Not so long ago, this was my daily routine: I would show up for work, not sure what I was going to do that day (other than “make calls”). I’d grab a coffee and spend an hour brainstorming my huge, all-over-the-map to-do list. I would get a few items accomplished, take a break, get distracted, return an email—basically do anything except tackle my list. After lunch, I would stare at my list (because I ate too much and really just wanted to take a nap), answer some emails, take a phone call or two, and then slide what was left of my list onto the next day’s list.
Looking back, that approach was not very productive, and certainly not efficient; yet I was still surprised when I did not achieve the results I was seeking. I just never really knew what I should be doing at any given time. I had no real plan for success.
So, what changed? A friend once told me that to grow your business you need to be able to identify what you want, measure it and track it. When he told me, I thought “Man, that is fantastic” … then I ignored his advice. Fast forward a few years, and tired of trudging aimlessly through my day with little success to show for it, I embraced his approach and now apply his Identify, Track, Measure and Grow approach to everything I do.
Working the process
Identify your goals (the second most important thing you will ever do). I use a dollar figure for gross sales that I want to reach for the upcoming season. If I know what the average dollar figure of our sites are, then I can figure out roughly how many sites I need to sell. This helps in the next step.
Identify the behaviors you think it will take to achieve your goals. Knowing how many sites I need to sell and having a rough closing ratio, I know how many people I need to talk to. I can then identify what behaviors (cold calls, asking for referrals, networking events) I need to do to get in front of those people.
Budget time on your schedule for these behaviors. It is so important to set time aside for each behavior you have identified to help you achieve your results. Put them on your calendar and make sure you do them.
Track each behavior and its outcome. I use Excel spreadsheets to track nearly everything I do on a daily, weekly and yearly basis. Without tracking, you cannot measure your results.
Measure your results against your goals. Being able to measure your progress toward meeting your goals will help define what you need to be concentrating on and whether certain areas are lacking. For example, I need to know how many appointments are coming from each behavior to know what is working and what needs to be tweaked.
Modify your behaviors to what works best to increase your efficiency. Different personality types are going to be better at different types of prospecting. If you find that you are achieving a better result from cold calling than from attending networking events, you may want to slide some of your time away from networking and spend more time cold calling. Just make sure you do not get rid of the behavior completely.
Hold yourself accountable for all of it. It is the most important thing you will ever do and also the hardest. During a sales training class, someone remarked on his willingness to accept results, even if they aren’t the results he was looking for. I, too, have found that I sometimes accept results even when they do not live up to my expectations. So I asked one of the owners of the company to check in with me on Fridays to make sure I’ve met my weekly goals and to hold me accountable if I don’t. It’s important to reward yourself when you achieve your goals. This has helped me dig in and strive to achieve the goals that will not only benefit me, but will also increase the success and profitability of my company.
Michael R. Nelson is director of new business development for North Country Snow & Ice Management in Glens Falls, NY.
