We've all been there. You're waiting for someone to join you for a very important meeting, and it's 5 minutes past the original start time, and the person you're supposed to be meeting with hasn't even shown up yet.
They come bursting through the door, bag in hand, shirt and suit completely disheveled, their eyes frantically dilated, apologizing profusely for being late.
They sit down, start going through their bag as they try to make small talk with you to pull focus away from them being late, only to realize that they had left their laptop at home on their couch.
Pause
Now, at this moment I'm going to ask you a question…
If the salesperson were to try and close on you right now, would you buy from this poor schmuck?
Being prepared is one of the most important things any sales professional can do. Yes, I know we can't plan for everything, but being prepared is one of the most important things any sales professional can do. Being prepared will help you avoid common pitfalls that many sales professionals fall into and it will also allow you to take control of more situations than would otherwise be possible.
"Control what you can control."
One of the things you can always control is your preparedness.
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Know who you're speaking to inside and out, or at least to the extent that you're able to with what information they have readily available to be researched.
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Show up at least 5 minutes early to any meeting… in person, video chat, phone call, etc… ALWAYS BE EARLY.
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Have any and all supporting documents or resources that you will need on hand the night before
A prepared salesperson is a successful salesperson. In my career, the top sales reps who were making high six figures each year are those who have consistently been refining their preparedness down to a science.
