Your "A" Game

Time with clients is valuable. The time we spend in front of clients and decision makers (internally and externally) should be similar in proportion to the time a professional athlete spends improving their talents and skills. Professional athletes spend 90% of their time preparing so they can spend 10% preforming.

Sales people that bring their "A" game can move the relationship forward. They are ready as a result of investing significant time in solid preparation. Moving forward may not mean getting your way or getting a signed deal during the sales call but it does mean you are ready to take the next step.

Don't step blindly into the future. You should know what you need to accomplish before you walk in the door and have a pretty good idea what the next progressive-move forward will look like. You cannot be effective if you aren't emotionally and mentally aligned. Prospects, internal decision makers and client's can smell anxiety and they will eat you alive if they sense you are anxious.

The time you have and the time your client's have is precious. Treat time as one of the most precious and valuable tools you can leverage. When viewing time as this vitally and critically important, you will modify your behavior to make the most of the opportunities you have and begin to bring your "A" game every opportunity you have. The best and perhaps only way to learn this is to go out and get your nose bloodied (figuratively). You have everything to gain by bringing your "A" game into your business activity and everything to lose if you do not.