Meeting Sales Quotas Before Time Runs Out

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 20^th, there are 29 business days left until June 30^th, (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.