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It’s Only Common Sense: A Day in the Life of a Salesperson

Last week, we spent a day with a sales manager, so this week it is only appropriate that we spend that same day with a salesperson. This salesperson has a territory away from the company; she is operating out of a fully equipped home office where she has everything she needs to conduct her business. Her required reporting is a weekly status report of her activities during the week as well as her plan for the following week. She annually develops account plans for her key customers as well as an account-by-account, month-by-month forecast that is actually measured on a daily basis by the sales manager so that by the end of the day, she knows exactly where she stands.

For a salesperson to know critical numbers is a key ingredient to success. I don’t understand companies whose salespeople not only are not responsible for their own territory forecasts, but also have no idea what the company’s overall forecast is. How can you successfully play any game without knowing what the score is? How can any salesperson, or company for that matter, operate without some very public (intra-company, anyway) goals for the year?

The salesperson should also have some action goals made up of the required number of live sales calls they are expected to make during the week. The key word being “live”.

So then, here is how a successful salesperson should be spending his or her day:

1. Lead generation: A good salesperson is always acquiring new customers. He should develop an ideal customer profile and use that when deciding which companies in his territory to go after. He should use a good sales tool like ACT! or SALESFORCE.com to track his lead generation efforts. If that is not available, there is nothing wrong with at least using an Excel spreadsheet. The important thing is to keep track of his progress.
2. Planning for the next three weeks: Yes, I hear you crying about how hard it is to make appointments, but sorry, it is part of the job, it comes with the territory, as they say. So, figure it out. Get creative. There are literally scores of books out there on making cold calls, leaving effective phone messages, and other ways to get to potential customers. Buy some and read them. If you have a smart sales manager, he will be happy to reimburse for any sales book you buy.
3. Strategy for winning new accounts: Once you’ve sunk your teeth into an account, don’t let go. Develop and implement a strategy for winning that account.
4. Relationship management for current accounts: In terms of current accounts, the salesperson is the relationship manager. She is the one who is in front of that customer; the face of the company to that customer. She has to make sure that everything is okay at all times and communicate back to her own company when things need attention. She should know more about that account than people who work there. She should know the type of products they buy, when they buy them and what they are going to be buying in the future. It is her responsibility to be an expert on her key accounts.
5. Territory marketing and social media: Although the company probably has a marketing plan, a salesperson should have one for his territory as well. He should develop a value-added newsletter for his customers and potential customers and send it out on a regular a basis. He should find the right local technical publications and convince his company to invest in advertising or, at the very least, submit content to those publications. He should be involved in local organizations such as SMTA and he should go to all local functions related to his industry. He should also be active on social media, from LinkedIn to Twitter to Instagram.
6. Daily reporting for the weekly report: The very worst question I hear from salespeople is, “Do you want me out there in front of customers or do you want me to spend my time writing reports?” My answer to that is, “I want both. You are a well-paid sales professional, you can do both. Sales is not a forty-hour-a-week gig. And by the way, ask me that one more time and you’re fired!” Work on your written report every day and make sure it will be done on time.
7. Communicating with the sales manager: Communicate with your sales manager on a regular basis. Make your calls brief, concise and to the point. Tell her what you are up to and what she needs to hear. Ask her for whatever it is you need and move on. Be professional, count on her to take care of your needs but remember she is not the complaint department
8. Communicating with the company: The same thing goes here. If you have to talk to someone in the company, be brief and concise. Tell whoever you have called what you need and move on. Do not badger, hound or nag no matter what the problem is; it will only get worse if you badger. Always be professional.

We should remember that sales is a profession; it’s a career, not a job. Those salespeople who treat it as such and invest the right amount of time and effort into that career will always succeed.

It’s only common sense.