How have sales at your business been lately?
If your sales team is making its projections and is on target or exceeding sales goals: Congratulations!
If your sales team isn’t consistently making its sales numbers: Why?
As a CEO, president or business owner, you can’t “hope” for business to just show up. “Hope” is not a smart strategy in business. Waiting, watching and hoping for a sales turnaround can only put you out of business. Instead you must find the business answers and solutions that will bring sales to your company.
When sales are not at the level they need to be, CEOs, presidents and business owners have to do what business people have always done. When times are tough, the strong business people cut expenses, examine their business from top to bottom, train and motivate employees to do a better job and… not accept excuses from the sales force.
If you have an employee in the production department you expect that individual to do a days work. Get things done. If an employee works in shipping there is no excuse for the shipping department not to get the packages shipped. But yet the sales force can think of a thousand different reasons why it’s not their fault sales have fallen. This may sound harsh but, the job title is sales. Not order taker.
Everyone in sales needs to step up their sales game especially when sales are down.
- More prospecting.
- More cold calls.
- More paying attention to the needs of current customers.
- More targeted prospects.
- More determination.
- More feedback as to what’s working and not working to get an appointment or close a deal.
- More positive attitude.
Sales people need more direction from you, the CEO, president or business owner, that will help them to be more successful and meet sales goals.
- Expect daily and weekly reports from your sales team.
- Don’t let sales people sell you as to why they can’t sell. Their job is to sell the customer, not to make excuses as to why they are not meeting their sales goals.
- Sales people need to be in front of your customers more now than ever whether it’s social selling on LinkedIn, a phone call, an email or in person.
Your business will not survive without your sales force being productive.
If someone in the sales force isn’t doing the job required then talk to them, coach them, ride along with them for the day and listen to their sales presentations, go over sales plans… but if they can’t do the job, give them the opportunity to find a job that is more suitable to their skills and needs. Replace them with someone who will do the job. Someone who will meet sales quotas.
Remember: Sales people sell. No excuses.
To your sales success!
Want more sales at your company? Talk with Howard! – 888-738-1855 – Howard Lewinter guides – focuses – advises CEOs, presidents and business owners to MORE success – MORE profit – less stress.