The best goals…Reclaiming the sale…

The best goals …Start with BAM

Ever heard a businessperson say something like, “We hope to grow sales by X% next rear”? It might sound like a goal, but it’s not. It’s an aspiration, a hope. And that’s fine, but hope isn’t a goal. A goal is a specific target that’s believable, achievable, and measurable. And the acronym for those three, (BAM) is one we need to have embed in our minds whenever goals are created.

If it’s not really believable what’s the point? If it’s not achievable because we don’t have the resources to achieve it, it’s probably a waste of time and effort. And most importantly if it’s not sufficiently specific enough to be measured, how can we ever know if we’ve actually succeeded?

The last one is the most likely to be given the short shrift. Goal example: “Open three new on-premise laundry accounts this year.” Not a bad idea, but absent the timing when each is going to be closed, we have a goal that isn’t measurable in the most critical aspect of all: When!

Better to set a goal of opening one by Feb 28, the second by June 31 and the third by November 30. Now we can actually know if we’re on target. Of course, another important measurable might be the total sales volume of them and if those three are new customers, expansions of existing accounts, or both.

Next up: Plans that match the goals.

Reclaiming the sale…With some reclaiming

While the traditional short form laundry survey may be the common portal for selling that on-premise operation, sometimes gaining access to the stored linens and the wash programs that are necessary to assemble it can be a problem. Perhaps they’re so fully satisfied with the incumbent supplier that that they won’t even consider allowing you see those critical clues.

What then?

Ask them if they’d like to reclaim some of thier stained out of service linen. Maybe even offer to do free if you can’t recover a third of it. Now at the onset, we realize there are stains that can’t be made to dissapear. But normally somewhere between 40% to 60% of the fabrics in that hamper can be recovered. And given the cost of replacing that hamper of sheets and terry, that’s not exactly chickenfeed.

So, reclaiming that hamper full of stain work can be profitable for them. And while it’s not a bonanza to you, the chemicals used to get it done are a decent one-time sale. More importantly, your ability to rescue that stained work might just cause them to reconsider their earlier appraisal of that incumbent’s capabilities.