The Tools of the Trade: What’s in Your Toolbox?

“If you give people tools, [and they use] their natural ability and their curiosity, they will develop things in ways that will surprise you very much beyond what you might have expected.”

—BILL GATES, computer programmer, business magnate, and philanthropist

Though you probably don’t carry a hammer, saw, or screwdriver to your sales calls, you do need the right tools to make the conversation count for you and the buyer. In sales, the right tools help you make Win³ sales more efficiently and effectively.

A tool is anything that helps you get something done. In today’s selling world, the term “tools” is synonymous with software and gadgets. While the gadgetry and technology are helpful—and at times even lifesavers—some sellers continue to do very well with just a paper, pen, and Excel spreadsheet.

Whether you are a gadget person or prefer paper and pen, the tools you pull out of your toolbox—your briefcase, hard drive, or mind—need to work for you.

There are many different types of sales tools. The ones I will focus on in this chapter are:

1. Sales conversation preparation tools to help you plan and then carry out a productive conversation with your buyer.
2. Powerful technology-based tools for territory management, customer relationship tracking, sales process tracking, prospecting, and lead-generating.
3. Personal assessment tools for identifying and then capitalizing on the most important sales tool, you!

Though some of you who are committed to the latest applications on tablets or smartphones may find my opinion too simplistic, the specific tools you use don’t matter nearly as much as how you use the tools.

I have seen far too many companies spend millions of dollars equipping their sales teams with technology that turns out to offer little return on their investment because the sales teams underutilize the new technology (because they won’t slow down to learn it, are stuck in old habits, or the tool doesn’t deliver). On the opposite end of the spectrum, I’ve also seen sellers who spend so much time with the latest gadget that it detracts from their selling activities.

What does work is identifying and then committing to the consistent use of the tools in your toolbox.