As I watched the Olympics this summer, I was struck by the enormous amount of time, effort, and dedication each athlete had invested in preparation for the Olympic Games. They had literally arranged their lives around this preparation. Over and over I heard stories about missing events that many of us consider milestones such as prom. weddings, and birthday celebrations. Some moved away from home and family to train. Others had their families rearrange their schedules around the athlete’s training regimen. All of them devoted hours everyday to honing their skills.
Whether they won or lost, their determined preparation commanded my respect.
Toward the end of the games, I was prompted to compare their efforts with ours in business. The adage “Showing up is 90%” came to mind. Pondering that, I wondered, Is showing up enough?
Thinking about it further, I realized that just showing up is a very low goal. If all the Olympic athletes had just shown up, how would they have done? Perhaps their natural talent would have helped them, but they certainly would not have had the results they achieved. They also would not have had the feeling of accomplishment after investing in hours of intense training.
Today’s customers, whether consumers or businesspeople, all feel very time-starved. They greatly appreciate dealing with a salesperson or a company that is prepared. They immediately recognize someone who is unprepared and know that they will spend more time, have fewer answers, and possibly not get the best outcome because of it.
Talking to or getting face-to-face with a customer without preparation is not enough. To be successful, a salesperson and a company need to invest time and effort in preparing. The company needs to set up systems that handle customers smoothly and thoroughly. The salesperson needs to take time to think through a call before making it. What does the customer want? What does the salesperson want to know about the customer before making a suggestion? How does what the company offers satisfy the customer’s wants?
Knowing the answers to these questions and more like them prior to interacting with a customer is preparation. As my career has progressed, I learned to do this. I realized that every situation is its own unique opportunity and that I would not get a second chance at it. Thus, I schooled myself to make the most of each one. This helped me work smarter, not harder.
That’s why I haven’t sent you an Insight for a while. I have been working on a new Web site and vowed that I would finish before talking to you again. The change has taken longer than I expected, but I am excited to show you the results. My preparation exceeds my original expectations.
Next week I will share those preparations with you.
Remember, being prepared when you show up makes the difference in developing a customer and generating more revenue.
This week's marketing trivia challenge is What difference has preparation made for your business? E-mail me your answer.
Whether they won or lost, their determined preparation commanded my respect.
Toward the end of the games, I was prompted to compare their efforts with ours in business. The adage “Showing up is 90%” came to mind. Pondering that, I wondered, Is showing up enough?
Thinking about it further, I realized that just showing up is a very low goal. If all the Olympic athletes had just shown up, how would they have done? Perhaps their natural talent would have helped them, but they certainly would not have had the results they achieved. They also would not have had the feeling of accomplishment after investing in hours of intense training.
Today’s customers, whether consumers or businesspeople, all feel very time-starved. They greatly appreciate dealing with a salesperson or a company that is prepared. They immediately recognize someone who is unprepared and know that they will spend more time, have fewer answers, and possibly not get the best outcome because of it.
Talking to or getting face-to-face with a customer without preparation is not enough. To be successful, a salesperson and a company need to invest time and effort in preparing. The company needs to set up systems that handle customers smoothly and thoroughly. The salesperson needs to take time to think through a call before making it. What does the customer want? What does the salesperson want to know about the customer before making a suggestion? How does what the company offers satisfy the customer’s wants?
Knowing the answers to these questions and more like them prior to interacting with a customer is preparation. As my career has progressed, I learned to do this. I realized that every situation is its own unique opportunity and that I would not get a second chance at it. Thus, I schooled myself to make the most of each one. This helped me work smarter, not harder.
That’s why I haven’t sent you an Insight for a while. I have been working on a new Web site and vowed that I would finish before talking to you again. The change has taken longer than I expected, but I am excited to show you the results. My preparation exceeds my original expectations.
Next week I will share those preparations with you.
Remember, being prepared when you show up makes the difference in developing a customer and generating more revenue.
This week's marketing trivia challenge is What difference has preparation made for your business? E-mail me your answer.
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