Business language has shifted to the point that “sales” has become a dirty word. Here’s what no one wants to talk about: Without sales, there is no business.

Sales equates to revenue, which is the lifeblood of every company. Revenue fulfills two essential tasks:

• It covers expenses, which allows for sustained growth.
• It funds marketing…and marketing is only worthwhile if it provides a net return in more sales.

Make no mistake. Pre-sales, HR, Marketing, Finance and every other department are functionally devoted to supporting sales. In a successful business, these all work together to ensure smooth transactions between companies and consumers.

Sales is still about people

While it ultimately boils down to numbers, sales is still about people. Sales is the meeting point between customer need and product value.

An excellent sales team will communicate and sell the value of your company’s products to target demographics, and simultaneously collect critical statistical information regarding market trends.

The sales numbers will tell you if your product is providing value. Revenue is the best endorsement. It’s up to you to listen to your customers.

Your sales forecast IS your business strategy.

Every single operation in your business needs to be guided by your sales goals.

‘Soft metrics’ are tempting, but they are ultimately a trap. Obsessing over customer satisfaction, investing in flashy-but-ineffective marketing, or otherwise focusing on numbers that don’t generate cash flow leads to putting perceived value over the only thing that keeps your business afloat: revenue.

The further removed from cashflow your terminology is, the further you are from your goals. It’s crucial your vernacular is directly consistent with sales revenue, otherwise you risk hiding the realities of your sales health — and by extension, your business success.

Sales savvy is the key to investors, clients, and everything that sustains your company. This cannot be emphasized enough. Making sales is the foundation of your company, on which everything else is built.

Forgo vague goals and aspirations and make decisions based on the hard data of your revenue streams.

Successful companies prioritize their entire workforce around their sales forecast. Proliferating sales goals throughout the organization allows every department to work in conjunction towards the same result. Even creatives in Marketing should have a deep understanding of the sales benchmarks.

What has Covid-19 changed?

In short: nothing.

Yes, there is a level of adaptation that is essential for the current climate. New opportunities are expanding every day and your advertising strategies must develop quickly as consumer habits change.

But even in uncertainty, the most vital principle remains the same: measure your success in sales. Not likes. Not Zoom calls. Sales.