A week to remember Enhancvs spring Power Week

A week to remember Enhancvs spring Power WeekA week to remember s spring Power WeekBefore joining the team, I went into a full-on stalker mode. The first thing I read about the company was a recap from a recent company event they held Power Week. At that point, I still didnt expect to write our next Power Week recap.Why do a Power Week?The first thing youll no doubt ask is What the flip is a Power Week and why should I care? A Power Week is our way of recharging, getting to know each other and doing insane amounts of work in one week. Its parte hackathon, part teambuild I shouldnt use that wordIn short, we rent a place, preferably somewhere scenic and close to nature, we go there and work for a week, all together. Theres already a lot more about Power Week in our previous post.The answer to the why question is a bit more complex. On the face of it, its a big company expense to get 15+ people, including ones who live abroad and ship them to a remote village, pay for accommodation, f ood, etc. But its actually an investment with clear returns. It helps with boosting productivity, improving team communication and building culture.Work hardSo, what is it like to be part of Power Week? The first word that comes to mind is exhilarating. It fills you up with great emotions, stimulates focused productivity. That also leaves you drained at the end of the week, but thats more than OK.Your typical Power Weekday starts at 800 with some physical activity be it a yoga session lumineszenzdiode by our designer Plami, or a Ving Tsun training under the lead of our CEO Georgi. That gives you an initial boost of energy. It keeps your blood pumping and your brain working all throughout the day.After breakfast, everyone starts working on their own weekly goals. We try to take advantage of the fact were all together to also organize some brainstorming sessions, high-level planning, and educational presentations. During this Power Week, we had a presentation that got everyone super excited about implementing Kanban throughout all our departments.The best thing about Power Week is that you can work closely with people you dont usually work with. Everyone sits in the same room and that increases interactions. Its also possible to just jump in on a meeting where you think you can contribute.Related articlesA complete guide to the platform customizing sectionsVing Tsun the martial art thats improving our teams productivityChief Joy Officer A secret weapon of a successful businessPlay hardBut, of course, its notlage all work, work, work. Our operations team had worked hard in order to prepare several exciting adventures. This included horseback riding and an offroad trip to a panoramic spot high up in the mountain.The thing I enjoyed the most, however, are the small moments that pop up during the quieter evenings a board game win at Avalon or an impromptu salsa lesson. These moments let you connect, craft happy memories and build trust with your teammates. And i ts another way of forging connections that then help in everyday work when going gets hard. After all, its hard to act like a douche when you know the life story and the favorite food of the person opposite, right?Final thoughtsIts been about a month since our Power Week ended. The memories are still fresh, the spirits are high and the ideas we discussed high up in the Rhodope mountains are already becoming a reality. Id recommend the experience to every company that wants to make their team stronger. And, of course, Id recommend it for the partying, too ??

