Have you planned how you’re going to make 2010 a great year? If you haven’t, it isn’t too late—but you’re already behind the eight ball. Here are 7 actions you must take and take now if you want to control of your own destiny:
1. Flush out all of the tail chasing “prospects” in your system.
We all have “prospects” in our pipeline that take up time and energy but that we know in our hearts will never buy. Get them out of your system now. Don’t spend any more of your precious time on them. Concentrate on real prospects not the “hope someday.” Vow not to spend any more time chasing your tail.
2. Get organized.
Most of us spend as much or more time “organizing” each day as we do working. Take a day or two and get yourself organized and then 30 minutes each evening getting ready for the next day. Don’t waste half the year “getting ready” to sell.
3. Know who a real prospect is.
If you haven’t already defined your ideal prospect(s) in detail, do so now. Many waste a great deal of time chasing unqualified prospects because they haven’t taken the time to define for themselves exactly who their real prospects are.
4. Focus only on real prospects.
Even many who have defined in-detail who their real prospects are find themselves chasing after those who don’t qualify. Commit yourself to staying on track. Defining your prospect doesn’t do any good if you allow yourself to wander.
5. Eliminate the success killing busy work.
If what you do isn’t directly involved with finding qualified prospects, making sales presentations and closing sales, or getting a sale completed its busy work. Busy work may make you feel like you’re accomplishing something but it isn’t making you a dime. If it doesn’t make you money, don’t do it.
6. Learn to generate referrals.
Referrals are the best, most cost effective prospecting and marketing method there is. Nothing can beat referrals in terms of ROI, close ratio, and client loyalty. Yet, few salespeople generate many quality referrals. Less than 15% of all salespeople generate enough quality referrals to impact their business. Learn the process that really generates a large number of high quality referrals and turn your clients into your marketing platform.
7. Create a consistent client communication campaign.
If you don’t already have a consistent communication campaign for your clients and prospects, create one now. You should be touching each of your clients and long-term prospects 12 to 16 times a year. Use a combination of media–calls, emails, newsletters, letters, postcards. Make sure each of your communications brings value to your client. The key question to ask yourself before making any contact is “does this benefit the client or only me?” If it doesn’t benefit the client, don’t send it or don’t call. Never waste your client’s time.
Time is short. But implementing these 7 “musts” will get your year on track to be one of the best you’ve ever had.
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I like all these. As a guy directly responsible for 20 sales professionals and over 25 million (indirectly 50 million and 57 sales people) in revenue next year, I think there is something critical missing though. I can’t imagine starting the year off without really understanding the value I get when I hit my goals. Just as the single most important qualification in my model is understanding the ROI for the buyer, the single most important thing I can do before the new year hits is understand what the real value to me is for hitting my number next year. The “dominant buying motive” to achieve quota extends way beyond the monetary value I will receive though don’t for a minute underestimate the dollar value. It goes to the heartfelt value I will gain from success on behalf of my team members whom I have coached, driven and supported and deeply into what our customers get and how it values them and enriches their lives.
When I own the emotional value and financial value of being successful stepping into the new year, I will have the best attitude I can to actually want to achieve that success regardless of the obstacles I may have to face along the way. For me, I think the very first action then is to pause before the year starts and really understand why I am doing this work and what it does for everyone I serve and everyone I love.
Have a blessed holiday season and an extremely prosperous new year.
Warmest regards,
Michael D. Goodman
President
goodman@solomonrk.com
Revenue Kinetics
Solomon Sales Platform.
Comment by Michael D Goodman — December 27, 2009 @ 11:34 pm |