“If You Can’t Measure It, You Can’t Improve It.”

Peter Drucker—author of over 39 books on business—has been credited with inventing modern business management. 

He’s credited with perhaps the most fundamental quote in business management, and it’s this:

“If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.”

You can credit Drucker for all the KPI’s you collect and measure, and for all the software that’s been created to measure all the stats in your sales process, i.e., calls, contacts, closing ratios, top, middle, and bottom of the funnel management, etc.

Recently, I had a concrete example of just how motivating measuring results can be when I downloaded a fitness app called Pacer. It’s a standard exercise and step counter. Very much like Fitbit, which I never used. 

Pacer can track an exercise routine, such as a two or three-mile walk, and/or, it keeps track of all your steps in a day as long as you have the phone in your pocket as you walk around the office or house, etc. 

To help motivate you, it has a pre-programed goal of 10,000 steps a day. If you reach that, you’re deemed to be highly active that day. It keeps a weekly total, broken down per day, that can be displayed with a bar graph or many other assorted variations. 

What I immediately noticed is that as soon as I began measuring my steps for each day, I had the desire to improve it the next day. 

If I reached 10,234 steps on Monday, I wanted to do at least 11,000 steps on Tuesday. And on Wednesday, I wanted to do at least 11,500 steps. 

Just the act of measuring my actively level led to me searching for ways to improve it the next day. For example, during the walk I’d always take, I’d look for ways to make it longer—either take the next street, or walk all the greenway, or, finally, make two full loops instead of one!

Sure enough, simply by measuring my daily steps, I’ve improved the number I’m taking now on a daily basis. 

And guess what? It’s the same with anything else. If you want to begin saving more money, even $20 or $50 a week, start measuring your savings at the end of each week and each month and each quarter. I guarantee that if you do, you’ll find ways to save an additional $5 or $10 or more each week. 

And it’s the same thing with sales activity. Don’t just let your manager or company measure you, set your own sales activities goals and track them daily—or hourly. 

This is a technique I still use to increase my output, which, to no surprise, always increases my sales results. 

So, ask yourself: Do you have measurable goals for the areas in your life you’d like to improve? If not, then start writing down some measurable goals or activities right now. And then measure your progress each day. 

And just like Peter Drucker said, within no time, you’re likely to improve in those areas that you’re measuring. 

Related: 5 Ways to Get a Jump on Fall Production