|
|
Like this article? PLEASE +1 it! |  |
|
Track, Measure, Learn to Turn Your Prospects Into Customers
| Guest post by: Meridith Elliott Powell |
Article Overview: Accountability is one of the most important terms in sales. Without it, you have no hope of improving your sales progress. Accountability is far less about making sure people do their jobs, it is about helping people do their jobs better.
 |
Free Download - The Power of Responsibility! By Meridith Elliott Powell |
Track, Measure, Learn to Turn Your Prospects Into Customers
I love accountability! I think it is one of the most
important terms in the sales process. In addition, I think it is one of those
words that has gotten a bad wrap over the years. I would like to be among the
first to say, if you want to prospects into customers']);"> turn your prospects into customers then you need
to learn to love accountability.
For most sales people, the very term accountability brings up painful images.
The stern sales manager who hounds you day-in and day-out. Asking you
consistently, how many sales calls you made and how many products you sold. The
ole tick mark management system. What did you close, who are you calling on,
and how much money did you make? No wonder people hate the word.
The term accountability is really about practice, consistency and learning. If
you want to be good at anything you have to practice it, commit to consistently
do it, and learn from both your accomplishments and your mistakes. You can only
do that if you set up a method of accountability. Accountability is the story
of "you."
If you want to prospects into customers']);"> turn your prospects into customers than you must track your
behaviors, measure your progress, and learn from your results. There is true
gold in that information. Process and consistency are critical to great sales
results, but if you do not take the time to review the information and learn
from what you are doing then how can you ever hope to improve.
One of my favorite stories about accountability actually comes from a friend of
mine, Myra Holbert. She is a conference sales manager in Texas. She has a staff
of about 25 sales people working directly for her. A few years ago she shared
this story with me. She had her newest sales members calling existing clients
trying to drum up new business. Being a great sales manager, she had each of
them track their calls and their results. Each Friday, they had a quick sales
meeting just to review calls made and services sold. At this time, she noticed
her newest sales member was enthusiastically making plenty of calls but seeing
very little in the way of results.
Myra asked to speak with her after the sales meeting. She brought her into the
office, and asked her to talk about her sales experience. First, she made sure
to compliment her on the level of sales calling she was doing, and then asked
her what challenges she was facing around closing deals. After a little
prodding, the new sales person revealed she was so frustrated and tired. She
called and called and while customers were nice, they showed very little interest
in doing any additional business. The sales person found sales depressing. Myra
smiled, and told her not to worry. As a sales person she was doing the hardest
part and that was making the calls. Myra guessed there was just a sentence or
two that needed to be changed in her approach and the results would be
different. Myra offered to make calls with her that afternoon, and give her the
opportunity to listen to Myra talk with customers. To make a long story short,
Myra and this new sales person spent the afternoon working together, adjusting
her delivery and improving her sales style. The result, a significant increase
in the number of closed leads and a highly motivated new sales person.
None of that could have happened if Myra did not hold her team accountable. I
love accountability because it is how we learn. If you track what you are doing
and you are not getting the desired result then it may not be from a lack of
effort. It may be from your technique, your skill or perhaps choosing the wrong
prospects. When you hold yourself accountable, schedule time to review your
progress, you can learn what you do well, work to improve what you don't and
move far more prospects into customers!
CUSTOMER SERVICE TIP
4 Easy Steps to Hold Yourself Accountable
Measuring your Referral Network
Stress-Free Selling® - Do Your Proposals Sell?
How Often Should You Contact Your Prospects?
Article Tags: accountability, sales management, sales strategies, sales tracking, tracking for results
|
About the Author: Meridith Elliott Powell RSS for Meridith's articles - Visit Meridith's website Click here to visit Meridith's website   The Power of Responsibility 5 Questions To Ask Before Hiring A Coach Stop Cold Calling Turn Your Prospects Into Clients Think Small How To Focus Your Business Strategy Competitive Advantage Not What You Sell How You Sell It |
Related Forum Posts
Re: SES Toronto Next Week
- In that case, how about the following?
Track: Get Me Up to Speed
* State of Search Marketing in Canada
Track: Practical & Actionable
* Beyond Linkbait: Getting Authoritative Online Mentions
Track: Advanced
* User Search Behavior
* Social Media Success
* Web 2.0 & Search Engines
* Giving Credit Where It’s Due: Which Campaign Sold What?
Simple way to avoid Cold Calling
- Gary,
A chiropractor I work with hates cold calling (me too!) and he uses a technique to warm people up to using his services - it's so simple!
In Sales your dealing with 3 pools of people:
1. Strangers
2. Prospects
3. Returning Customers
You need to move people from one pool to the next. We'll concentrate on #1 and #2 as it's most relevant to your question.
My Clients does the following (you just have to tailor it to your situation - be creative).
My Client (we'll call him Bob) Bob leverages his time and resources to only get people that need his offer (pain relief) to put their hand up. Dealing with Strangers can get expensive and they don't like to be told what to do as they have no trust or relationship built with him.
So to get Strangers to put their hands up he writes up an offer with a free report on a particular pain relief - let's say lower back pain (note: he can simply just change lower back pain to neck pain and have a new report). and uses multiple marketing vehicles to promote the Free report - magazines, newspaper, forums, postcards, private clinics etc.
The only people picking up this information are the very people Bob would like as customers as they have Lower back pain. Bob's Free report ends with him stating his services and includes a Free in-house Consultation with no obligation.
You'd be surprised at how easily Bob converts Strangers into Prospects. Note: They become prospects when they ask for the Free Guide and in exchange provide their contact details. This gives Bob unlimited opportunity to contact them for the Free in-house consultation with no obligation to continue using him.
At this stage Bob's ability to close the sale lies in his office providing good customer service, Bob's ability to help the prospect and provide value at the free in-house consultation.
Notice, he hasn't had to pick up the phone to COLD-CALL his Stranger pool or his Prospect pool.
Hope that example helps to increase your prospecting!
Re: Two Useful Books To Help You Focus On The CLIENT
- Hi David,
To add to your thread, I'd like to recommend Jonathan Tisch's "Chocolates On The Pillow Aren't Enough: Reinventing The Customer Experience".
Tisch's book includes content on "Welcoming Customers", "The New Art of Customization", "The Challenges of Customer Diversity" and "Offering Something Extra to Your Customers" to name a few.
Re: Ways to Boost Productivity
- 1. Give Employees More Than a Paycheck
2. Provide Better eSupport Channels to Promote Self-Service
3. Complete your most dreaded tasks first thing in the morning.
4. Outsource as much as possible
5. . Turn off the TV.
Re: Email Etiquette
- [quote="jvprosperity":24jznj58]
The P.S. suggestion is good but it depends on the type of communication (e.g. Autoresponder series verses one off emails to Clients or Prospects)[/quote:24jznj58]
Andy,
You are right. I was mainly referring to Auto Responder emails. To end a normal email, I attach signatures.
Takuya
Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.
Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.
by: Casey Gollan, Melbourne Business Coaching
4 Building Blocks of an Effective Talent Management System
Simon Fuller Quotes
Lesson #3: “Tell ‘em quick and tell ‘em often”
Searching for the Stars: How Yang and Filo Took Their Business to New Heights
Salesperson Wimp-Out: I Need Help 
Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!
How to choose your executive coach -1
The Importance of Master Data Management (MDM)
Getting The Media Attention You Deserve
Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.