Comments on: Two Rules For Using Sales Metrics Effectively http://thesalesblog.com/2010/07/two-rules-for-using-sales-metrics-effectively/ The Sales Blog Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:02:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: How Much Does a Sale Cost? — Future Selling Institute http://thesalesblog.com/2010/07/two-rules-for-using-sales-metrics-effectively/comment-page-1/#comment-6099 How Much Does a Sale Cost? — Future Selling Institute Wed, 02 Mar 2011 12:36:40 +0000 http://thesalesblog.com/?p=5447#comment-6099 [...] to all business, to all industries, to all segments, or to all companies. There is just too much context that needs to be considered—context that isn’t captured in the metric. The cost of revenue or [...] [...] to all business, to all industries, to all segments, or to all companies. There is just too much context that needs to be considered—context that isn’t captured in the metric. The cost of revenue or [...]

]]> By: Two Metrics You Must Capture to Reach Your Sales Goals http://thesalesblog.com/2010/07/two-rules-for-using-sales-metrics-effectively/comment-page-1/#comment-3008 Two Metrics You Must Capture to Reach Your Sales Goals Mon, 02 Aug 2010 01:43:50 +0000 http://thesalesblog.com/?p=5447#comment-3008 [...] the rule about adding the context of other metrics? So, let’s add his win [...] [...] the rule about adding the context of other metrics? So, let’s add his win [...]

]]> By: S. Anthony Iannarino http://thesalesblog.com/2010/07/two-rules-for-using-sales-metrics-effectively/comment-page-1/#comment-2981 S. Anthony Iannarino Fri, 30 Jul 2010 02:44:49 +0000 http://thesalesblog.com/?p=5447#comment-2981 Thanks for your comments, Liam. I go with Always Be Advancing over Always Be Closing, because I believe that B2B sales require a lot of commitments that have to be gained, and closing connotes the final ask. A Thanks for your comments, Liam. I go with Always Be Advancing over Always Be Closing, because I believe that B2B sales require a lot of commitments that have to be gained, and closing connotes the final ask.

A

]]> By: S. Anthony Iannarino http://thesalesblog.com/2010/07/two-rules-for-using-sales-metrics-effectively/comment-page-1/#comment-2980 S. Anthony Iannarino Fri, 30 Jul 2010 02:42:56 +0000 http://thesalesblog.com/?p=5447#comment-2980 Thank you, my friend. You are quite a tear over there at ypsgroup.com/blog, aren't you? A Thank you, my friend. You are quite a tear over there at ypsgroup.com/blog, aren’t you?

A

]]> By: S. Anthony Iannarino http://thesalesblog.com/2010/07/two-rules-for-using-sales-metrics-effectively/comment-page-1/#comment-2979 S. Anthony Iannarino Fri, 30 Jul 2010 02:42:07 +0000 http://thesalesblog.com/?p=5447#comment-2979 Thanks for the kind words, Sarah. And from a professional copywriter, no less! That sentence captures the essence of why so many sales deals fail that they would be impossible to count. A Thanks for the kind words, Sarah. And from a professional copywriter, no less!

That sentence captures the essence of why so many sales deals fail that they would be impossible to count.

A

]]> By: Sarah Mitchell http://thesalesblog.com/2010/07/two-rules-for-using-sales-metrics-effectively/comment-page-1/#comment-2976 Sarah Mitchell Thu, 29 Jul 2010 21:57:31 +0000 http://thesalesblog.com/?p=5447#comment-2976 Hi Anthony, I love this sentence in your post, "There shouldn’t ever be a sales call made without an intended outcome that moves you towards a deal." So many sales managers get hung up on the wrong metric and force people to make calls. As a result, sales people are meeting for the sake of meeting even when they know there's no point to it. That, in turn, feeds the fire against salesmen in general. Nice post. Sarah Hi Anthony,
I love this sentence in your post, “There shouldn’t ever be a sales call made without an intended outcome that moves you towards a deal.” So many sales managers get hung up on the wrong metric and force people to make calls. As a result, sales people are meeting for the sake of meeting even when they know there’s no point to it. That, in turn, feeds the fire against salesmen in general.

