Editor's Note: The following letters are part of a discussion that took place on DMIA's members-only broadcast email system.
Striving for Specific Goals in 2005
Improving ourselves should be something we all do daily, but how many of us do? How many of us take the time to prepare before a sales call? Do we critique ourselves after every one? Do we perform in-depth research of a prospective account before we enter the lobby for the first time? Do we go back to our cars and make notes immediately after leaving an account so we can remember details of the conversation? Do we ask the closing question and shut up, as we were taught? Do we strive for excellence, or do we settle for "good enough"?
Someone once said the reason so few great companies in America exist is because there are so many good ones. Good is the enemy of great. If we settle for good, we'll never be great. I worked for a large distributor for 15 years. The owner settled for "good enough," and the company's sales have dropped steadily for the past five years. They continue to try to figure out what went wrong.
We all should know by now that there are no secret formulas or magic pills. In order to improve our sales in 2005, we must simply do what every successful salesperson in history has done: make good sales calls. When I first became a salesman in 1981, I was told that even the best ones will get only 90 percent to 95 percent of his repeat business each year. That means if our sales aren't growing by 6 percent to 11 percent, we're going backward. In order to increase our sales in 2005, we must get back to the basics of what got us here in the first place--make good-quality, effective sales calls, and stop selling on price.
Carl Marino
Owner
Gideon Graphics
Tinton Falls, N.J.
We have invested many hours of planning in our business retention and growth strategy for 2005. On Dec. 1, our staff arrived to see signs that welcomed them to a "New Day at Suncoast Marketing." The "New Day" theme was used to put a rather "windy" end to 2004 behind us, and also to also usher in the many changes we've made and continue to make to ensure our continued growth next year.
Suncoast Marketing has identified new, exciting opportunities to propel our organization into 2005, including an emphasis on utilizing our internet ordering system and related technological offerings for our major clients and prospects. Also, we plan to continue to acquire business from new sales personnel added in our Suncoast, Rhino, Prime Labels and Novation Healthcare Sales divisions. Our management team is confident that these five avenues will enable Suncoast Marketing to have a highly successful 2005.
Randy Eubanks
Vice President of Sales
Suncoast Marketing Inc.
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
I would encourage all small distributors with less than $2.5 million in sales to attend DMIA's Small Distributor Summit and the Spring Management Conference. I also think it's important for distributors to stay focused on what they are good at, be it forms, tags, labels, promotional products, etc. Instead of getting stretched out selling things we're not familiar with, we should concentrate on what we're good at.
Brian Governor
President
P&W Marketing Inc.
An IBSA Affiliate
Youngstown, Ohio
Source Help Pays Off
I was able to secure a sale that netted me $450 in gross profit because I used DMIA's broadcast email system, which is designed to help distributors find sources based on recommendations from other industry pros. I believe my membership expense is now covered, which makes all the other benefits of DMIA membership essentially "free."
Marc Laucks
Independent Representative
York, Pa.
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