There are always opportunities through which businessmen can profit handsomely if they will only recognize and seize them. (J. Paul Getty)
The CEO of an internet marketing company told me that he can give detailed reports of how successful his campaigns are. He offers the reports to all the marketing managers who hire him. Often they say, “We don’t want your reports. Measurable results don’t matter. We are going to spend the money and get long term results you can’t measure.” I think, in reality, those marketing managers are saying, “I’m afraid to report how much I increase revenue because I’ll be fired if it is too low.”
Salespeople and people who work for customers at an hourly rate can all figure out exactly how much money they bring in to their company. Most do not track the figure over time. They worry about getting paid and then throw away the information. Every dollar they generate should be tracked, recorded, reported and bragged about in the long term.
Even if you are not in sales or directly billable, go about your day thinking about how your actions generate money. An accountant who suggests expanding a line of business has generated revenue and should take credit for it. A clerk who gets slow customers to pay up has generated revenue. Have you given leads to salespeople? Did you assist in sales presentations? How many people did you sign up for the new marketing program? Many people bring in revenue and never think about it. I would hire the guy who says, “I HELPED bring in $180,000 last year”, over the one who says, “I worked really hard”.
Make sure and write down what you did to bring in new revenue. Every month, quarter and year you should report it and put it in your job journal. Estimates are fine. And put it on your resume. It will set your resume apart. It may just be the thing that gets you an interview.
Something To Do Today
Spend a full day noting down the ways you help bring in money. The projects you work on and the individual things you do all count. Take credit for your team’s accomplishments too.
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Tomorrow: Show better customer service
Later: The Heisenberg uncertainty principle
Post-it notes