Hope is not a strategy

The election is "kind of" behind us, although not completely. We are heading into a new year and we all hope things will get better. Personally, we hope we can go see friends and family — not just video call during the holidays this year. We hope the economy will settle down. We hope gas prices will settle down, and of course, we hope for health of our families and friends.

Professionally, we hope things will get better. We hope this client will renew. We hope we will hit our goal. We hope our cluster will make budget. We hope this new seller will make it. It's great that we all have a tremendous amount of hope in the future. Psychologists tell us that hope is a very positive emotion — a powerful motivator. So, I hope you'll keep reading.

If there's one thing I've been quoted saying, it is "Hope is not a strategy." Hope is a great attitude, but it must be backed up with a plan. Hope is a positive expectancy. Hope with a plan can get dramatic results. Hope without action will often result in disappointment.

Sales professionals are on the front lines of economic growth and prosperity in their communities. If you think about it, nothing happens until a sale is made. Sales is the grease that drives the economic engine and, as a salesperson, you can make things better — not just hope they get better.

Here are some questions to ensure your hopes turn in to reality:

We hope things will get better: What steps are you taking to ensure they get better? Are you talking to more prospects? Are you providing greater value to your current clients? Are you increasing your own knowledge and expertise?

We hope this client will buy: Have you prepared a presentation that is specifically addressing the most important need of the client? Are you solving their most pressing problem? Have you given them a value proposition that makes not buying impossible?

We hope to hit our goal: Are you communicating with enough people? Do you have enough business in your pipeline? Are you constantly looking for prospects and new business new categories that have emerged in crisis? Have you gone deeper into your current accounts looking for new profit centers and new ways to help?

We hope this new seller will make it: In the past, the standard was to give new sellers a rate card and a phone book and wish them good luck. Are you providing a comprehensive learning protocol to ensure their success? Have you paired new sellers with a successful seller in a mentor relationship? Do you have a repeatable sales process that your new sellers can follow to ensure success?

We would encourage you to make a list of the things you hope for both personal and professional. Then ask yourself, what action steps can you take to turn your hopes into reality? I'm not going to use the "R" word, (resolutions, oops I used it) Now is the time we start thinking about those things we want to change as the calendar changes to a new year. With the right attitude (hope) AND action, anything is possible.

Happy Friday!

Jeff Schmidt is the SVP of Professional Development. You can reach him at Jeff.Schmidt@RAB.com. You can also connect with him on Twitter and LinkedIn.