The 28 variables of Sales Growth:

1)     Sales Strategy

2)     Customer Gradation

3)     Account Planning

4)     Client Experience Defined

5)     Strategic Account Planning

6)     Lead Generation Program

7)     Sales Talent

8)     Sales Productivity

9)     Hiring

10)   Sales Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

11)   Sales Management

12)   Training

13)   Self-Directed

14)   Sales Structure

15)   Sales Process

16)   CRM

17)   Accountability

18)   Business Metrics

19)   Compensation Plan

20)   Communication Schedule

21)   Reporting

22)   Environment

23)   Culture

24)   Career Path

25)   Communication

26)   Morale

27)   Teaming

28)   Trust Quotient (TQ)

More later on what to do with them… but one question: are you YOUR best with them all yet?

Joe

3 things to think about before you say YES!

Inspired by the Beatles, the entreQuest tag line, “Revolutionize Your Sales™”, was a call to action and a gut check all wrapped into one. Pretty smart, right?

(Don’t believe me, listen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrkwgTBrW78 or read the lyrics: http://lyrics-a-plenty.com/r/revolution.lyrics.php)

To be or not to be revolutionary?

For companies considering growing their companies in 2010, that is the question. It’s one thing to go start the new decade with a new sales plan. But it would take a revolution of commitment and follow-through for most companies to keep momentum going after the first 100 days so what should you do?

1. Be Honest
Be honest about your company and your team. Is it a lifestyle business, or a growth business? There’s nothing wrong with either one, as you long as you understand what you want and can plan for it. And when judging your company and team… think of Simon Cowell not Paula Abdull – BE REAL HONEST! You know you are being honest if you have more than 1 difficult decision to make each day. This is living on the edge and pushing your company to GROW.

2. Be Willing
The second consideration for companies to keep in mind when choosing whether or not to be revolutionary is how willing you are to engage with your market, community and customers in the powerful, meaningful new ways available. The access to audiences that has become available through social media within the last 3 years is staggering. Online platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Linked-In, etc., can help you keep the relationship going like never before – and can even put you in position to win new business. Don’t be scared of the net… or that social media fad. If 300 million people are using it already… it’s not a fad, it’s THE new reality.

3. Be Consistent
The third choice Companies need to make about being revolutionary is to decide whether or not you can be consistent. Talk is cheap. There is a HUGE difference between doing it once and doing it all the time. In fact, one of our favorite quotes is: “Don’t take an action to create a result, take an action to create a habit and let your habit create your results.”

It’s not easy, but can be fun!

Be YOUR best,
Joe

Let’s be honest, how many times does someone who knows you fairly well still say, “I didn’t know you did that?”

For whatever its worth, entreQuest has been around for more than nine years and my PARENTS are still trying to figure out what I do every day.

So what does this mean?

Possible several things:
1.      People don’t like you. (sorry loser)
2.      They don’t want to know what you do. (probably a bigger loser than #1)
3.      You have told them and they forgot. (you weren’t memorable)
4.      You have told them but they weren’t listening. (you weren’t engaging)
5.      You have told them in a way that wasn’t COMPLETELY clear. (you mumble)

Here is the reality – it doesn’t matter whether it’s #1, #4 or all of the above, your job in sales, business development or as the owner of a  business is to educate and communicate to your community.  The only to know you have done this successfully is if your business is growing via word-of-mouth or reputation based lead generation.

Ask any teacher, education and communication is not an event but a process.

So the question is, how are you educating your community on an on-going basis and not a one-time event?

At entreQuest, we look for a few things:
1.      How can you help them first? (try listening)
2.      How can you be more interested in them vs. the other way around? (try listening more)
3.      Use all forms of media and mediums: in-person, phone, email, social media, blogs, videos, SMS and anything else you can get our hands on. (keep listening but keep it interesting for them to read)

Past this, have patience with people that you have yet to do a GREAT job of educating.  Old studies would say it takes seven times to get your message across for people to buy.

All I know is whether its seven times or 70, communication is the response you get back.  So if people aren’t responding to you – re-read the above – 70 times!

Be YOUR best,

Joe