It's hard to believe, but we're now into the fourth quarter of 2002, and are
heading into 2003.
Are you poised for a hard charge in the final quarter and
into the new year?
To position yourself as best as possible, it's important to review and
evaluate your year-to-date as a whole, and make any necessary adjustments to
ensure that you're on track for exceeding your goals.
To do so, I suggest that
you spend 10-15 minutes considering the following questions:
Has anything changed? This is one of the single most important questions a
salesperson can ask at any time and in any situation. It's the first question
that should be asked every time that you meet with a customer or prospect, and
the first question you should ask while performing a review like this one.
It's imperative that you know whether things have changed because it will
dictate your future course of action. If the question goes unasked — and
unanswered — you may well be operating under false assumptions.
Personal-performance accountability. Before looking outside, it's important
to first look inside. Regarding your performance and your results, ask yourself:
— How am I doing?
— What's worked?
— What hasn't?
— What adjustments can I make to increase my effectiveness?
Whenever your level of personal accountability exceeds that of your
superiors, you'll rarely be surprised and will almost always exceed
expectations. Remember this, and hold yourself accountable to a higher standard
than anyone holds you to.
Company. Next, you should briefly consider the current climate within your
company and take the appropriate actions that your findings suggest. (This is
especially important during the current economy when companies are trying to get
leaner. You must be viewed as a solution.)
— How's your organization doing as a whole? Is it on target to meet its
goals?
— What changes have occurred within your direct sales channel? (i.e. sales
management/salespeople departing, sales management/salespeople arriving, sales
support, increased/reduced budget, etc.)
— How do these variables impact you?
Customers. Your customers — and how they're treated — are yours, and your
company's, lifeblood and primary asset, worthy of being safeguarded, nurtured
and cultivated.
It's very easy — and tempting — to see your "next" customer when considering
prospects, and to then spend much of your time trying to secure them.
It's easy to make a sale, but difficult to make a customer. Accordingly,
reflect on the following:
— Have you had any big "wins?" If yes, what factors contributed to them? Can
these factors be duplicated in the future?
— Did you have any major losses? If so, why did the customer leave?
Prospects. While not as valuable as customers, prospects are a very
important part of the selling process. Selling, broken down, simply is, "Finding
people to sell, and selling the people you find."
It's important that you follow a regimented, predictable process that ensures
that you'll always have a fresh pipeline of prospects to pursue. What's your
answer to the following:
— What's in your pipeline? How many "A" prospects? "B" prospects?
— Do you have multiple prospects that will be making their buying decisions
in the next 30 days? 90 days? Six months? One year? (This timeline is personal
and depends on your product/service, industry and length of sales cycle.)
— Prospecting process: Do you dedicate a specific amount of time each day
solely to prospecting? If not, why not?
— Do you make time to follow up with the prospects that you've already
contacted?
— How do you remember the prospects that you've contacted? Do you use an
effective CRM or contact manager application?
Industry and competition. Change is a constant in selling. Knowing who's
doing what in your industry, therefore, is of critical importance to the
professional salesperson. School is never out for the sales professional, so you
must dedicate yourself to keeping abreast of industry trends and information,
including overall market conditions, the success and tactics of your
competitors, etc.
Industry:
— How do you remain current on the most important happenings in your industry
and marketplace?
— Have there been any major developments in your industry? In your specific
market(s)?
— How is your market? Have conditions changed? Is it growing or shrinking?
Competition:
— What is your competition doing? Are they profitable? Are they growing
and/or adding staff?
— Have they added new products/services or made significant improvements to
existing offerings?
— Have they had any major customer wins?
Goals. As you will only hit what you're aiming at, it's important to always
keep your goals clearly in mind by reviewing them regularly and making any
necessary adjustments to achieve them. (And if you haven't set your goals for
the fourth quarter and the half of 2003 and written them down, do so today! You
can't get to where you want to go until you decide "where" this is.)
— Are you on track to meet your goals? Why or why not? If not, what can you
differently to get back on track toward reaching them? Were these goals
realistic? Do they need updating?
Professional salespeople must be in the habit of routinely pausing to
evaluate their current situation, the critical factors necessary for their
success, and making the necessary adjustments that will allow them to achieve
their goals.
Roy Chitwood is an author, trainer and consultant in sales and sales management and is president of Max Sacks International, Seattle.
Puget Sound Business Journal Article
