We will not sell or rent your email address. How much more could you sell if you increased your Sales Productivity? It’s a fact: Sales is a numbers game. The more people you talk to, the more sales you will have, period. Of course, it's a little more complicated than that. It's important to have a clearly defined target market, a strategy, a plan, a message and materials. You must also be confident, enthusiastic and have strong sales skills. But, ultimately, a sale comes when preparation meets opportunity. And that depends on getting your message in front of qualified prospects. So if success is truly about volume of activity, then how can you reach more people if you cannot make any more time? In other words, we all have 24 hours in a day. Why is it that some people seem to get so much more done in a day? How is it that some people can make twice as many calls, hold twice as many appointments, and make twice as many sales? In a word, leverage? Sales Productivity is the ability to generate more sales in the same amount of time by leveraging your time through the use of technologies, resources and habits. So, the key here is generating more sales in the same amount of time. You can look at the ratio of sales per hour as a measure. In many sales situations, especially in B2B sales, it may take weeks if not months of work to earn a sale. So, measuring sales per hour seems ridiculous. But, the concept is important to understand, especially when you look at activities. You see, the difference between making 15 phone calls in an hour and 30 phone calls in the same time could be the difference between making $10,000 in sales versus $20,000 in sales. So, which would you prefer to make? The next concept to consider is leverage. Archimedes said, "Give me a place to stand and with a lever I will move the whole world." Leverage is important in a few ways. You are human; you’re not a machine. You only have so much energy in a day. There's only so much you can do. So, how can you accomplish more? It starts with learning to leverage your time. There are three ways to leverage your time: technologies, resources and habits. First, technology is a tool, system or process that in some way speeds up your ability to take action. In most cases, we're talking about electronic tools like computers, PDAs and other mobile devices. It could also refer to software like a contact management system or online tools like email or social networking sites. Technologies can also improve your capability to communicate. If you make a phone call, you can talk to one person. If you arrange a three way call, you can talk to two people. If you host a conference call, you can talk to 20, 50 or 100 or more people. You get the idea. This also includes processes. For instance, when you follow a consistent sales process, you can speed up your sales results. Next, resources allow you to get things done through other people. We're talking about human resources. If you work in a large company, you might have an administrative assistant or sales support person. You can delegate activities and hold onto those you can do best, where you're most talented and passionate. Small business owners, agents and brokers can hire a virtual assistant who can perform tasks for them. The key is to learn the effective art of delegating. Finally, habits give you an opportunity to increase your Sales Productivity by increasing your efficiency. To be successful, you need to develop positive, supportive habits. Your habits should allow you to be efficient and effective. This may include habits around making phone calls, holding meetings and following up. It might also include personal habits such as watching TV, having a drink at night or waking up early in the morning. Your habits should support you in being productive and are most helpful when followed consistently. What you can duplicate through a routine will flow quickly and easily and allow you to accomplish more. So, how does this translate into higher Sales Productivity? It starts with your activities. Sales Activity times Sales Productivity times Sales Skills equals Sales Results. Productivity and skills have a multiplier effect. It is not simply enough to perform more of an activity. If your performance is sub par, so will your results be. You will increase your results as you improve your skills and your productivity. You have probably heard the old adage about sharpening the saw. You can cut down a tree faster with a sharp saw than a dull saw. You also have to consider your confidence and enthusiasm. Your ability to sell will depend in part on your skills of persuasion. And, you will be more persuasive if you are confident and enthusiastic. Remember that people buy on emotion and justify based on logic. So, what activities are we talking about? Clearly, one of the critical factors in making a sale is having a qualified prospect. Would you rather have a list of 10 qualified prospects or 100 unqualified prospects? The answer is self-explanatory. A bird in hand is worth two in the bush. It takes time and effort to qualify prospects, so it’s always better to have an interested, qualified prospect. So, the first step is finding prospects and then qualifying them. You need to identify prospects by determining your target market and then finding a way to reach them. Your marketing efforts will attract people to you. But, in most cases, you need to make a proactive effort to create a list of prospects and contact them. In many cases, you can meet prospects by attending events such as networking functions, mixers, charity events and parties. But, don’t expect to make an instant sale. In most cases, you need to cultivate relationships first. People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care. A successful relationship includes a give and take, win-win approach. Other activities include appointments, meetings, presentations, demonstrations, proposals, sending cards and letters, hosting conference calls, webinars, etc. As you can see, there are many activities that can help in your efforts to earn sales. So, what’s the best way to go about increasing your Sales Productivity? First, you should always spend time improving your skills. Remember that skills act as a multiplier. Improving your sales skills comes from reading, listening to audio programs, attending classes and seminars, and working with a coach who can help you identify areas to strengthen and improve. A coach can also keep you focused. Next, look for ways to leverage your time by using technologies, resources and habits. But, don’t take on too much at a time. You can easily become overwhelmed if you take on too much. Pick one area to focus on each month. The amount of time you invest in improving your Sales Productivity will pay dividends in the form of higher sales, but also in terms of greater satisfaction. Reducing manual activities will allow you to spend more time doing the activities you enjoy. This is the key to living with excitement and passion. Living a life that inspires you will improve your confidence and your enthusiasm. This creates an upward spiral of improvement and success. So, make a commitment now to improve your Sales Productivity and begin your effort to spiral toward success. Rick S. Cooper, MBA, is The Sales Results Expert. Rick is a Business & Technology Coach who specializes in working with professional services entrepreneurs who want to attract their ideal clients. He coaches entrepreneurs to improve their sales skills and increase their sales results. He teaches them how to leverage technology tools and increase their productivity. Rick is Founder and President of The PDA Pro. Receive Rick's complimentary audio "7 Steps to Attract your Ideal Clients" by visiting http://www.ThePDApro.com/freebies.asp. | |
