I put “goal” in quotes because many salespeople have their target to hit and they had little or no input into how it came to be. Some had the opportunity to provide feedback on their goal, and it’s almost the end of the first quarter and they are lagging behind. Perhaps their boss is feeling some heat about the numbers and in turn, the reps start to feel it too. It could be the rep themselves feeling the pressure, because they haven’t been in this position often, or perhaps it’s the first time. Don’t panic; What follows is what to do.
- Start with the end in mind, the desired result and work backward. If you haven’t already, create a target list of the prospects beginning with the most significant opportunity to the least.
- Do some background work and research. Find out if anyone at your company knows anything about your top identified prospects. Are they in your lost customer list for example? Perhaps someone in the company knows someone who can help you break through. Asking for help is a positive not a negative. You want to find the lowest hanging fruit. Research the best contacts starting with LinkedIn and then Google.
- Ask your best customers who they know at your target companies. If you have names of the VITO (Very Important Top Officer), begin asking who knows anyone who might know these people. Most salespeople don’t start high enough in the chain of command at their future customers because they are afraid to call that high. A no from a VITO feels the same as a no at any level so what not start there. Here is what a referral from a VITO sounds like … you tell me what you think. “Jane, Mary from XYZ was referred to me, I like what I saw. Would you meet with Mary and see if this if a fit for us and report back to me?” It can be very frustrating working too low because it’s easier to say no at that level… they prefer not to bother since change can be daunting.
- Make those calls. You cannot control outcomes in selling. What you do have control over is… your behavior. Push yourself out of the comfort zone if in 2019 you have a big goal. Perhaps you have had a few easy years, you coasted and hit your target. Now your company wants and needs some larger growth, which means you have to make more calls than ever before. If you make 5 calls for appointments before 9 am, you have the rest of your day to do live calling on your existing customers and perhaps even a few more cold calls to get contact names. Five calls for appointments a day give you 25 a week and 100 per month. Measure how many calls it takes to get one appointment. You cannot manage what you don’t measure. Salespeople, I ask often cannot answer the question, “how many calls does it take for you to get an appointment and how many appointments typically to make a sale? If, for example, 100 calls equal 4 appointments and your close rate is 50%, you will close 18 new clients by the end of 2019, maybe 20 if you start right away. If for those 20 clients you get a $30,000 bonus that means those 900 dials were worth $33.33 for each one. You don’t have to love dialing, you just have to do it… remember this for rejection; “some will, some won’t, so what, next.” It’s just a part of what is required to hit your goal.
- Visualize. I was coaching someone 16 years ago, (still am) and this person was salesperson of the year for two years running and left that company for a new position… she called me to say, “Steve, I’m pregnant, how am I ever going to hit my goal at this new company and deliver a baby…” My response was “you will now let’s get started on what your part will be.” Using the process above, starting with the end in mind, we worked backward from the desired result and built a plan around her behavior. I had her spend time in addition, visualizing her at her goal, seeing herself as achieving it and feeling what that would feel like. She did and with ongoing coaching, guess what…? She not only hit her goal She was the salesperson of the year at her new company and delivered a wonderful, healthy baby boy. If she can achieve that, you can hit your goal… just get going on what you can control… your behavior. Thinking is a big part of success, just stay on the positive side of thoughts and remember your job is not how is it going to happen… it’s doing your part every day.
Need help achieving your goal? Call me I help folks everyday and I have so many more successful folks that have great stories to tell. Let’s make your story one of those.
Gratefully yours,
Steve
