Don’t Bob Ross it, he’s not a Sales Manager

I review with companies their current client base and their process and strategies for growing their business. A major part of this process is a review of WHERE and HOW they got their best clients.

Way too often, they seem to be “Happy little accidents.”

It reminds of watching Bob Ross paint his pictures when I was growing up.  It always started with marks on the canvas, it didn’t look like a portrait.  And he would make mistakes, “Happy Little Accidents” but eventually they would be integrated into parts of the portrait.  By the time he was done, there was a beautiful landscape, “happy little accidents” and all.

A review of a small business sales process often times is the same experience.  The beautiful landscape that is their current book of business is made up all these “happy little accidents”. 

·       An RFP that was won that they weren’t expecting.

·       An old golf buddy that awarded them the business.

·       A decision maker that was an alumni of the same university and fraternity or sorority.

These are all great reasons to get business but there is one major problem.  They are “happy little accidents”.  All combined, they paint a great picture. But it’s a new year and every business wants to generate revenue to continue to grow.

So that means a blank canvas is being put on the easel and you have to do it all over again, maybe even better than you did last time.  If you are relying on those same “happy little accidents” to occur to paint another breathtaking scenic view, then you are setting yourself up for failure.

Knowing what to do and how to do it is the best way to achieve success and it never ceases to amaze me how little organizations invest in the one process that can actually MAKE money and not COST money…the sales process. 

Stop Bob Rossing it.  He’s not a sales manager.  PLAN to grow your business, don’t do it accidentally.