$349.51. That’s the amount of my March electric bill in Vermont-the house that I live in at most eight days a month. BTW, I pay $84 in NH, where I live 20 days a month.
But I also discovered when I was biting my lip paying bills last weekend that I didn’t need to worry since I also received along with my $349.51 statement from Central Vermont Power a flyer that they had just won some award for their solution to the country’s high energy costs-“Cow Power “. You guessed it, a manure-to-energy
Sometimes in our hectic, crazy, jam-packed world, we forget the end game. It happens in trying to find solutions to the energy problem. Vermont has one of the highest energy costs in the country, but just north in eastern Canada there are very low cost energy solutions. The reality is that it’s easier for the governor to give out some silly award for Cow Power than to work with Washington to figure out how to import cheap energy from Quebec Hydro Power.
Similarly in Sales. The end game needs to be consistency to achieving monthly quota while at the same time increasing customer satisfaction. Too often, we go off chasing the wrong prospects or paying too much attention to those customers with either poor margins or deteriorating businesses.
Why 3? At most, this is the maximum of new initiatives that you can deploy while still doing your day job of making quota. You probably should try just one or two.
Focus on Key Account Plans: (Click HERE)
Follow the 80/20 rule or better yet, the 90/10 rule for this quarter. Build a set of 30-60-90 day detailed tactical plans for those small number of 5-no more than 10-current customers that you can work with to build more business over the next 90 days.
F
It may be great, but, in reality, my guess is that your value proposition could use some fine tuning. I know ours can. This is the perfect time of year to provide clear language on what value you bring and not on what you do and what you sell.
With Q1 under your belt, do an objective assessment of all of the players on your team. To do a Jack Welch, cut-the-bottom-20%, is so yesterday. The questions you need to answer early this month are…
Good basic blocking & tackling tools that get all of us focused and not chasing dreams during what I always regard is the most critical quarter of the year.
Congratulations on Q1! You earned it. Now it's time to step on the accelerator.
Jack
Head Coach