Business LockerRoom Blog

“Planning is So Boring” (said the broke salesperson)

by Kelly Riggs

How many salespeople walked out the door this morning knowing EXACTLY what they were going to do today?

Or this week?

No, not things like: I’m gonna make calls, or follow-up on my quotes, or find some new prospects, or generate some content for social media. Not that kind of generalized nonsense. I’m talking about specific tasks at specific times; the kind that are designed to make first downs, push the ball down the field, and create scoring opportunities.

Anybody?

This is a painful discussion even for experienced salespeople because they will tell you they “know exactly what [I’m] doing this week.” But they are usually delusional. Almost without fail, they have a “general” idea of a couple of key things they really need to get done this week, assuming everything goes as planned (which it never does).

Which means that, about Thursday morning, the alarm bells go off and it’s Panic City, and they’re in full-blown crisis mode because that “FREAKING proposal is due tomorrow!!!”

Or, even worse, it’s yet another week gone by without any real prospecting or opportunity development.

You know what I mean. I’ve been there. You’ve been there. It is as common as….well, average salespeople. And that’s why a large percentage of salespeople produce average results or worse. Even though 20% of salespeople may produce 80% of the sales revenue (as the rule goes), it doesn’t mean that 20% of salespeople are great.

Not even close.

It’s a challenge that every salesperson and every sales manager has to get their arms around if there is going to be any hope of making big-time money in the sales profession. But, there are two problems:

1) First, planning and preparation just isn’t sexy. Most salespeople would rather have a root canal than do the type of planning that consistently produces sales gains.

2) Second, very few salespeople know how to plan effectively. They know how to make a To-Do list. Perhaps they know how to make notes or use CRM software similar to the ones offered by iLife Technologies. Nevertheless, knowing how to do something and knowing what things should be done are two different things. It is because being able to use software or create a to-do list may not equate to being able to create a viable, working plan that leads to new business.

Yes, I hear some of you pushing back…it always happens.

“I can’t plan my days because too many things pop up.”

“I have to respond to customers all day. It’s almost impossible to follow a plan.”

“I don’t need a written plan. I know exactly what I’m doing.”

“Planning is so ‘old school.'”

Each of these statement is either a feeble attempt at self-justification, or clear and compelling evidence of someone’s delusion. Sales pioneer and researcher Neil Rackham, author of the best-seller, Spin Selling, says it this way:

“A consistent finding about successful salespeople is that they put effort into planning. Good selling depends on good planning more than any other single factor.”

Until you have clarity on your daily and weekly activities, generated as a result of a defined sales plan, you’re just winging it. And, you’re wasting precious hours every week that could be used to prospect, build your funnel, and create more customer contact.

If you think about it, that may be the biggest loss in failing to plan – the time you lose as a result of indecision or filling time while you wait for the next customer emergency.

But not to worry. Your competitors are probably in the same boat.

You hope.