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Are You Giving Your Sales Business A Review?

This is the time of the year when I go through my calendar and look through my appointments (as well as other activities like networking events, luncheons, etc) to see how efficient I was. This information also gives me insight on places to improve my work.

While I use Google calendar to remind me of appointments, I still use an old-fashioned "week at a glance" paper calendar as well. For some reason, writing things down makes them stick in my brain better. And when I review my year I can just pull out the book and see each appointment.

Image may contain: 1 person, possible text that says 'Let's look back at 2019 9 and see how many times you asked for referrals. It's Rewind time.'

One of the advantages of using an appointment book is that when I'm done with a client, I can make quick notes. For instance, if they gave me a referral or two, I jot that down. Or I may note that a client needs to be put on the back burner for a while. Whatever. Just document what happened while it's fresh in your brain.

A few years back I worked with a large life insurance company that encouraged us to treat clients to meals. Data showed that this improved closing percentages, however it got pricey very quickly. I asked my manager if taking a client to coffee counted as a "meal". He thought about it for a moment and said, "Sure, I guess so." Taking a client to a $20 lunch was quickly replaced by taking three clients to $6 worth of coffee.

At the end of the year, I did a quick recap and checked my meal vs. coffee numbers. My closing percentages were about the same, but my sales numbers were better because I could see more people over coffee. (I can't eat but so much food!)

Don't let the year end without doing a quick review of your sales activities. Give it a try and be honest with yourself. There will always be room for improvement.  Have a great and Happy 2020!


Chris Castanes is a professional speaker who helps sales people succeed through workshops and humorous presentations. He's also the author of "You're Going To Be Great At This!", a humorous look at sales. For booking information, click here. He's also the president of Surf Financial Brokers selling life and disability insurance in several states.

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