PUMP UP THE SALES – May 2012

by Alana, KBC Delta

BELIEVE

Believe has been used a lot lately to promote all types of events; the 2010 Winter Olympics—Canada used it in their slogan;

NHL Hockey—recently used in a play-offs slogan;

The London 2012 Winter Olympics—Canada has renewed their belief.

Now is our time to Believe, our time to celebrate every step we take toward the completion of our common goal, which is the successful transition and growth of KBC Tools and Machinery.

So Step-Up, and climb the ladder to success.

We will not only be utilizing a brand new P21 computer system, launching a new web-site, utilizing bar coding and a new inventory management program, we will be changing things up a bit more to aid in our success.

Together we can make this happen.

Together we can achieve this goal and many others.

Data cleansing: check.

Bar coding: check.

Substitute Items The Waves & Rounds: check.

Courses, classes, tests: check.

Remember, doing the best we can is all we can do—so believe in our success, overcome the challenges and we will all grow and benefit from our triumph.

With tangible, defined goals set before us, with measurable deadlines we are sure to reach our goal.

Remember, if you’re falling behind, need help or advise; speak up, ask questions, reach out; staying silent is like standing in the dark—turning on the light makes everything better, brighter and visible.

 

PROMPTING OUR CUSTOMERS TO BUY BIGGER

Prompting a customer to buy is as easy as asking them the question:

Would you like us to load your new bandsaw for you?

Keeping it light and prompting a customer on a big sale can be exciting and surprising.

I have sold a few machines over the years with that same question.

Sometimes, it’s not a new bandsaw they are interested in, it may be a lathe, a mill, a grinder or a drill press; asking them the  question opens a dialogue on machinery and by opening a dialogue we create an opportunity where one may have not existed before.

Let the client tell you about their needs and requirements, listening here will be your best skill utilized.

You may find you are quoting on a lot more than you originally thought.

 

GROWING TEN ACCOUNTS AT A TIME

We all have our accounts to grow.  Be sure that you allow yourself the time to contact them, keep them growing, offer them the Spiff with their orders, offer discounts on doubling their orders, offer them some of our close-out and clearance items, over the phone for those that don’t have the opportunity to visit and at the counter for those that do.  Communicate with our accounting team to be sure there are not issues with their accounts that may hold up your increases.  Make doing business with KBC a easy and pleasant experience.  This will insure good growth, like water and sunshine for each seed we plant; we must tend the garden too.

 

FULL STEAM AHEAD

Well we’ve begun our journey, we’re on our way, there’s no stopping us now, it’s full steam ahead for KBC Tools and Machinery.

So get on board, make those sales, increase our presence in the minds of our clients.  Do our due diligence and reap the rewards of our successes.  Get the information, the emails, the contacts (first and last), position, department, and so on—our NEW computer will have a place for this information—a place we can all utilize to increase our sales and get bigger orders!

So, Go Team KBC!

 

SPRING CLEANING

With our exciting new changes happening, now is the time to be proactive with our Spring Cleaning.  We need to work hard to clean up those outstanding backorders, offer subs, check other branches, close the sales now.

Be sure the stock we show is in fact what we have and it is where we indicate it is in our computer.  One shelf away is not going to cut it. Be sure we follow the guidelines of one item, one location and the location is correct in our computers.

Clear out old clutter, dust the corners of our offices and warehouses, discard old, old documents (according to our record keeping guidelines).

Purge our office supplies, make sure we have enough of what we do need, shippers, invoices, statements, copier paper, computer paper, ink, ribbons, etc to see us through to our transition time.

Let Mississauga and or Michigan know if you have a surplus on these same documents.

 

DEVELOPING A RAPPORT – A Friendly Relationship

Each of our clients and our potential clients deserves our friendly, courteous, undivided attention when we are servicing their needs and requirements.  Making sure they have this sense when they call or visit is imperative to developing and maintaining a good rapport with each person we come into contact with.

Once we’ve developed these friendly relationships, it becomes easier to increase orders, sell them Spiffs, and ask them for more orders or larger ones.

 

WE CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS BY CREATING OPPORTUNITY

I just had a customer call and say “Hi Alana, If I wanted to buy something and didn’t know where to go, where should I go?” and I said “HERE!”

