Are You Spring Cleaning?

If you own a dog, you know how muddy they get in April.

Conrad (our dog) definitely gets his fair share of spring cleaning baths. The good news? Spring brings about new opportunities and fresh beginnings. For example, while April means muddier dogs, it also means many more opportunities for them to get outside and exercise. Let’s face it, winter can severely limit their time outdoors.

It’s also probably why “spring cleaning” exists in the first place. We seem to emulate nature and if the great outdoors are starting fresh, why can’t we?

It’s important to take time to declutter your home, make space for new things and add that “fresh” feeling to your living space. But, are you taking the time to “spring clean” your sales as well? As we start a new quarter, it’s as good a time as any to declutter anything that is blocking your sales success.

Start with your pipeline. Do you have stagnant leads clogging your sales pipeline? The leads that have not moved to the next step in 6 months or more need to be reevaluated. Business cards that have been sitting on your desk for a year with no call or follow up also need to be actioned or discarded. It’s also time to let go of leads who refuse to call you back and instead make room for new opportunities. Why keep your pipeline clogged with time wasters?

Next, look closely at your clients. Do you have clients that are not profitable? Get rid of clients who rudely demand services or products that you don’t offer. Remove the customers who make unreasonable demands with even more unreasonable deadlines. Catering to unreasonable, or downright mean clients is usually not worth your time.

It could also be time to get rid of that toxic employee that brings everyone else down. Is there room to add in some fresh thinking to your team with a new sales rep? Take the time to evaluate your team and recognize the weak points moving forward.

Finally, take a look at your own habits. Assess your own productivity and ability to lead. There is always room to improve as a sales leader. Sometimes, we are our own biggest obstacle, and a new management or training style could mean all the difference between leading a sales team and dooming them. <– Click To Tweet 

What others steps would you add to a sales spring cleaning?

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