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Most of us would not travel to a new place without a map (or GPS). So, why do so many of us do precisely that with our sales strategies.

As the old saying goes, “If you don’t know where you are going, any path will get you there.” I see way too many of these haphazard wanderings with sales people that could be so much more, with a road map.

Here is a simple framework–road map.

Selling is Goals

Selling needs goals. Make them simple and specific.

• Number of calls I am going to make in the next week, day, or 30 minutes
• Number of contacts before I go home
• Number of appointments set for next week
• How much time I am devoting to prospecting
• Number of new leads I need to generate or buy this week

These simple goals make it easy to measure the most fundamental steps in closing a deal. The simplicity of them also make it instantly apparent if you are on the right track or straying on unproductive paths.

Selling is Diligence

Another good thing about simple measurements is that it helps to keep you focused. Most selling is about diligently doing the unglamorous–making list, dialing the phone, making appointments. The sales call, the moment you are actually in a conversation about your product or service, is very brief. It is a very small percentage of your time. Get used to it.

Make sure you are willing to put in the 90% of your time to produce the 10% of your time directly engaged in selling.

Selling is Focus

Focus is critical to success in selling. You need to keep your message simple and your goals clear. Time spent outside of those goals often cause you to miss opportunities or lose sales.

Goals and focus are fundamentally intertwined. Put them front and center in your daily routine–taped to the bathroom mirror, in your planner, on your computer monitor, on your phone.

Closing is Follow Through

Of course, all of these selling characteristics are for not, if you don’t follow-through. You can get lots of leads, you can even make lots of calls and contacts, but if you don’t follow-through with the customer–give them great service and met expectations, you will fall short.

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• Sales Benchmarking: What to Measure in a Tough Economy? (thecustomercollective.com)
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• Activity vs. Accomplishment (thecustomercollective.com)
• Don’t Stress It! (hectorcadena.com)
• Sales Planning and Sales Organization (hectorcadena.com)

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