It is easy to feel behind in a world that is creating content nonstop 24 hours a day. Your sales year began January 1 but you don’t have a month of solid production behind you. What to do?
Reboot.
Yep, it is a dated term going back to the beginning of business Internet. Years ago, whenever we had a major system crash or big issue with connectivity, our systems engineer would shout, “REBOOT!”
Restart.
OK you can’t really restart your year – a month has come and gone. But you CAN move forward in bigger and better ways. Try these ideas to help you be twice as productive this month which will make up for an unproductive first month of the year.
While we’re at it – it doesn’t matter what happened in January – whether you have excuses or real reasons, we don’t need to hear them, even though you feel compelled to give them. This is NOW, move forward.
1 - Be Accountable
You need to be accountable to yourself and to others in or around your team. If you are a team of one, get someone you can share your goals and plans with every week – and everyday if that helps you be more successful.
2 - Have Daily Huddles
Have them each weekday morning. Meet with your team – who is working on what? Share your biggest area of focus for today. I have been in sales for years, we do this every day. It keeps you honest and helps keep your focus on what is important.
3 - Track Metrics
Determine what is important to track to grow solid revenue, and keep track of that. For most of us, it is tracking how many good, solid conversations you have with buyers and those that can refer them your way. Conversations with existing customers are great- just make sure the ones you track are focused on growing revenues. Sellers get stuck talking to existing customers too much because they like us and we are comfortable with them.
4 - Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
Do more that pushes yourself – one more question in a conversation you’re having that is somewhat uncomfortable – like asking a buyer what they are waiting for if they aren’t ready to move forward as planned.
5 - Do One Task at a Time
Multitasking sounds cool and seems to still impress others – but the fact is that we process in our brains in a serial manner. Have a chunk of time to do specific tasks – like PROSPECTING – on your calendar, and honor that block of time.
6 - Keep Your Focus
I use a few planning sheets to help me. Find something that makes sense for you. If you’re lucky enough to have a great digital dashboard, use that to track everything you can, then track remaining items in a way that makes sense. I like to write things down so I have a sheet I write on to track progress. If you can do it digitally, do that. Just find the way that works best for you.
7 - Stay Upbeat
It is not too late, and you did not miss out. Yet. You need to get back into working a focused plan for success. If you can regroup and keep your focus well for the next 20 business days, you will be amazed at the results.
Ready to grade your level of sales achievement? (takes less than 5 minutes)
Let us know how it goes for you. You can email me at lori@scoremoresales.com and share your wins or do it on Twitter at @scoremoresales.
Lori Richardson is recognized on Forbes as one of the "Top 30 Social Sales Influencers" worldwide and is a Top 25 Innovative Sales Blogger. Lori speaks, writes, trains, and consults with inside sales teams in mid-sized companies. Subscribe to the award-winning blog for sales strategies, tactics, and tips.
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