Everyday should be awesome; it simply requires everyone doing a little bit, not any one doing a lot.
Here are five things a sales manager should expect. These are not the only things, but I am certain that if these five things are a high priority, consistency would be met. I, like you, love big sales days and I despise low sales days. What I really want is consistency — I want the norm. So if your goal is 200 sales a month, than you should expect 6.6 sales per day. Everyday all activities should be based upon those 6.6 sales a day.
1. Appointments — Every day you need to aim at hitting your appointment goal. If your goal is five new appointments per day then you need to have a mentality that your day is not done until those five appointments are done. Maybe you break your day into quarters and you know that you need 1.5 new appointments every two hours. Make a schedule, and hold yourself to it. Record all the ways you create appointments. Don’t turn in a work sheet ever, with less than your appointments that are required. List all the ways you meet people and set goals on each tool helping you to achieve your goal. E-mail, outreach, referrals from members, net leads, telephone inquiries, corporate activity, leagues, birthday parties, etc. Set a goal to make an appointment for each or some of these categories daily.
2. Attendances — Try never to miss work outside of vacations. Selling memberships is just like a dance. There is a rhythm, a certain way you approach every day. It’s formatted and it’s consistent. Every time you work a half day or miss a day or come in late, you have messed up your rhythm. Also, not only have you messed up your rhythm, you have messed up your team’s rhythm. Your teammates count on you to do your part. When you are not there, they have to pick up the slack. When everyone is at work every day, appointments are being hit, sales are higher, camaraderie is high, trust develops and great teams are formed. If you are struggling with consistency, attendance is one of your biggest killers.
3. Sales — Each person is responsible for their share of club numbers and expectations. Let’s say your manager expects 40 sales from you — that’s 1.8 sales a day based upon 22 working days. You need to make at least five appointments per day to meet that goal. Every day you should sell a membership — there is no way to work eight hours a day, do all the required things that help to build sales and not deliver a sale. It is your responsibility to your club to sell every day; it is also your responsibility to your family that you sell every day. As sales people we do affect each other’s income. There can be no weak links on the sales team. If you don’t do what is expected you could have an inverse affect on the team from hitting their goal, therefor bonuses could be in jeopardy.
4. Attitude — Every day you need to arrive with a great attitude. A total desire to succeed. A clear cut path to achieve all expectations. That comes with proper planning and really understanding your connection to the team and your individual numbers. You must show up with a smile — you should never bring outside challenges to work, you should not get caught up in inside gossip. You need to put in a full eight hours of work and lock in on the day. Sometimes it may require more than eight hours to get the job done; some days are full of unexpected distractions, so you need to spend a little more time to hit your goals. Professional sale people don’t have a time clock. They have a commitment clock — there is a huge difference. They are committed to getting the job done, not to working 40 hours.
5. Knowing the team’s expectations — Everyone working together, sharing a goal, making a daily contribution and doing it joyfully creates a wonderful work environment. Each person must know their numbers as well as know the team numbers. Each sales rep must take on the responsibility of team cheerleader when necessary. To be great consistently, you must all share the same passion. No one is exempt from wanting to be great every day.
Chuck Hall is the executive director at Big Vanilla Athletic Clubs.
