One Bad Sales Month, No Problem

Everybody loves a winner and there is nothing quite like having a great month. What a feeling! When one great month yields another, you start thinking about buying something stupid, like a boat or, um, a boat. You’re on a streak, baby, and it’s never going to end.

Until it does.

There is nothing quite like having a bad month. What a feeling! Immediately, you start thinking about selling that stupid boat you bought. But don’t panic, citizens. It’s an event, not necessarily a trend.

The problem with a month is that it is only 30 days. A lot can happen in that time period, but not enough can happen, too. Take sales, for instance...

Good or bad, one month is a little more than a snapshot when it comes to measuring your sales performance. It’s not long enough to truly see any kind of trend, up or down. You need a string of them before you can decide. So, here’s what you do...

Go back as long as you like. Let’s say, a year. Add up the sales from July, August, and September of 2013. Now divide by three and write that number down. Then add August, September and October. Divide by three and write that number down. Continue until you’ve reached your most recent completed month. Looking at that list of numbers, you will have enough of a sample time frame to judge your trends.

The trick is not to lament or celebrate too much over one, four-week time frame. If you’ve beaten your average for three months, THEN go ahead and click your heels.

Okay, the party’s over. Now go sell something.

Bill Farquharson is a Vice President at NAPL. His training programs can drive the sales of print reps and selling owners. Check out his Sales Resources page and contact him at (781) 934-7036 or bfarquharson@napl.org