Colleen’s Blog

I know - you may dislike doing math. You can handle the numbers in your business but the thought of doing any additional arithmetic scares you. It’s okay! The math I’m going to discuss in today’s blog post isn’t advanced calculus or trigonometry. It’s basic, it can be done very quickly with a calculator, and it’s going to help ensure that your sales quota does not sabotage you. Feel better? Well, let’s get to it!

A funny thing happens as salespeople become more and more experienced with their company or product. They also become less and less effective. Yes, you read that correctly. Salespeople often becomes less effective with the more experience that they gain. At first glance, it would seem that the exact opposite should be true. Yet, it still happens time and time again. How can this be?

Is this the start to 2015 you wanted? We’re quickly approaching the last week of January. By now, you can probably gauge your start to 2015. Have you accomplished your goals for January? Are you hitting weekly sales targets at a better pace than in 2014? If you aren’t off to the start that you hoped, there’s good news. There’s still time to regroup and have a fantastic first quarter! Unfortunately, too many people enter a new year without a plan. There’s absolutely a new sense of hope and desire to have a better year, but most people are not willing to change any of their habits. They believe that simply letting their calendar refresh will somehow change their results. Then, after about a month into a new year, they look around and see nothing has changed and give up on their goals completely. Don’t let this happen to you.

Be honest...how prepared are you for every sales call, presentation and meeting? Do you have a “general idea” of the topics you would like to cover, or do you have a detailed strategy, on paper, that outlines exactly what needs to be discussed?Have you run through everything that could go right and wrong and developed primary and secondary materials? Some people call it guarding against "Murphy's Law" but I call it preparing for profitability. Being prepared for every sales call means there is a smaller likelihood that you will be caught off guard. You want to do everything in your power to avoid looking unprepared or flustered in front of a client. The best way to make this happen is...by being prepared! Crazy, isn’t it?! Here are six questions to ask yourself prior to a sales meeting: