How To Read This Manual

Please do not hesitate to write and mark this manual any way that you feel will help you in understanding this material.  I learned a great tip from John Lawhon regarding his book that I think is a helpful hint for absorbing any important document.  He suggested that you read the book twice.  The first time you read it highlight the important points in yellow.  The first reading is to learn the mechanics of how things are done.  The second time you read it you should highlight the important points in blue.  The second reading covers more of the management side of things, clarifying the why things are done a certain way.  Everything that overlaps turns green.  John calls this money green.

The first time you read the manual you should follow along with the software and open and explore the reports and functions discussed.   

Another great learning tip I have picked up over the years was when I read “Scientology” by L. Ron Hubbard.  He states that the single most important key to learning anything “is to not move past something that you do not fully understand.”  If you do not fully comprehend anything, stop and find the answer.  Raise your hand, ask the professor, look up the word or stop and just think about it.  Be diligent on this simple principle and the rewards are huge.  Regarding TRAX…My telephone number is always displayed on your screen when the system is running (top line).  Please do not hesitate to call (888) Mink-Inc or (888) 646-5462 for any reason.

We are truly delighted to have you as a new customer.  We have had many dealers experience huge improvements in revenue in a short period of time.  You can see a detailed list of our customers and dozens of testimonials on our web site at www.TRAXsales.com.  Your key to success is following these guidelines during the first 21 days and fine-tuning good habits on the sales floor.  You are all very busy and are sometimes over-run with customers on the sales floor.  TRAX is designed to help you stay organized so you can develop healthy long-term relationships with all of your customers.  TRAX is designed to help automate and measure your activity on the sales floor and help determine where you need to focus your attention so your company can be as productive and profitable as possible.

Please follow these simple guidelines and we know you will love the new tools you will have at your fingertips.

·        You should have each salesperson view the 23 minute Salesperson Orientation Movie we have provided (also available on our web site).   They should also be asked to sign the salesperson agreement and provide a copy back to you for your records.

·        A computer should be designated solely for the use of TRAX on the sales floor.  This computer should be placed at the point or the area where your sales team have the best access to the system from several angles.  The ideal is to be set up at counter height so a salesperson can easily walk up to the system, enter their information, then move on.  It is important that a salesperson be able to see the front door and the UpBoard at the same time and that the computer be networked to at least one other computer on the floor.  Is also critical that the manual (paper system) be eliminated.  If you allow the paper system to stay TRAX will fail.

·           The requirements are minimal.  The least expensive Windows based computer available today with a basic CD ROM is perfectly adequate.  A nine pin serial connection will be needed to link with the front door traffic counter.  Do not use an older model computer with slow processor speed.

·           At least one extra computer should be available on the floor for Local Area Networking.

·           Networking should be available at your desk and each manager’s desk.  Initially you should have access to the Performance Summary Report and The “IGE” Information Gathering Efficiency Report.  This should be viewed within the first week to determine if you have any stragglers on the sales floor that may be resisting TRAX.  Sometimes salespeople are a little tentative or afraid of you receiving this new information.  In the back of their mind they may feel that this information is going to be used against them.  You must assure them that this data is designed to make their job easier, their time more productive and each day personally far more profitable.

·           All salespeople should take a few moments to enter all the existing unsold customers in their tickler files they are working with (Hot Unsold Prospects).  It is my belief that if you have a salesperson who has been with you for any reasonable length of time, and they don’t have at least 20-50 quality unsold customer prospects they are sponging off your advertising standing around waiting for the door to swing and need to smell the coffee.  Our goal is to capture quality information on at least 50% of the sales they do not make.  Of course the primary goal is to sell every person who visits your company.  We would all love a 100% closing ratio but we also know that this is not humanly possible.  We must develop TRAX to create and maintain long term meaningful relationships with your customers or our more sophisticated competitors are going to pass you by with a swoosh. 

·           Make sure your salespeople enter a forward action date on each customer.  The day they make that first sale that probably would not have happened without TRAX, they are hooked for life.  TRAX is just like anything else that is totally new.  Once they become familiar with the main screen it will become second nature very quickly and begin generating positive results.  The psychologists tell us that it requires about 21 days to turn a habit into a skill.  I believe you will agree it takes half that time to ingrain this into second nature.

·           One person should be designated as the TRAX administrator.   This person should read all manuals and take the time to understand all the tools in the system.  If you have one person who can make sure TRAX is set up properly and will take responsibility for its performance you are guaranteed dramatic improvement.  If this person is someone who truly cares about the long-term growth of your company you will enjoy incredible strides in performance.

·           Set up an inbox for each salesperson for their daily to do list, automatically printed customer thank you letters and weekly performance letter.  A plastic tray on the central counter will be fine.   The key is that these reports must be waiting for them in the same place each morning.

·           Make sure each salesperson has a personal three-ring organizer for their daily to do lists. 

·           Special Note:  A salesperson should never enter information into TRAX until after that customer(s) has left the premises.  The last thing you want is a salesperson playing with a computer with a customer standing behind them with an open checkbook in their hand.  It is also imperative that after all customers leave that all opportunities be entered.

·           You should use our perpetual spiff contest described later in this manual.  We have had dealers experience major sales improvements from this very competitive perpetual, fun, weekly, three-minute contest.  Of course the ulterior motive is that if they do not insure that all sales are entered then their numbers are going to reflect lower than correct sales volume and they will not win as much money in the spiff contest.  By the way Spiff stands for SPecial Incentive For Fun.