Pardon the oxymoron, but it's true. No matter if you're at home or in the office, or managing a team or calling customers; when you get the most busy you need to get the most efficient. The best way to get more efficient is to plan - it will cost you about an hour a week, and can save you more than an hour every day. With an extra two or three days every month, what could you accomplish?
The Problem
In working with hundreds of reps, one of the most common pitfalls I see is lack of planning and organization. About 10% of the reps I've forced to plan for a 2-week stretch continue to do it, and another 10-15% go back to it when the get stuck in their work anxiety. 25% is not a great number, HOWEVER - those that do it get big results.
What We've Learned:
I was working with an Inside Sales Rep who was consistently hitting about 80% to quota. Not at the bottom of the pack, but he wanted to be a rockstar. After two weeks of using a planner religiously, and marking when he connected and closed with prospects, he changed what he sold, how he sold, and who he sold to. The result? He DOUBLED his sales after two weeks.
So, why don't people plan? This happens for a couple of excuses *cough* reasons:
- I'm too busy to plan
- I have all the information in my head
- I have to use the system a certain way
- I have a plan, I just can't follow it
- Darn Customers keep throwing me off my plan
For those who don't plan - why not?! In school every year they passed out planners, companies who print them sell millions every year, there must be something to it. I can tell you, THERE IS. Using my friend from the earlier example, he was following the sales process we had implemented, but was only calling in the afternoon, not the morning. He made his sales over the phone, and started calling in the morning as well.
Bonus:
The last one I hear is "it's all under control, no stress, no problem." To these folks, it may be time to look at setting a higher target for yourself. What would it take to double your goal?
You may not NEED to double your sales, but it's an exercise in stretching yourself. What would that do to your paycheck? What would it mean for your team goal? How much more efficient would you need to be to get there? It doesn't hurt to ask these questions, that's how you go from A-Player to Rockstar.
Conclusion
Try planning for two weeks. Plan your next week every Friday, and dedicate your last 10 minutes of the day every day to planning the following day. As you go throughout your week, make notes on a duplicate week planner with wins, ups, downs, and whatever else comes up. Reflecting on your results vs. actuals at the end of the week should make you feel accomplished, identify time-sucks, and provide the bones to become a better salesperson.
If you find that your team needs help with planning, executing, processes, or something else, SRi has seen it before and is here to help you solve it. Call, schedule, or email with us for a free consultation.
