimum monthly requirements of face-to-face visits, meaningful telephone conversations and other customer contacts (ie: Email, Mail, Corporate social media contact, Etc.)

The point system eventually lead to allowing us to understand that within our industry we could develop a sales person to be at $3million run rate in 24 – 36 months.

We could then predict sales and company growth.

Do you have a tracking system to determine if sales are on track?

Do you have a process and training to keep your sales group on Track?

Want more information?  Contact me —

Great vacation complete, really good 4th of July! Do you have a sales tracking system?

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What’s your number?  If you don’t have a sales cookbook how do you measure your daily progress toward your goals?

I have used a cookbook for many, many years.  I first started in direct business to business selling in the early 1980’s.  I was confounded by the lack of information available on selling that would ensure follow through and success.

I learned early on that not tracking daily behavior was going to lead to not having daily direction and not really knowing what to do next.  I set up a hand written notebook system of all potential and actual customers.  I tracked who I called daily and set up a follow-up date depending on the wishes of the customer.  Some people wanted weekly contact, some wanted monthly and some wanted longer periods.  There were even some who were not interested nor in need of my products — They told me to never contact them again.

For my career and the careers of sales people who have worked with and for me I developed a daily behavior system and a simple point system for tracking success. 

I allow all sales people to modify the system for their own sales style.  However, many good sales people have adopted my system and figured out exactly how to do daily behaviors and make exactly the income they desire.  

The system for selling aerospace products usually with order size of $1,000 – $75,000 consisted of seeing face-to-face (Belly selling) 200 prospects per year.  Making 2,400 meaningful telephone contacts and making 1,200 other contacts – Email, Txt, Fax, Brochure, Etc..  If Sales people did these behaviors daily and accumulated 6,000 points per year they were virtually assured of selling $3,000,000 worth of product for the company and ensuring an exact income base + Commission.

Of course this is overly simplified but, the sales people wanting to earn more could calculate their points needed per day, per month and ensure a better income for the year.  

What’s your number?

Comments?

Make year 2019 your best year yet!

Easy or Difficult?

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Have you ever thought about how easy or difficult it is to do business with your company?

I look at other businesses and items of interest, especially on the internet. Many times I turn away and do not get any information about the company or its products. If before I see the product or service I have to give my contact information or worse, a credit card to see something free — I leave!

Having said that — I started looking at doing business with my company. Is it easy or difficult? My conclusion was that it was difficult. We didn’t really make things easy.

So now I am on a quest of making this business easy to get information and do business with us. Not an easy quick task. However, I am continually reviewing our practices and asking — “What makes doing business with us easier?”

Is it easy or difficult to do business with your company? Good luck — !

I am going to make doing business with us easier.

Make 2019 your best year yet!

Sales, Selling — Follow-up?

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Ask a sales person –

“When is the best time to follow-up with XYZ customer?”

“When is the best time to follow-up on a recent quote?

“When is the best time to follow-up on “Blah, Blah, Blah?”

All too often we hear, It’s too early, or I am not sure now is the right time, or I don’t want to bug the Buyer/Customer/Etc.

Have you ever taken the time to think about “Follow-Up” in selling?

Some sales people follow-up too often and disturb/disrupt the potential customer.  It is estimated that you need 7 contacts with potential clients/customers before a transaction happens.

I am self-taught in selling and when I found a really good system I latched on to it.  I have been using the Sandler Selling system for over fifteen years. (I would be happy to provide my contacts to anyone interested.)

A great technique that I learned and use is the Sandler Technique of using an Up-Front Contract with potential customers.

Simply ask the prospect/Client for the next time contact would be appropriate.  Set an exact date and time if possible or get at least a time frame for contact — Then do what was agreed upon!

Too many times I have had sales people working for me or trying to sell to me stop — after the very first call.

Never get caught in this trap —

It’s too soon to call — Now it’s too late the order was let to someone else.

Make 2019 your best year yet!