Q. How Come My Salespeople Don't Do More Prospecting?
A. I'll turn this question back to you. Why should they? If sales are on target, your salespeople are comfortable, and no one expects more from them, why should they follow any leads?
It's a matter of setting expectations and tracking results. Too often, sales managers neglect a major area of sales management by setting dollar goals but not activity goals. Activity goals require salespeople to track calls made, new accounts opened, clients visited, and so on. If sales start to slip, the numbers will show that your staff hasn't been getting in front of people.
Imagine that on the night before Christmas, you're assembling a bicycle for your child - only to discover there's no instruction sheet. Likewise, when salespeople are given the goal "put the bike together" but not told how to do that with calls and visits, you're depending on dumb luck to reach your sales numbers. Some salespeople are natural at figuring out these things, but not all. Bottom line: nobody told them they should.
Put On Your Coaching Cap
"Monitor progress through coaching"
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Those All-Important First 90 days
"Who are you again, and why are you here?"
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Make Them An Offer They
Can't Refuse
Once you've found a great candidate for that sales position, think like Don Corleone.
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“A lot of consultants offer mostly fluff, with some useful information mixed in. Mark cuts right to the the chase. You're not paying for unusable time spent.”
Mike Mackley, Director of Sales, Tilsner Carton Co.