Christy,
This is my first week on the job. One of the more experienced account executives said she tries to make a goal of contacting three to five new leads a week. She said that the number is going to be higher when you first start out, but after the book of business is established that is all you need. Also, I personally prefer to drop by a business before calling or emailing. It's easier for someone to say no over the phone. Plus, you can leave a card and some generic info about your stations to call and follow up with after dropping by.
Casey
Ah, you have asked a question that has bothered sales managers and owners alike since sales were invented. Here is where I personally stand on this:
1) Do I have a REASON to stop in, or am I just taking up THEIR time?
2) Are days of the week different and should I adjust for that?
3) Am I furthering a sales/solution or am I just visiting?
That being said....
My number would be to see on average six people per day where I am walking in with a REASON. I would have an idea for an ad produced and ready to go, and if they like it... a schedule for them to BUY. But before that time, I would have seen them and completed a CNA to make sure I had some idea of what their business was about.
In my market, seeing a customer on Monday or Friday are both losses. But there are customers that you can see on SATURDAY and be greeted a whole different way.
Here are a few idea:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Odi7oZ4Xuhw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hs05tZDrM0g&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL4EB78FED3DFBB4EF
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A47FR4-Qi0
Good luck!!!!
From Rod Schwartz:
Hi, Christy -
In answer to your question about how many face-to-face calls one can do each day, the late, great Jim Williams taught a helpful formula that has been used successfully by many salespeople and managers over the years, adapted for 21st century realities. As with Capt. Jack Sparrow's Pirate's Code, these are more a "guideline" than a hard-and-fast rule:
8:00 - 8:45 a.m. -- answer overnight emails, telephone messages, last-minute call prep
8:45 - 9:00 a.m. -- travel time to first sales call
9:00 a.m. - 12 noon -- prime time for face-to-face sales calls and presentations
12 - 1 p.m. -- lunch
1 - 3 p.m. -- Jim called 12-3 p.m. the "time of greatest merchant dislocation" due to lunch hours, covering for employees, doing the banking, etc., and suggested this time be used for paperwork, copywriting, research, telephone calls, etc.
3 - 5 p.m. -- second most important time for face-to-face sales calls.
This is a simplified explanation, and the schedule corresponded to a weekly planning form that he recommended. He stressed that the final half-hour of the workday be used to plan or fine-tune scheduled activity for the next day.
Allowing a reasonable length of 30 minutes per sales call, the five hours of personal calling time each day would suggest ten productive calls per day, 50 in a week. If you accept his belief that every client should be seen every week, this system would suggest that one's account list should not exceed 50 clients. (I have never seen this limitation adhered to with any consistency. In practice, most salespeople are assigned way too many accounts on their lists, often approaching 100 or more. Still, the 50-account recommendation is worth knowing.)
From Robin Wohlbruck, via Twitter:
My AEs are supposed to see 8 per day, do 15 proposals a week.
It is quality, not quantity of clients, and having a plan. Small family business's are normally OK to just drop in, but larger businesses are surely harder to see anyone. Best for just getting the name/title of the person you need to see. However, in this day and age, face-to-face seeing 15 clients seems ridiculous because you feel this pressure to see 15 people everyday, not actually sell something. Of course this also sounds like the stations that keep all the "good accounts" for themselves and send the new salesperson out to see all the Mom & Pop's Pizza's of the world. If this sounds like I've been doing this a while, you are correct. I sold industrial supplies years ago and I recall stopping in hotels, etc where there would be a huge bank of pay phones, and seeing all the salespeople lined up. Pre-cellphone and only twenty years ago. The outside salesperson daily routine has changed so much in twenty years. Off the subject, but remember this old John Wooden quote - "never mistake activity for achievment." Keep your "sales manager" happy, but do what works best for you, which will take some time to establish, who to see in person, and how often.
