“If you want to grow your business by at least 10%, you should do a better job of selling adhesives. What better goal to put out there,” said Murfin, attributing that valuable insight to Taylor’s director of Technical Services, Gary Scheidker.
“Going into 2023, people are going to have to get creative on how to sell more product and grow their business. The key to that is to sell more accessories,” observed Murfin. “We get repeated requests for information from our customers on how to increase their business, how to sell more product, and clearly the opportunity is on how to sell more accessories.”
The role of TAYLOR TIME is a reflection on the need to inspire and educate the sales channel, born out of necessity as a way of communicating to Taylor customers during the pandemic. “Every time we ask ourselves is there still value to TAYLOR TIME, the answer is ‘yes.’ It’s been a great journey. And we do add value to our customers. It’s even used as a teaching resource by them for their sales teams,” he said. Note: TAYLOR TIME LIVE episodes are archived on the TAYLOR TIME YouTube channel for viewing repeatedly and at any time.
The TAYLOR TIME communications platform created a means to stay connected during a time of travel restrictions and lockdowns. It includes TAYLOR TIME LIVE, NEWS, TIPS, PARTNER EXCLUSIVES, and BUZZ, the Blog of Taylor Adhesives. “Following the pandemic, there was a remarkable uptick in activity, then came supply chain challenges on how to keep pace with that incredible demand, then the ice storm in Texas that hit which impacted raw materials availability, and now entering 2023, we have an economy that is less than certain,” reflected Murfin. Throughout all of that, TAYLOR TIME has kept providing valuable insights from industry experts representing a variety of fields and product categories.
But achieving strong sales goals also requires an understanding of your product, which is part of the challenge in selling adhesives. “We hear from salespeople, manufacturers, flooring contractors and distributors that they don’t understand the adhesives category as well as they would like. Frankly, we tend to speak too technically about the product we sell. We are going to help the typical salesperson in the industry understand the category, and over time do a more effective job of selling it.” Continued Murfin, “Even if you are an expert installer, you may not necessarily understand all the terms. I’ve challenged our team on finding ways to simplify the category and bring more understanding for doing a more effective in the marketplace.”
The fourth year of TAYLOR TIME LIVE will do just that, by focusing on the goal of selling more adhesives. In so doing, you will grow your business and, in the process, become a more valuable partner to your customer. Watch for a new episode on the third Thursday of each month.
In addition to improved product knowledge and category sales technique, here is a framework to help you set strong goals for your business. Setting strong goals is an essential aspect of running a successful business, whether you are a flooring retailer, distributor, contractor, or OEM. Here are some steps that can help you set strong goals. TAYLOR TIME content can inform all these steps:
- Define your vision and mission: Before setting goals, you need to have a clear understanding of your business’s vision and mission. This will help you align your goals with the overall purpose of your business.
- Use the SMART framework: Use the SMART framework to set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals. This will help you create goals that are realistic, achievable, and meaningful.
- Consider your resources: When setting goals, consider the resources you have available, such as time, money, and personnel. Set goals that are challenging but achievable based on your available resources.
- Get input from stakeholders: Consult with stakeholders, such as employees, customers, and investors, to ensure that your goals align with their expectations and needs.
- Monitor and adjust: Monitor your progress towards your goals regularly and adjust them if necessary. This will help you stay on track and make any necessary changes to ensure that you reach your goals.
Overall, setting strong goals requires careful consideration of your business’s vision and mission, using the SMART framework, considering available resources, and getting input from stakeholders. By following these steps, you can set goals that are challenging, meaningful, and achievable, and help your flooring business achieve success. Include TAYLOR TIME in your plan.
Watch “Setting Strong Goals” on the Taylor YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/live/gdrB4PqsHQo?feature=share