Your Sales Call Autopsy

A friend of mine recently did some contract work for a company. The project took several weeks and the work was much more detailed than my friend anticipated. Not only was the work itself difficult, but so were the other people who he had to deal with while completing the designs and other specifications.

When he was done he did something very important. He waited a few days and then took an objective look at the entire process, where he discovered what worked well, what didn't work well and the lessons he learned in the process. He even posted all of this information in a "bullet point" style on social media. With that information, his future projects will be somewhat easier if he runs into the same issues.

Many people in sales and marketing fail to do this. If something works well, they just move on to the next deal. But if they hit a snag and fail to get the sale, they complain about something, usually the client or the working conditions, without having an honest assessment of how they could have handled the situation better.

Having that objective criticism in the rear view mirror is what I like to call a "sales autopsy". It can help you make better decisions in the future and thus make your work more efficient.

Notice that I mentioned earlier that my friend waited a few days to do this. The reasoning behind this is in that span of time you lose the emotions that come with losing a sale. This works in other areas as well. Writers will put words on paper (or screen) and love what they produced. After waiting 48 or 72 hours, that love isn't quite so strong. Personally, I have even waited a week or more and discovered that what I thought was brilliant was less than stellar.

Think of the greatest golfers for a moment. They hit a shot and then walk to the next shot. During that stroll, they recap how that shot went, and use that information to prepare for the next shot. Doing this from one appointment to the next can save your attitude and your next sale.

Make a point of honestly recapping your last sales call and make notes. If possible, wait a few days to look at your notes and learn from it all. The most important part of this process is to be HONEST with yourself.

Chris Castanes is a humorous speaker who helps sales people succeed through workshops and humorous presentations. His new book, "Nearly Motivated" is available on Amazon. For booking information, click here. He's also the president of Surf Financial Brokers selling life and disability insurance in several states.

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