Warning; This week’s ENS on Sales may not be suitable for all audiences and may offend those who cannot be clearly objective about their sales efforts. This message is not intended to offend anyone, but to offer solutions based upon the successes I see everywhere. It is intended to reach those who will not accept excuses for failure.
As I visit stations across the continent, I’m becoming increasingly convinced that lack-luster sales performance is more a result of lack–luster sales efforts than a faltering economy.
In spite of what you might read or hear, local-direct sales are up over last year at many stations!!
But I see sales managers and sales people in less successful stations focusing on what used to be, rather than what could be; trying to win back accounts they had in the old economy instead of being innovative and uncovering the opportunities in the new economy.
I’ve seen countless cases of sales people who were literally winning by default with fat lists and luck in the boom economy, who now use the economy as a convenient excuse for their failures rather than pulling up their socks and selling.
I see sales people being measured and measuring themselves on histories rather than on futures. This month’s sales report only reflects historical efforts dating back 90 days ago or longer.
The successful teams are measuring current effort and activity over history.
This month’s activity reports will predict where your sales will be 90 days from now. It’s time to start measuring these activities rather than billings history;
1.) Innovation! What have you really done that is different in the new economy?
2.) Effort. Are you making more calls and working much longer hours than you did in ‘the good old days’ or are you insane; doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result?
3.) Planning. Hope is not a plan. Do you have a strategic selling plan to win more business from every prospect in the new economy, or are you hoping something will change and the phone will ring?
4.) Learning. Are you using your current situation to learn what works, and what doesn’t, in the new economy, and sharpening your skills and knowledge?
5.) Confidence. Do you believe you have the knowledge and the solutions to help your clients increase sales? Or do you walk into every meeting thinking you’re concealing your self-doubt?
6.) The Big Idea. Are you presenting big ideas to your clients who need what you sell, increased sales, more than ever? Is there a ‘wow’ in every presentation you make that makes your solution to help increase sales stand out from your competitors?
I started ENS Media Inc. more than a decade ago, because I thought a recession was just around the corner. I knew from four prior recessions how to win when times are tough and planned to build my business helping stations and advertisers win in a tough economy.
I misjudged how long it would take for a cyclical decline to arrive, but it’s now here, and I’m having fun!
Picking up orders was never as challenging or rewarding for me as helping stations and advertisers grow in the face of adversity.
Like Vince Lombardi said,“When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” I wish I could see more tough sales people and fewerexcuses during my market visits across the continent!
P.S. If you want to have fun and be successful in the new economy, start by implementing and monitoring the six activities I’ve outlined here. Like it says in my book, “Isn’t it funny, how the harder we work, the ‘luckier’ we get!”