Do You Sell Intentionally, or Accidentally?
A Tale of Two Sales Reps
Mary fills her day with marketing and sales activities. She makes phone calls. She writes letters. She prepares proposals. You'd think she is successful right? You'd be wrong. Mary is struggling.
Her friend, Judy, closes more sales in less time. Mary asked Judy about it. They compared their work. Both Mary and Judy perform the same activities. Mary asked, "What's the difference? You just seem to be luckier than me. Maybe you have a better territory. I don't get it."
The Difference: Selling Intentionally
Judy showed her prospecting plan to Mary. It was very basic, but it works for Judy:
- Target customer profile
- Target industries
- Target companies within the selected industries
- Target individuals within the selected companies
- Contact plan for each individual
- Referral from other customers
- Connect on social media
- Email
- Letter
- Phone
- Referral from other customers
Judy asked, "What does your prospecting plan look like, Mary?" Mary replied, "I have no plan. I just attack the day with gusto."
Judy and Mary stared at each other for a moment. Mary said, "Oh, crud. My sales have no focus. It's as if I'm selling accidentally. How can I fix it?"
That day, Mary stopped selling accidentally. She began selling intentionally, starting with a prospecting plan patterned after Judy's. Mary's sales skyrocketed. Her stress was much lower. It seemed so easy.
How Do You Sell?
The first step is to make your own basic prospecting plan. You can pattern it after Judy's plan, or you can use a different style. The format isn't the solution. The real solution is to define the structure of your prospecting plan, and to follow it.
Why not begin right now?
