“Ready, shoot, aim.” Unfortunately, that’s the all too common description of the field sales person’s modus operandi. In a misguided attempt to stay busy and see as many people as possible, too many sales people subscribe to the theory that any activity is good activity.
There was a time when this was true. Customers had more time, sales was a simpler job, and any conversation with a prospect or customer was a good thing. But times have changed, and the job of the
sales person has become much more complex. The pressure on the sales person to make good decisions about the effective use of his time has never been greater. Sales people now must confront an overwhelming number of potential “things to do,” and that requires them to make decisions about which customers in which to invest their time, to prioritize their activities every day, and to continually choose from a menu of possible activities. In other words, sales people must now
engage in strategic planning.
Not that this is new. There have always
been sales people who have regularly planned strategically for the effective use of their time. It’s been a characteristic of superstar sales people and highly effective sales forces. For that small percentage who do it instinctively, or are encouraged to do so by their management, it’s as much a part of their routine as brushing their teeth in the morning.
