As some of you may know, I used to race stock cars. Racing stock cars is a pretty intense activity – you’re on a track that is somewhere between ¼ and ½ mile in length, you’re trying to control hundreds of horsepower, and you’re among 20 of your best friends (or not). It’s competitive and it’s mentally absorbing, which I always liked. In those characteristics, it reminded me of sales.
It reminds me of sales in another way, too. In both activities, you can have the best-laid game plan in the world – and nearly as soon as you start, your plan can be blown out of the water. When I started, I’d plan out my entire strategy, even for a short 20-lap race. The problem was that there were 20 other guys wanting to do the same thing I did, and they weren’t exactly respectful of my strategy. So, I learned to plan two things: The start of the race, and my overall objective. Again, selling works the same way. Let’s see how.
In racing, the course of the race isn’t under your total control. It’s heavily influenced by the other drivers on the track. In selling, the course of the sales call isn’t under your total control, despite what sales trainers have been trying to tell salespeople for decades. The call is heavily influenced (in reality, it’s controlled) by the customer.
In racing, I could have the greatest plan in the world – what path I’d take into the first turn, who I would follow to the front, and when I’d make my move on that driver. If the driver made a mistake, suffered mechanical failure, or had another issue early, my entire plan was shot. In selling, I might have a terrific plan and presentation laid out, but if the customer is interested in something else, my plan is shot.
That’s why it’s important to have an idea, and plan for as many eventualities as we can. This doesn’t take away the need for a call plan; it does, however, greatly impact what aspects of the call we can plan. You should have these things in mind before each call:
The opening: I know, I know, it goes without saying – except it doesn’t. I still do ride-alongs with client salespeople, and there are a lot of salespeople out there who don’t know how to open a call. Essentially, the opening (which should take no more than two minutes at most) should recap how we got here and set the stage for the meeting. If it’s a new prospect or contact, you obviously should introduce yourself. You should also recap what element of the phone conversation got you in front of the contact (i.e. what was their interest?). If it’s an ongoing relationship, it’s always good to recap the most recent developments. Customers forget. I know, I know, you’re the most memorable person in the world – except that you’re not. None of us are.
The information you want to get: Every sales call, even those in an ongoing relationship, should include a discovery portion. It’s through good questioning that we build and deepen relationships. Have a basic game plan for questioning – and then be prepared to abandon that plan if the customer wants to go in a different and potentially more productive direction.
The information you want to give: Sometimes, you’ll have information that must be conveyed regardless of the direction of the rest of the call (for instance, a price increase or a change in shipping policy). Other times, the information you give will be dictated by the information that you get (i.e. you discover a need that leads you to a solution). Again, “be prepared” is the motto here. As you are questioning, you should be listening, discovering needs, and flipping through your mental file box of information that needs to be conveyed to make the sale and help the customer achieve his/her result.
The next step: Setting a good next step is neglected in three out of four sales calls. The salesperson is fat, dumb, and happy from what he/she has ‘achieved,’ and settles for “Okay, I’ll call you in a few weeks.” Then the salesperson calls, and calls, and calls, and calls, with no response. Instead, set a definite follow up schedule. There’s no better time to set the next appointment than when you’re on the current appointment. I always like to plan three levels – the dream call, the realistic call, and the bare minimum action that the customer will take to continue being a viable customer or prospect. Preplanning these levels will help keep you from chasing inappropriate business.
As they say, “The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.” My favorite race win happened when one of my plans completely went away. I’d successfully moved from the back of the pack to be running fifth midway through the race, and I was getting ready to start passing the top four cars one by one (or try to). Suddenly, the top four cars made contact with each other. Two spun to the inside, and two to the outside, and to me it looked like the Red Sea parting as I drove between them. I held the lead for the rest of the race.
Likewise, your most enjoyable sales calls may come when your plan is blown up very quickly and you have to think on your feet and make the right things happen off the top of your head. The moral of the story is this: Plan ahead, but not too much. Remembering the four elements above will keep you on track, and the customer will help you fill in the rest of the blanks.
