What's in Your Sales Go Bag?

As we have shared before, lack of preparation is the number one concern that buyers have about sellers in any profession. This has been the case for many years, surprisingly, because it's such a simple thing to fix.

Visit a master mechanic’s shop and she will have stacks of toolboxes with drawers filled with tools. A plumber has his truck loaded with all his supplies. The FBI has a protocol called a go-bag — it's the bag that agents always have with them in the event they are called away for an extended period. And of course, there are the supplies you have at your home: non-perishable food, medical, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, all the things you would need during an emergency or in recent times — a pandemic. Whether it's the toolbox, the truck, the go-bag or your home supplies, the thing they all have in common is having the appropriate tools and resources available to you if and when you need them.

As sales and marketing professionals, what do you have in your sales go-bag? In talking with thousands of sellers, here is the list of the top items they feel are important to have at their ready:

RAB resources (Instant Backgrounds, The Pitch, etc.)

Pens, pencils and note pads

Blank contracts / C.N.A. forms

Tech items to include: Cellphone, laptop/tablet, backup power supplies (batteries, chargers, a personal Wi-Fi-enabled cellular device if your cellphone can't be used as a hot spot

Station information to include media kits, format descriptions, talent profiles

Articles about marketing and advertising that apply to any business to share

Your success journal — a list of your client and sales victories (case studies) to share or inspire you

A current book about marketing/advertising (or a tablet/e-reader filled with such books)

Business cards, either physical ones or the new electronic ones

The written list of your personal and professional goals

The successful mechanic, plumber, FBI agent, not only has – but knows when to use the right tool for the task at hand. You wouldn’t use a wrench as a hammer.

Needing a tool and not having it available can stop your progress. Whether it’s RAB tools or others listed above, using only the tools you need for your current situation gives you a greater chance of successfully completing the task.

This is just a partial list of potential tools you might need. We’d love to have you share the items in your sales go-bag. Email me at Jeff.Schmidt@rab.com.

Jeff Schmidt is RAB SVP of Professional Development. You can also connect with him on Twitter and LinkedIn.