Colleen’s Blog

Let’s face it, sales as we know it has changed, from how to attract distracted buyers to how to nurture a long-term relationship when loyalty is diminishing almost as quickly as our attention span. Fortunately there is new information that can help us make sense of this evolution, which in turn can help educate our sales teams as to what they need to do differently. But have you considered that possibly our sales teams as we would define them have changed as well?

This year, we've been blessed with an extra day! That's right, because "February 29" shows up on this year's calendar, we have an extra 24 hours to speed up, catch up or to simply use as a way to rest and recharge. Chances are, most sales leaders won't look at their time this way. They won't even acknowledge that they have an extra day this year, or if they do, they'll underestimate what they can accomplish in a day. So, what exactly can you do with the extra day you've been given this year? Here are 16 ideas inspired by my work with the top performers inside the Engage Community:

It's common for people think  "garbage in, garbage out." However, in sales the opposite is true; garbage in, garbage stays! In other words, if you keep making tragic mistakes in managing your team and your territories you will produce a garbage year. So, while it's common at the start off the year to create your annual "to do list" or goal list, you must also create a "not to do list" of  specific "garbage activities" that are hurting your sales. Here are the top 16 "garbage activities" for your 2016 "not to do list." STOP….

How discoverable are you to new clients and prospects? In this day and age, you need multiple avenues to expand your outreach. It’s no longer good enough to simply pick up the phone or send emails. You require a fusion of different approaches that are executed consistently to create growth in your business. <-- Click To Tweet How many of the following is your sales team regularly engaging in?

Supermodel Linda Evangelista famously said that she would “not roll out of bed in the morning for less than ten thousand dollars.” It was a smart business move on her part. Ten thousand dollars was her minimum profit per shoot. Your Sales Radar must also have a minimum profit, a minimum profit per client. This is the number, expressed in either revenue or margin, that you will not work for less than (or as the Queen might say, “the number for less than which you will not work”). Clients above this minimum can either stay as service accounts or be reclassified as growth accounts. Clients below it must be fired.

Are you considering raising your prices in 2016? Many salespeople look at raising prices with a grain of salt, a double-edged sword if you will. <-- Click To Tweet On one hand, raising prices means more earnings and greater profits. On the other hand, it could upset or scare away your current client base. Price increases are definitely worth approaching strategically. It’s true, there’s a definite and obvious upside of charging more for your products and services. But, if you lose your current clients in the process, is it doing any good? The good news is there is a way to raise your prices while still minimizing its impact on your current client base. In fact, there are three steps you can take to increase your chances of gaining all the benefits of a price increase without having to deal with the downside.