September is in the books and there are just 62 selling days remaining in 2012. How’s business? Accountability requires management commitment and measuring results is a major ingredient in planning. “If you measure it, you can manage it.”
Are you measuring your results and being accountable? Did January to September 2012 sales exceed January to September 2011 sales?
Did January to September actual sales exceed plan? If yes to both questions, congratulations and maintain the momentum. If you answered no, it’s time to have another planning meeting; there’s still time to exceed your 2012 goals.
If sales are below last year, what changed?
- Did you have a blockbuster promotion event?
- Was there a sales contest?
- Did you change the way you answer the phone?
- Was there a consumer sweepstakes?
- Did you lose a customer?
- Did you cut back on advertising or social media activity?
- Did some sales reps jump ship?
What are you doing that is different than last year? Don’t sit back and say things will be fine, because they won’t. If the first nine months stunk, Q4 will be the same if you don’t make any corrections to your sales plan. If you don’t change the way you do things, how can October through December be any better?
It’s up to you (management, owner, CEO, founder) to figure out what is different, why sales are not meeting expectations, and put together some action steps that will quickly reverse the trend.
Action steps should include developing two or three goals for all key customers during Q4. At the end of the year, there should be lots of successes ensuring you start 2013 with some great momentum.
Here’s where the management commitment comes in; if you want to increase sales then you need to be accountable. Making up the difference to last year’s numbers is a lot easier now that with just a couple weeks left in December. But only if you are measuring your results. “If you measure it, you can manage it.”
Is your team accountable for missing plan? Are you?
For a cool tool to measure your weekly sales activities, click here.
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