The Weekly Sales Habit
by Winning Sales Habits September 30, 2009
 Quote for the Week 
 
"When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal."

-Napolean Hill 
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Greetings!
 
How are you approaching the last three months of 2009?
 
Are you frantically trying to make up for lost ground?  Or, are you in-control and confident?  Are you coasting toward the finish line and can't wait for a fresh start in the New Year?  Or, do you have a resolve and determination not to waste a second of this opportunity?
 
Whatever your thoughts, beliefs and actions are, it's due to your training.  These are all habits that either serve us or dampen our potential.
 
We've trained ourselves how to handle adversity.  We've trained ourselves on what to say in the face of victory or defeat.  And, we've trained ourselves how to respond physically, emotionally and mentally to a challenge.
 
So, how's your training going?  If you'd like to kick it up a notch and finish 2009 strong, join us for The Ultimate Sales Training Program at http://ultimatesalestraining.eventbrite.com. See how you can have guaranteed sales by training like the world-class athlete you are.
 
And, don't forget to enter "weeklyhabit" as a discount code.  You won't believe how affordable we've made it for you to sell more.
 
Have a great week selling! 
 
Jeffrey Howard and Peter McLaughlin
This Week's Habit:
Planned Flexibility
 
The difference between great sales performers and good sales performers is the level of deliberateness and precision by which they operate.  Top performers know "why" they are doing what they do and have a detailed plan of action to follow.
 
This focus, however, should not be confused with being rigid, overscheduled and robotic.
 
Sales professionals often tell us that they can't be as planned and systematic as they would like because they "need to be responsive to their clients" or their "schedule is just too uncertain." 
 
While this may seem to present a conundrum, the two philosophies actually work in lock-step.  The secret is to develop the habit of "planned flexibility."
 
Flexibility is not only needed by the sales professional, it's a desired state.  By being flexible, our creativity flows, we can service our clients and we eliminate undue stress.
 
However, if that flexibility is unchecked, our time can be wasted, our priorities left untouched and our potential diminished.
 
Here are a few ways to develop "planned flexibility:" 
 
1. Don't overschedule.  Being precise does not mean that every minute of your dayplanner needs to be filled in.  That way, if interuptions or client needs come up, you have slack in your schedule so you won't be perpetually behind.
 
2. Block-off follow-up and reactive time.  Just like it's a meeting, have time set aside to return phone calls that are not urgent, get information for clients or run unforseen errands.
 
3. Ask yourself, "Is this really important enough to replace my plan?"  Often the urgent seems important, but it can easily be delayed, delegated or ignored.  Become highly critical about how you invest your time and on what.