Aug 092011
 

Prospecting: Determine the Right Amount of Activity for You

Prospecting: Tuesday, August 2, 2011,  Jeff “The Sales Coach” Goldberg

I often show salespeople and their managers how to determine the “right” amount of daily prospecting activity. For most, it’s a real eye-opener! The average sales rep does as much prospecting as they have time for or as much as their manager told them they should do. Both of those are good ideas IF they get you to your goal. For most of us, they don’t. That’s what the average rep does and that’s one of the many things that make them average. Want to be above average and earn an above-average income? (Or, at least, know what it will take to do that?) Then it makes sense to figure out the amount of activity you personally need to do each day, based on your own metrics, so that you can actually achieve and exceed your goal, rather than hope that you make it. Hope, as has been so aptly said in the past, is not a great strategy.
In order to determine the correct amount of activity the first thing you’ll need to do is to track your numbers over time. I recommend a minimum of 30 days, and it will probably be 60 days before you can get metrics you can rely on but it’s well worth the minimal investment in time and effort it will take to track your activity.
You’ll need to know the:
1) Number of distinct Dials you make (Calling the same person 15 times does not count as 15 dials)
2) Number of DMCs you make (Decision Maker Contacts – each time you speak with a decision-maker. Leaving a message and speaking with an assistant do not count as a DMC)
3) Number of Appointments you set
4) Number of Sales Visits you go on (This can be different from the # of appointments you set – sometimes people aren’t there for the appt. or can’t see you when you get there)
5) Number of Sales you close
6) Average Dollar volume per sale (Total $ volume of all sales divided by total # of sales)

You can only discover the above numbers for yourself by tracking them over time but you can easily set up a manual system that allows you to keep track on a daily basis. At the end of each prospecting period simply transfer your metrics to an Excel spreadsheet. By putting in a formula at the bottom of each column you’ll have a running total for each of the above (Dials, DMCs, Appointments, Sales Visits, Sales) and over time your real metrics or ratios will become evident.

Once you’ve got your baseline numbers it’s fairly easy to figure out the “right” amount of activity for you.

Here’s an example:

prospecting
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To Discuss how these Solutions will add value for you, your organization and/or your clients, Affinity/Resale Opportunities, and/or Collaborative Efforts, Please Contact:

Tom McDonald, tsm@centurytel.net; 608-788-5144; Skype: tsmw5752

prospecting, McDonald Sales and Marketing, LLC