Gearing Up

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I’ve been a gym goer all my life.  Scratch that.  Most of my life. OK, truth be told, I’ve had a goal of going to the gym 4 times a week for most of my adult life.  

Until recently, my workouts have been relegated to tae bo kickboxing, lifting weights and an occasional yoga class.  That is … until I found my first SPIN class! (definition: stationary bike, dark room, sweaty bodies, iron man instructor, loud music, pure torture).

As I casually climbed onto my bike with 25 other obvious ‘regulars’ (people with the “real” bike shoes) I couldn’t help but feel Starbuck’s would have been a better choice.  Looking up at the instructor exhausted, with another 53 minutes to go, I heard two nasty little words I quickly learned to dread … GEAR UP! 

As I reached down to advance another grueling two turns on the resistance knob below, I couldn’t help but sense the relevance here to selling during challenging times.  The edgy terrain of rapid change definitely calls for sales people to be fit, be ready and to gear up in order to maintain a competitive advantage.  Those that fail to turn their gear and coast on the flat road instead, will more than likely find themselves at the back of the pack.  

Gearing Up Suggestions:

One way to eliminate the “business as usual” inertia that keeps teams from getting ahead, is to start talking about your sales strategy regularly.  It doesn't take more than a few hours in a well-designed session to eradicate sales strategies that no longer make sense.   

Consider these questions individually or as a team, replacing “we” with “I” as necessary:  

• In the past 90 days, how did we change the numbers in the company’s favor?  What sales accomplishments were achieved?  Dig deep here.  Don’t settle for “met our sales quota.” 
• In the past 90 days, what were the three most important areas we failed to measure up? Here, you are gathering data as to what gaps are apparent.
• In the past 90 days, what are the three most important things we have learned about our sales strategy? This is critical to advancing the strategy and tactics of the company.
• In the past 90 days, how have the rules of the game changed in terms of our product? Brand? Competition?  What are we doing to gear up for the change?
   

Maybe you are like me and when it comes to putting time in the gym – sometimes – the café mocha wins.  Then again, more often than not, you will find me in the dark, with two towels, second row, gearing up for the hill ahead.  Join me?