Getting a Job as an Album Cover Design Artist

Getting a Job as an Album Cover entwurf ArtistGetting a Job as an Album Cover Design ArtistA cover art designer is a graphic designer who specializes in producing artwork for music-related projects. Often, graphic designers who produce cover art andliner elendesalso dabble in designing posters, T-shirts, and other merchandise for music akrobats and record labels. When Vinyl Was King Truly iconic album covers dont just define an album, they defined an era, a generation and, in some cases, an entire musical genre. Sometimes they do all there, which is the case with The BeatlesSgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club, considered the fruchtwein famous album cover ever produced, topping the list of the top twenty-five covers. The widely-recognized album cover that depicts several dozen celebrities and other images were created by Jann Haworth and Peter Blake, who in 1967 won the Grammy Award for Best Album Cover Graphic Artsfor their work on it.And, while costs were not made public, its said th at at the time, it was the most expensive album cover ever made. Many of the most memorable album covers of the 60s and early 70s were high-concept artworks designed by famed graphic designers like Hipgnosis and Roger Dean, who worked in-house for Roxy Music.Their work was glamorous imagery, more like a 50s fashion shoot than an album cover and they commanded in-house salaries equivalent today to a six-figure salary. Salary Range Today, album cover designers (who create cover art and layout for LPs and CDs) earn an average salary of $48,000, though the general salary range varies widely. Salaries can go up to $150,000, or more, based on experience, a well-developed portfolio, and whether or not a designer is producing work for a well-known artist. Freelance designers (with a roster of established clients) can earn on the high end of the scale, as can designers working in-house if its for a major label like Universal Music Group or SonyMusic Entertainment. Employee vs. Freelan ce Many graphic designers working as freelancers are hired to design cover art on a per-project basis. If you want to work as a freelance graphic designer, you will need tobuild your portfoliowhich can mean doing some initial projects either for generous discounts or free until you have a portfolio that lands you the type of paying gigs you want. If your clients are pleased with your work, youll likely find new business through referrals. Graphic designers working full-time in-house give up the potential for lucrative gigs in exchange for a steady paycheck. The Design Process Analbum cover designer not only designs and/or illustrates the art thats on an album cover but more often than not, does the entire layout, including the back cover, insert or booklet, lyric sheet, CD face print, etc. Freelance design artists often develop a bond with the bandsthey work for, gainingtheir trust, and collaborating with them over long periods of time and multiple albums. Typically, the design er meets with the artist to discuss their ideas. Sometimes the artist has a well-developed idea of what they wantto be createdand other times they have no concept or idea at all and its up to the cover art designer to come up with the ideas. Once a basic direction is understood, the designer develops a series of rough ideas to present to the band. From there, the designer amends their initial concept and after a (hopefully) short back-and-forth process they settle on the covers design. Generally speaking, the longer a designer works with a band, the more intuitive this step becomes. Designers usually work with the artist directly, though it is not uncommon for the label to act as a liaison. Sometimes with major labels, production managers, printers, and other designers may be involved. The smaller the ?artist or more independent they are, the fewer people the designer works with. The process is basically the same when working in-house. There are times when a record label or the musi cians themselves have very specific ideas about how they want their album covers and other merchandise to look. They may have photos or designs in mind, and they may have decided on everything from typefaces to color schemes. In this case, the designer is in charge of laying out their clients artistic vision- typically using graphic design software- and putting it into the proper format to be delivered for manufacturing. Education and Training While schooling is not for everyone, most album cover designers usually have training in Fine Arts or Graphic Design and attempt to get into one the prestigious institutions like the Rhode Island School of Design and CalArts in Los Angeles. The value of training and truly learning a craft cannot be underestimated. Advancement The days of the rock star designers pretty much came and went with the 70s. This is when vinyl was king.These days, many designers diversify because an artist may also need a logo, T-shirt design, backdrops, and o ther design art to support their tours.

