You Get What You Measure – Are You Getting What You Want?

In professional sales we measure our success against some fairly common benchmarks – quota, commissions and sales ranking.   Only the best sales managers and consistent top performers take performance measurement a step further.  Beyond talent and hard work, they know a disciplined process of measuring and evaluating their sales activities is the key to delivering an outstanding sales performance. Here’s a quick reality check. 

What is your current proposal to sale ratio?

No answer?  While most sales professionals agree that they should have the answers to this basic question, they don’t.  Why are sales professionals so resistant to monitoring the performance indicators that create a road map for success?  

Unfortunately we can trace one reason back to sales management and the dreaded daily, weekly or monthly activity reports.  Sales activity tracking has a bad rep.  When management places more importance on making 100 dials rather than what those dials produce, the sales professional faces an ethical dilemma.  Should they present fact or fiction?   

Regardless of whether your manager requires it, the reason to track your activity is the relationship between measurement and results.  Plain and simple, what you measure will dictate what you get.  Why?  When you measure, you’re keenly focused on strategic activities, honing specific skills and streamlining processes that will produce the end results you want.   Imagine for a moment what achieving your sales goals will mean to you.  Is your goal to buy a new house?  What would it be like to win that all expense paid trip to Hawaii?  A personal sales activity and measurement plan is a tool to convert this vision into a reality.

Resistance to measuring our personal sales activity can also be attributed to a general discomfort with accountability; not to a manager but to ourselves.  When we actively measure our results, we are forced to ask ourselves some tough questions.

Are my actions matching my intentions?  The truth is…sometimes they don’t, especially if you’re working towards a long term goal.  Acknowledge the lapse and use the plan to get back on track.  Temporary setbacks are also a great time to reaffirm your vision.  Look for ways to keep the dream alive.  For example, if your goal is to win special sales recognition, draft your acceptance speech and keep it close by as a reminder of what you want and why you’re measuring.

Another tough accountability question may be- what if I don’t like what I see? Sales activity tracking is one of the primary tools you’ll use to improve and feel great about your progress.  Diligent tracking will help you identify exactly where your sales process may be breaking down and isolating the problem is the first step in fixing it.  Without measurement, too many sales people fall victim to the popular definition of insanity – doing the same thing while expecting different results.  As you notice your close ratio or contact rate improving you’ll also notice aspects that are working well that you won’t want to tinker with.  Bottom line, tracking will help ensure you keep doing what works and fix what’s not.  

If you want more control over your earnings, are tired of up and down sales performance or just want to play a bigger game, try measuring your activities with these quick tips.  

• Put your sales plan down on paper.  A written intention is powerful. What will you get personally and professionally by enacting this plan?

• Establish an income goal and work backwards answering the following questions:

How many sales do I need to make?

How many proposals do I need to generate these sales?

How many appointments do I need each week?

How many contacts do I need to yield these appointments?

Don’t let not having the answers keep you from getting started.  If you’re not sure, start with some educated guesses and test them against your results.

• Create a tracking system that works for you.  Even a simple excel spreadsheet can do the trick.

• Spend as much time celebrating your progress as you do identifying areas for improvement.  Savoring the progress will give you the extra motivation you need to consistently work your plan.

Need help?  Visit www.ddlawrence.com to find a certified sales coach who will help you clarify your vision, design an effective strategy and take the actions you need to realize your goals.

Are You For Sale?

Relax.  I'm not advocating any illegal activity or compromising behavior.  However, consider this.  Whether you're a sales professional positioning a product, a corporate executive proposing an idea or you're networking for your organization…aren't you also selling yourself?  If you're not for sale or horrified at the notion, keep reading.  You may find some compelling reasons to consider a shift in thinking.

Recently I participated in a local networking event.  I spent the morning with insurance agents, telecom sales representatives, and other individuals representing a wide variety of business interests.  As one would expect, each participant took a turn sharing a well rehearsed "pitch" about their company's unique offerings and target auidence.  It was interesting and in most cases, obvious that time had been spent perfecting these mini- presentations.  However, I'm not personally in the market for these specific services, so at best, I was modestly engaged.

That is until something unexpected grabbed my attention and stirred my curiousity.  A bank executive shifted gears and began sharing his personal experience in the field.  I heard examples of how he leveraged this experience to help clients find solutions to their financial challenges.  The boutique nature of his bank in conjunction with his experience provided potential clients with creative options that most other banks could not provide.  As he spoke his energy and enthusiasm drew me in.  I was no longer listening to a bank executive; I was listening to Dave, the bank executive who successfully convinced me that should I need banking assistance- he's the person to speak to.

Effective selling is much more than having the right product with the best features and benefits, having the best idea or the lowest fees.  If this wasn't the case, how would you make a sale when your product isn't the best, your fees are higher or the idea you propose is riskier than others?  Often what tips the scale in your favor and differentiates you from the throngs of others competing for what you want is something as simple as "you".  You are one of the key features and benefits associated with the product, the service or the idea someone is signing on for.

Consider your experience.  Grab a sheet of paper to take an inventory of your experience.  You might even ask a friend or colleague to help you.

What knowledge do you possess?

What's your personal track record in this area?

How do these things translate into meaningful benefits and end results for your prospective buyer?

Mortgage rates, value-added services or specific facts backing up an idea are always going to be important considerations for a prospective buyer.  Yet, a buyer can't develop a relationship with these intangibles.  Buyers establish these things with you, not your services or ideas.  The problem arises when they don't know who you are or don't meet the real you.  How can they know what their buying?

Pam was planning for a high stakes meeting to sell her new marketing strategies.  She was full of nervous excitement and asked for help to ensure she was "calm and collected" for the big meeting.  Pam is anything but a calm and collected person.  She's high energy with boundless enthusiasm, a fast thinker and a fast talker.  These are powerful parts of her personality that are engaging, demonstrate her passion and showcase the out of the box thinking she brings to the table.  This is the real Pam.  People are swept up in her conviction and they value the relationship that will become part of the package when buying her brilliant ideas.  When she allows her true self to come out of hiding, she's effective in selling the relationship.

When the "real" you shows up in a meeting, a social event, or a job interview what personal qualities are evident?

Next time you're preparing for any type of important presentation, consider putting yourself up for sale.

• Share something about yourself.  How did you get involved with this field and what do you love about it?  How did you arrive at this idea and why is it important to you?
• Share examples of your personal impact.  How did you use this experience to help a client?  What were the end results of your efforts?
• Allow your "true self" to show up.  When we communicate with authenticity, our own energy, passion and conviction become infectious and a relationship blossoms.

Learning to sell effectively is just as important as positioning your products, services or ideas properly.  How you see yourself in this role is one component of a powerful mindset that makes sales.  Need some help?  Contact DD Lawrence for a free no obligation consultation or preview part one of my new e-book – Sales By Design: Perspective, Proficiency & Process.  You'll learn more about why perspective is such an important part of sales success and how to establish a mindset that will help you sell more effectively.