As the CEO of August Infotech I have learned many things over a decade and a half and most important is the sales.
I always compare sales to sports, sales meetings to sports matches, and salesman to the sportsman.
A sportsman has a simple formula for success in a match. What is this formula and how can a salesman use this formula for a successful sales meeting?
This simple formula is “preparation” and “practice“.
A sportsman does a lot of preparation before the actual game, starting from learning about the weather, competitors, ground situation, to mapping their own strengths and weaknesses. Similarly, a salesman should always prepare before the meetings, starting with learning about the prospect’s situation, their pain, the prospect’s likes and dislikes, to the competition the salesman is facing.
Likewise, before any game, sportsman practices hard in the nets. Similarly, a salesman should always practice before the meetings, from how to introduce himself, to how to greet others, what kind of questions could be asked and what answers he would give, to how to conclude the meeting, and what would be the next steps.
Just like in the sports, in the sales too, more you prepare and practice, luckier you get.