The Power of Know

The Power of Know and the Daily Keys to Success

I had a VP who always used to say that you only go to bed at night with an idea of your plan for your next sales day.  When you traveled with Bart, you had to have an action plan for each account you would visit and leave some opportunity, when available, for cold calling.

I have been asked many times about my keys to success.  Here they are; for any successful day, my activities fall in this order:

I do the Drysdale Disease Activities (Beverly Hillbillies) in the morning first thing.  Early morning motivation.  I love to look and smell of $100 bills.  Remember that money was “smelling salts” for Mr. Drysdale when he fainted.  My result has nothing to do with fainting but getting access to cash.  The “Drysdale Disease” assists when your grandkids ask when Santa is returning to town.

• The key to this daily game phase is first to do activities that move money, such as quotes, RFPs, RFIs, proposals, etc.
• If a customer asks for anything needed in your sales process, you put the ball back in their court as soon as possible.  Please give it to them like yesterday.
• Review the My Opportunities tab in Salesforce or your favorite CRM tool.  I never had a year where I did not have to figure out how to make a quota.  Knowing that I had to find a million dollars motivates you to have a plan, a necessary activity to meet the quota and fund the Christmas account.  Learn to dance fast, sometimes faster.  You know a commission plan will make you greedy.  You need to read this tab, understand it, and analyze it.  But remember, in any commission business, as the saying reminds us from Smokey and the Bandit, “You have a long way to go but a short time to get there!”
• Next, handle all Fires, customer service, billing, technical services, etc.  Take care of any issues before they grow.  As Smokey the Bear always said, “Remember, Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires!!!
• Prospect, so you can generate more #2 activities, as noted above.  Prospecting is hard work and sometimes frustrating, but it is most rewarding.  Don’t quit; the light is brighter just around the corner.

Only go to bed when knowing what you plan to do, business-wise or, in fact, personally.  When you arrive at your desk or start out the door, you need to have a plan the following day.  By having a plan, you have given yourself the best opportunity for success in this new day.  It would be best to avoid the questions that arise when you live in the Book of Wonder.

Wherever I can, I like the comfort of the Book of Know vs. the problematic inconsistencies of the Book of Wonder.  Always put your customers in a position of what they think is an “informed decision.  Strategizing on how to move customers in a specific direction takes planning and should not be a last-minute thought.  You have the choice to plan your day or live a life of throwing fate to the wind.  Remember, in your decision on planning or leaving your day to fate, realize that the “end” result is all that counts and that you could be putting your pocket into a poor economic situation.