Do you like simplicity?  I sure do.
 
Just give me the information in the smallest size possible.  I don’t want or like fluff, and what I’m about to share with you has absolutely NO fluff!

This past week I was helping a sales person put together their 2011 business plan.  They were prepared for the exercise, but the information, priorities, and thoughts were scattered.  I told him to stop.  I drew a box on the top of a piece of paper and asked him to write in the box what his job was in as few words as possible. 

Here’s what he wrote: 
“My job is to provide income for me and my family and to make as much sales as possible.”  OK.  That’s too many words, and that’s not really what your job is.  I grabbed the piece of paper, crossed out his sentence and wrote 2 words:  Grow Sales.  That is it!  He looked at me with a blank stare and then said, “Yeah.  That’s it, but you said it in much less.”

Here’s what I want you to take away:

Don’t over complicate what you are doing:  If you’re not in sales to make money, then get out!  The simpler you keep your message to yourself the easier everything else becomes.  Your mind is like a compass.  If your due north is off, not accurate, or fuzzy, you might go in the right direction, you might not.  But, when your due north is SPOT on it provides ultimate clarity.  You are not in sales to be the most popular, nicest person at your office.  You are not in sales to make friends with your customers.  You are in sales so you can make as much money as you can so you can spend your time how you want!  Period.

Here’s what the 2 words will do for you:

Set Sales Priorities:  You ever open up your email in the morning and feel overwhelmed by all of the “stuff” your company is throwing at you?  Add to that your presentation, pricing proposals, cold calls, and customer calls and you have a priority issue.  What do you do?  I’ll tell you what most people do….they end up doing what they FEEL is most important, NOT what IS most important.  Why?  Because they don’t have a clear check point on what they are trying to accomplish. 

Gives You A Constant Checks & Balance:  What would happen to your activity and effectiveness, if, during every time you were not working on a sales revenue generating activity (SRGA), you asked yourself, “Is this helping me GROW SALES?”  I bet you would get some serious reality checks….and often.  With all the activity and busyness around us, it’s very easy to lose sight of what we are doing…..scramble time = wasted time.  But, reminding yourself of those 2 words always keeps you focused on your current activity, and will prompt you to ask, “Is this helping me make more money?”

It Focuses Your Whole World:  When you identify what you are trying to accomplish in such a simple way, it is like your camera finally gets the focus on the shot you want.  EVERYTHING else lines up.  Your goals become easier to identify, your time becomes easier to manage, your priorities are easier to prioritize, and you will put yourself at choice, in understanding if you are maximizing your time.
 
As sales people you hear it all the time.  You have to manage your time, be focused, work on the right things etc.  Well, it doesn’t start or change by focusing on those specific things.  If you just focus on say being better with your time, but you still haven’t given yourself the clarity, you might as well go skip stones in the lake.   In order to make them better you must focus on what is driving them!  THE driver behind your priorities, goals, and time is how clear your understanding is of what you are there to do. 

To understand more about time management and increasing sales, click here.