All kinds of resolutions surround our industry by patrons to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
What about your business? Your sales? Your performance?
What are you putting in place to get better results this year?
Let’s qualify first of all, what “BETTER RESULTS” means. It could mean a growth in numbers, the ultimate business measuring stick. It could be the same numbers with more efficient effort to reach them, so you can spend more time with your family. There are different interpretations to “BETTER RESULTS”.
At STAK Fitness, we have done both. Growth in numbers and efficiency.
Step 1 : have you taken the time to identify HOW you will improve this year.
One of the aspects of Business to Business sales that I fell in love with 17 years ago when I started was the ability to be in control of my schedule and the direct correlation between effort and results. Skill development and getting better have been a focus from day 1. Doing work that is proactive is what suited me best. Like sports, effort, persistence, perseverance, practice, commitment to doing what it takes (including setting aside ego) , and mental and physical training all are huge factors in achieving better and consistent results.
How we are positioned in the eyes of our customers, vendors, partners, colleagues has become the most important focus for my work.
Do you understand how this can be of benefit?
Let me give you an example.
Roger M was a sales rep for a company that sold franchises. He was pretty good and was paid on commission. His income was consistently $5000/month, $60k/year. He would sell the opportunity every chance he got. He would do all the typical activities associated with B2B sales. He realized one day, that perhaps if he created a little less supply, perhaps demand would go up. So he started to use a different approach. He created a questionnaire that acted as a qualifier for his opportunity. Long story short, within 2 years his sales and income tripled. Customers were lining up to work with him, all because of his positioning
His positioning became different. And it created a huge demand for his opportunity.
Instead of doing the typical PUSHING OF INFORMATION to whomever he could find, he positioned his services so they would PULL IN INTEREST from his prospects.
How is your positioning?
- Do you make yourself available to clients 24/7 or insist on appointments, even for phone calls?
- Do you spend time qualifying the opportunity or chase any opportunity that comes your way?
- Are you building a database aggressively and regularly communicate and connect with your clients/potential clients?
- Do you assess before you prescribe a solution , or prescribe a solution without assessment?
- Do you create or share information and content with your database that positions you ideally? Precor? And all STAK brands as the ones that can help them?
- Do you work on understanding and developing your knowledge base of the issues that are keeping your customers and prospects up at night?
I have worked extremely hard to position my services this way over the last 5-7 years and it has worked out well. I am going to share what that means to me, as an example.
- I am very careful with my time.
- I plan each day out meticulously.
- I stay up to date on all that relates to offering fitness in a modern age.
- I work hard to build my connections, and share information regularly.
- I assess constantly as a staple activity. Where are people at, what are issues. Never prescribe anything without assessment first. (and that is also how we develop solutions, based on finding the problems).
- Most of my activities are focused on creating more opportunities/leads for our team.
- I spend time regularly speaking to customers about issues other than immediate purchases.
- I network with other dealers in the industry to find out how they are doing.
- I take on speaking engagements wherever makes sense.
As a side note, I have a pretty exciting announcement coming in the next 4-6 weeks. I look forward to sharing with you.
I challenge you, in 2013 to decide what position are you going to play?
Are you going to chase everything that comes your way, or keep your focus on what will allow you to bring better results.
All the best for a prosperous 2013 and let’s be proactive in creating the success and lifestyle to which you aspire!
Greg