Sales = AIR

Today we jump right into the base or first level of the BHN – Business Hierarchy of Needs.  As with the Maslow hierarchy, there are certain almost inevitable laws which govern states of existence. As human creatures there are some extremely basic things, we need in order to live.  One of them is the air we breathe.  In business there are also extremely basic things a business needs to exist. Sales are the air a business breathes.  Like us humans when the air and oxygen stop then we stop existing. The same is true for a business when sales stop.

In 2020, depending on which business or industry you are in you experience either a lessening of air or sales or you had a strange abundance of sales.  For example, in the hospitality industry events, expos, conferences went away and thus sales dried up.  Those organizations who were in the supply chain for PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) if they could figure out a way to gain access to it were working extra hours and the revenue in that sector of their business expanded exponentially.

The outcome in 2020 influenced revenues more dramatically than typical years. Larger swings in one direction or another.  The economy swung in many directions and various level of uncertainty caused many businesses to defer on purchases or other investment type decisions.  As the available air (sales) became less, the number of people consuming the air (expense) had to be reduced and thus many employees were furloughed, terminated etc.  Various support programs from unemployment, stimulus checks, Payroll Protection etc. were supplemental oxygen to businesses.

As we start into 2021, it is now time to move forward. If when you completed the “Fix This Next” discovery questionnaire https://jklassociates.fixthisnext.com/ your primary focus point was sales, then this is directly where you need to focus and fix this next. You cannot be bothered with other things like profit or operations etc.  If you do not have sales, you do not have a business.  We might desire other aspects of the hierarchy such as the ability to provide an impact on our community like more jobs etc. If the sales do not provide the basic air for the business, then you are just a great wisher and not leading the business.

I would like to provide you a foolproof way of generating sales in each of your businesses. Fixing your sales needs is not a cookie cutter thing.  Each of your businesses provide various products or services to various consumers or other businesses and industries.  Each of these have unique demands and sales cycles.  I can ask a few questions for you to narrow in and pinpoint some things you need to get your focus on sales. 1) who is your target market?  Get real detail on who is best suited to be your client/customer.  Do not settle for anything because in the longer run it will cost you to either support them or get out of the relationship. 2) Once you know your target, focus your campaigns there.  Be laser focused on who you are going after.  3) As part of our sales efforts, you MUST track what is working and why.  If you do not have a sales management system of some sort you are again guessing.  If you invest into social media to stimulate interest, then have a plan of expectations so you can evaluate your investment to return on your expectations.  It is not just about getting connections or friends.  It is about converting contact points into relationships which generate sales. 4) Once you have established a conversion from prospect to client then make sure both parties are living up to the mutual commitments of the relationship.  You are delivering on your “Promise” of goods and/or services and they provide timely payment for the goods and services. 5) Honoring commitments is part of the relationship. People do business with other people in person, via telephone or even the internet.  Somewhere in the chain of events people touch the relationship.  During each of these points of contact everyone needs to honor the commitments made whether explicit or implicit.

This week if your Fix This Next focal point is sales then you need to start getting onto executing strategies and plans to put more air in your sails.  Without air your boat does not move forward.  You idle and drift along without direction or purpose.

Need some energy behind your sales deployment efforts? Give JKL Associates a call at (313) 527-7945 in Michigan or (407) 984-7246 in Florida or go onto our calendar below and schedule an initial meeting which works best on your busy schedule. JKL Associates looks forward to continuing to build relationships rooted in “Purpose.”

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS – EMAIL US AT PARTNERS@JKLASSOCIATES.COM OR CALL OUR OFFICES – MI AT (313) 527-7945 FL AT (407) 984-7246
Celebrating 30 years of Delivering on “Promises”
OUR PURPOSE – TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS ROOTED IN “PURPOSE” SO AUTHENTIC CONTRIBUTIONS DELIVER “PROMISES”
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