Sales Moves

By Jeffrey Gitomer

In the early days of sales, the methods, tools and systems were simple. There was no sophisticated technology for communicating or collecting money. No credit cards, no computers, no Internet, no cell phones and no DVDs. Still, sales were made.

Today, it is a little more complicated. However, instead of changing from old to new, the best thing to do is expand on what worked in the past.

One of the oldest sales and personal development strategies was “Plan, Do, Review.” It was a great method 50 years ago but is no longer adequate. Notice I didn’t say that it doesn’t work. I just said that it is inadequate for these times.

The interesting part of this strategy is that, as I show you the upgrade, it has little to do with technology and finance, but it has everything to do with personal development.

So, let’s take the “Plan, Do, Review” model and expand it for the 21st century. The new version gives a more detailed strategy of what it takes to get from where you are to where you want to go. It is more than goals. It is more than quotas. It is achieving what you desire.

Keep in mind that I used the old “Plan, Do, Review” model in the ’70s and ’80s. With each passing year, I realized its inadequacy and added to it.

Here is my version of “Plan, Do, Review:”

Dream. During your earlier life, you may have been criticized for daydreaming. Big mistake. The origin of any great idea starts as a dream. This is also where you employ the verb “think.” It helps you crystallize the idea in your mind so you can get to step two: the vision.

Visualize. In order to get from “dream” to realization, you have to have a clear vision inside your mind’s eye of what you want to achieve and how you want to achieve it. If you are an advanced dreamer and can visualize, you can see the goal all the way through to completion.

Clarify in writing. This is the “plan” part, also known as committing to the goal. You define exactly what you want and what action you will take to achieve it. Write it down. Create a detailed plan. Make sure you list any obstacles you might encounter, any new knowledge you may have to acquire, and any people you may need to work with to reach your goal.

Determine the daily dose. No matter what the size of your goal, it can be broken down into bite size chunks, also known as daily doses. You don’t take a whole bottle of pills at once. You take one every four hours. You don’t eat 31 apples at the end of a month. You eat an apple a day. Same with goals. Bit by bit. Bite by bite. Day by day. The best way to do this is to plan exactly what you need to do each day, so you can achieve your goal.

Determine the date for completion and enter it as an appointment. Establishing a success appointment proves you are willing to make the commitment, and you are willing to do whatever work it takes to reach your goal. When you make an appointment for success, you are setting a target date. You have something to work toward, rather than simply “someday.” I have found that “someday” never comes. But Sunday comes once a week. Simply determine which Sunday.

Take specific achievement actions. This is the “do” part. People confuse activity with productivity. Just because you are busy, does not mean you are productive. By identifying the daily dose and making yourself take specific actions, you ensure that you are working toward the goal, not postponing it.

That is 6 of the 10.5 ways to harness the new power of “Plan, Do, Review.” I was not “planning” on writing this many words, but the subject is important to success. However, I am out of space.

Why don’t you “plan” to visit me next issue? And “plan” to have a great week between now and then.

Jeffrey Gitomer, author of The Sales Bible and The Little Red Book of Selling, is the president of Charlotte-based Buy Gitomer. E-mail him at salesman@gitomer.com.

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