Let’s imagine we are going on a trip to a location far away and it’s time to pack your bags!
What do you need to assemble? You need to right number of clothes for the days you’re gone. Your toiletries, your tooth brush. Don’t forget your chargers and any technology you’ll need while you’re away. Oh, and don’t forget to plan for any surprises. How’s the weather going to be out there?
This idea of preparation for a trip is the same as how you should plan for an effective day of prospecting in the field. It requires the same strategy up front.
The unfortunate reality is sales reps and sales management rarely prepare to do this on a consistent basis. It’s more of an event, doing this preparation for a one-day field blitz, rather than a daily habit.
So, sales people tend to wing it most of the days, leaving the office with a “I’m going to go out in the field. I’ll see you later” comment to their peers. At the end of the day the conversation is similar. One person asks, “how did today go?” The other responds with, “oh, it went alright.”
This is a problem with preparation.
I’ve got 3 tips for you to help you with preparation. There are so many to list but let’s just start with the fundamentals.
If we consider our imaginary trip we were about to go on, the goals were simple. Have enough clothes so you wouldn’t stress out on the trip and be prepared for anything!
Our goals are similar when planning for an effective sales day in the field.