The Salesby5 Blog

rockefeller habits checklist

We have 3 weeks until Q3 kicks off! Fast growing and profitable companies known as Gazelles use a checklist each quarter to make sure they are doing the right things with the right people. Checklists are simple and can make a dramatic impact quickly. In facilitating company off site quarterly meetings for many years, this checklist is not just the beginning to a very productive retreat for your company, but it also lays the groundwork to keep all the boxes checked year round. I have provided a snap shot and a link to a downloadable PDF for your company.

One tip to consider…  If you own or run the company, print this out and see how many you can check off, then see how many some of your employees can check it off. This will test your internal communications in seconds.

Are you willing to contribute one hour per week to the doubling your sales? Chet Holmes, has been recognized by Warren Buffett’s partner, Charlie Munger, as “America’s greatest sales and marketing executive.” He explains that there are 12 competencies to getting there, which include:

1. Skill Enhancement Through Training
2. Strategy Vs. Tactics
3. Get Customers
4. Effective Presenting
5. Master The Telephone
6. The 12 steps To Capture Your Best Buyers
7. Follow Up
8. Time Management
9. Goal Setting
10. Traits Of Overachievers
11. Hiring and Motivating
12. Understanding The Sales Process

The key in all of this is consistency – practicing these 12 competencies one hour per week is what has helped him drive sales for over 60 of the largest corporations.  If you’re interested in learning more about Chet, join us at the Gazelles Sales and Marketing Conference!

We are big fans of Verne Harnish and his daily huddles.  We do them everyday, because as Doug Harrison from The Scooter Store says, “If you want to win everyday, you have to do huddles everyday.”  At times, there are a number of us bouncing all over the country.  To help make our huddles a reality, regardless of time and place, we use Foonz.  Foonz is a free conference calling service that allows us to make this happen.  We are still able to complete our News, Priorities and Hurdles.  It works by one of us calling into the service, starting a conference, it sends out a text message to the rest of the team letting them know that it is time to call in.  Have you tried Foonz? Do you have a cool way of using it at your company or organization? Share with us in the comments.

If you want sales by 5pm every day, you need a pipeline full of prospects. The correct number for this is 15 warm ideas/leads/clients/prospects. If you have more, great, but make sure they are truly warm. What you do with your prospects is key! Are you finding clients for your prospects? Are you saving them money before they are a client?  The world is becoming more of a competitive place. The strongest sales companies will provide so much benefit to their clients and such great communication in all areas that their competitors will not be able to compete. Which will you be and who are you working with to make sure you hold the favored advantage?

“No one has ever achieved peak performance without a coach.”
- Verne Harnish, Author of Mastering The Rockefeller Habits and contributory editor for Fortune Small Business magazine

The top growth companies in the world are using the following check list to plan, organize and evaluate their quarterly goals as well as where they are on their way from good to great. Here it is for the last quarter of the year or if you are like many, planning the first quarter of 2009.

checklist photo by eoshea

How are things?

When were they best?

When was the company/organization most fun and most profitable?

When did you have the best people?

What were you doing different then than now?

How fast can you make changes to get there again?

Jack Daly rocked the house yesterday in Orlando at the Fortune Small Business Sales and Marketing Growth Summit. One of the great points was that it’s the culture that matters. As he stated, Microsoft has great benefits and great pay. They have a market share the is enviable. Guess what? People are leaving to Google. Why? It’s the culture! People want to be part of a winning team AND enjoy the adventure. Microsoft is holding tight to their products and services, Google is here to try and change the world (just how Microsoft USED to be). Google has captured their people’s hearts, hence the cult-like following.

We experienced a great culture to and from Orlando – Southwest Airlines. The chatter from the cabin went something like this. “This is your captain speaking. It seems that most of you made it on this plane alive… If you are needing a bit more light, press the button above you that looks like my haircut. I think they should add a smiley face on it. Now that I think about it, if you have a smiley face sticker, please place it on the button… Just want to let you know that the bathrooms have cameras. They only activate if you smoke, though. Maybe that’s why the bathrooms are so small. If you find the camera in there, will you let me know where it is please? Thank you.” Have you ever heard this banter on a Continental or American flight? Even now, when the domestic airlines are doing terribly, Southwest Airlines still has over 80 people apply per job. I think I know why. Do you have a culture that fires people up to work at your company?

Four of the SalesBy5 team have been at the Fortune Small Business Sales & Marketing Summit. We have worked with Bob Bloom, Neil Rackham, Jim Gilmore and today, Jack Daly. The gift bags for all 350+ attendees had the SalesBy5 barf bags as part of their package.  The interesting take away from Neil Rackham was that the #1 of the five deadly sins, based on extensive customer surveys for sales people, was “THEY TALK TOO MUCH.”  It sounds like the barf bag needs wider use…

Having focus and clarity in your business can help you achieve new heights.  Here is a quote from Verne Harnish:

Virtual Technology Corporation exceeded their sales goal by $1.4 million; Dial One Printing added five points to their gross margin; Capital Recovery Group increased sales on a new service offering by 2000%; and ICC/Decision Services saved 160 hrs per week of work among fourteen employees allowing them to take on additional business without adding to headcount.

You have an opportunity to have the same, remarkable outcome as the companies above, by implementing a theme in your company.  What would your theme focus on? Overtime? Retention? Morale? Check out the checklist to see how you’re company is doing.  If you need help, call us!

How do you get everyone focused in the same direction?  Have a hand full of rules and repeat them often. We all have too much clutter in our lives!  Have a hand full of rules that you and your team can use – written down! 

International Growth Guru, Verne Harnish taught me this in 2001. I have lived it since then at home and at work with great success.