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Wow – it’s hard to believe – only 100 days left to achieve this year’s sales goals!
I’m not trying to rush summer or the end of the year. Some of you might be thinking it’s about 120 days to the end of the year, but the reality is you’re not going to be closing sales between Christmas and New Year’s. Are you on track to achieve your sales goals before the end of the year?
I’ve been in sales for over 20 years and I’m still the Chief Sales Officer in our business! Just about every year, at the onset of the fourth quarter, I’ll admit… I go into stress and panic mode as my drive and desire to succeed can be overwhelming.
Each year I have a stronger and more strategic sales plan than the previous year, but I also have a bigger sales goal each year.
So, at this time of year, I still find myself in panic mode wondering, “Do I have enough in my pipeline to make my goal?” “Where else can I find additional business that will close before year end?” “Have I done everything necessary to make my number?”
Here are a few questions to ask yourself:
• Are you on track to achieve your goals?
• What will you START doing?
• What will you STOP doing?
• What will you DO DIFFERENTLY?
• What do you want to be MOST proud of accomplishing on December 31st? Or realistically, by December 21st?
For those of you like me, who have been working hard all year, but realize you’re still a bit short of achieving your big sales goal for the year, let me share with you some of the things I am going to START, STOP and DO DIFFERENTLY to ensure I slam dunk our big, hairy, audacious sales goal this year and guarantee a celebration on December 31st!
I’m going to START creating a new list of all the clients that I will contact to secure business this fall. I’m going to START making calls, not just one day a week, but three days a week with ten connections per day. I will schedule the one hour per day in my calendar to hold myself accountable to complete these calls on the chosen days and then update it in our CRM system, rather than my favourite Hot List Spreadsheet.
I’m going to STOP allowing any interruptions, procrastination or excuses to get in the way of making these ten calls each day. I’m also going to STOP any self-doubt of not achieving this sales goal. I’m going to kick any of those negative thoughts out of my brain – there is no room for this type of saboteur talk this fall.
I will add Social Media as my “DO DIFFERENTLY”. I’m going to use LinkedIn Navigator to find new leads and use the digital analytics of social media to help me better understand who may be interested in our services.
I will be proud of achieving our sales goal over the next 100 days…and will savour the taste of champagne to celebrate the achievement of this goal on December 31st.
Teneo Challenge: Figure out what you need to stop, start and do differently and then share your sales success with us!
What will you be doing over the next 100 days to achieve sales success this quarter?
Lisa is driven by the mantra – Be Strategic. Be Pro-active. Be Brave. – and has been successfully training and coaching sales leaders and their teams to do the same for over 15 years. As the President of Teneo Results since 2003, she has trained thousands of sales professionals at more than 250 companies across North America. She transitions salespeople away from the standard “product & price” approach to having purposeful business conversations with their customers that drive results.
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It’s time to change the way the world looks at sales and by doing that we have to create a movement to transform ourselves into more proactive and brave salespeople.
Where do you do your most creative thinking? As I write this, I’m sitting by the lake because I think differently when I’m near water – and I’ve realized it’s time to change up how we think about sales.
When I was starting out in life, the last career I wanted was to go into sales or stay on the farm – but I’ve been selling for over 25 years and I love what I do. Working in partnership with different businesses – learning about their challenges, their teams, and their dreams while helping them craft solutions that lift their KPIs is deeply satisfying. But what nearly kept me out of this field hasn’t changed in 25 years – the stigma attached to being in sales, and the public’s negative perception of salespeople.
How bad is it? Even my own daughters have made it very clear they’d never consider a life in my field, and that’s regrettable. How many other bright and capable young people turn away from a sales career because they see it as a less-than-reputable profession? We know the economy needs strong, profitable businesses, and that sales and salespeople are what drives business success. So why is it that we get no respect?
Maybe it’s because we don’t earn it.
According to research from OMG – Objective Management Group, the number one sales assessment tool to evaluate the effectiveness of salespeople – 50% of salespeople are subpar, based on the competencies and sales standards of today. Only 57% of salespeople will achieve their sales targets this year. That’s an ugly statistic you can’t put lipstick on.
YES- we need to do better.
It’s time for us to plant the flag and transform not only the sales world but also the rest of the world’s perception of us. Let’s commit to being smarter and bolder at our jobs; to becoming more strategic, proactive, and brave! Yes, it takes guts and effort to change how you do what you do, but the success and satisfaction it brings are so worth it and you don’t have to do it alone.
My team and I have committed to changing not just the perception of sales but the profession of sales from the inside out. Are you in?
