There’s more to the bottom line than revenue.

Money is necessary, for sure. Loving what we do as entrepreneurs doesn’t mean we work for free. That’s why sales systems are designed to hit revenue targets and generate results. We need to keep money flowing so creativity can flow too, right?

Certainly, professional satisfaction means looking at the bottom line – but there’s more there than just revenue.

Your business can consistently deliver to your bank account and still be a really bad fit for your life and goals.

So let’s avoid that!

Here are four things you should consider about how your business works that have nothing to do with revenue or cash flow:

How do you feel about things?

I call this the Authenticity Quotient. It’s also known as the “yuck factor” or that vague feeling in the pit of your stomach when things just aren’t true to how YOU want to show up in your market.

When evaluating your current sales system, it’s important to take a minute and check in with yourself by asking a few questions like these:

• How do I feel when I think about planning a new campaign? Excited and energized or filled with fear, dread, and feelings of overwhelm? Effective sales systems should give you a sense of positive pre-campaign anticipation, not nerves and anxiety.
• How do I feel in the days and weeks after the cart closes? If you’re exhausted, drained, and considering getting an entry level job in food service or retail, there’s something negative going on in your system. Maybe you’re doing too much. Maybe what you’re doing feels confusing or frustrating. Time to pause and check it out.

Intuitively, you know when you’re true to your personality and perspective. You know deep inside when you’re honoring your body’s energy levels and engaging authentically with your tribe. When things are off internally, you know something needs to change.

How is your audience responding to your message?

A healthy sales system creates a natural, positive audience response to each campaign. Rather than feeling surprised, annoyed, or frustrated by the message, people on your list are relieved because they finally have an opportunity to buy your stuff. They’ve been reading your posts, getting to know you, and thinking about how your product or service would make a difference for them. When you open the cart, they eagerly check out the offer and consider it carefully.

Is that what happens when you promote something?

Or does engagement drop off and the unsubscribe rate start climbing? When your sales system is misaligned, your audience can tell. They stop connecting, commenting, and asking questions. They get quiet – ignoring your content and waiting for the campaign to end, so things get back to normal.

What is the state of your business operations?

This question (also known as “what did you neglect so you could promote something?”) is about the balance in your business and the operational costs of your sales system.

Healthy sales systems are a normal function of business and create minimal disruption. Customer issues are still resolved, a product still ships, and administrative work gets done. Sure, your energy might be focused on the current campaign, but not to the exclusion of everything else.

Something is off when business operations grind to a halt during each sales campaign. The team is so busy spending nearly 100% of their available time and energy “launching” that everything else is pushed to the backburner. Task lists get longer and longer as customer issues are neglected, and shipments are backlogged. When the cart closes, everyone heaves a sigh of relief and then looks around and the mess created while their attention was on sales.

So, is your sales system a balanced part of your normal operations? Or do you (like many of us) face an operational nightmare at the end of every sales campaign?

How’s the team doing? Working together or pulling apart?

Psychologists study stress all the time. They tell us that people under pressure either pull together to become a strong, cohesive unit or they come apart as issues divide them and anxiety becomes overwhelming. The difference is often due to training and leadership.

One thing is consistent, though. Stressful sales systems affect your team dynamics.

Think for a moment about your organizational team dynamics after your last sales campaign. What comes to mind in terms of interpersonal relationships, stress levels, and anxiety? Consider especially what your core team members were telling you in terms of their job satisfaction, energy levels, and dedication. Did they pull together or pull apart?

Now turn your attention to your experience as a leader. The campaign itself may have felt smooth, orderly, and positive. Or, it may have felt like you were gathering 1000 stray cats and attempting to train them to line dance.

Healthy sales systems give the team the tools they need to pull together. There are plans in place for overcoming challenges, and everyone is fully trained and able to handle their responsibilities. As the leader, you set the vision for each campaign and monitor the results – inspiring the team and supporting their efforts. No stray cats in sight.

The secret to repeatable results is a healthy sales system.

Sales don’t have to be chaotic and disruptive. Your sales system can be simple, straightforward, and authentic; perfectly aligned with the needs of your market, and carefully balanced with your normal business operations.

You can confidently and consistently attract customers who are ready to buy – in a way that’s simple and authentic – by making sure you maximize every aspect of your bottom line.

How’s your bottom line? You CAN create a simple sales system that’s perfectly aligned with your business. Let me show you how.