Successful sales people bring in lots of deals, no matter at what cost. Productive sales people bring in lots of high-profit deals, at manageable costs, retain more customers, and are happier at their jobs. Here are the Ten Golden Rules of Sales Force Productivity
- Know what your selling time is worth. It’s worth a whole lot more than your billable hours, your payroll, or your commission check. Selling time is Opportunity Value – and it’s probably worth $1,100 an hour or more
- Selling time is an investment. Don’t bet an $1100 hour on a $100 win.
- Be selective with your prospects. Choose prospects that match your ideal customer; otherwise you’ll blow more of those expensive hours.
- Time spent qualifying the right customer beats time spent flogging the wrong customer.
- If you’re going to lose, lose early. With good qualifying skills, you can find out if the prospect is worth the effort, early in the relationship. Walk away before you invest in a demo, proposal, or negotiations.
- Take NO for an answer. If the prospect’s not right for you, don’t pursue it.
- It’s NOT all about the money. Money is the result of your effort, not the goal.
- It IS all about the customer. If the customer wants what you’ve got, you’ll succeed – as long as you focus on delivering value.
- Create metrics. Set targets for all aspects of the sales process. If you can’t measure it you can’t manage it. And if you can’t manage it, you can’t improve it.
- Track performance. Once you set your targets and metrics, track performance relentlessly. Be honest with yourself.
And a bonus: Rule #11. Get some rest. Take time to recharge your batteries. Unplug the phone, laptop, pda; put your mind in neutral. Nonstop work lowers productivity.
Click here to take the BSG “Leaky Bucket” Sales-Force Productivity Assessment.
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