High Value Activity for Sales People

Focus everyday on specific AM – PM questions.

–  Ask the Everyday AM Question, “What am I doing today to close my optimistic sales number?”

–  Ask the Everyday PM Question, “What did I do today to close my optimistic sales number?”

Call what you plan to do an “activity” and plan for a good one. Call them high value activities or HVA. Every morning, decide on and write down three high value activities or business development steps. Be specific with your answers, not generic or you’ll make the list too long. Being specific, the activity or step must be connected to the creation of a marketing tool or the execution of a marketing strategy for your primary profit center. You can change the primary profit center periodically according to your goals.

Every morning, open your number-tracking tool. Then ask yourself the AM Question. “What am I doing today to close my optimistic sales number?” Write down your HVA in terms of a time period or quantity.  “I will ……. in 30 minutes.”   “I will make 3 business development telephone calls (storm-starter calls) to …….” “I will write about …….”

Example:

“If you plan for 90 minutes and you get interrupted, you don’t get to count the goal accomplished.”

“If you finish before 90 minutes, say in 60 minutes, you don’t get to count the goal accomplished.”

Celebrate if you finish in 75 minutes, but keep working on the activity to count it accomplished. It’s OK to give credit for leaving a message on a call.  Don’t attach feelings or results with the activity.  If necessary, reduce the goal.

Think not in terms of a “to do” list, but a “will do” list. Think in terms of “repeater” tasks and “ender” tasks. “Repeaters” have to be done repeatedly, again and again. “Enders” only has to be done once. Once done, that’s the end of it. Be on the lookout for the “daily chuckle.”

Before the day ends, open your tracking tool.  Then ask yourself the PM question. “What did I do today to close my optimistic sales number?  This is the moment of truth and integrity check.”  “Did I really do what I said I was going to do?”

Example:

“If you can answer “Yes, Yes, Yes,” terrific!

“If you answer, Yes, Yes, No,” terrific.

“If you answer, Yes, No, No,” terrific.

“If you answer, No, No, No.” terrific.

You were at least honest with yourself.  The difference is between a reason and an excuse. Reward the result, not the activity. But if you get “No,” continuously, examine what you are afraid of.

Answer the question before you go to bed as a buffer. Get into the habit of wrapping up the day and reset your internal clock overnight, with no carry over. Then next morning, ask the AM question. If you did anything else in addition to your goal, record the extras but don’t give yourself more credit.

Log in your results in your number tool. Celebrate results.  Again, success is not determined by your results, but by your momentum. Your momentum is determined by how you feel, and how you feel is determined by your consistent daily application of the best within you. That is mastery!

The proof is in the practice. We must have commitment, clarity, congruency, and consistency. Consistency triumphs commitment.  (Take a deep breath and blow it out slowly.)