There is a sales person on one of the teams I am working with right now who really “gets” the sales profession. Why, you ask? Well, my new friend Jigar Patel at SupremeX, understands the importance of the numbers. Here’s what he said to me:

LK: So Jigar tell me why you were so successful at exceeding your sales goal in 2015?

JP: I learned to follow the numbers, or metrics – that is, those indicators that will ensure I am successful?

LK: What do you mean by that?

JP: I always know where my sales are year-to-date – that’s something I’ve done since I started my sales career just over a year ago. Then, from you Linda, I learned to track all of the opportunities I am working on in a pipeline document so I get a handle on what has the potential to close in the coming months. I always need to make sure I have enough deals on the go that will close to ensure I hit my quarterly goal.

LK: So do you mean that you always know your sales year-to-date?

JP: At all times … I look at the numbers every day!

LK: What else do you recommend for sales people?

JP: Well another thing I did was an analysis of my new business sales for 2015:
• which quarter I landed the business in,
• what industries the companies are in,
• where I got those prospects in the first place (referrals, LinkedIn, outbound calls, etc.),
• how much business I gained from each, and finally
• what else I could sell them this coming year

LK: What did you learn?

JP: I learned about the seasonality in our business – each quarter swings dramatically. And then I decided what activities I need to focus on in each quarter to: a) best serve our customers’ needs, and b) to best use my time to maximize my sales – both growth with existing customers and growth from new companies. So I have a quarter-by-quarter activity plan.

LK: It sounds like you have a solid plan for success in 2016! Thanks Jigar, and see you the next time our team meets.