A few months ago I took a short trip home to see my mother.  I grew up outside of a small town in north central Kansas.  Chapman was devastated by an F4 tornado on June 11th.  The city was featured recently on “Extreme Home Makeover” on ABC television. Over 100 houses were destroyed or severely damaged, and the high school, the middle school, the grade school, and 3 churches were almost completely wiped out.  Only one person lost their life in this mess.

As I toured the devastation I wondered how only one person died.  Homes were just gone.  It occurred to me all the preparation we did as kids paid off.  We had tornado drills monthly in Kansas.  We knew to go to the basement or inner part of the house away from windows.  We knew not to mess with Mother Nature.

How does that relate to selling e?  Preparation is key.  We’ve all tried to show up at a customer’s business and wing it.  When we do, disaster is close behind.  We forget things.  We spend time at the branch, but don’t accomplish anything.  We are active, but have no impact.  Preparation is understanding who we need to see and why we are there.  It’s understanding what questions we need answers to and who we need to get those answers from.  It’s planning how to phrase our questions and in what sequence to ask them.  It helps us move the sales process forward on every sales call.  It helps us have an impact and add value with the customer every time.

While selling without preparation may not lead to the physical destruction I witnessed, it will lead to productivity destruction.  Take a minute to plan your next sales call and think about what value you are bringing your customer.  Good Selling!