Sales Planning
This article presents the importance of planning as it relates to selling.
You never have a second chance to make a good first impression and EVERY call requires a good first impression. Planning helps you make a great first impression every time you meet with a customer.
What is planning? Entelechy defines planning as: “A disciplined approach to formal research and goal setting in advance of any customer contact.” Planning makes you lucky!
Why then is planning often overlooked or underutilized? Because there is no immediate reward, and we generally seek instant gratification; because there is often no way to anticipate specifically what you will need, because it is hard, takes discipline, and requires time and concentrated effort.
Especially in these lean times, planning is crucial and you will reap the benefits of it if you institute a disciplined approach to planning for your sales opportunities.
Planning should not be construed as an isolated activity but instead should be considered within the whole context of your job.
Like an athlete, you must prepare your whole body and mind for your specialty. If, for example, you specialize in the 100-meter dash, which requires tremendous leg strength, you cannot simply build strength in your legs by doing leg presses. You must work all parts of your body to become a world-class athlete.
Likewise, truly successful sales professionals are well-rounded because they make time for personal conditioning. Personal conditioning increases your value to the prospect or customer AND may help you identify additional opportunities.
Personal Conditioning
· Know your company’s industry (it IS changing!)
Associated Websites
· Know your company’s:
o Vision, purpose, goals
o Products and services
o Markets
o Successes
· Know your company’s competition (it’s already changed!)
· Know current affairs (today’s world is different than yesterday’s!
· Know your customer’s:
o Industry
o Trends
o Products and Services
o Markets
o Successes
o Goals (personal and positional)
o Interests
Call Preparation
Besides personal conditioning, which covers a multitude of general information about your position, your industry, and specific information about your customer, etc., it is important to do additional planning related to each sales call.
· List the call objectives clearly and concisely
· Anticipate customer questions
· Identify successes within similar environment
· Develop Initial Value Statements
· Complete the Sales Call Plan
This information comes from Planning for Success, a module in Entelechy’s High Performance Sales program. Check out this module as well as our 40 other modules, training tools, and eGuides at www.unlockit.com.
About the Author
Terence R. Traut is the president of Entelechy, Inc., a company that helps organizations unlock the potential of their people through customized training programs in the areas of sales, management, customer service, and training. Check out our 40 customizable modules, training tools, and eGuides at www.unlockit.com. Terence can be reached at 603-424-1237 or ttraut@unlockit.com.
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