Sales Truths: If You Fail To Plan, Plan To Fail

Published

15 years ago

July 2, 2008

Dave Richardson

IF YOU FAIL TO PLAN, PLAN TO FAIL.

WHY IT’S TRUE: If you have no plan for your life, how will you know where you are going and, how will you know when you have arrived? Without a business or family plan, or meaningful goals, how can you structure your life to get the most out of it?

PLAN OF ACTION: Establish specific measurable goals with your salespeople. Break them down by month, week and day. A daily plan might be to select your favorite piece in the entire store and commit to show it at least two times every day. Choose your favorite because you are enthusiastic and excited when you talk about it. Commit to trying (just trying) for one add-on sale every day. If you did only this, what would happen to your business? A simple plan when well executed will not fail.

When There’s No Succession Plan, Call Wilkerson

Bob Wesley, owner of Robert C. Wesley Jewelers in Scottsdale, Ariz., was a third-generation jeweler. When it was time to enjoy life on the other side of the counter, he weighed his options. His lease was nearing renewal time and with no succession plan, he decided it was time to call Wilkerson. There was plenty of inventory to sell and at first, says Wesley, he thought he might try to manage a sale himself. But he’s glad he didn’t. “There’s no way I could have done this as well as Wilkerson,” he says. Wilkerson took responsibility for the entire event, with every detail — from advertising to accounting — done, dusted and managed by the Wilkerson team. “It’s the complete package,” he says of the Wilkerson method of helping jewelers to easily go on to the next phase of their lives. “There’s no way any retailer can duplicate what they’ve done.”