Right Activity
Most sales people hate this, while Sales Professional embrace it: Right Activity leads to the right results. So, how do you know what is the Right Activity?
It starts with who you want in your pipeline. That’s right, who YOU want. If you are pursuing just anyone, then you end up with a pipeline of prospects, but most of them are never going to be a good fit.
If you are confidently pursuing the Right Targets (see the Right Targets post if you missed it), you will close a larger percent and they will be better clients. That takes a lot of the unknown out of your sales effort.
With over 27 years experience as a salesperson, sales manager, and sales development consultant, most sales professionals have no idea what combination of activities they need to do to be successful. And a lot of the problem comes from the sales management.
Here is a test: which would you rather hear as a new sales professional?
Version 1:
“You need to be non-stop, relentless. Call as many people as you can. Also email them. Send them a tweet . Write a handwritten personal note and send it via Fedex. Send them something bulky to get their attention. Offer them coffee, lunch, golf clubs or a mobile device to meet with you. Do whatever it takes!” Or my personal favorite when working for a PEO based out of Florida:, “You just gotta get ‘er done.” Words of inspiration!
Version 2:
“We expect you to focus on these three related industries: Medical Device, Biotech and Healthcare. You will begin calling on the VP of Marketing, VP of Sales and as necessary the CEO, depending upon the size of the business. We would like you to use a variety of methods to proactively reach out to your prospects. We will work with you to develop the right cadence and variety of tools to connect with them. These will include phone, email, social media, events and in-person meetings. We will create realistic metrics on a weekly, monthly and quarterly basis so you can measure your success and see how you are progressing. Leadership will then collaborate with you to identify where changes need to be made and help shore up gaps in your skills in order to provide you with the best opportunity to succeed. Communication with your manager will be very frequent to begin with, then taper off as you become more comfortable and successful in your position.”
Busywork vs. Right Activity
While the version 1 is what most new sales professionals hear, version 2 is a company that wants to focus sales efforts on the Right Activity. Can you see the difference? In upcoming posts we will talk more about the right types of activity and how to create success individually and for a team.
If you are ready for Right Growth and focusing on the Right Activity for your sales professionals, let us know. Just give us a call at (858) 863-9913 or send an email to info@corleagroup.com.
