It is that time of year again. The time where many people reflect upon the 350 plus days prior and they consider what they will "try" to do differently in the next.
This is the time of year when a Client asks, "Chris... What strategy should I/we undertake in the New Year."
My response is always the same... "The same strategy you must be using every day if you are committed to succeeding."
For those who are committed to increasing sales on a consistent basis - they do all four of the following - every day - year round.
- Hire the best salespeople possible.
- Make Personal Accountability a cornerstone of their values and culture.
- Implement a Customer Relationship Management system (CRM) such as Salesforce.
- Stop charitable donations at work.
Sounds so simple, doesn't it? The problem is most people are interested in improving sales but not committed.Interested people do what is convenient. Committed people do whatever it takes.
Which are you? Interested or committed?
Hire the best salespeople possible.
If you want to know how serious a manager or CEO of a company is, ask them them what their average Job Fit is of their salespeople. Our Clients call it the "Rainmaker Score".
Most companies have zero understanding of how well their salespeople fit the job nor how to coach them effectively. Smart companies that want to own their future and own the competition are serious about understanding sales talent and hiring the best-of-the-best salespeople possible.
It is a talent war, folks. If you are not using a multi-science sales personality test you are not hiring the best salespeople possible. That would make you a dinosaur.
Do not be a dinosaur.
Besides... How do you know how to effectively coach a salesperson if you do not know their Behaviors and Values? You can't.
Your talent must be your competitive edge in 2014.
Make Personal Accountability a cornerstone of their values and Culture.
There is a serious lack of personal accountability in the workplace today. Oh so much blame going on... Employees are blaming management... Management is blaming employees...
Hey management. It is YOUR FAULT!
Hey employees... It is YOUR FAULT!
OWN IT. Both of you. Power comes from owning the problem and owning the solution. The best sales teams and companies have EVERYONE owning the problem - regardless of where it came from. Get Personal Accountability today.
Personal Accountability must be your competitive edge in 2014.
Implement a Customer Relationship Management system (CRM) like your life depended upon it.
Look. You need a strong CRM like Salesforce - and no, I do not own the stock. I wish that I did. We have been using Salesforce for almost 13 years. Salesforce is a game changer.
Napkins, notebooks, sheets of paper, spreadsheets, and Outlook are not a CRM. You cannot do a search of your notebook from a keypad. It does not work. Sales managers cannot coach effectively if they do not know what their salespeople are working on.
A CRM creates intelligence. A CRM creates accountability.
And while I am mentioning CRM implementation - please allow me to address CRM use. EVERYONE must use the CRM - salespeople and sales management. There can be no golden children here - regardless of past heroics.
Stop charitable giving at work.
Is your business a charity disguised as a business?
As a business owner, I get calls at work. "Chris, will you donate to The Human Fund?"
My response is always, "I am sorry, George, but we do not make charitable donations through the business."
All donations are made personally - never through the company.
Why is that? Simply because my Clients and employee team members count on me to be "for profit" when I am at work. My businesses are in the business of making a profit.
However, my wife and I are not-for-profit at home. We do donate.
Unless you and/or your employees want to be confused about your profit status, you must follow the same practice.
How do you know if you are a nonprofit? If you are a 501c3, you are nonprofit. If you are an S-Corp, C Corp, LLC, or LLP, you must be "for profit".
Right now you are saying, "Of course I am "for profit..."
And my response is if you are thinking at all like a nonprofit, then your employees and Customers will "smell" it and behave accordingly. And that scares the hell out of your employees.
If you allow low performers to keep getting paid and have access to the best accounts who got lucky a few years back and sold a big deal but today sell nothing, you are a nonprofit. You are telling all of your employees that you will keep people who suck on the bus.
If you hire salespeople without knowing their job fit and you "take a chance" on people - you are nonprofit. You need to hire salespeople that PUSH you and your sales team to greater heights.
Never, ever mingle a "for profit" business and nonprofit mindset. Oil and water. Doing so confuses you, your employees, and your Customers.
There you have it. The "secret sauce" to rockin' it in 2014. Make it your best year ever.
Now get to work.