Feeling left out at work Heres what you can do

Feeling left out at work Heres what you can doFeeling left out at work Heres what you can doI recently heard two compelling stories that reminded me of the impact of inclusion on employee engagement and morale.In the first story, Joann was feeling frustrated. Tzu siche had been a meeting about a new initiative, but she had not been included. She felt that her department had a role to play in the project and should have been in the meeting. To her, it seemed so logical that she be there, that she couldnt help but take it personally. She drew negative conclusions about her babo and hercolleagues,and even boomeranged her frustration into a few negative thoughts about herself. In the heat of the moment, it didnt occur to her that the meeting organizers might have simply not thought about her or her department.In the second story, Jim had worked vigorously on an important contract for months, including some nights and weekends. On the day the sales team was to make their pitch, Jim sat at his desk wondering how it was going. Five oclock came and went with no word. He began to worry Had the client turned down the proposal after all? Eventually, he wandered over to the sales floor to find out what had happened. As it turned out, the client had signed the contract hours before and everyone had gone home. No one had thought to let him know. He felt dismissed and deflated.While their circumstances are different, both stories remind us of how easy it can be to overlook a colleague and the unintentional impact that can have leaving them feeling left out or unacknowledged.Its not about you.When youre on the receiving end of being overlooked, it can be helpful to remember that as personal as it may feel, its almost never actually about you. While this is not an excuse, the truth is that most people tend to work with tunnel vision, only seeing whats directly in front of them. So, its more likely that they simply didnt think to invite or acknowledge you than that they have an y kind of personal issue about you or your work.How can you know for sure? Communicate.Acknowledging that its probably not about you doesnt mean you need to stay silent. Address the issue from a place of non-reactivity. In Joanns case, she might approach the colleague leading the initiative and talk with him about the role her department will play.In Jims case, he might say something privately, like Hey, I was kind of waiting around to hear how things went yesterday. Next time, Id love to get just a quick note letting me know how the client meeting went. By keeping it neutral and focusing on what you want for next time, you express an intention of moving things forward, as opposed to merely complaining.Employee engagement is paramount.If youre the one whos inadvertently done the dismissing, youve seen the impact on morale and productivity. When people feel like they dont matter, they disengage. Thats certainly not your intention. We all forget sometimes in the rush of things.So, how can you more effectively ensure that you are engaging others appropriately in a given situation? In a word RACI.ARACI planis an incredibly valuable tool leaders and project managers can use to ensure that no one is left out. It provides a concrete framework for identifying the ways that each person might be involved in a project.Each letter of this acronym represents the different rolesR = Responsible= The person assigned/responsible for performing the task.A = Accountable= The person accountable for final decisions and ownership of the work produced.C = Consulted= Those who must be consulted prior to a decision being made, an action being taken, or the task being completed.I = Informed= Those who must be actively informed when a decision is made,actionis taken, or work is completed, before general public announcements are made.In our first example, had the initiative leader mapped out the project, he may have realized sooner that Joann and her department have a C role to play in the initiative overall, and an R role for certain parts of it. With that clarity, hes more likely to have remembered to include her.In the second example, we can safely assume that anyone who puts in special effort on a given piece of work likely warrants an I role. Had the team taken the time to map out a RACI plan, its less likely that Jim would have been overlooked when the contract was signed.When you take the time to think through your work in this way, you help build a culture that pays attention to keeping each other informed. With any luck, your leading by example will mean you get left out less often, too.Alida Zweidler-McKay is the President of ZMCoach, where she works with business owners and leaders to build teams that are creative, productive and fun. Through one-on-one coaching, team coaching and workshops, Alida helps leaders and their teams delegate with ease, communicate effectively and hold each other accountable with grace. For more information, visitbetterlifeatw ork.com.This article previously appeared onBetter Life at WorkandEllevateand BossedUp.org and was republished with permission.

Quality Inspector Job Description Sample

Quality Inspector Job Description SampleQuality Inspector Job Description SampleQuality Inspector Job Description SampleThis quality inspector sample job description can assist in your creating a job application that will attract job candidates who are qualified for the job. Feel free to revise this job description to meet your specific job duties and job requirements.Quality Inspector Job ResponsibilitiesMaintains quality standards by approving incoming materials, in-process production, and finished products recording quality results.Quality Inspector Job DutiesApproves incoming materials by confirming specifications conducting visual and measurement tests rejecting and returning unacceptable materials.Approves in-process production by confirming specifications conducting visual and measurement tests communicating required adjustments to production supervisor.Approves finished products by confirming specifications conducting visual and measurement tests returning products for re-wor k confirming re-work.Documents inspection results by completing reports and logs summarizing re-work and waste inputting data into quality database.Keeps measurement equipment operating by following operating instructions calling for repairs.Maintains safe and healthy work environment by following standards and procedures complying with legal regulations.Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities reading technical publications.Accomplishes quality and organization mission by completing related results as needed.Quality Inspector Skills and QualificationsAnalyzing Information , Reporting Research Results, Documentation Skills, Promoting Process Improvement, Safety Management, Managing Processes, Manufacturing Methods and Procedures, Supports Innovation, CAD, Quality Engineering, Operations ResearchEmployers Post a job in minutes to reach candidates everywhere. Job Seekers Search Quality Inspector Jobs and apply on now. Learn more abouthow to hireWriting a Job Description Reign in Job RequirementsEvaluate a Job Candidates Social SkillsInterviewing Gaffes and Recruiting Disasters

