Sales Prospecting Perspectives

It's halfway through July! We’ve officially entered the dog days of summer. That means it’s time to start assessing Q3 goals and targets. July is the ideal time for inside sales reps to regain their focus so they can follow up the quarter with great results. But with beautiful summer weather and vacations planned for the not-so-distant future, it can be difficult for an inside sales rep to remain fully focused and motivated. Here are 3 tips inside sales reps can use to stay on task during the peak of summer.

1. Know Your Goals.

I know this tip sounds rather obvious and straightforward, but nonetheless it is very important. One of the key factors to staying on top of goals and objectives is having a clear understanding of what those goals are. To make those goals clear, schedule a meeting with management. Inside sales reps should take a couple moments to connect with their team, and most importantly their boss, to discuss expectations for the month, quarter, and more. This face-to-face meeting helps to ensure that both inside sales managers and reps are on the same page according to their quota and other expectations. When the inside sales team understands their objectives, it’s much easier to draft a plan and zone in on the most important tasks, such as calling high-level contacts, passing high-quality leads, and reaching other metrics that are most important to their managers. However, “making goal” shouldn’t be your only objective. Instead, focus on exceeding that goal with quality, not quantity.

2. Plan Ahead.

After an inside sales team has a clear understanding of their objectives, they can begin to create a plan for the upcoming weeks, months, and quarters. Some sales reps prefer to make task lists of short-term and long-term goals for completing and exceeding quota. These task lists can be hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, or all of the above. For example, I aim to complete at least 40+ outbound calls a day and send about 50 emails a day.  My weekly task list includes averaging an 8% connect rate and bringing in 3 leads. Having a tangible task list - especially one where I can cross off items when they’re completed - helps me stay on track, manage my time, and be more productive overall.

3. Reward yourself.

It can be hard to stay motivated at work during the summer months. The weather is so beautiful that it’s hard to ignore. But why deprive yourself? As long as you are staying on task and are on pace for your goals, there is no reason you shouldn’t be able to treat yourself. In fact, taking breaks here and there, even just to walk outside in the sunny weather, is proven to vastly improve focus and productivity for prolonged periods of time. For example, I look forward to visiting the local park during my daily lunch breaks. It gives me the rest and rejuvenation I need to finish off the work day productively. Sometimes I go out for coffee or visit the local bookstore just for the change of scenery. It’s important to take a moment to clear your head so that when you return to your desk, you are able to tackle any task with an open mind.

It's crucial to meet with management to develop a plan for summer success, outline that plan in a task list you can look at often, and reward yourself with short breaks in order to stay productive in the summer months. A few weeks ago, I wrote about strategies for summer sales prospecting that should help you stay motivated when calling prospects, as well. Follow these tips and wow your team, manager, and your prospects with your persistence to stay motivated in the peak of summer.