A few years ago, my wife and I found ourselves with no children at home so we decided to go shopping. It was close to Christmas and it was a good opportunity to get things done we needed to get done while they weren't there. We hopped in the car and headed to the mall.
At our local mall, like many of them, there was a clock in the center and we decided to split up and meet back there in an hour and a half. At the appointed time, my wife walked up with several bags in each hand and you could tell she had really gotten a lot done! I however, strolled up drinking an icee and eating the best chocolate chip cookie I've ever eaten in my life.
How had she gotten so much done while I accomplished nothing? You women already have this figured out because you are much smarter than we men are! I had decided to take off to the mall and thought I would just figure it out when I got there. She had a list! She knew who she was going to buy for, what she was going to buy and more than likely, where she was going to buy it. She had a plan! And I had decided to just wing it.
So do you sell the way I shop, or the way my wife shops? How are you approaching your days? Are you just taking off in the morning thinking you're going to figure it out or do you have a plan? There is power in a plan. Preparation breeds confidence! When we go out in the morning with a plan for who we will see and what we might say to them, success usually follows. Success is never an accident. Remember, in sales, put the client first and always find your Swagger!
Written by Derron Steenbergen, President of Swagger Institute
Swagger Institute is a full service business development company offering sales and leadership training, motivational speaking and organizational consulting.