By Ken Thoreson
Generally most sales teams have until the end of June to achieve quarterly
objectives, these objectives maybe measured as quota attainment, headcount, CRM
utilization or even certain levels of training accomplishment. As a sales
leader your quota achievement could be based on either “revenue or invoiced
dollars” or “booked or sales dollars.” If you are focused on achieving
your quarterly objectives time is running out.
If you are evaluated on a revenue/invoiced dollar value, then your sales
orders must be in the system with enough time to ship your products and deliver
your services, if you are based upon booked orders you have somewhat of an
advantage. Its May 20th, there are 29 business days left
until June 30th, (taking one day because of Memorial
Day). Are you on target? How will you maximize your time and
that of your sales team to ensure you will exceed your second quarter
objectives? I have listed a few ideas to help you jump start your focus,
please comment below and let’s build a list of ideas to help each other!
1.
Increase the awareness of time with your sales team:
share this blog, and then make a PowerPoint slide for each salesperson that
states:” What can I do TODAY to win a sale?
2.
Set up a Friday afternoon sales meeting to recap the
week and discuss plans for the next week. Rather than a Monday morning meeting,
make sure everyone can recap their week and have a plan for the next week.
3.
Hold individual weekly meetings with each salesperson
to strategize their opportunities: hint: have at least 2 salespeople in each
meeting to increase the brain power.
4.
Get senior management/president involved in more face
to face sales meetings to help sell the company and get additional eyes/ears in
the sales process.
5.
Create a list of the top 10 largest opportunities in
the second quarter and post it in your office to keep everyone aware of their
progress.
6.
Determine your “delta” or what additional dollars you
have to sell between today and the end of June and divide that number by the
remaining number of days left to show you the daily order rate required.
There are six ideas. What additional ideas can you contribute?
Of course you can also assume your sales team will think about their
objectives on Saturday and Sunday as well–that would give you additional 12
days!
Guru hint: Don’t forget that the summer months are just ahead and your
pipeline must be full for July/August months, your quota does not take a
vacation…
Thoreson
is one of the Resident Experts of The ASCII
Group, an organization which provides sales strategies to its MSP/VAR Community. He is also president of Acumen Management
Group Ltd. , a consulting organization that operationalizes sales management
systems and processes that pull revenue out of the doldrums into the fresh
zone.
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