I’ve always love the formula I read in ProActive Sales Management years ago. It’s Revenue (R) = Frequency (F) X Competency (C). This formula has comforted me and 100% of the time proven true. I’ve seen variations of this formula, most of which complicate such a pure and simple formula. I’m sticking with this one. What does this have to do with pumpkins?
Two weeks ago my 4-year old begged me for some pumpkin seeds while we were at a nursery. Of course, it’s not pumpkin planting season and… we don’t have a pumpkin garden, but I love these types of activities for kids so I invested the 50 cents and let him have at it. I figured that was the last we’d see of those seeds.
Imagine my surprise when two weeks later, and against many odds, I see pumpkins sproutlets. They are haphazardly spaced, clumped at the edge of the garden and, in some cases, have flowers planted on top of them, but nevertheless, pumpkins sprouts!
Those pumpkin sproutlets (R), planted by a gardener wtih no gardening skills or experience (C), but a lot of seeds (F) reminded me of this sales success formula. Too often sales people try to get everything perfect before they start planting seeds. I was talking to the “one salesperson” I wrote about a few weeks ago who has closed two more significant deals since that article and we were discussing this formula. We both agreed that you just have to make the calls – even if your script isn’t perfect, your research not complete (it never is!), your timing not perfect or you’re just scared. Each seed you plant can turn into a sprout. If you are heavy on the F and low on the C to begin with, that’s fine. So, your garden may be haphazard til you build more C, but… you’ll have a garden (or some “R”!).
I’ll take a lopsided garden (R) over no garden (R) anyday! So, here is your encouragement for today. Just make the calls. The same salesperson I mentioned above has always lived by the Nike tagline – Just Do It! Don’t you just love it when it’s so simple.
Enjoy planting seeds this week.
This post brought to you by Jill Myrick, Owner of Meeting to Win. Meeting to Win provides sales meeting agendas to make sales managers’ lives easier while equipping their teams to compete and win. To get yours, visit http://meetingtowin.com/.
