Rocks, To Do’s and Intentions

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Rocks, To Do’s and Intentions

Written by Tony Cole

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Consistency and Sustainability in Selling

Certainly, these are unprecedented times, but fundamentals are fundamentals. When you stray from them, you get into trouble. When in trouble, return to the fundamentals and return to consistent and sustainable sales success.

In today's market place, you can survive the short term by making quick adjustments to your sales plan, pricing and market strategy. These adjustments will be reflected in your sales pipeline and in your monthly sales results; however, what you will see in the end is that these adjustments will do little to secure consistent and predictable sales growth. This is what you need to focus on to survive the current environment. How do you do that?

Sales Fundamentals

Although the marketplace is sensitive to pricing, don't automatically reduce your pricing or margins just to get a sale. Yes, this will help you today, but if you keep that client, you will have re-established your brand as the low cost provider or a price-based resource.
As difficult as it might be to maintain your pricing, I understand that you may have to sharpen your pencil in order to get a deal. Ok, then start selling additional services so that you can increase the revenue value of that client. Start focusing on average revenue per account instead of average size sale.
Focus on the client. The marketplace today certainly wants good pricing; however, they also are seeking “comfort” in a relationship. As much as we have discussed “not showing up and throwing up”, the market has changed. Prospects want assurance that your product will work; you willbe there when they need you; and that your business is sustainable. Start early by providing them information that will satisfy their need for security.
ABP = Always Be Prospecting. You need to step up your prospecting activity. If your normal mode of penetrating the market is through introductions, then you need to increase the number of meetings that you have with centers of influence. If you market yourself through networking, then do more networking.
One-time hits are valuable right now to prop up your sales and to support your financials, but understand that the one-time hit is exactly that, a one-time hit. If that hit is a $100,000 deal, then your strategy for next year needs to include how to replace that revenue event. You are better off transitioning those one-time hits into long term clients by closing the immediate deal and then entering discussions as a valued advisor.

We hat have you done for yourself lately in sales? Did you move your “rocks”? Did you finish your "to do's"? Did you do what you intended to do? (According to Rockefeller Habits, Inc., rocks are the action items that will be most responsible for achieving your quarterly and annual goals.)

Over the years, I've discovered that when sales people tell me that they have prospecting on their "to do" list, what they really are saying is that they “intend” to prospect. When sales people tell me that they are going to call a prospect and get a decision, they do call and they intend on getting a decision, but they really aren't committed to the intention.

Finally, when sales people tell me that this is the year that they are going to self-manage to extraordinary performance, what they are really telling me is that they are going to get ready to get ready and not move any rocks that are consistent with successful selling.

As harsh as this may seem, I would ask you- Does this look or sound anything like you in the past? If so, then join me and the multitude of others who struggle with prioritizing their time so that their rocks get moved, the "to do's" get done and the intentions get ignored. Let me tell you that I will be the first in line this year to correct this problem, because I may be one of the biggest offenders.

Perfect example- Last Tuesday, prospecting was on my rock list. When did I get to it? Friday at 2:30 pm and I had success. I scheduled three appointments and moved the rocks a little further up the hill. But what would I have done if an emergency, a real one, had shown up on Friday? I would have put myself in a position to make the lame excuse: "I had an emergency and couldn't get it done". The reality was that I put other stuff first on Tuesday and made myself vulnerable to failure on Friday.

Lesson #1 Be a slave to the schedule. Schedule your prospecting and make sure you do it when you have it scheduled.

Lesson #2 Rocks are rocks- these are the non-negotiable objectives of your business. When you state something as a rock, then nothing short of an emergency gets in the way.

Lessons #3 "To do" lists are, for the most part, horse pucks. How do I know? The stuff on the list doesn't usually get done. Make sure you clearly identify "to do" from intention.

Lesson #4 Intentions are just that, things you intend to do and would be nice to do and might bring you some self satisfaction, but in reality they have nothing to do with moving rocks.

Lesson #5 You must find a way to hold yourself to high standards of accountability. I am holding huddles with my staff weekly and my COO and co-owner every week to make sure the rocks get moved and the "to do's" get done.

Determine your rocks and your accountability for selling today:

My Sales Rocks: 1.

Tony Cole
		About the author:
		Tony Cole, President and CEO of Anthony Cole Training Group, has a lifelong focus on helping people and organizations achieve their personal best. As a former educator and university coach, Tony helped individuals learn how to improve their game not by ‘running faster’ but with significant and tactical behavioral changes. After 10 years in direct sales and sales management, Tony transitioned his passion for Extraordinary performance and began to ignite that fire with other firms in 1993. .