Call Reports Are A Must

One thing I always hated about sales was the paperwork that came along with the job. Sales people love to sell and many are not that good with paperwork. This might be one reason why so many of us struggle with having to do call reports. Some look at these reports as management's score card when in fact they are a necessary document that should recall important facts that arose during a meeting or telephone conversation.

As a manager, I never fell in love with call reports that were nothing more than traffic reports. You know the kind I’m talking about. Reporting things like: “Sent Suzie a Schedule of Issues and Rate Card”...…. Or “Delivered copies of the current issue.” These types of reports are meaningless and a waste of time. Give me a report that is concise. Better to submit a report that points out reasons why the client doesn’t want to commit and what next steps are planned. Make the report short and to the point. Don’t write gospels thinking that a full page of comments make you look better in the eyes of your boss.

If you write the report so that it helps you recall the facts before the next meeting, you will be amazed at how short and informative the report will be. If you write the report to satisfy management requests, then you are sure to fall into the trap of trying to fill a page with useless commentary.

Another thought about call reports are to complete them as soon as possible after the call has been made. That means the same day, not two or three weeks after. Getting into the habit of doing these reports daily and with pertinent facts will help you better organize for the next meeting and any follow up that needs to happen. Once again, the ACT program allows for the easy completion of these reports.

In short, do the reports so that the information benefits you and the needs of the client. It will help you get over having do to paperwork. It will also help you become a better resource for your customer.

Keep Making Those Calls,


Tony