proactive resource for them. And because Jane is more likely to have invested in
technology that bolsters this communication, she is better able to remain close
to larger client base than Dick.
This sales professionalism not only separates High-Growth Producers from
their competitors, but it also augments their sales-development efforts.
Successful salespeople know prospects are unlikely to just saunter into their office. New business needs to be sought out, identified, cultivated and closed. It’s
all about the pipeline and keeping it full.
All producers know this. The difference is that High-Growth Producers do
something about it—and they don’t stop. Some Low- and No-Growth Producers,
on the other hand, achieve a certain level of success and coast. Maybe they don’t
believe they can do better or they don’t perceive the need to do more. They are
content with where they are. Working
hard to grow their business just isn’t
a priority.
Not to get too circular about it,
but the problem with this approach
arises when problems arise. Maybe
the economy takes a nosedive.
Perhaps a major client goes under or
moves across the country. A major
supplier might suddenly and dramatically raise rates or eliminate products. Whatever happens, the reality is
that things do happen. And sometimes those things wipe out a good
portion of a producer’s income.
High-Growth Producers are prepared for these unexpected yet inevitable disruptions. They’re
constantly marketing and consistently asking for referrals, keeping the
pipeline full. Because they monitor
and analyze their business, they know
how many leads they need at any
given time. When they fall below the
target, they increase their efforts in
order to get back on track.
Consequently, when disaster strikes,
they have a strong foundation on
which to build a recovery. Their revenue may still take a hit, but the impact is more likely to be short-term
and the recovery quicker than it is for
their less-prepared colleagues.
The comfortable producers, however, the ones so happy with the status quo, often have an empty pipeline
when bad news arrives. They have no
base on which to build. They lack the
momentum needed for a swift recovery. It’s the sales equivalent of two
dragsters on a starting line where one
is creeping forward, but the other is
at a dead stop. That first racer will
reach top speed much more quickly,
and with less frenzied effort, than the
second car.
The study found no meaningful
impact on the method used to
prospect by respondents and their
sales growth. The study found no
correlation between the marketing
channels used and a producer’s success – with two minor exceptions.
High-Growth Producers report they
are slightly more willing to cold call
and to ask for referrals than Low-and No-Growth Producers. Sifting
these results through interaction
