How to Reduce Sales Cycle 25%...

How familiar is this sales scenario?  After numerous attempts you’ve finally scheduled an appointment with a new prospective customer.  You arrive and after the small talk you’re asked to tell them what you do for them.  Which you eagerly commence your spiel, they look attentive and after 15 minutes they interrupt, indicating they have another meeting to attend.  "Please leave your product brochures," they say and "I’ll get back to you."  

So where do you stand?  Your initial good feeling vanished and left uncertain about follow-up.   Basically, you could have sent a brochure to accomplish the same outcome.  If you’ve experienced this scenario too many times here’s a way to change that.

The salesmans primary objective is to have a prospective customer commit to the next step in the sales process.  Yes, you have objectives to qualify the customer.  But what’s the commitment objective from the customer?  You want them to have that eager want and commitment to have a needs analysis, participation of decision makers and receptivity of a proposal.  Thus your sales process needs specific customer commitments made all along the way.  The benefit is sales productivity.  

Here’s how to focus your sales process by having specific commitments from the customer:

If you're seeking to reduce your sales cycle significantly then let's have the discussion that will make you more productive.  This is one of the things ActionCOACH's do...improve sales and productivity.  

Call me, I'll help you.  Ph:  972 709 6776 or eM:  StephenMarino@ActionCOACH.com

The 4 Business Principles as Powerful and Certain as Gravity...

The business-of-business has 4 timeless principles as powerful and certain as gravity.  Master them and you'll find successful, Ignore them and you'll perish.  It's that straightforward.  They work regardless of industry, size, intentions, geography, culture, economy, hard work, friendships, beliefs or intelligence.

1.   Money - what are the cash flow characteristics of the business, what is the cash gap between expenses and revenues and when and how do you break-even and make a profit?  

2.  Productivity - how effective and efficient are your systems and team delivering your products and services?  

3.  Delivery - how consistent is the business delivering your products and services on time, to spec and on budget after a sale is made? 

4.  Purpose - does the direction of the business and who it serves fulfill the vision, mission and values of the owner?

The good news is just like gravity we know how to master them.  If you are seeking faster ways to master these principles, then let's talk.

Call me at ph:  972 709 6776 or em:  StephenMarino@ActionCOACH.com

Let's get started giving you back control of your business, so you can earn more and work less... 

How to Measure Whether You are Busy vs. Productive...

There's not a business owner, operations manager, marketing or sales manager that doesn't tell me they are busy.  But the business-of-business is not busy-ness, it's productivity.  A better question is how productive are you?  And if the answer given is vague and not specific meaningful and valuable then how are you going to improve?

Here's a table of specific activities that count as productive depending upon your role.  How do you measure up?

Role		Productive Activities
Business Owner	Generating Revenue	Reducing Expenses	Improving the Team
Operations Manager	Producing and delivering products and services on time, to specification and on budget every time	Reducing Expenses	Seeking ways to systematize the routine and humanizing the exception
Marketing & Sales Managers	New customers:   Attracting, presenting and following up...	Existing Customers:  Increasing average dollar sale and number of transactions.  Increasing lifetime value of customer	Reduce the acquisition cost of a customer
Administration, Finance & Logistics	Delivering all back-office actions within budget, specifications and on-time every time	Systematizing the routine and humanizing the exception	Reducing overhead expense
Everyone	Create a customer experience such that they become Raving Fans

If you and your team are having questions about busy vs productive, then let's have a conversation.  This is one of the things ActionCOACH Business Coach's do  - improve productivity.  Call me at ph:  972 709 6776 em:  StephenMarino@ActionCOACH.com 

When was the last time you did something for the first time...?

When was the last time you did something for the first time?  As the business owner you set the rules yet your actions remain constant despite changes in technology, globalization, client expectations, competition and regulation.  You're tolerably comfortable and know radical change is required.  Isn't it time to begin to boldly do things which you may previously never have thought of doing, or been too hesitant to attempt?  What's the evidence telling you with fewer customers, fewer transactions, lower average dollar sale and lower margins?  

So what holds you back?  Business history tells us that what got you here won't get you to your vision.  A new initiative away from relative security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, is in reality more dangerous to the independent and adventurous spirit within an owner than a perceived secure future. The very basic core of a owner's living spirit is their passion for delighting customers.  Hence there is no greater delight than to have an endlessly changing delivery of your products and services to enrich the customer.  

If you're contemplating doing something for the first time and want to brainstorm the implications and overcome the resistance, let's have a conversation.  Because that's what ActionCOACH - Business Coaches do - lead owners to higher performance.  Call me at ph:  972 709 6776.