Top Choices of Great Resumes

Top Choices of Great Resumes Each one takes a different strategy and what works for one wont do the job for one more. For clues, you can look to the work description to specify which key terms and phrases you ought to be using in your resume, especially in crucial areas like the header. There isnt anyone golden resume format. When you format your resume you need to be sure your leave enough margin space to permit for printing. For alfruchtwein whatever you want to include on a resume, theres a category to help organize it. Each time you apply to get a new job, check your resume to guarantee that it is not only targeted, but in addition current. Hunting for a job isnt simple, but getting the correct tools can make things a good deal simpler. The Hiring Manager should be captivated by your votum so he or shed be compelled to carry on reading your resume. VisualCV If you would like to fit everything on a single page, the space-saver CV is easily the most suitable format to s elect, particularly for students. Your resume or CV may be among the most important projects you ever design. Notice how the example resumes are extremely specific when it has to do with technical skills. The Lost Secret of Great Resumes LinkedIn is among the many applications you may use to your benefit whilst job hunting and now its even better. Longer Hiring Times Companies are nowadays taking more time to employ people. If youre attempting to obtain work in accounting or finance you require averystrong resume. If you are interested in an instance of fantastic messaging in a resume, have a look at the digital advertising executive resume sample among our completely free downloadable resume templates. Just like most graduates you wont have a lot of work experience to start with so you should concentrate on your abilities and education. Your jobs might be varied, your experience and techniques vast, and it can be hard getting it all on paper. Special skills would be a se ction to spell out the kind of skills which has been developed through the years. Relevant interpersonal skills would be convenient. Work on updating your technical skill sets so that you may stay abreast with the most recent developments in the business. Therefore, our purpose is to provide you the very best tools you have to succeed. If youve got many abilities, the previous skill paragraph may be called Additional Skills. The very first step is to choose the kind of resume that you want to create, and the way it will incorporate your prior experience, job history and strong points, while reflecting the essentials of the jobs applied for. The medical industry can be quite competitive. In reality, you ought to know that lots of companies these days are using Applicant Tracking Systems to help them screen resumes and get the best candidates. Many businesses use some type of screening procedure to recognize the correct candidates. Fortune 500 companies or other big organisatio ns will be searching for certain skills on your CV that are crucial in business. Heres What I Know About Great Resumes The point is to not only underline the skills you have that relate to the job which youre applying to, but in addition provide your possible employer with a chronological record of the jobs youve held previously. Your job (while youre attempting to find a job) is to remember to fit what theyre searching for. Additionally, you may wind up in work which you cant do. Write If youre applying for work abroad or a position in an organization is effective on a worldwide degree, you will need to prove that you have what it requires to stay informed about their fehlte nicht viel paced work environments. Infographic resumes are impossible to comprehend, states MacIntyre. Usually, hiring managers prefer the reverse chronological format since its much easier to read and find important key terms. Limit your resumes to a single page if youre able to. Infographic-style re sumes have gotten popular, and they may be effective when done well.

