ACTION 2: FOCUS ON WHAT’S IN IT FOR THEM IN THIS CONVERSATION

To earn the time and attention of busy buyers, turn your focus to Them and their POWNs before your conversation begins. Ensure your conversation—from open to close—is value-filled with preparation that clarifies and defines What’s in it for Them.

Putting pen to paper or fingers to a keyboard allows you to map out the objectives, actions, and outcome for your conversation. As televangelist, speaker, motivator, and author Robert H. Schuller said, “Spectacular achievement is always preceded by unspectacular preparation.”

To aid you in efficient and productive preparation, use the Quick Prep Tool™. The benefits of using the Quick Prep Tool are best articulated by its users over the past few years. These are actual comments:

• “I have really gained value preparing for each of my calls. This has allowed me to have better conversations and has provided the customer with a better solution.”

• “Utilize the Quick Prep Tool for best making a cold call into a warm call.”

• “Doing the Quick Prep sheets makes it easier to focus on the conversation on hand and not scramble for the right words. It gives me the opportunity to focus on what the prospect is saying instead of worrying what to say next.”

• “Preparation has benefited me greatly. I now make sure to prepare myself ahead of time before I go into a sales call. This helps me to stay focused during the call and enables me to have more control during the sales process.”

• “Use of the Quick Prep Tool has enabled more efficient and effective meetings. Meetings are shorter and result in clear decisions being made.”

Figure 5–1 presents the first page, WIIFT Quick Prep™ (the second page, Quick Research™, is discussed in the next section of this chapter). Though the Quick Prep Tool looks unspectacular compared to some technology tools, completing it allows you to outline the flow and content of your sales conversation quickly and easily. The first page of the Quick Prep Tool is designed for you to complete in about five minutes for typical sales calls. This page outlines each of the WIIFT steps with space for you to make notes. It guides you through the conversation before it begins. You can download it at www.conversationsthatsell.com.

As you complete the Quick Prep Tool and identify the objective, the questions you will ask, the information you will share, the objections that may surface, and how you will ask for a decision, keep in mind how the Tribal Types will factor in. Commanders will want lots of details and timelines. Reflectors appreciate seeing the agenda and questions in advance so they can prepare. Achievers want big picture information and will need to be asked more direct questions. And plan plenty of time to talk and connect with Expressers.