"Winning is not everything, but the will to prepare to win is!"

Just about everyone is familiar with Vince Lombardi's famous quote: "Winning is not everything it is the only thing!"  He said it. Of that, there is no doubt.  However, later on when pressed on the quote, he modified it to: "Winning is not everything  but the will to prepare to win is!" Everyone wants to win, but who is willing to make the sacrifice to do what is really required to in order to win?  What separates winners and losers is their commitment to prepare to win.  Did you ever run a marathon?  If you did you will realize that the marathon itself is difficult, but more difficult, by far, is the preparation to run the marathon.  Those countless hours running in the rain , dark and cold, the muscle aches, the injuries and, the accompanying diet and the discipline and sacrifice required to practice day after day.  The marathon is tough but if you are prepared it becomes more of a celebration of your accomplishments over the last 3-6 months.

In sales we know that winning is more than having the best product, the lowest price or the most features.  It is truly all about your preparation.  Below are the 10 most common areas of sales preparation.  Ask yourself  have you done all you can to…

1.      Really understand the solution your are selling, the challenges is solves, the value it delivers, its key competitors and its differentiation.

2.      Understand the industry challenges your prospect faces? (understanding  the industry lingo and metrics).

3.      Understand the specific challenges of your prospect ,  their key competitors where they sit against their competitors, in their industry and market.

4.       Identify the key individuals to sell (business and financial and executive) and what they want to see from the solution.

5.      Discover with each of them their specific problems issues and concerns and what your solution can do to help.

6.      Arrange for demos, ROI/business value assessment and executive visits by your extended sales team that address these specific concerns and issues.

7.      Sell your solution inside your own company? (Sell inside to client exec and to management to secure necessary selling resources and approvals to win).

8.      Anticipate and prepare for the competition

9.      Anticipate and prepare for the customer objections

10.   Anticipate the unexpected and prepare to win!

And then when the signed order comes through you like, Lombardi ,will know the “finest hour.” Which he describes as” when you lie upon the battlefield, exhausted, but victorious!”  Winning,  really,  is all about the will to prepare to win. Winning becomes the easy part if you have prepared.