When I was in junior high school, it was obvious to me and to my parents that I was not doing well in math.  As a result, every Saturday morning was spent at the house of Mr. Sampson, the head of the high school math department, who served as my tutor taking me from basic addition to more complicated algebraic formulas resulting in a slow rewiring of my brain.  Math Saturdays took place all year including when the family returned from the beach in August, and I still remember walking back and forth to Mr. Sampson's house in the sweltering heat of the summer.  To a large degree, the rewiring process worked...although not so well according to my CFO friends.  

So, it's interesting for me this summer (now living on the same family beach btw) to think back to those times as I begin the task of updating my Marketing course and my Science of Sales course to understand the critical necessities of math, formulas, sequencing, forecasting and predictive AI in the daily life of sales management.   

As a sales manager using my CRM (as you know, we love Hubspot!) as my interpretive guide, I need to be able to instantly visualize and understand the details of my sales process, what steps are being followed by each of my team, what tools are being used and not used, and the predictive forecasting that results. 

With "one single source of truth" all based on the foundation of the math behind the process and the embedded tools we agreed to, I have a much more constructive method of working with my team and them working with their prospects and customers than ever before.   

Without process, without the math, without the underlying software, the sales process would largely be based just on "Relationship Selling", which, while certainly not a negative, is simply a basic "of course" building block in the overall process of what it takes to be a highly successful salesperson in the summa of '23.   

• Of course, the sale could be enhanced over coffee or dinner
• Of course, playing golf for hours could be a positive 
• Of course, going to the Red Sox game could be a positive
  
  

Sure, having solid relationships could be a benefit in any sales process...unless they are forced or contrived, as in the case of JoeyBagaDonuts, whose entire sales pitch is "I thought I would just stop-by". No one has the time or the patience for Joey anymore, and he belongs on the scrap heap right alongside his spam emails and broadcast telemarketing tools.

So back to the Math in the summer of '23

People often ask me about the critical sales metrics I follow as best practices.  My simple answer is that I attach numbers to everything, and I believe in the math as a foundation: 

• every step in the sales process is measured by time
• every sales tool-templates, playbooks or checklists-is measure by usage 
• every use of our CRM is recorded, with interpretive suggestions being made.
• every use of a training video is recorded and graded

My more complicated and more personal answer to that question of "What are the sales metrics I use?" is "It depends on the sales model, the company size and the market success metrics."  so rather than me ramble on with models and metrics which may not answer your own question, and in keeping with the theme of Mr. Sampson as my math tutor, I would refer you first to a starting point of 101 in Hubspot's Sales Metrics.

If that doesn't work, just connect with me at any time, and we can talk through your more specific needs. 

Have a great afternoon selling today as we move deeper into the summa of '23!  I, for one, love the heat and don't really care about the rain/no rain thing.  As in my work in Sales, I tend to simplify and quantify, and all I know is that it's a lot warmer and therefore a lot more productive than February! 

2023 SALES PLANNING 

Halfway through the year, it's the perfect time to review where you've been and tighten up your sales plan from September through December. 

Check out our updated sales productivity site page.  Just page down to get our new edition of Writing the Winning Sales Plan for 2023.  Or you can just email me, and I will send you a free copy

Connect with me at any time for some quick ideas and feedback. There's never a cost for a call or two, plus I love listening and talking about Sales & Marketing.   

www.derbymanagement.com  
Derby Entrepreneurship Center@Tufts.