How do you know if you are track to win the sales you need over the coming months? Part 2
The first part of this article can be found here.
3. Set lead targets, not lag targets
It is important to set targets on activities rather than results. From the previous work you have done on customer journeys and numbers, you will know the results that you achieve from your activity. So you will know exactly how much work you need to carry out in order to achieve the results you desire.
For instance, I know exactly what I have to do to win a certain number of customers. I know how many people I have to connect with on social media each week. I know the number of prospects I need to invite and agree to have a call with me. This is a lead target: I am measuring myself of on what I am doing to get to the end goal.
Traditional selling relies on lag targets: you are measured on the end figure. But by this time it is too late to do anything if you have not met your target. You can read more about lead and lag targets here: https://profitableprintrelationships.com/how-to-measure-sales-correctly-do-you-use-lead-or-lag-targets/
Targets are all very well, but they only work if you are measuring them.
4. Measure activity
Once I have set myself targets, I measure myself on my activity each week. If I do not achieve the right activity, I know that I am unlikely to make the sales target that I have set myself.
If I don’t carry out my activity targets, I need to understand why I did not achieve what I set out to do. I must understand how to overcome the blocks that are stopping me from carrying out the right activities.
Again, this ensures that I know whether I am on track or not early on in the sales process. And it is a useful early warning to me if I am not carrying out the right activity.
However, I can’t just measure activity. Results are important too.
5. Measure results
Naturally, I also have to make sure that I am getting the right results from the activities that I am carrying out. However, the results that I am measuring are not necessarily sales figures. As an example, I need to know that the right percentage of prospects are accepting my invitations to connect on social media. If this is not right, then I won’t achieve the right sales results later on.
So I measure the results from each stage of my sales journey. It is important for me to understand that every step of the process is working correctly. In this way I can have a good view of whether I am on track or not early in the sales process. I can make decisions quickly on whether to change the amount of activity, or even change steps in the sales journey.
Together, these five steps mean that I am much more likely to get to the sales figure that I targeted myself. I know that I am on track at each stage of the journey. I know how near I am to being on target at all stages of the sales period.
Here are three things you can do to kick start your sales plan
Make sure you start your sales planning this week
- Understand your sales journey. Take a pen and paper and map out a flow chart of the steps that your prospects typically take
- Find yourself an accountability partner: someone who will check and help you stay on track with your planning and carrying out the right activities
- Invest in “How To Succeed At Print Sales”. My new book helps you with every stage of realistic sales planning.
Are you over-optimistic?
This process helps you make sure that you stay realistic and focused on every step of your sales process. Please feel free to share your sales plans with me. I wish you success!
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