These days, for better or worse, more communication is done by email, and even Facebook. I have many clients that prefer email contact because they now have a "permanent" record of the conversation, unlike phone calls, or even eye-to-eye contact. In actuality, most of the in person contact is done to either get the ball rolling, or even almost a "social" visit. The more contact you have with clients the better. Thank you cards are a very important way to keep in touch with clients. I send thank you cards out every week. Top of the Mind.
One other point that needs to be made. the market size and "assigned" territories matter also. If you are in a small maket, such as I, territories tend to go by the wayside as a rep quits or whatever and another rep needs to cover that account.
And, of course, the bigger picture, as more Mom & Pop businesses cease to exist, and there are more agency buys, face to face contact is nearly impossible with many accounts.
One other point...I know I'll think of a bunch more. Research a clients website before you even make contact. Find out what they do and gather as much information as you can about a business before you even touch base with them.
Face to face selling is about relationships. You can make face to face cold calls, presentation calls, or service calls. The type call and relationship you have with the client- prospect has a lot to do with the amount of time one spends with each person. Cold calls time varies the most. The more interest the prospect has the more time you spend with him.One plans calls in advance knowing the type call and prospect-client. Your schedule will vary depending on the calls you are making.It is best to plan your week's calls before hand and always have a few more cold calls for each day than you think you would have time for.Plan your week, then work your plan.
Most people consider an unannounced "drop-in" as unprofessional and an intrusion. Not a great way to get the client in a buying mood. Having said that, when you first start out it's imperative. My trick is to introduce myself to the decision maker, tell them I recognize they have a busy schedule (and so do I), and that my only purpose is to set-up a time to learn more about their business to see if I can help increase traffic.
15 face to face per day is way too many. There should be quality over quantity. 4 to 5 per day is quite doable and will end in better sales calls and closings.One should always do at least 2 cold calls per day as well.
Hey Christy,
The trick is balance. you have to have a combination of set appointments, cold calls and drop buys, Like Chris Rolando says you should always have a reason visit a suspect, prospect, client.
This is why being organized about your day is so important. For instance... you have three appointments that you've set, You also have seen a new business getting ready to open so you throw that on your cold call list. If you have clients in between your appointments and cold calls map them out. Think of what you can do for them. and stop in and see them with a new Idea and a muffin. Use that time to build your relationship and be a resource. Make sure that you keep your ears pealed because you may uncover a need that you will be able to fulfill.
I have my reps see a minimum of 6. My best rep sees about 10 per day 4 days per week and then a 2 or three on the day she needs to get caught up on paper work.
This is an awesome business.
Have a Stellar Day!
PS never leave your station info. 9 times out 10 its a waste of expensive paper and toner. Your card is fine. But the junkyards are full of left behind media kits. Better to bring a couple ideas and ask a lot of questions.
Here is my rule: You should have a refined list of 100 clients. This list should have about 1/3 active, 1/3 working to become active and 1/3 requiring more work. You should see 10 clients fact to face every day, 5 days a week or 50 calls per week. You will more than likely miss a few so lets say you see 35 clients a week in person. In a two week period you will have made 100 calls, your full list, seen in person about 70 clients and can be proud that you have worked your list. Now a word about cold calls. Make only one or two per week. I find that this way you should be able to add 2 new clients to your list monthly. That's 24 new clients per year or a full 25% churn on your list. This has worked well for me. As for how to contact the client I was always good at just drooping in. After all you need to see the decision maker and during business this person is in his or her business. I find appointments don't work for me and emails for the most part end up being deleted.
at February 24, 2024 7:25 PM PST
Christy,
I'm not sure what market you are in. I would say that the smaller the market the more face to face calls you should make. I typically see 15-20 per day. Some of them are cold call walk-ins, some are existing clients, some presentations. But if you are working 15 isn't a problem. I've found that just dropping in works great for me and my market. Just have a reason for stopping by! And when you set a followup time.....followup! Save the emailing for later once you've established a relationship with the potential client.
Sonny