Here are three action steps you can take right now to raise the bar and to be more successful at what you do:
1. Hold your team to a higher standard of sales expertise and excellence. Lead by example and coach your people to meet those expectations. Nobody learns in a vacuum.
2. Let’s rally together in the sales community. If you know a salesperson, sales leader or sales team who’s struggling to get better sales – let’s reach out to lead, coach and mentor them to get them there.
3. Join us on Friday, September 21st, at the Evolve Sales Leaders Think Tank Breakfast. We’ll tackle the challenges in sales, strategize solutions and share best practices to raise our sales teams to next-level performance and stronger results.
Let’s work together to grow our profession and our professionalism. Let’s be bold. Let’s be brave. It’s time.
Teneo Challenge: Join us at our Evolve Sales Leaders Breakfast event on Friday, September 21 to network with other sales leaders and get coached on your biggest sales team challenges. For more information, click here.
Lisa is driven by the mantra – Be Strategic. Be Pro-active. Be Brave. – and has been successfully training and coaching sales leaders and their teams to do the same for over 15 years. As the President of Teneo Results since 2003, she has trained thousands of sales professionals at more than 250 companies across North America. She transitions salespeople away from the standard “product & price” approach to having purposeful business conversations with their customers that drive results.
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Whether you’re nine, 29 or 49 – this time of year signifies the season of Back to School and Back to Business. It’s similar to the beginning of a new year – forcing us into a new mindset at work and re-focusing us on business goals, business growth and perhaps even the opportunity to go “back to school” by advancing our sales skills! This year, there is a desire for so many businesses and salespeople who just don’t want to get back to business – but stronger and better business.
My brother, Mark, is a Principal in an elementary school and we were discussing the similarities in the expectations teachers have for their students and the expectations clients have on sales professionals. Mark said that to earn an “A” in today’s school system you have to use a higher level of thinking skills, demonstrate problem solving skills and then apply the theory and learning to real world examples. He said students can no longer study and regurgitate the theory to earn an “A”. Students have to prove they have earned the grade with exemplary work.
In today’s business world, client expectations are similar. Clients expect so much more than your canned selling presentation or your regular drop-in sales call. To earn a client’s business you have to apply a higher level of business acumen and thinking skills related to their business, demonstrate problem solving skills related to their specific industry and challenges, and present realistic solutions to their real world problems. Salespeople can no longer show up, wing it and expect to earn the business. Salespeople have to prove their worth and earn the business, or an “A”, with exemplary services and skills.
In interviewing a number of clients and were shocked at how they rated salespeople – actually giving them a failing grade. They said:
- less than 2% of salespeople create a compelling reason to meet with them – they just delete their emails
- less than 10% of salespeople come to client meetings prepared
- less than 10% of salespeople they meet are really great salespeople who follow a purposeful sales process in their client/prospect meetings
- less than 50% of salespeople follow-up with them or secure the next step
So if your clients were handed a sales report card to rate you on the subjects of Prospecting, Creating a Compelling Reason to Meet, Leading the Consultative Selling Process, Building Strategic Relationships, Listening, Asking for Referrals and Closing Business – what grades would you receive? Perhaps it’s time to consider going “Back to School” to advance your selling skills and earn an “A” in today’s more demanding sales environment!
Teneo Challenge: Join us Friday, September 21 at our Evolve Sales Leaders Breakfast event to network with other sales leaders and get coached on your biggest sales team challenges. For more information & to register, click here.
Lisa is driven by the mantra – Be Strategic. Be Pro-active. Be Brave. – and has been successfully training and coaching sales leaders and their teams to do the same for over 15 years. As the President of Teneo Results since 2003, she has trained thousands of sales professionals at more than 250 companies across North America. She transitions salespeople away from the standard “product & price” approach to having purposeful business conversations with their customers that drive results.
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Summer’s calling – can you hear it? Probably not, if you’re on the phone or clicking through your inbox. Everyone needs to take holidays to hit “refresh” on their work lives and relax, but that comes harder for some of us than others – and those of us in sales are ‘way up on that list.
Here are three simple strategies you can use to end the tyranny of tech in your life and take back your holidays:
1. Go cold turkey on technology.
I realize even the thought of that may make your hands sweat, but it can be done and I’m living proof. The first week of January, I went on holiday with my daughters, leaving my laptop and cell phone at home. Yes, it was brutal, and while I wasn’t literally climbing the walls, I couldn’t stop the reflexive reaching for the phone that wasn’t there. But a funny thing happened after a few days; I actually started to enjoy myself. Without the endless barrage of texts and emails to answer, I had the luxury of time – time to talk to my girls, to enjoy long walks and family meals, and to unwind. I slept better; I listened better; I laughed more. And when it was time to go home, I was genuinely refreshed and excited to tackle the work that was waiting for me.
