2018 is rapidly becoming history. How have your first six months been? I hope they have exceeded your expectations. But if not, we still have six more months to rectify the problems.
In our type of sales, we have about a 90 day cycle. If you are having a good month this month, trace your activity 90 days ago. If you are having a bad month, trace your activity 90 days ago. You will see immediately why your current month is good or bad if you look at how you spent your billable hours 90 days ago.
It's not too late to get back on track. How does your workday match up to the following use of time?
Every day:
Allow one hour for administration (paperwork, writing orders, writing copy, answering emails and phone calls).
Allow 1/2 hour for follow up on current clients or new prospects.
Allow 1/2 hour for education: Always be sharpening your skills!
Allow 3 hours in client preparation (prospecting, customer needs analysis meetings).
Allow 3 hours in presentation (ask for money!)
The problem often is that these times are reversed: We spend so much time in administrative work that we are not in front of clients forming relationships, finding needs and asking for money. We spend 6 hours in paperwork and only 2 hours face-to-face with clients.
The top sales people I work with set aside some time, outside of Monday through Friday 8AM-5PM, to plan and strategize. This allows them to see more prospects and clients and to use normal work times more efficiently. How we use our "billable hours" determines our paychecks.
Prospects give you appointments and appointments give you sales. Are you putting enough people into your sales pipeline to achieve your budgets? You can figure your own numbers, based on your average order size and closing ratio. I suggest you figure your numbers once a quarter and adjust as needed. If you have a copy of my book, the formula is in Chapter Six.
2018 can still be a stellar year for you. Figure your numbers, adjust your activity and reap the rewards!
