This is what you want to say NEXT year at this time, right? It’s probably a pretty fair statement
to say that if your company’s sales go through the roof in the next twelve months, this is exactly where you will be – reaping the rewards of a tremendous 2013!
But, how can you make that happen – selling to corporate training or human resources – especially during these uncertain economic times?
If you believe that success leaves clues, then let’s consider what Billionaire Bunker Hunt once said:
“You can achieve ANYTHING you want out of life if you do just two things:
- Decide exactly what you want to accomplish.
- Decide exactly what you are willing to give up to get it!”
Hopefully, you have already begun to iron out what your organization’s sales goals are for next year. Once that is done, you will need to take a step back from that overall goal – and determine what specific components need to fall into place to make that happen.
What are the steps – exactly – that need to be taken to accomplish your 2013 goals? Everything can and WILL break down into bite-size chunks –IF you follow the steps to make that happen!
And what – exactly – is the required commitment (resources, money, time, etc.) to complete these steps? What components need to be in place for you to achieve your sales goals for 2013? For example sake, let’s assume that you are selling just one product to the corporate training and HR world.
Determining the Metrics
- What are your established sales goals for 2013?
- A = How many sales does it take to achieve this number?
- B = How many people within your target market do you need to deliver your message to in order to produce one prospect?
- C = How many prospects do you need to make one sale?
Answering these questions will enable you to determine exactly how many “targeted eyeballs” your message must reach in 2013:
- Your message must be delivered to (A x B x C) targeted people
It is truly shocking how many organizations have not answered these very important questions. But how can you arrive at your desired destination without a road map? Organizations that do engage in this exercise usually realize:
- They are not “hitting enough eyeballs” to achieve their target!
This is one reason many organizations fail to reach their sales targets. Take a simple example – let’s assume:
- It will take 100 sales to achieve your 2013 goal (A)
- You need to reach 25 (targeted) people to get one prospect (B)
- You need 10 prospects to make one sale (C)
- Then you need to reach 25,000 people to make 100 sales! (AxBxC)
Are you reaching enough “eyeballs?”
Once you have determined how many targeted people you need to deliver your message to, now you need a plan to get in front of that many “eyeballs”. This brings up another question:
- Do you know how to reach your target market?
Some companies think they are “hitting enough eyeballs” by sending out a mass mailing, for example – but many (if not most) are working under a false assumption: they assume that their list is accurate. But…
- What if the list you are using has a 50% error rate?
Sound impossible? MTG has used many lists during our cold calling campaigns into the corporate training and HR world (which are particularly susceptible to poor lists). The BEST lists we’ve used had 20% errors! More common was 30% – 40%, and sometimes even 50% error rates! Poor compilation methods are to blame. Most companies either don’t realize this – or worse yet – choose to ignore it.
Are you reaching the right “eyeballs”?
It’s one thing to reach a certain number of people – but another to reach the ones you really intended to reach.
- What if the list you are using is not really well targeted?
What if some contacts are only interested – but not involved – in training or human resources? Or they used to be in training or HR? What if you are reaching more “soldiers” than “Generals?” The reality is that most lists are simply a subset of a larger list. They are not carefully compiled specifically for your target market. Instead, you’ll get contact information for people who subscribed to a magazine in the last three years – or who attended a conference last year, etc.
Each of the above factors decreases the actual number of targeted “eyeballs” you are reaching. Recognition of this reality is essential. To stay on track, you must adjust your figures accordingly – and take some proactive steps:
- Get more accurate information on your target market
- Get more precisely targeted information
Doing this is no longer the challenge it once was. MTG took on this challenge, and through the use of our specialized marketing lists, it is now possible to accurately and efficiently reach decision makers within corporate training, HR or even talent management – directly.
The moral? Be sure you break your 2013 goals into bit-sized, actionable sales and marketing steps. To reach your sales targets, you must deliver your message to enough targeted prospects. We all know it’s a numbers game – and when you start with a high quality list of decision makers in your target industry, the job is made much simpler for you right from the start.
At this time next year, wouldn’t it be nice to say “We’re reaping the rewards of a tremendous 2013!” Think about it. And when you’re ready to take the first step by investing in a quality, targeted industry list, give us a call.
Mentor Tech Group wishes you happy holidays and a prosperous New Year!
Happy hunting!
PS. Don’t forget – we are a highly specialized company offering select “best of breed” services to e-learning/training/HR companies. You can outsource to an expert in your business:
- Precisely Targeted Decision Maker Lists
- Email Marketing with powerful reporting
- Sales Process Consulting
