Let’s face it.  When sales are suffering, it’s just plain un-fun.  For everyone.  The company suffers, the CEO suffers, the reps suffer and overall morale can suffer.

The real truth is that morale doesn’t have to go down IF you play detective to get to the bottom of the problem.  All sales problems can be boiled down into one of these broader categories below.  Or, with a glass half full perspective, THIS is the recipe to sales success…think of ‘PARMM’ as the main ingredients in that recipe and yourself these questions:

• People: Who is selling your product?  Is he/she the right fit for the job?
• Access: Are you reaching the right people to sell your stuff? Are you getting to decision makers?
• Reputation: Do you have a solid reputation to lean on, or are you playing in a dirty sandbox?
• Messaging: Does your message solve a problem for the customer, and does it make your customer the HERO when they buy your product?  Is it too complex or confusing in the slightest?
• Management: Is the right management in place, is the right level or management in place, and does your sales team have the right resources, training and support to be successful?

The bad news?  Change can’t happen until you do the soul searching and real work to figure out the problem.  The good news? Once you pinpoint the areas that need the most attention, you’re back on the road to success.  And that’s what being in business is all about…following a plan, giving it your all, and then rerouting when necessary.

One of my favorite quotes is by Alan Mulally, who brought Ford back to greatness during a time when the company was suffering tremendous losses: “At all times everyone must know the plan, the status and the areas that need special attention.”

Look at the PARMM recipe, and identify one or two areas that need special attention.  Need help looking at your PARMM ingredients under a microscope?  Feel free to get in touch.