First time right (FTR), or doing things right the first time, is an important concept in quality. Some experts even consider FTR the very definition of quality. This two-part article summarizes an experiment in which FTR was applied to sales. Is it possible to sell something right the first time? We decided to measure and see if FTR actually helps in sales, and if so, where and how much. We will look at two examples FTR in sales, and how they affect five different, and equally important, outcomes.

Much has been written about the obvious need for FTR, given its importance in improving efficiency and reducing waste and costs associated with rework. Many examples of FTR pertain to operations or customer service, e.g., resolving a customer’s query right the first time. However, I didn’t come across too many examples of selling right the first time—that is, FTR in sales. Also, I didn’t come across too many published examples where the business benefits of FTR have been measured.

Hence, I thought it might be useful to share the results of our experiments—if one may call them that—with promoting FTR in sales.

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