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A salesman makes his work immeasurably more interesting when he keeps score of the essential activities of his work. One system is to break the sale down into the things that produce it. Such an example would be—
Contacts—The actual face-to-face calls.
Interviews—The sales talks given.
New Names—The new prospects secured.
If a salesman determines the number of these "work units" required to make a good living, his job is simplified—then all he needs to do is to play a game of securing them.
In the above example one top insurance salesman figures that every day he must see eight people, give four sales talks, and secure the names of three likely prospects. If he is short at the end of the day, he must make them up the next day. If he is short at the end of the week, then he must work Saturday. Needless to say, he is under enough pressure as the day goes along, that he is never obliged to work on Saturday, unless he chooses to do it.
A salesman can calculate the value of his "work units" and then make as many as necessary to meet his budget. This may sound theoretical. I assure you it is not—it is most practical. Successful salesmen follow such a plan of making a game of doing their work each day.
WORK QUOTAS BUILD BUSINESS
George Blake and Jim Ward worked out of the same sales office. George was a brilliant man, college graduate, a fluent talker with a dynamic personality. His sales came easy—when he worked at them. But he rebelled at the idea of following any set schedule of work. He would say, "That's child's play.
120 MAKE WORK A GAME
I work because I know I must and don't need any game to keep me on the track."
Jim was a sincere, enthusiastic young fellow who had come to the big city from a small town. He had only one year at the University and was not a brilliant man like George. However he was eager to do what was necessary to succeed, and conscientiously followed the plan of work laid out by his sales manager. He had a captivating personality even though it wasn't the compelling one that George possessed. His volume of sales didn't approach George's—at first.
But as time wore on, George had more and more days when he didn't do a decent day's work. He knew he should, all right, but since he had no set quota of calls or anything else, it was easy to let the days and weeks, and finally months slip by with little accomplished.
On the other hand Jim kept sawing wood. His sales gradually increased and year by year his income rose. He did his best to improve himself in every way. He gradually increased in stature as a salesman, community leader, and a fine man by any standard of comparison. He has led his group of salesmen for many years and is a national leader in his company too.
George slowly but surely dropped lower and lower in the list of the salesmen of the organization. Everyone conceded that he was one of the smartest and ablest men ever to join the company—but he just didn't work enough. Had he made a game of keeping score his whole life would have been different.
THE CENTURY CLUB
Many leading life insurance companies encourage the selling of a large number of policies in addition to building up a sizable volume of business. This is often called "The Century Club." Most men will do better if they concentrate on getting frequent sales. Even though the exceptional salesman may succeed and be happy with a few big sales each year, it is still a hazardous situation.
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