3 Ways to Reignite Inspiration and Motivation in Your Employees - Spark Hire

3 Ways to Reignite Inspiration and Motivation in Your Employees - Spark HireOne of the frequently asked questions of small geschftlicher umgang managers today is How do I motivate my employees? Quite often, you will find that even your most motivated employees suffer from burnout from time to time. While you need employees who are self-motivating, it is also important that you help to encourage and motivate them as their manager.There are several ways to reignite inspiration and motivation within your employees.1. Share your passion and excitementBelieve it or not, your passion and excitement for your business can be contagious throughout your team. When your team sees the excitement and passion you have for your company and mission, typically, they will begin to display similar feelings.Dont be afraid to show your excitement for your mission. When you gain a new customer, get pumped and share that excitement with your team. Sure, it may be a little goofy to run around the office, sl apping high fives and cheering, but you will gain smiles and energy from your team. After all, whats more exciting than a leader who is truly passionate and displays an energy for each small victory within the organization?2. Share your business achievements and goalsMake koranvers you are having monthly, quarterly, and annual meetings with your team. The purpose of unterstellung meetings is not to bore everyone to death for an hour or two. Rather, the intended purpose of these meetings is to share with the team what your achievements were for that period and establish what your goals are moving forward.Please, leave the power points out of these meetings. What a dragBriefly, run through the updates and achievements, making sure that you recognize outstanding performance. Make these meetings about praising your team for accomplishments and a job well done. If you did not meet your achievements, still keep the meeting encouraging and after discussing the stats, quickly move into futu re goals and what the team can do in order to reach these goals. HC Online mentions that it is important to have inspirational dialog with your team in order to foster and encourage an inspired and motivated staff.During these meetings, offer incentives for reaching certain future goals. Perhaps you will have a pizza party, extra time off, or some other form of fun that the team will enjoy. An important thing to remember is to stick by your incentives. If you promise something, make sure that it is something you can follow through with, should your team reach the goal. There is nothing more discouraging than a boss who doesnt deliver on promises made.3. Implement team building activitiesOne of the most important forms of encouraging motivation and inspiration amongst your team is by implementing team building activities. When you encourage and promote team building activities, it makes your team stronger. They will understand each others differences and build stronger relationships with each other, fostering a positive work environment. When you build a strong team, you build a strong business.As HC Online mentions, its important to keep in mind that different employees are motivated and inspired by different things. I recommend that you get to know your employees personally and ask them what motivates and inspires them. This will help you to ensure that you are making the right decisions in your motivation efforts.How do you keep your team inspired and motivated? Please share your tips below.Image Micha Klootwijk/BigStock.com

