What Is The Game Plan?

The other day I was working out in the gymthat will expose their challenges. If your success
when a guy asked me to spot him on the benchmetric is to gather all of the data needed to put
press. For those of you not familiar with the termtogether a pricing proposal, the game plan is to
"spot," it means to watch and assist the lifter ifask all questions needed to craft a solution for
they need help. Of course, I agreed to do this. Asthis prospect.
is customary when spotting, I asked him howFrom a prospect's point of view, they have no
many reps (number of times lifting the weight) hetime or tolerance for sales people who show up
planned to do. He looked at me very puzzled andon their doorstep and ask pointless questions for
said he didn't know. Humorously, I followed thatan hour. They are busy and very sensitive about
with asking if he expected to do it once or atheir time. If they accept a meeting with a sales
hundred times. He laughed and said it would beperson, they expect that sales person to arrive
more than one, but not sure how many he wouldhaving done their homework on their company
do beyond that.and with a laser focus approach to the meeting.
He began the lift and performed three reps. IRemember, sales is a profession. They expect a
asked him if he felt it was a good set. Was heprofessional experience.
happy with his performance? Did he achieve whatAnother common time when sales people lose
he set out to do? He said, "Yeah, I guess so." Itheir way is when they are notified that they are
went back to my workout wondering how hea finalist for an opportunity and are invited to
could determine if he had met his goal. If youcome in to deliver a presentation. In essence,
don't have a goal, how can you determine if youthey are told that they are one of a handful of
achieved it?providers that are being considered for the
This experience reminded me of a time when Ibusiness. The typical response is to say "Great!"
went to Chicago on a call with one of my salesalmost like Tony the Tiger. They hang up the
reps. Prior to the meeting, the sales rep, hisphone, do the happy dance, and send an email to
manager and I met at a coffee shop. Overtheir manager telling them that they made the
coffee, I asked the sales rep to imagine that itfinalist list. There is nothing wrong about being
was now an hour and a half later. The meetingexcited to hear the news. You've probably
was over and we were back sitting at the sameworked hard to get to this point. However, you
coffee shop debriefing on the meeting. I askedcan't cash that commission check just yet. How
what I thought was a fair question of the rep. Ican you develop a game plan for this meeting if
asked him, "This was a great meeting if whatyou don't know who will be in the room, what is
happened?" (By the way, this is one of myimportant to them, or even why you made the
favorite questions to ask of sales reps.) Ifinalist list?
received a blank look and finally a request for help.Recently, a colleague shared with me a story
Mind you, we were fifteen minutes away fromabout her experience as a finalist. The RFP
being in front of a prospect and clearly there wasquestions that the prospect had provided lacked
no game plan.focus. It was not clear what they were hoping to
We talked for a few minutes and developed ouraccomplish by selecting a new provider. She called
success metrics for this meeting. With thosethe Procurement Agent and began asking a series
identified, we developed our game plan to achieveof questions about their objectives and goals. The
our success metrics. Many of you are thinkingProcurement Agent told her she was the only
that a successful meeting is defined as beingsales person to contact them and ask these
awarded the business. You would be right if it wasquestions. The Agent agreed that the RFP lacked
that type of meeting. However, this was afocus and could not fathom how the other
second call in a business environment where theselected finalists could prepare. Needless to say,
buying process is typically twelve to eighteenthis sales person won the business. (Need help
months. In this environment, other successputting together a game plan when you are a
metrics are needed for each step of the process.finalist, send me an email and I'll email you back a
Defining success metrics allows you to formulatechecklist that will lead you to victory.)
a game plan for your meeting. If you know whatAsk any successful person how they became
you need to accomplish, the roadmap becomessuccessful. They will tell you that they had a vision
very clear for what you need to achieve. If yourand developed a game plan to achieve that vision.
success metric is defined as your having aSales is no different. Know your success metrics
comprehensive picture of their challenges withand develop your game plan to achieve them.
their current provider, you can prepare questions