We laughed.  Unfortunately we couldn’t supply him with an odd sized diamond drill bit he needed yesterday, we did however create an opportunity for a future sale by taking the time to help him.  We developed some psychic debt.

He thanked us for our trouble and said he would definitely call us again.

 

WE BUY SMART.  WE BUY RIGHT.  WE BUY TOUGH.  AND WHEN YOU BUY BRAND KBC, SO DO YOU!

Remember to offer Brand KBC when making those sales!

We have a lot to offer our clients, so increase those

orders and sell, sell, sell!

 

THANK YOU FOR SELLING AND FOR WORKING SO HARD!  IT IS APPRECIATED!

In closing we would like everyone to acknowledge each other for their added efforts so far in all of our on-going projects.

For stepping up and attaining our goals.

For going the extra mile and through it all maintaining a smile.

Please realize with the added tasks we may find added pressure, we may find shorter tempers and we may find less calm demeanors; do what you can to give yourself a moment to unplug and recharge and give your co-worker the same moment.

Gearing up for our great endeavor we will need everyone to be on top of their game, to be clear minded, energized and patient.

It hasn’t gone unnoticed either that all of these projects have been done all while we are working to increase our orders, our sales and shore up loose ends.

Have a moment to spare, reach out and call a client either on your accounts to grow list or someone you’ve not heard from for a while.  Create your opportunities.

Keep up the outstanding efforts and sell, sell, sell!

PUMP UP THE ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE – May 2012

by Alana, KBC Delta
TIMING IS EVERYTHING

We find here in Delta that the majority of our payments come in after the 20th of each month.  This may hold true for some, all or none of you, however this is why we make a huge push around mid-month for any straggler accounts.

We print their statement and either fax or email it to them.

If they have an old invoice /invoices we fax or email it / them with the statement.

We then follow up with a phone call.

We document our conversation and their payment promises in our notes.

We offer other forms of payment:

Electronic Funds Transfer has allowed us to make poor payers into some of our best payers.

Credit cards are accepted with a nominal charge for account payments past due.  This has worked well for those clients that just want to clear it up now, with a little coaxing.

We’ve had clients go directly to the bank and deposit there too, mainly on machine orders they want moving now, but still an option for those when they are past due.

 

SMART COLLECTION

What you permit, you promote!

Don’t put off those collection calls, you know the one’s where all you get are excuses, if not complete avoidance.  People do the duck and dodge.

Be smart when calling on these clients.  We find blocking our number and changing up the times we call and sometimes even who make the call makes the difference.

It’s hard sometimes and frustrating, do not let them defeat you.

Ask them what would have to happen for us to be paid on time?

Put it back on them.

Often we will get some insight into what is really going on; allowing us to make better credit decisions in the future.

 

RESULTS FROM A GREAT TRAINER

Be a great trainer!

Train them early and keep them in training, some you’ll find will take care of themselves and some will need a push now and then.

We need to train our clients early and help keep them on track, when they stray from the program, we need to gently nudge them back in line.

Keeping up with what our clients need to successfully pay us on time is a part of our job.  Sending out invoices, timely statements, giving reminder calls when needed all facilitate to our clients success, which in turn is our success.

Address issues early, process credit memo’s, sending faxed copies and proof of delivery—all part of the process.

What we allow, you encourage and by default, make acceptable—don’t let accounts payable stray.  Catch them early and keep them on track.

 

TAKE THE CHALLENGE

Challenge yourself, your branch, your AR team, to decrease your collection day index, to reduce your percentage over 60, and even the number of lines on your reports.  Paula sends us each and every month the A/R company summary report.

Use our April 2012 to challenge yourself, your team and your branch to better your own results—which as an added bonus will better our corporate results.

“What can be accomplished if we challenge ourselves can only be determined with action!”

DETERMINING OUR BEST COURSE OF ACTION

Sometimes the best laid plans can go sideways on us.  We may do everything in our bag of tricks with no payment in hand.  Things to remember, we may have used all of our tricks without result, this does not mean that someone else’s bag of tricks is all used up.  Ask for help, don’t be shy, when we need to get our money in, there is a reason to cry….help me please…I need your advise.

How should I proceed?

Someone will always have your back!