Sales Sidebar: Vacation and Sales Metrics

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Hablas Espanol?  My Scorecard


If you are here from a teaser link you probably think this is about how taking time off to reset can help you better focus on your job.  Yes, that is absolutely true.  But ask my wife, I've never taken a vacation without my laptop.  I always think I'll get a lot done.  Best laid plans.  Leave the laptop at home, folks.  Moving on...

Everyone who knows me is aware of my interest in learning Spanish. Over the years, I've made it a point to visit Mexico at least once annually and after each trip, I've felt determined to learn the language. A couple of years ago, I finally took the plunge and signed up for the DuoLingo app.


One of the best things about this app is the built-in scorecard.  I set a goal each day and it tells me if I have met or exceeded my goal.  At the end of each week, I get a scorecard.  Here are the current results:  I have over a 1,100-day practice streak, an average of 2.6 daily sessions, and have learned over 2,000 words.  


What’s the point of this?  Learning a language takes a long time.  I still struggle with Spanish, and without the scorecard, I would have given up long ago.  The same applies to building and maintaining a successful territory.  


You should create a scorecard journey and measure these points:

• Outgoing phone calls made.

• Appointments successfully set with customers.

• Follow-up calls made.

• Number of customer contacts created.

• Number of customers with substantial information on their operations logged.

• First-time orders by customers with no activity for a year.

• Incoming orders by numbers not by dollar volume.


Set some goals and track these metrics every week in a way that allows you to understand how your numbers have changed over time.  You have to find a system that works for you and keeps you motivated, just be consistent!


Medir y Mejorar (Measure and Improve)




When not writing, coaching, or speaking at meetings, Frank enjoys travel, music, and food.  Visiting different countries encourages him to try new instruments and delicacies!  He promises not to take his laptop on his next trip, but neither his wife nor his assistant believe him...





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