“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”
By Susan A. Lund, President of MR3
Last session, we talked about how selling is a lot like driving. Let’s face it, some drive for performance and others don’t. I have always been intrigued with what’s the difference between those who succeed and those who don’t. What is the difference?
The difference between those who drive for performance and those who don’t is all in how they prepare, plan and focus. What do you do to plan to sell?
Last year after a speaking engagement a woman asked me to meet with her. She was frustrated that she didn’t feel valued on the executive team. She said it was a male dominated team and they didn’t buy into her ideas. Her executive team asked her to do a presentation. When she did, nobody was buying in. She felt like it was because she was a woman.
To determine how I could best help her, I asked her a few questions. I really wanted to understand the situation and challenges. I asked, “What did you do to plan to help them discover their unmet needs and gain agreement on those needs before you presented?” Nothing, she replied. I then showed her how she could prepare and plan for those conversations to gain buy-in successfully. Eureka! She had an “aha” moment. She realized the lack of buy-in had nothing to do with being a woman, rather had everything to do with learning how she could plan for those conversations to gain buy-in.
What can you do to Ignite Your Selling Potential? Here are 3 productivity tips to help you succeed.
Productivity Tips:
- Plan to succeed, not fail
- Plan first what you are going to ask
- Gain agreement on the needs before you present
Avoid the hazards that come with lack of planning, such as a lack of buy-in, influence, and value.
Transform Activity Into Productivity®
If you want to gain a competitive advantage or have a question, ask the expert.
Susan A. Lund is President of MR3, Metrics-Driven Sales & Productivity Consulting Firm. She is a speaker, consultant, coach, and author of Ignite Your Selling Potential
Ask the Expert, contact Susan at (800) 281-6084
http://igniteyoursellingpotential.com/contact-mr3/
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