#73: Preparing for the rest of 2019

Review your product and service portfolio – look at the sales analysis for the last six months – which of your products and services are selling really well which not so well – focus on those likely to bestsellers in the run-up to the end of the year

Review your customers – should you drop some? – have you got customers who are high maintenance low revenue – use the customer maintenance grid below

Have a look at your sales activity – is it efficient? Is it productive? Who is involved? Are they the right people?– 

One of the great skills in sales these days is asking really good questions to what questions do you ask? Write down the three key questions that you need to ask a potential new customer, the three questions they are most likely to ask you and the three concerns they going to have.  Use the grid below

Are there any barriers that prevent customers buying from you in other words how easy is it by your products or services? Maybe do your own mystery shopping

Sales team development what are you planning the rest of the year in terms of developing your sales team that could be a combination of training coaching mentoring but it is important that you continually develop your sales team and indeed your sales managers

Robustly challenge your marketing activity that you have planned for the rest of the year asking one simple question is it going to drive sales opportunities your way?

Do potential customers understand your offering? In a sense part of your marketing review but if customers don’t easily understand particularly from your website and your social media activity what it is you offer and why they should be thinking about buying from you then that’s gonna be something that will stop you growing sales

The small things – email signatures, answerphone messages

Plan to go and do some networking either at business breakfasts, conference, or business events – simply getting out of your own working environment and being surrounded by like-minded people will inspire and stimulate ideas – people often think networking is all about picking up new customers I think it’s more about gaining ideas and advice and help through simple conversations