Pro tip: So I wouldn’t feel overwhelmed the first day back in the office, I downloaded my emails before I headed to the airport, and used the flight time to review them so I’d be caught up for Monday morning.
2. Set boundaries – and stick to them.
If you really can’t turn off your technology and feel compelled to stay connected to the office and your customers, set yourself some boundaries, and stick to them. Give yourself permission to check and respond to messages for one hour every morning, then shut that phone or laptop in a drawer, and leave it there. This lets you take care of any urgent situations and keep your inbox cleaned up; more importantly, it gives you permission to relax and enjoy the other twenty-three hours of your day. Watch the clock and don’t be tempted to cheat on that time limit, because it’s too easy to get sucked into the vortex. My daughter Alexa jokes that my last words will be “Just one more email to send!” That’s uncomfortably close to the truth.
3. Drop the reins and delegate.
We all see ourselves as indispensable and worry that our companies will go off the rails if we’re not there to run them. Don’t fret – delegate! Your team knows you well; they’ve seen how you look after your business and your customers. Give them a chance to take on your work in your absence. Let them deal with your day-to-day responsibilities and your work-related emails. Not only is this empowering for your team, it gives you and them the opportunity to ensure all your processes are strong or reveals where they need improvement – and gives you the insights you need to start building a succession plan. Make sure everyone knows what you expect of them and how to do it, then let them run with it.
Holidays are your opportunity to refill your tank, reconnect with your loved ones, and to remember what it is that you’re working for in the first place. Don’t cheat yourself or your family by packing your job up and taking it with you, or you’ll be running on empty when you get back. Turn it off, so you can turn it on for a great fall selling season!
Got tips on how to get the most out of your holidays? I’d love to hear them!
Thought Provoking Question: How will you turn it off this summer, so you can turn it on for a great fall selling season?
Teneo’s Challenge: The summer months aren’t long enough, so choose one of our simple strategies to use on your next vacation to end the tyranny of tech in your life and take back your holidays! Let us know how it goes!
Lisa is driven by the mantra – Be Strategic. Be Pro-active. Be Brave. – and has been successfully training and coaching sales leaders and their teams to do the same for over 15 years. As the President of Teneo Results since 2003, she has trained thousands of sales professionals at more than 250 companies across North America. She transitions salespeople away from the standard “product & price” approach to having purposeful business conversations with their customers that drive results.
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Summer is the time when most of us take time off and enjoy ourselves. But it’s also a critical time in the sales year. With a little bit of extra work, you can crush your competition while they are on holiday.
Most of us like to coast a bit in the summer and relax after working so hard to get sales during the first two quarters. But the reality of the situation is that now we are in the second half of the sales fiscal year and we need to stay on track to hit our sales goals.
How will you work smarter, not harder, this summer to outperform and crush your competition?
When I started my sales training and coaching business, I quickly realized that my strategy needed to adapt to the new sales and buying cycles I faced which were different from my old industry.
I want to share with you how I adapted Teneo’s mantra, “Be Strategic. Be Proactive. Be Brave.” to create three strategies to crush the competition over the summer months.
Be Strategic
One thing I did to adapt was identify the percentage of business I would need to close by the end of Q2 to meet my year-end sales goal. I was not expecting to find that 80% of my business must be secured by June 30th to ensure that I exceeded sales goals for the year.
I analyzed sales from the previous three years and asked myself, “How could I be more tactical with my customers to ask for referrals?” I learned a valuable lesson in being strategic during the transition and securing new business while my competition was on vacation!
Be Proactive
Another piece to this puzzle is prospecting all year long with an increase in my prospecting efforts before I leave for vacation.
One year, my husband and I decided to travel to Europe in September, but I knew that was an ideal sales time for my business. Instead of taking my foot off the gas over the summer months, I kept my prospecting funnel full during July and August and by September 1st I was able to hit my Q3 sales goal.
Here is how I did it: I got up early with the summer sunrise to make ten prospecting calls per week. I made those important calls between 7:30 and 8:55 am when my prospects were in the office before getting caught up in their meetings. I then enjoyed a guilt-free holiday and learned a valuable lesson in being proactive!
Be Brave
Finally, I scheduled important meetings with my customers and prospects during the summer months. I knew if my competition was on holidays, my customers would have more time to speak with me.
I met with them to understand their business projects for the fall and how I could help them make their next quarter a slam dunk. My clients appreciated that I asked those tough questions to keep them on track to reaching their sales goals, and it taught me a valuable lesson in being brave and not slowing down.
When my competition was letting their foot off the gas, I was putting the pedal to the metal!