Engineering Renewable Energy for Haiti

Engineering Renewable Energy for Haiti Engineering Renewable Energy for Haiti Engineering Renewable Energy for Haiti Even before they graduate, engineering students at Georgia Tech have started to bring much-needed, inexpensive, and reliable solar power to a small remote village of about 6,000 in Haiti, devastated by the 2010 earthquake.Students say projects like these are bedrngnis only great learning experiences, they are also very rewarding, as they know they are helping make peoples lives better in addition to making themselves feel like real practicing engineers.The village, called Thoman, a three-hour drive east of Port-au-Prince, is being developed as a sustainable community by a Mississippi-based nicht gewinnorientiert ministry. The people still live in primitive housing and have no electricity or running water. Only last year did Thoman get connected to Haitis main power grid, but service is so unreliable that a recently opened health center relies mostly on a diesel generat or that is expensive to operate.Living conditions are so poor that one gruppe member, Edlawit (Julie) Bezabih, originally from Ethiopia, said, Haiti is different. I had never experienced conditions like I saw in Haiti. I am from Ethiopia, obviously from Africa, so most of these things are not new for me.ORS Team in Atlanta (from left) Elizabeth Robelo, Julie Bezabih, Wondewosen Kihinet, Liyao Wu, Kyron Longwood. Image Georgia TechRestoring PowerTwo independent teams developed systems that are making life a bit easier. One team of 23 students, led by Frank Lambert, principal research engineer at Georgia Techs National Electric Energy Testing, Research, Applications Center, developed and installed a hybrid micro grid system in the health center, which now provides 24/7 power.The system includes a 7.2-kW photovoltaic array and a battery bank to replace the diesel generator in everyday operations. The team chose this system over other power-generating units after evaluating options, ba sed on technical and economic criteria, such as daily energy production and maximum annual capacity shortage, as well as ease of use and ability to obtain replacement components when needed.The other, smaller team of five students, guided by Ph.D. mentor Liyao Wu, developed and installed a smaller solar-powered system that provides LED light, replacing kerosene lamps for single family houses and phone charging so that residents dont have to travel miles to find a power source. When this team started its project a year ago, they knew their work was destined for Haiti eventually but had no idea when, so they didnt expect to see the final results. Several months later when they learned they would go to Haiti the next spring to do the installation themselves, that gave them even mora inspiration to design the very best project for the Haitian people, Bezabih says.The team spent the first several months learning about power electronics circuits, doing simulations, and talking about diffe rent designs. By February, they had a system they thought would work, consisting of a controller board that interfaced with the solar roof panels to dienstgrad LED lights and phones via USB ports.Then testing began. One of the first issues the team faced was a circuit board that blew out around noon when radiation and voltage are very high. Under the guidance of Wu, the team employed a voltage regulator to take it down so that the circuit board worked perfectly.ORS Team inside the second house theyve powered, with the owner and her daughter. Image Georgia TechEven bigger challenges arose after they arrived in Thoman. They did not know ahead of time what schrift of houses they would be working on, and the team realized it had to create a new mount for the solar panels to be positioned for maximum sun exposure. The installation kit they brought wasnt useful, and they learned that only two team members were light enough to work on the weak rooftops. We had to drill and do everything ou rselves, Bezabih says.When they needed guidance and troubleshooting, they called for help from someone on the health care center team, who had previous experience installing solar panels. That first installation took two days, the second one, only five or six hours.Optimizing DesignAlthough what happens next is not set yet, Wu is ready to hand off the project to a new graduate student to work with the next team because he will be focusing on his Ph.D thesis, and most, if not all, of the other team members are graduating. But Wu has laid out ideas for what could come next.The design is not yet optimized, Wu says. What we have is a working prototype that provides power to the customer, but the board is large and bulky. We should be able by mora careful design to shrink the size and make it lighter and still give the same or better performance.The system currently is charged via a power bank during the day, but he would like to see a battery incorporated so that it will automatically g et charged during the day. We werent able to do that before because of time constraints, he says.An added benefit that the researchers hope can happen is that the teams can teach the Haitians how to build and install the systems themselves, providing much needed employment opportunities where none exist today.Wu hopes one day he can get back to projects that offer help to people in need. Our project helped two families, and there are hundreds there, he says. I hope that more can be installed in more homes and that they can be more functional, not just for cell phones and lighting but to power more complex functions maybe pump water and other things they need electricity to do. They have a very long way to go.Nancy S. Giges is an independent writer.Learn about the latest energy solutions at ASMEsPower Energy Conference and Exhibition.Our project helped two families, and there are hundreds there. I hope that more can be installed in more homes and that they can be more functional.Liy ao Wu, Ph.D. student, Georgia Tech

Overcome Age Discrimination on Your Resume

Overcome Age Discrimination on Your ResumeOvercome Age Discrimination on Your ResumeWhen youre searching for a new job, you would think that extensive experience would always be a plus but, as many experienced job seekers can attest, sometimes employers are wary of hiring more experienced individuals. To be clear, age discrimination is illegal and we, in no way condone not hiring employees on the basis of their age or any other any discriminatory basis. But unfortunately, age discrimination is a reality with which more experienced job seekers need to be knowledgeable about so they can effectively manage their job search and resume materials.So what can you do to overcome age discrimination on your resume? Here are some tips to help youFocus on the past 10 to 15 years.If you have a 40-year career, then your resume is going to be lengthy. Not only do hiring managers tend to focus on your most recent position(s), but its unlikely that youre going to attain a role based experience from 25-40 years ago.Including your entire hintergrund will also tip-off hiring managers to your age. For those reasons, we recommend focusing on the most recent 10-15 years. Keep in mind that your resume is a marketing document, not an autobiography. You are not required to keep every role from earlier in your career on your resume.Create a Gmail account.If you have an AOL, Yahoo or Hotmail account, it can immediately age you. There is nothing inherently wrong with those email providers, but theyre less common among younger workers. Instead, we recommend creating a Gmail account for your job search. When you do, make sure you dont include your birth year, such as mmi52il. Stick to something simple and straightforward with your name in it. Beyond that, also avoid dated referenced to old technologies or buzzwords.Skip graduation dates.While its important to include dates in your employment history, you dont need to include the year you earned your degree. If you do, hiring managers can q uickly determine your age. Instead, leave that information off and simply include the name of the university you went to and the degree you earned, as well as any minors or special honors.Get rid of the objective.In the past, it was standard to include an objective on your resume. But todays hiring managers know that youre looking for a job, so it simply wastes space. Instead, to avoid age discrimination on your resume, use that area to list a summary of qualifications most pertinent to the position youre applying for. Highlight key accomplishments, as well as tasks and responsibilities.Create a LinkedIn profile.In todays world, hiring managers expect you to have a profile on social media especially LinkedIn thats complete and compelling. If you dont, make sure you create one now, before you begin your job search.Are you looking for a new job and suspect youre suffering from age discrimination on your resume? Let the team at ResumeSpice help. We can help you create a resume that g ets noticed for all the right reasons and avoids the pitfalls of age discrimination on it. Get started or learn more today by calling 832.930.7378.

