Many salespeople invest significant time trying to manage the “number” - contacts in their database, prospects contacted, meetings scheduled, proposals being developed, presentations scheduled, prospects with whom to follow up, and decisions that are (hopefully) forthcoming. They track, tally, and compute the likely chance of closing all of these numbers.
While the numbers may present a big picture of potential business, they are not manageable. That is, you can’t control the numbers. You can’t control how many contacts in your marketing territory fit the profile of your prospect. You can’t control how many people will be available to take your phone call. You can’t control how many people will have an interest in speaking or meeting with you.
So, what can you control? Your behavior. You can control how many times and how frequently you pick up the phone and make a prospecting call. You can control how often you ask for referrals from prospects and customers. You can control how quickly and in what manner you follow up on leads and referrals. You can control how much time you invest researching your marketplace, your competition, and the needs of your customers. Focus on what you can control, your behavior, and the ultimate numbers—closed sales, will follow.