Teneo’s Challenge: Instead of procrastinating on prospecting this summer, crush your competition! Commit to a certain number of prospecting calls or emails. How about ten each week or even each day? How many customer or prospecting meetings will you schedule this summer?
With a bit of focused effort, and by being strategic, proactive and brave, you will be able to keep your pipeline full and stay on track this summer to exceed your sales goals for the year!
Contact us to learn how to focus your efforts on being more strategic, proactive and brave.
Lisa is driven by the mantra – Be Strategic. Be Pro-active. Be Brave. – and has been successfully training and coaching sales leaders and their teams to do the same for over 15 years. As the President of Teneo Results since 2003, she has trained thousands of sales professionals at more than 250 companies across North America. She transitions salespeople away from the standard “product & price” approach to having purposeful business conversations with their customers that drive results.
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In our recent webinar called Cracking The Buyers’ Code: Having Purposeful Business Conversations With Buyers, buyers agreed that sellers do not write emails that result in meetings, yet email was the number one way to connect with them.
We hear from clients all the time that buyers are not responding to their emails.
So, what gives?
While you can never know for sure what is going on in the mind of that buyer, you can certainly make it more tempting for them to respond to you!
Your job is to demonstrate that a partnership with you means added value for them.
You do that by showing you have done your research, are knowledgeable about their business and that you have an understanding of how your product complements their current offerings.
The question is, how can you write a compelling email in three to five sentences and get that response?
Tall order? It does not have to be once you know the winning formula and we want to share that with you today!
- DO tempt the buyer with an interesting subject line – this is key to them opening the emails at all!
- DO be concise and clear, but compelling enough to make it easy for the buyer to agree to a meeting.
- DO provide the name of a reference for immediate credibility.
- DO show the buyer that you understand their business, the market and trends to help build trust.
- DO provide links, if possible, of any information you reference.
- DO follow up your email with a meeting request or send it through LinkedIn, as the notifications are different than a regular email and will make it stand out above the rest.
One of our panelists gave us a great example of a stand-out email she received:
Hi Melissa,
I am Cameron from ABC Cosmetics. I was given your name by Jack. I have been shopping in your store on Main Street for some time now. I have noticed your natural food footprint continues to expand but your beauty planogram has not had any new products added to it in months.
Recently we were featured in an online article as having one of the best natural lipsticks under $20 (provide article link) and it is a certified top seller on XXX (provide site link).
Let’s get together to talk about it – you have just got to try it!
Yours truly,
Cameron
On the flip side, here is what NOT to do:
- DON’T send a form letter; be sure to personalize your email to the buyer you are targeting.
- DON’T delay getting to the point; every sentence should provide value or information.
- DON’T get overly stylistic – it makes it too hard to read!
- DON’T forget to check grammar and formatting; it shows a lack of attention to detail.
- DON’T contact them repeatedly if you do not get an immediate response.
Here is an actual example of what NOT to do that we received at Teneo (coloured font included!):
Hi Lisa Leitch,
Greetings,
Are you looking for a reliable, talented team for the Website Designing, Mobile andWeb development?
1. Are you looking to create a new website in Word Press, Simple HTML or E-commerce etc?
2. Are you looking to redesign your website with new modern and as per the latest industry standard look and feel?
3. If your website is not mobile Friendly? We can make your current site mobile friendly/responsive?
Our expertise’s are in following areas:
• • Website Design & Maintenance
• • Mobile Apps Development
• • Website Design/Re-Design (WordPress CMS + Mobile Compatible Design + Browser
• • E-Commerce Development
• • E-Learning Website
• • Digital Marketing
• • Interactive Multimedia Service (Logo, Graphics, Multimedia, Catalogue)
Please revert if you require any of the above services and we will be happy to send you sample of our work and costing accordingly.
Thanks & Kind Regards,
Mobeen,
Development Manager
After seeing these two examples, put yourself in the buyer’s position: Which of these emails would get a response from you?
Our webinar panelists showed us that it often just takes a few tweaks to make all the difference.
Teneo’s Challenge: Craft that stand-out email based on what you just learned in this blog post and share your results with us!
Last week in the Advance Prospecting Workshop, we had participants practice writing emails that would get results and had them send their emails during the class. A few hours later, two of the participants actually secured meetings. Now that’s results!
Lisa is driven by the mantra – Be Strategic. Be Pro-active. Be Brave. – and has been successfully training and coaching sales leaders and their teams to do the same for over 15 years. As the President of Teneo Results since 2003, she has trained thousands of sales professionals at more than 250 companies across North America. She transitions salespeople away from the standard “product & price” approach to having purposeful business conversations with their customers that drive results.
