LISA THAL
GENERAL SALES
MANAGER,
HUBBARD INTERACTIVE
CINCINNATI10 RADIOINK•COM
SALES
MAY 6, 2019
How will you answer the question
“What is the one thing that can
transform your sales into exceeding
budget?” In sales, our one true
job description is to create more
revenue than expected. I do
understand that we have many
layers of responsibilities, and it’s
easy to lose focus. So, I ask, what is
the one thing you can get focused
on right now to help your revenue?
The one thing that transformed
my business was creating a system
that included strategic steps and
timelines to hold me accountable
each day. I understand that in
order to be successful overall, we
must start with having a successful
day! We can lose focus on what
needs to get done by concentrating
our efforts on items that have no
impact on generating revenue. I
needed a better plan.
I now schedule time on my
calendar each week to focus on my
priorities. I know if it is scheduled
on my Outlook calendar, it has a
greater chance of getting done.
I set one daily outcome that is a
must for me to complete. By the
end of the week, I should have a
minimum of five things done that I
decided to accomplish!
One example of how I use the
“one thing” system is finding sales
talent for our team to help drive
revenue. This is a critical component
of my position as a leader. I must
always be developing current talent
and building relationships for future
talent. What I discovered was thatI needed a pipeline of talent so in
the event I needed to grow my team
or replace a current member, I’d
be ready. I wanted to have more
control and be more prepared if I
needed to make a change with my
current team.
So now I schedule time on
my calendar to “Identify Sales
Leaders.” That’s right, I review
resumes sent to the station, and
I also prospect on LinkedIn to see
who may have the sales talent
and skills needed when the next
opportunity arises. I look for sales
talent in other industries as well.
I start with my top five talent
targets and begin by reaching out
and getting to know what they are
looking for to see if there is a fit.
Now it’s your turn. What is the
one thing that stands between you
and your outcomes? Schedule 30
minutes on your calendar to access
and reflect on where your business
is currently. Start by writing down
several things you would like to
focus on.
Walk your team through the
following exercise in your next
sales meeting. I would recommend
allowing them time to think about
the current state of their business
and what they need to do to
improve their performance. Next,
have them write down five things
they have decided could improve
their billing. Finally, have them
choose one thing they will share
with the team that they have
committed to doing each day. Theyneed to agree to schedule it on
their calendar.The following examples may help
you guide them to generate ideas
or create conversation.Identify one more meaningful
prospect to call.Research for one more valid
business reason for the prospect
to schedule time with you.Track how many pitches you do
each day or each week and aim to
increase it by one.Improve your meetings to
convert to revenue.Ask a customer who said no what
kept you from working together.Ask a happy customer for a
referral.Delegate to your support team
other non-sales tasks so you can
be in front of more prospects or
current customers.Research a vertical that aligns
with your station demographics
and get focused on meeting those
prospects.No more procrastinating. It’s time
to get focused on the one thing you
need to do today to make more
money!ONE THING THAT
WILL TRANSFORM
YOUR SALES