Preparation and Organization

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You had the steering wheel in one hand and a Rand McNally in the other trying to find the prospect’s office. (Is there really any reason for someone to show up late today….?)

There wasn’t a website or LinkedIn profile to preview before a phone call or meeting.

Anyone remember cold calling from the yellow pages because the internet did not exist? It was the equivalent of throwing darts at a dart board— blindfolded.

While technology has changed the game of sales, there are timeless principles that work and have always worked to be successful in sales.

Do The Work
Well-known actor, Denzel Washington, shares that his Dad often said these words to him when he was growing up: “Do the work so you can do the work.”

There are books written about the four hour vietnam telegram data work weeks. Others are touting the value and importance of work-life balance.

Still others write about techniques to achieving financial independence. All of those things can be achieved—after you do the work!

Even back in the yellow page days of prospecting, the best salespeople had a script and a planned approach to their cold calls.

Fast forward to the information age and you will still see that the best salespeople are prepared.

When asking their best clients for referrals and introductions, they have a one-sheet referral page prepared that helps clients recognize referable opportunities.

When prospecting, the prepared salesperson has developed a customized value proposition by industry, position, trigger events and trends— not just a generic ‘here’s what we do’ elevator pitch.