Calculating Your Sales Activities

Calculating Your ausverkauf ActivitiesCalculating Your ausverkauf ActivitiesOne of the toughest aspects of being a salesperson is the uncertainty factor. Its always possible to have a bad month or even several bad months in a row, which can put any salesperson in real financial difficulties. The good news is that you can lessen the odds of a long losing streak by knowing exactly which sales activities to pursue and how often to pursue them. Sales Metrics To know which activities will yield best for you based on your current situation, youll need to keep track of your sales metrics on a regular basis. Keep a cold call tracking sheet and fill it out each time you make calls this will help you to figure out your call percentages. Specifically, you can track the number of dials it takes on average to yield one appointment. This number will change from day to day depending on your mood, your approach, and sheer luck (good or bad). So if you track this number over time, youll have a m uch more accurate idea of your real average. Appointment Percentage Youll also need to keep track of the next important percentage in sales the percentage of appointments that you manage to close. Again, you should look back at your activities over several months to get a reliable average. With these two percentages, youll have an excellent idea of how to construct a sales pipeline that will keep your sales flowing in smoothly. Before you can use this number, however, you need to consider the result. If you dont have a set goal, youll be just as in the dark as if you hadnt bothered to track your activities at all. Your sales goal should be achievable, and it should be enough to cover your expenses with some money left over. That extra money can go towards covering your costs during the slow months. Past Sales Once youve picked a goal, its time to evaluate your past sales. If you havent been tracking these numbers, your sales manager can probably give you her records from pr evious months. Specifically, youre looking for how much money you earn in commissions on an average sale. This calculation can get complicated if youre on a sliding commissions scale (e.g. if you get one commissions percentage for meeting your quota and then a higher commissions percentage if you go above your quota). You may need to juggle some numbers based on how many sales you think you can close on an average month. Dont use your exceptionally good months as the standard for comparison you want a number that you can reach at least half the time, and youre safer if you pick a more pessimistic total. For example, lets say you receive a 10% commission on every sale and your average sale is for $4,000. In that case, you make (on average) $400 for every sale you close. If your goal is to take home $3,200 per month in commissions, you need to close eight sales per month consistently. Remember, its better to be pessimistic than optimistic in these calculations, or youre likely to and rang out of money in the bank. If eight sales per month is a real stretch for you, youll need to make some significant changes. You can either cut your expenses, or you can start a crash course in selling until youve improved your overall performance to the level you require. Whats the Number? Assuming that eight sales per month are a workable number for you, you can now plug in the two percentages that you figured out earlier. Lets say that it takes you 12 cold calls on average to set one appointment, and you close one out of every four appointments you set. In that case, you need to make 48 cold calls to close one sale. And since your goal is to make eight sales per month, youll need 384 cold calls a month to make your goal. The beauty of having these numbers at your fingertips is that you dont have to wonder if youre doing enough prospecting or if youre going to meet your quota this month. You will always know exactly how close you are to achieving your goals, and knowing th at will help boost your confidence thus helping you make even more sales.