A proper measurement methodology is how to gauge success.
How can you know where you are going and if you have arrived, when you don’t even know where you are?
Want increased sales? Determine an accurate way to measure sales today. Using sound business principals calculate what sales need to be in the future. Then, work out a plan with measurable milestones along the way to achieve the desired sales result.
This works because what’s measured gets done. – I have set out to write 31 blog posts in March (this is number 18). At 12:01am on March 1st I had zero posts for the month. I need to write one post a day on average. So on Day 18 I must have published my 18th post or have a plan for how I am going to catchup and on what day.
My friend Kevin uses my software to establish a baseline from which he will help his customers improve. He goes into their shop early in the sales process and measures some press sheets. By doing so he determines the current acceptable color and print quality. As he provides his products for testing it’s easy to gauge if the new products have helped, hindered or not changed the print and color quality. Now, he only has to address price and service and let’s be honest the salesperson who has gone to all this effort is down to price. I’d also guess you might be willing to pay a bit more for this quality of service.
Key success metrics should be micro managed. There are steps in every business process I have ever observed, that if followed, virtually guarantee success. Do you know what these steps are in your process? Do you measure them each and every day? When they are not improving do you take action based upon the measured results?