Salespeople often are overwhelmed; there's a lot of rushing around trying to sell, market, enter orders, follow-up, invoicing. We have a tendency to push things and fail to review in detail every aspect of an order, proof, and art files in order to ensure accuracy. This process leads to mistakes because we overlook critical details.
We often hear the saying, "the devil is in the details," but what does it mean? According to wiseGEEK.org, "All of the meanings for the term boil down to the fact that it is often the small details of something difficult or challenging. These details can prolong a task, or foil an otherwise straightforward dealing."
This business, more than any other I have worked in, requires the most scrutiny to detail; one misstep can be the difference between success and bankruptcy. Most recently I was listening to a friend of mine who made an error in a quote. The client was ready to move forward, but when the distributor admitted he had misquoted the price, the client was reluctant to do the order. This happens but we can’t expect the client to eat the mistake… would you?
Some folks don't want to hold themselves accountable for their mistakes. I've heard, "My assistant made the mistake," "The factory should have caught that," or, "I have done so much for them, why they can't understand?” I know the pain of having to eat mistakes. I have had more than a mouthful in my day, but when I look back on it I am forced to ask, "What can I take away from this mistake, how can I improve so it never happens again?”
So what can we do to prevent such issues from occurring? It involves having great systems in place to begin with. When I was the CEO of Headwear USA, one of the things we did to ensure that we minimized mistakes with our orders was to have check points for every shipment. It went like this:
1. We knew our inventory extremely well. Each day we ran inventory reports that each person answering phones had on their desks. Inventory was updated in real time.
2. When an SKU ran low and reached our par-level threshold, an order was immediately created and sent to China so they could begin working on the job immediately.
3. When an order was taken (we required an email or fax from the distributor to place the order), the job ticket was then sent to the warehouse to pick against the ticket.
4. The job was QC'd and checked by someone other than the person picking the order, generally the person doing the shipping.
5. Once placed in the UPS system and packed the ticket was then checked by billing before it was sent out.
6. All orders picked and shipped that day were billed out that day, no exceptions.
7. Inventory was reconciled at the end of the day so when the next day began we were ready to go.
8. With all of those checks and balances we incurred mistakes along the way. At each stage we had sign-offs so we could locate problems and make adjustments.
This excerpt from wiseGEEK further validates why we did this – "People who routinely sign such agreements [proofs] usually learn to look them over very carefully, looking for a snag or issue which ultimately makes the deal untenable." Ultimately, we created simple systems that aided us in minimizing failures.
What systems do you have in place to ensure you minimize all issues on your end, and furthermore, are they done always, consistently, every time, no exceptions? One of my mentors, Peter Barblett from Headwear USA, used to say, "If we create a system and do it the same way 100 times and on the 101st time we don’t do it correctly, than the first 100 times didn’t matter."
So, what can you do to ensure errors are minimized? Here is a checklist to consider. (You may have more to add and I would enjoy hearing what you have to say; so please connect with me.)
• Choose good suppliers! There are many out there and some not so good. Use the different services that PPAI and ASI provide; also ask colleagues who they recommend and why.
• Slow down. Mistakes happen more easily when you rush.
• Get all of the information you possibly need from the client and supplier to ensure you have everything so the order flows smoothly.
• DO NOT GUESS OR ASSUME! If something is unclear, get it cleared up.
• Send a complete order to the supplier, which will include:
• Item number
• Quantity
• Complete description of the item in the supplier's catalog
• Actual (not fabricated) shipping and event dates
• Shipping method, carrier, UPS/FedEx number if applicable
• Net costs
• ALL applicable set-up and ancillary costs
• Ship to
• Special instructions
• Artwork, in a file format they can use
• Communicate clearly with your clients and vendors.
• Write everything down -- conversations about each order, times, dates, who you spoke with, and what was said and promised.
• Deal with issues immediately.
• When an issue arises HAVE ALL THE FACTS before going in unprepared.
• Communicate calmly and professionally at every turn.
During my tenure I have arbitrated nearly a thousand situations some easy and some very ugly; most I came away with win-win-win resolutions. I do know this, it is so important to have all of the details before trying to rectify a situation. I believe the person with the most reliable details will ultimately be the one who prevails. If we all took the time to do great work, slow down and became committed to the details we would encounter fewer issues, and enjoy better productivity and higher profits.
Until next month, continued good selling!
Cliff Quicksell, MAS+, has been involved in the promotional marketing industry for over 30 years. He is the recipient of over 25 international sales and marketing awards for innovation, creativity and his contributions to the industry. He can be reached at cliff@quicksellpeaks.com or 301-717-0615.