DEI Principles
If you’re a sales manager, I would like you to take this opportunity to picture one of your salespeople in your mind’s eye, right now. This could be your favorite team member, or it could be a person you’re having some challenges with at the moment.
Are you picturing that salesperson? Good. Now answer this question. On his or her most recent full day working for you, did that salesperson have a good day?
Do you know for sure? Do you have any consistent, objective standard for answering that question? Does your salesperson know exactly what constitutes a good day at your company?
Notice that I asked about whether the day was a good day — not whether the day was busy. Your entire sales team might be busy, but all that “busy-ness” wouldn’t necessarily translate into a single piece of BUSINESS for your enterprise.
Here’s one viable working definition of a “good day.”
I, your salesperson, have officially had a good day if I’ve EITHER set a scheduled first appointment with someone who is willing to discuss buying my stuff … OR moved a current prospect forward in some measurable way, and simultaneously set a date and time to meet or talk with the decision maker about the status of that deal.
Here’s another definition to consider that’s a little more specific:
A good day is when I, your salesperson, make, for example, at least fifteen dials AND have voice-to-voice conversations with say, six or seven relevant – or sometimes all new – people AND schedule at least one new face to face appointment. Or, if I work in Inside sales, I will still measure my dials and contacts and scheduled next steps on the telephone. Notice that we are not just measuring ONE number. That’s a fatal mistake to make. Always track two RELATED numbers. It’s called a ratio.
Of course, these aren’t the only possible definitions of a “good day.” They do, however, have the advantage of being easy to understand … and to reinforce with the team.
Few managers, in my opinion, set clear expectations about what does, and doesn’t, constitute a “good day.” They accept what I call the Salesperson’s Fallacy: “If I look busy, I am having a good day.” Challenge that fallacy. Create a clear and measurable expectation about what constitutes a good day, and don’t be afraid to create a frank conversation, and even a little tension, when it doesn’t happen.
DEI Sales System, 6-9 Trinity Street, Dublin 2, Ireland. Tel: +353-1-6177890