Nice post.

Sarah

]]> By: Todd Youngblood http://thesalesblog.com/2010/07/two-rules-for-using-sales-metrics-effectively/comment-page-1/#comment-2972 Todd Youngblood Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:23:07 +0000 http://thesalesblog.com/?p=5447#comment-2972 Anthony, I like the distinction you make between "input" metrics and "output" metrics. As a sales manager, I frankly don't care how many call you make. I DO care about how many opportunities you advance as a result of the calls you make. Todd Anthony,

I like the distinction you make between “input” metrics and “output” metrics. As a sales manager, I frankly don’t care how many call you make. I DO care about how many opportunities you advance as a result of the calls you make.

Todd

]]> By: Liam http://thesalesblog.com/2010/07/two-rules-for-using-sales-metrics-effectively/comment-page-1/#comment-2970 Liam Thu, 29 Jul 2010 06:07:54 +0000 http://thesalesblog.com/?p=5447#comment-2970 Anthony I like your ideas. The idea of measuring commitments is a good one, as commitments are the steps to closing the deal. As a sales trainer, I think that if all salespeople were told to measure their own progress by the commitments they get their prospects to make on the way to a deal, it would be very effective in getting them into the Always Be Closing mindset. I also see where measuring commitments goes against some sales managers' whole idea of measurement. To give an example, the number of calls can be measured electronically with no human input, other than making the call. To measure a commitment requires the saleperson to press a button or click on an icon. S/he has to make a judgement about whether this commitment was a real one or the customer fobbing him/her off. I think you see where I am going with this. Many salespeople who are either inexperienced or lazy will finish the call on the first yes regarding a future call without a. Probing to make sure that the prospect actually meant it. b. Making sure that the commitment was for something more than another 5 minute chat. These 5 minute chats could go on forever without advancing the salesperson any closer to the goal of closing the deal. Our perfect measurement system needs to be based on real commitments, not a twisted interpretationof a commitment in the mind of a not very good salesperson who has millions of dollars 'in the pipeline' but a few cents in the bank. Anthony

I like your ideas. The idea of measuring commitments is a good one, as commitments are the steps to closing the deal.

As a sales trainer, I think that if all salespeople were told to measure their own progress by the commitments they get their prospects to make on the way to a deal, it would be very effective in getting them into the Always Be Closing mindset.

I also see where measuring commitments goes against some sales managers’ whole idea of measurement.

To give an example, the number of calls can be measured electronically with no human input, other than making the call.

To measure a commitment requires the saleperson to press a button or click on an icon. S/he has to make a judgement about whether this commitment was a real one or the customer fobbing him/her off.

I think you see where I am going with this.

Many salespeople who are either inexperienced or lazy will finish the call on the first yes regarding a future call without
a. Probing to make sure that the prospect actually meant it.
b. Making sure that the commitment was for something more than another 5 minute chat.
These 5 minute chats could go on forever without advancing the salesperson any closer to the goal of closing the deal.

Our perfect measurement system needs to be based on real commitments, not a twisted interpretationof a commitment in the mind of a not very good salesperson who has millions of dollars ‘in the pipeline’ but a few cents in the bank.

]]> By: Tweets that mention Two Rules For Using Sales Metrics Effectively -- Topsy.com http://thesalesblog.com/2010/07/two-rules-for-using-sales-metrics-effectively/comment-page-1/#comment-2969 Tweets that mention Two Rules For Using Sales Metrics Effectively -- Topsy.com Thu, 29 Jul 2010 02:24:16 +0000 http://thesalesblog.com/?p=5447#comment-2969 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Bill Rice, S. Anthony Iannarino, S. Anthony Iannarino, troywilson, Mike Weinberg and others. Mike Weinberg said: helpful coaching in post by @iannarino : add qualitative info to make sales metrics more useful http://bit.ly/cO7zPG [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Bill Rice, S. Anthony Iannarino, S. Anthony Iannarino, troywilson, Mike Weinberg and others. Mike Weinberg said: helpful coaching in post by @iannarino : add qualitative info to make sales metrics more useful http://bit.ly/cO7zPG [...]

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