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The 5 Factors Are: We have listed below a number of "elements" that can have a direct impact on your sales dollars. They are:
1. Track A Salesperson's Metrics: This is often the most overlooked metric for business owners and salespeople. If you want to truly maximize a salesperson's performance, look at the following on a weekly basis:
a. How many "oh by the way calls" have they made?
b. How many appointments they went on (define them as first time vs. second, third so-on-and-so-forth)?
c. How many appointments were set?
d. How many proposals were actually "given"?
e. How many proposals did they close?
f. What is each salesperson's close ratio (proposals given vs how many were actually closed?
g. What is the amount of total sales dollars actually closed (annualized) for that week?
2. Develop a Database of Clients, Prospects and Referral Sources: I have literally talked with a few thousand business owners and sales people since I started MyMarketingPartner 6 years ago. Sadly, a significant majority of them have not developed a database of prospects or referral sources. From my experience, a direct sales person needs a database containing 350 - 500 prospects (this will vary depending on your industry and what you sell). If a salesperson does not have enough prospects to "drip on" there is a very good chance they will not last as an employee.
3. Be Viewed As An Expert: If you want your clients to pay you more (depending on the industry you are in), become an expert in your chosen field. Once you become an "expert", educate people on your expertise. Doing so will let buyers know how much you know and how much you can help them solve their particular problems. Expert advice has a high value no matter what industry you are in.
4. Write Your Marketing About Your Target Audience & NOT About You: What you say and how you say it makes all the difference in the world when it comes time for your marketing to perform. Regrettably, many business fall victim to using typical Fortune 500 non-revenue producing techniques by writing copy about how long their company has been in business or how great their customer service is (without any tangible evidence to support their case).
If a prospect feels you understand what they want and need, they are more likely to buy from you. So look at everything that portrays your business, from your website to your sales literature. If you look at it from a buyer's standpoint, you may come to the quick realization that what you are currently saying does not mean a whole lot to a buyer. If so, you are better off scraping the content you wrote and starting from scratch.
5. Do the DRIP: At the end of the sales day, a buyer will remember two things:
a. What company/salesperson stayed in contact with them as they traveled down the Educational Buying Spectrum; and,
b. What company/salesperson educated them on how to make a good buying decision.
Remember, you never hear someone running to his or her boss and say, "Hey, I just hired the second best _____ I could find."
A consistent flow of high-impact e-mail, direct mail and "oh by the way calls" (supported with a line of evidence-based tools) will produce more appointments and sales opportunities than you ever thought possible for your business. Remember, when you are educating someone, they are not saying "no" to you. Think about it.
Summary: You cannot control our economy or wait for it to change. Success in sales and marketing is a simple formula but it can be very difficult for people to change their current habits.
By Glenn Fallavollita Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Glenn_Fallavollita
Read other articles in this issue:
5 Factors That Will Have a Direct Impact on Your Sales in 2009
Get it Done: 12 Shortcuts to Get Marketing Done Faster
How to Plan Your 2009 Marketing Budget
Newsletter Overview
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