| What do you do if you don't like the results a | | | | end of the day or week, they should total up the |
| salesperson is producing? What do you do when a | | | | tick marks. The data produced by this simple |
| salesperson shows some flashes of ability, but his | | | | discipline can be a great aid in troubleshooting |
| or her performance is not consistent? How do | | | | performance issues. |
| you determine what the problem(s) might be? For | | | | Are you thinking, "I won't be able to get my |
| that matter, how do you determine whether a | | | | salespeople to fill out an activity tracking form"? |
| brand new salesperson is performing enough of | | | | If your sales compensation plan is 100% |
| the right activities to meet his or her 30, 60, and | | | | commission, you are probably right. However, if |
| 90 day performance goals? | | | | your sales compensation plan includes any type of |
| If you don't have results to measure, or if you | | | | income floor (salary, draw, guarantee, etc.), you |
| are trying to trouble-shoot why a salesperson is | | | | have every right to hold your salespeople |
| not producing enough results, you need to inspect | | | | accountable for completing a tracking form. After |
| the salesperson's activities. Activity inspection | | | | all, how much time does it take to make a tick |
| provides an "early warning system" for many | | | | mark in a box? If a salesperson makes 50 or 100 |
| performance problems. Plus, when activity is | | | | tick marks in a day (this would be someone who |
| inspected regularly and consistently, it helps create | | | | does a lot of cold calling via telephone), how much |
| and reinforce your company's sales culture. | | | | time would be consumed by making tick marks? |
| What is sales activity inspection? | | | | Probably less than one minute! |
| Sales activity inspection is the process of | | | | The value to both management and salespeople |
| inspecting a salesperson's day-to-day activities to | | | | of the information collected using activity tracking |
| determine whether they are performing the | | | | forms far outweighs the "time cost" of |
| correct QUANTITY of activities, and whether | | | | completing the forms. |
| they are performing specific activities correctly | | | | How to inspect activity QUALITY |
| (activity QUALITY). | | | | To inspect whether salespeople are performing |
| How to inspect activity QUANTITY | | | | activities correctly, you either need to see them |
| To determine whether salespeople are investing | | | | in action, or you need to conduct post-activity |
| time in the correct activities, ask them how they | | | | inspections. To see your salespeople in action, you |
| are spending their time each day. Are they | | | | can: |
| performing all of the activities listed in their | | | | - Go on "buddy calls" with them. |
| Prospecting Plans? What proportion of their time | | | | - Listen in on the telephone when they are |
| are they investing in each activity? What quantity | | | | speaking with suspects, prospects or customers. |
| of each activity are they performing? | | | | - Sit in the audience when they are delivering |
| Many salespeople don't have an effective means | | | | speeches or presentations. |
| of tracking their daily activities in enough detail to | | | | - Go to networking events together. |
| provide accurate answers to these questions. One | | | | Post-activity inspection consists of asking detailed |
| way to solve this problem is by using an activity | | | | questions about completed activities. For example, |
| tracking form. To construct an activity tracking | | | | you can ask a salesperson to explain what they |
| form, begin by listing key daily activities in the | | | | did during a sales call, how they did it, and how |
| left-hand column of a worksheet. Then, put the | | | | the prospect or customer responded. Then you |
| days of the week across the top. | | | | can offer feedback and suggestions to help the |
| Be sure to break activities down into a sufficient | | | | salesperson improve his or her performance. |
| number of steps to make meaningful data | | | | Another form of post-activity inspection is sales |
| analysis possible. For example, if you want to | | | | opportunity pipeline reviews. To inspect the |
| determine why a salesperson's cold calls are not | | | | opportunities in a salesperson's pipeline, ask the |
| producing the desired number of appointments, | | | | salesperson the same questions you would ask if |
| include the following activities in the tracking form: | | | | you were in front of the prospect. If the |
| 1. The number of times the salesperson dials the | | | | salesperson has done a good job of qualifying the |
| phone | | | | opportunity, they should be able to provide |
| 2. The number of times they leave voice mail | | | | meaningful answers to your questions. If they do |
| messages | | | | not know the answers to some or all of your |
| 3. The number of times they speak with a | | | | questions, they have more work to do to |
| gatekeeper | | | | properly qualify the opportunity. This process will |
| 4. The number of times they speak with a | | | | provide you with valuable insights into how |
| decision maker | | | | effectively your salespeople are performing key |
| 5. The number of appointments they book | | | | sales-related activities. |
| Inspect each of these activities in sequence and | | | | Conclusion |
| look at the ratios between the numbers. If a | | | | If a salesperson is producing enough results, you |
| salesperson is only making two "dials" a day, the | | | | can monitor his or her performance by focusing |
| problem is pretty obvious. If the number of "dials" | | | | your inspection activities on those results. |
| is acceptable, but the salesperson is not getting | | | | However, if a salesperson is not producing enough |
| through to enough decision makers or booking | | | | results, you need to inspect the salesperson's |
| enough appointments, the cold calling script may | | | | activities. Activity inspection provides an "early |
| need improvement, or the salesperson may need | | | | warning system" for many performance |
| to practice to make his or her delivery sound | | | | problems. Plus, when you inspect your |
| more natural. | | | | salespeople's activities regularly and consistently, it |
| Each time a salesperson performs any of the | | | | will help create and reinforce your company's |
| activities listed on the tracking form, they should | | | | sales culture! |
| make a tick mark in the appropriate box. At the | | | | |