| New Year New Sales |
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First of all, Happy New Year! Regardless of where you are in the world, you are either already celebrating the beginning of a new year or are preparing for one. As for me, I am having a party tomorrow night. Yes, lots of friends, good food, champagne, and entertainment.
If may sound like a lot of work, after all, I have to make sure our house is clean, food is cooked, and our daughter's "Twilight" book series is moved out of the kitchen. It's effort. And just like preparing for a dynamic new sales year, effort must take place in the form of WORK! So, let's get ready for a successful new sales year. Beginning on Thursday (yes, I know that is a day you are probably off), but I'm assuming it's also a day, that unless you are skiing, you'll have some "think-time". Lock yourself in a quiet place for about two hours with a pen and paper. Then follow these steps: 1. Write down your sales goals for 2009. Not necessarily the ones your boss gave you, but yours! These goals are not only in terms of dollars or units, include more. For example, how many new accounts will you open in the new year? What organizations will you join to network in? Who do you want to partner with in '09? You decide. Then write it all down. 2. Now that you have committed yourself to the "what", you are ready for the "how". If you are planning on a 3 million dollar year, HOW will you get the business? Write down what steps you will take to immediately get started. Don't wait until June to get motivated...the year will be half over. For example, one of my commitments is to have all of my contacts A-Z connected (or at least invited) to join my LinkedIn network. It's a huge number of people, but I'm already 1/3 of the way through with a bit of a head start. In a few more days, I'll have completed my goal. What's yours? 3. Consider what your strengths are and write those down. For instance, if your greatest asset is your ability to demo your product, set a goal of how many demos you will present in 2009, and where. If you are a master appointment-setter, decide how many appointments you will make each week. Multiply that times 52 and even with time off in 2009, you'll see how many customers you'll be touching. Then, starting Friday, stick to your goals. 4. Write down the one or two major changes you are committed to changing in your existing daily routine. For example, if you begin your sales calls from your house, you might decide to make three calls before taking your morning run--giving you a head start on your sales day. Or, you can shut off your email until 9am and spend the first hour of your day pounding the phones. Another idea is to use a "Bob Haltiwanger" method. He was the NSM at a company I once worked for. Bob had a philosophy, which works very effectively for me to this day, of adding ONE more call to the end of every day. So, if it's 6 o'clock and you are wrapping up your day, make ONE more customer contact. It's amazing how you find the energy and enthusiasm for that additional call and have the opportunity to close more business with this technique. 5. Plan for your mini-vacations. Yes, you'll need some rewards integrated into your life in 2009, so make a decision now what those will entail. As for me, I know I'll be going to my happy place in Breckenridge in the spring and again in the summer. Knowing that I'm going to be enjoying those times to clear my head, provides me with the incentive to sell more. So there are a few tips to get you started for your new year of sales success. There isn't any reason why 2009 can't be your best year, ever. It's going to probably take MORE effort, MORE time, and MORE commitment, but that's ok. Isn't a New Year the beginning of something great? You bet! Once you sit down and make your commitments, I'd like to hear from you. Email me at:
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and let me know how the process worked for you. In return, you will receive access for 30 days of my best-selling audio of "Selling to Anyone Over the Phone". That way, you will have the support needed to follow through. Happy New Year! |
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