The Exact Science of Sales and Marketing

Become a supersalesman by measuring what you do and concentrate on what works best.

By Bruce Caswell

You may have heard sales and marketing described as more of an art that a science. In fact one well known presenter even refers to ‘this wonderful art and craft of selling’. In some ways, selling is an art and craft. In others, it is an exact science. And in order to find and retain, or be a SuperSalesmen, you have to appreciate both these aspects of the job.

So, in what ways is it a science? Well, in more or less every way.

When an advertisement or a press release is placed and it gets a measurable response, we analyse it in a fairly simple way;

· How much did it cost?

· How many leads did we get?

· What is the cost per lead?

This isn't the full story by any means, but the figures do enable us to take an informed decision the next time we are asked to advertise in the same journal.

When we send out direct mail we also get a response. This is usually measured as a percentage. On a large-scale mail shot, if the early indications are poor, then we pull the plug before we waste too much time and money. The normal response rate is generally between .5% to 2% but a telephone follow up can always increase the response, sometimes by as much as ten times.

Of course, knowing the numbers doesn't change the numbers, but it does let you take some informed decisions about what to keep doing and what to never do again.

How does this relate to the salesman who wants to be a SuperSalesman?

There are many things that the salesman can measure too:

· How many telephone calls do I need to make to get an appointment?

· How many appointments do I need to present a proposal?

· How many proposals do I need to present to get an order?

· What is my average order value?

· Are these numbers the same for all customer types and market sectors?

· Are these numbers the same when I'm doing well as when I'm not doing so well?

Of course, knowing these numbers doesn't change them either, but it does let the salesman take some informed decisions about where the greatest opportunities lie. And in grasping these opportunities, the salesman moves towards becoming the SuperSalesman.

Bruce Caswell is an Associate of the Institute for Independent Business.