I just returned from vacation and have a few observations from the road that affect our lives as sellers:
- Walk more. We covered 100,000 steps in 7 days touring in the UK and as a result I didn’t gain any weight despite eating fish and chips, beer (more than a few pints) and a few donuts as seen in this picture, almost each day. If you are not in strong physical shape, you can’t be in strong mental shape and your sales will suffer.
- Be prepared with a back up. When it rained, we had an alternative venue to explore (even if it was often just a pub!).
- Just because you are similar to someone doesn’t mean you will understand each other. Case in point, a Glaswegian accent. Always ask for clarification if you’re confused, when you leave a sales meeting and you’re unclear on what was discussed, you will never win the business.
- Staying in nice hotels is not a treat, it’s a necessity. We slept best when we were in great hotels with proper beds. No one was cranky, tired or sore. Why ruin a vacation (or a sales call) by staying in a junky hotel?
- You can arrange everything in advance. We booked theater tickets, train tickets, hotels and restaurants all in advance so that we would not miss out on our first choice and we would not have to wait in boring line-ups. Too many sellers leave their travel plans to the last minute and as a result are late for meetings, have to stay miles away from the meeting or can’t get in at all!
- I was able to pack in a carry on for 9 days, but even then I over-packed! It’s always easy to take too much stuff and pack things you don’t really need. Next time I will be sure to pack the day before, re-evaluate and then take stuff out that isn’t needed! As sellers, do you over-pack? Too many slides in your deck? Too many gadgets in your briefcase? When you travel light you can be in the moment with your customer, take chances and change direction.
Dedicated to increasing your sales,
