Your sales day, week and month are full of scenarios.

Each one is unique as to how, when and why they occur. But what's not unique is how often they occur in similar situations, similar prospect titles of contact and similar companies by industry.

For example...

Why do sales cycles get so drawn out, causing closing ratios to plummet? It's because salespeople fail to identify all significant decision-makers in line with their selling proposition.

Now, wouldn't you say that's a significant scenario?

Simply because they have not identified the significant decision-makers, the right people will not be around the table to fairly evaluate the proposition to give a "yes" or a "no."

So, let's attach a name to this scenario for a common language approach. Let's call it "All the Kings Men."

Next, I suggest that you develop some Powerful Routines (which are basically results-oriented tactics) to combat this undesired scenario.

Think of Powerful Routines as your magic bag.

You reach in and pull out the appropriate tool to improve your success ratios. These tools work in any scenario, whether within a selling process or an essential competency

Would you prefer to cold-call 100% of the time? Or would you rather call on referral contacts?

A no-brainer, right?

So, if you like referral leads, do you have a system of Powerful Routines to maximize your percentage of referrals?

It can be as simple as developing a post-sale 3-minute interview, where you set the stage with your new customer. You can say, in plain words, how important referral business is to you personally. Then, you and the customer can agree as to what objectives you must meet to be awarded these critically important referrals.

Most sales organizations have some sort of referral program. However, few provide training of Powerful Routines to get the most out of them.

Do you track referral ratios and routinely discuss them?

Why do some of the sweetest referral programs have ratios at or below 20%? 20% is absurdly low. But, add Powerful Routines referral scenarios and track the results. The difference is astounding.

In the Business of Core Competencies, students receive a Competency Assessment Tool. This software screen shows their personal performance status.

At a glance, they can see where they are struggling. What an opportunity! You can train to their weak points before bad results appear. It's as simple as identifying the troublesome scenarios, then attaching the Powerful Routines to fix them.

We've developed a complete system with a series of Powerful Routines. These Powerful Routines deal with specific scenarios that occur when telephoning prospects. And because of a training focus on those components, the system provides proactive communication flow toward confident appointment setting.

You need to build your own library of Powerful Routines. The Competency Assessment tool is a huge asset toward that end. But, however you build your library, it is critical that you build it.

These Powerful Routines can help you turn around undesired scenarios. Identify, train to and measure them so you can routinely achieve your desired results!

Jeff Hardesty is President of JDH Group, Inc. and the Developer of the X2 Sales System®, a blended training system that teaches sales professionals the competency of setting C-level business appointments. Jeff has been featured in numerous National publications such as Business First, Dartnell’s SELL!NG , Chief Learning Officer and Training Magazine with reference to Blended Learning Systems and improving sales teams Key Performance Indicators.

He travels the country conducting live X2 ‘Boot Camps’ and Train-the-trainer sessions helping sales organizations get more reps to Quota in less time, shorten new-hire ‘Ramp-to-Quota’ and eliminate Turnover costs due to low sales activity. Jeff can be reached at jeff@convertmoresales.com. To view a complimentary suite of sales training ROI calculators and determine your sales team’s Key Performance Indicators in line with your sales objectives visit http://convertmoresales.com/roi_calculators.php.