|
Dear Coach: I think I might be ready to quit sales. Before I do, I thought I'd ask an old pro (so to speak) if I'm crazy. I'm sick and tired of not having a personal life. I still enjoy the travel involved, but it means I'm spending late nights in hotels, and MY weekends, catching up on proposals and other paperwork. I still enjoy the challenges, but it seems like I have to work harder to remember which prospect has what proposal and…this list gets pretty long. I just feel overwhelmed and think I should bail. I feel like there are tools out there that can help, but I don't feel like looking into them because it means blowing yet another weekend on work. Am I crazy? By the way, I'm making good money. And I'm a "high performer," I just don't want to be one of those old workhorses who should have quit while I was ahead. Sorry for all the whining. Coach says: No problem about the whine; I had a little cheese with it. Face, it, it's impossible to keep enthusiasm and energy up for work all the time when there isn't enough down time. I have a hunch you put your finger on both the problem and a possible solution when you mentioned "tools." There are lots of tools that can make the paperwork side simpler and free you to focus on the fun part: actual selling. I thought you could use some expert advice, so I asked my friend Rick Collins about what's out there. Here's what Rick told me: While you've been working your territory the old-fashioned way, high-tech tools that can make it much easier to focus have become very affordable. The prices range from $50 to $125 per user, per month. Before you start shopping, think about what's driving you crazy. For most salespeople, it's filling out the paperwork, keeping track of contacts, companies, conversations, proposals, etc. If that sounds like you, then it's also safe to say that anything that simplifies that stuff without sacrificing quality is the kind of tool you're looking for. You also need to know the difference between buying programs that provide these tools, or buying access to those programs through web-based applications and ASP s (Application Service Providers). Rick recommends the latter because there is no software to install (or service), no equipment to buy, and you can turn it on and start working with it immediately. If all you need is a contact manager, forecasting, lead and opportunity tracking and reporting, then SalesForce.com, SalesNet, or SalesLogic are all good solutions. However, if you want to be able to handle any of these:
From a broader perspective, and as a way to get your company to buy in, NetSuite can tie into your company's accounting, inventory and website. This allows the bosses to see real-time data relating to all aspects of the state of the business. For them, this means no more wasting time gathering information for reports, no more entering redundant data in different databases--it's all available to view from any computer, anywhere in the world, at any time. So, before you give up on a cool career in sales, do take the time to investigate, choose, and use one of these tools. Make a point to take more time for your personal life, too. If you have to, schedule time in your calendar for it! Take a look at your level of satisfaction in about six months. If it's still really low, then it's time for plan B. If you'd like more information about any of the tools described above, or some advice on choosing the best solution, I suggest you contact Rick at Net Results Marketing, 800.467.1147, or www.n-r-m.com. |