Most reps read one percentage and close the report.
Then the monthly review comes, and the manager asks the questions the rep never asked himself. The answers exist. They were in the report the whole time.
Four questions I ask every rep to put to their own numbers:
- Against target: where do I stand for the month and year to date?
- Against last year: did I move, or did the whole market move?
- By product: which product carries me, and which one is hiding behind it?
- By account: where exactly did the change happen?
Before any of that, know which number you are reading. Sell-in to the distributor, sell-out to pharmacies and hospitals, and distributor inventory are three different numbers. Mixing them up leads to the wrong conclusion every time.
A good month on target can still hide a falling product.
Write one question per tile before you walk into the review.
“Read your numbers before someone reads them to you.”
Lesson 1 of 5 in Step 2: Your numbers and forecast, with the full guide and a checklist for this week. Discuss this lesson on LinkedIn.