By Lenann McGookey Gardner
"We've had a great year. Gangbusters!" The client was happy—riding a wave of success despite an economy in which growth has slowed significantly. "We're making hay while the sun shines!" As a sales consultant, it did my heart good to hear of his success. This is a guy for whom I have worked many years now. Mark is global head of operations consulting for a Big 4 accounting firm, a hard worker, and very business development oriented. So when he contradicted advice I've been giving for some time now, I was listening hard:
"Remember how you suggested we make appointments with ourselves to do prospecting? Just to call back current clients, old clients and new prospects, and get started on the selling process? You said, 'Set aside a bare minimum of five hours a week—maybe in two separate sessions.' I can't do that!"
And I knew it was true. Too many distractions in his office … people stopping by, assistants coming in, phones ringing, just a busy, busy place. He'd make two, two-and-one-half-hour appointments with himself most weeks, but fail to keep them … instead doing things that helped him keep up with the momentum in his office.
That momentum was generated by current clients, and an administrative load that is, in itself, a full-time job—seemingly important uses of his time.
"The way we normally approach this is we put client meetings on our schedules, and then fit everything else around them. But if we're not prospecting, other stuff fills in all the available moments. Look, you're either the hunter or the hunted. The difference is in attitude. I've adopted the attitude that we're going to be successful. And to do that, I want everyone with 60 percent of their time in front of prospects or clients. And I've decided that, as the leader, every week I will set aside three days in which I deal only with prospects and clients, and nothing else. I mean, if I have no quality prospect meeting or client meeting scheduled, NO OTHER MEETINGS are allowed. I'll spend the day visiting current clients. That leaves two days a week for the office, doing administrative work or other internal stuff."
After some initial adjustments, Mark says he now feels more in control. "I feel better about my calendar not just being filled with busy work!"
Mark says this new approach "came out of rereading some of the stuff in your book ( Got Sales? The Complete Guide to Today's Proven Methods for Selling Services , Jarndyce & Jarndyce).
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