if the year were pie…

If the year were pie, when 2/3 had been eaten… we’d start thinking about the next pie.

Did that thought startle you?

Perhaps your thinking about next month and finishing Q3 strong, or what you need to bill to hit a magical target this year.

With 2/3 of the year gone – the majority of salespeople I speak with are NOT thinking about next year.

Here are the questions I’d like to ask yourself:

1. next year: do you want the same kind of pie?
   Might sound like a funny question: if this year is an apple pie, do you want more apple? Perhaps you want pumpkin, or chocolate cream, maybe a mince pie, or dare I say pizza pie?
   
   Make sure you’re thinking today about what you want your sales make-up to be next year.
   
2. do you have enough of the right ingredients?
   No matter what kind of pie you’re making, it’s important you have the right ingredients and enough of everything to be successful.
   
   In sales do you have enough of the right kind of customers? Now is a great time to begin the process of earning new ones, if you want a new or different type of client next year.
   
   Plus KNOWING what you want your account base to look like, means your choosing the right people to put your effort into.
   
3. do you have the skills to make next years pie – the best pie you’ve made yet?
   If you’re the best fruit pie maker in the world… your pizza pie might be less tasty. If you’re switching kinds of pie – figure out what skills you need to learn or perhaps just refine to be successful when we get to next year.
   
   Even if you’re not switching the flavor, maybe your crust could be a little flakier, or the filling a better texture or flavor. Make sure you are continually improving your skills so every year your pie tastes a little better.
   
4. when do you need to begin making next years pie so it’s ready?
   How long is your sales cycle? If it’s months long – today’s new efforts will not be ready to take out of the oven for a while.
   
   Also think about how long it takes you to earn a new clients trust, their business, and make it into their purchasing system.
   
   Make sure you understand what needs to be done, and when to be successful.