By Paul Reilly
During a recent training seminar, a top achiever approached me during the break. His words, though paraphrased, resonated deeply:
“Earlier this year, you challenged us to plan every sales call. While I haven’t managed to plan every single one, I’m planning more than ever. Recently, I was pursuing a large opportunity, and I decided to use your planning process. It helped me think through the details, make some last-minute adjustments, and even call in higher-level support from the manufacturer. The meeting went exceptionally well, and I secured a $3,000,000 order. Honestly, I’m not sure I would’ve closed that deal if I hadn’t planned.”
What an inspiring testament to the power of preparation!
What if your next sales call is your “$3,000,000 opportunity”? Would you create a plan? Would you diligently prepare? After reading this example, it’s easy to say, “Yes, I’ll start planning every call.” But our research reveals a startling fact…
Only 10 percent of salespeople consistently plan and prepare for every call. That means a staggering 90 percent are missing out on their full potential. So, why don’t more salespeople plan regularly? When I ask this question in seminars, the most common answers are:
“It takes too much time.”
“I know this customer; I don’t need to plan.”
“I have a plan in my head.”
“I’m just stopping by; they probably won’t meet with me anyway.”
Or my personal favorite…“I just don’t feel like planning.”
Your success hinges upon your willingness to complete tasks you don’t feel like completing. 90 percent of salespeople don’t plan; why not? I contend that salespeople fail to plan because planning requires upfront effort for an uncertain outcome. If you plan the perfect call, the buyer may still say no. It’s easy to develop a negative attitude toward planning when you repeatedly put in the effort and don’t get the desired result.
Even though you cannot control the outcome, you can control your effort and attitude. Consider Arnold Schwarzenegger’s reflection on winning Mr. Olympia: “People would always ask me, ‘Why are you smiling when you’re working out five hours a day? You’re doing the same as the other guys, but they have a sour face.’ I would smile because I knew every rep that I did, every set that I did, and the more weights that I lifted, I got one step closer to turning that vision into reality.”
Success doesn’t happen overnight, but consistently embracing the proper habits leads to it—eventually. What if you approached every pre-call plan with the same mindset? Imagine every pre-call plan as another step toward your vision of success. Your next call could be your $3,000,000 opportunity. Plan every call!