In today's busy work schedule salespeople find it difficult to see all of their clients. Customers are demanding more time from their sales representatives looking for the magic that brings results from their product or service. That additional time spent with the client steals time away from seeing new businesses and potential clients. This demanding client requires top salespeople to become great managers of their time.

A simple but useful way to manage sales calls that brings good results is called the ABC…1234 plan.

This plan can be implemented in all types of time planning but it is very useful in planning sales calls and preparation.

Step 1

Make a list of your entire account list and assign a letter to each account.

A - IMPORTANT ACCOUNTS - These accounts are going to make the biggest difference in your revenue. They are high value accounts that spend the most. They are the 20% of the accounts that make up 80% of the business (Pareto's Rule). Pareto's Rule separates the vital few from the trivial many.

B - GROWTH ACCOUNTS - These accounts are fairly regular in their approach to purchasing your products. They generally buy something once a month or so. You can depend on them to buy special event sales or special offers. They don't usually buy huge volume or high value items but are medium sized accounts that make up 30% to 40% of your account list. As their business prospers they have the potential to become an "A" account. These accounts take up much of your time. They want you to view them as "A" accounts. If you treat them right they can turn into "A" accounts. They may not have an enormous ad budget but they will give most of it to you if you provide results.

C- FRINGE ACCOUNTS - These accounts make up the bottom 40% to 50% of your call list. These are the accounts that generally would be nice to call on when you have time. That does not mean to ignore them completely, but they are not to be a priority when properly managing your call time. They are not going to make a huge difference in your company revenues even when you do sell to them. However, you cannot ignore them. Try to use the telephone, fax or e-mail to contact them on a regular basis. Occasionally, you should call on them face to face. You can put these accounts on a rotating call list that requires you to visit them once every 4 to 8 weeks.