Inside Sales Reps: Prepare for Fall by Organizing Your Work Life
It’s nearing the end of summer. Sales reps might think that making cold calls to prospects will now be easier, but lately, it's becoming harder and harder every day. Why, you may ask? For the same reason leads were down in the middle of summer: Vacations. Not only do individuals inside sales representatives call go on vacation, sending us automatic out-of-office email replies or recording voicemails that state "I will be out of the office until...", but us cold callers luckily get some time off as well. The problem is that, as prospects are finally returning from vacation, they're pushing sales reps away. I have called many a person in the last few months who has said to me, "I just got back from vacation and I have a backlog of emails and voicemails to get through. Can you call back in two days?"
In the life of sales, this can be a detriment. We could lose momentum or lose focus of when to call someone. A recent post of ours detailed how inside sales managers can motivate their sales team as the summer months end. This post hopes to approach this topic from the other side of the coin: how inside sales reps can motivate themselves as the fall months approach and prospects and reps return from summer vacations. When I return from vacation, and from that "summer mentality" that Laney talks about in her blog, there are a few things I do to make sure I can get back up to speed quickly.
The tool to use to not lose prospects in the shuffle is organization:
1. Call Plan - You should have some sort of call plan in place. This is the first and probably the most important tool to keep you on track. If it’s calling someone every other business day or every sixth business day, follow this plan. I have found that even if I’m gone for a week, I can follow my call plan as if I have not been out of the office at all. I have all of my calls planned for when I get back from vacation, and I haven’t missed a beat. Schedule calls accordingly using the tools that you have: Outlook, Salesforce or other CRMs.
2. Follow up on voicemails and emails - I know what you’re thinking: who doesn't follow up on voicemails? This is a misleading thought. Just because you believe that you are going to do this doesn't mean that you are going to do this at the correct time. In my opinion, you should read your emails (or at least the ones that catch your eye) first and reply to those that are relevant, whether it means you’re reminding yourself of something to do later or scheduling a time in your day to call someone. Then listen to your voicemails and follow up with those next.
3. Set attainable personal goals throughout the day - This is something that will help you get back into the swing of things quickly. Start by setting call goals to hit in the first hour (e.g., I will make 15 calls before 10 AM). When you hit that goal, set another to hit before lunch. These personal goals give you positive reinforcement early on and can increase your motivation immediately when you get back from vacation or are getting ready for the busyness of the fall months, raising your chances of having a very productive day.
These are some tips I use to maintain motivation and productivity when I return from vacation and during the fall months.
What methods do you use to organize yourself before you leave for vacation, and how do you keep your sanity when the busy fall months return?