sales success is implementing & measuring Activity; not Numbers

All companies set Sales targets.

These are a numerical number, per financial year, per month & sometimes per week.

All well & good, but this only provides WHAT you need to achieve, never HOW to……...!

Most CRM systems can track activity, which regularly becomes a box ticking exercise & doesn’t generate revenue growth in any way. one, but

The secret to success I have achieved in growing sales, has not been in merely tracking the numbers,  but creating a measure of the activity required to  achieve them.

This requires building a specific & measurable feedback system for your Team to follow.

NB: This exercise is NOT a budget based monetory – real, everyday activity which in turn will deliver your required revenue outcome.

It is ONLY the implemention of a focused & measurable ACTIVITY programme will  revenue growth follow & targets achieved.

Here is an example –

A B2B distributor of products. (this principle can be applied to any industry)

PHASE 1

1.      What is the Business’ monthly monetrary target?

2.      Be sure that it is realistic? (if it isn’t based on prior & facts, it may simply be a pipe dream)

3.      Break this number down into sales portfolios/areas: prior sales + potential growth

4.      Create a formulato calculate each Customer’s monthly spend potential, for both existing & potential Accounts. (this will provide vital business intel of growth opportunities)

PHASE 2

1.      Reduce the monthly target, per Seller, into a daily one (smaller, maneageable numbers)

2.      Test each Customer’s current spend, vs his potential

3.      The difference between potential & actual, is the GAP

4.      Apply the 80/20 principal. You will find that only a few lines make up the bulk of your sales basket. (these are known as KVI’s – key value items)

5.      Identify which of these lines, each Customer is NOT buying from you; because he should be! (EG: if you supply refuse bags; we know everybody uses them. Is the Customer buying them from YOU?)

6.      Every time your Seller makes contact with a Customer, he needs to be offering one, or more (without choking the Customer), of these products

7.      Every time a Customer orders, upsell to him (eg: if he orders 5 of an item & there are 6 in a case, simply say that you will send him a case, for ease of control, for HIM: never to assist us, of course! (golden rule #1)

PHASE 3

1.      Setting your TEAM’s activity –

a.      Order value target; for each time you gain an order – upsell, upsell, upsell.

b.      What KVI category/product am I going to offer today, to each Customer, who isn’t buying that line?

c.      NB – this requires pre-call planning & setting a clear call objective for EVERY call.

d.      Track the results daily – monetary, as well as expected activity.

Revenue growth ONLY comes via from focused sales activity in driving sales peformance.

It is ONLY from the return on this activity, that genrates return on investment.

Re-skill & Measure behavioural change & continuous improvement, is the Leader’s secret to sale growth success.

 HAPPY SELLING & REVENUE GROWTH!!