Sales Go To The Most Prepared – Are You Doing These Things?

This principle is so simple that it is often overlooked. The hallmark of the true professional is thorough preparation, reviewing every detail, before every sales meeting. The very best salespeople are those who review their presentations and study the details of their products and their sales materials repeatedly prior to every new sales contact.

You cannot imagine a top athlete who did not train regularly and warm up thoroughly before every competition. In fact, the period of training for an athlete consumes far, far more time than the actual competition itself. When you think of a crack military force, like the U.S. Marines or the Israeli Commandos, you think immediately of rigorous, disciplined training. In every field of endeavor, it is the most thoroughly trained and dedicated professionals who rise to the top.

It is relatively easy to get into selling with little experience. But that is where the easy part ends. 

It is relatively easy to get into selling with little experience. But that is where the easy part ends. From then onward, hard, hard work and continuous training and preparation are essential for success. If you want to be the best, and get the results that the best people get, you have to do the same things they do. And this means to prepare and prepare and then to over-prepare.

The first corollary of the Law of Preparation says: “The salesperson with the best knowledge of the real situation of the customer will be the one most likely to make the sale.”

The more time you take to thoroughly understand your prospective customer and your prospective customer’s situation, the more likely it is that you will be in a position to sell at the critical moment.

The second corollary of the Law of Preparation says: “Sales professionals plan their questions in advance.”

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