Advanced preparation can be the difference between success and failure

Expect the best...and prepare for the worst

Motivation| Sales| success mindset| Habits| Business Development
October 08, 2024•2 min read

Expect the Best and Prepare for the Worst: A Guide for Sales, Business, and Life

Have you ever landed the meeting of a lifetime with a potential customer, or large account you have been targeting? You may have prepared for every scenario, objection, or curve ball in advance. Then, the AV or technology fails, you are left to deliver your message without your technology, and your confidence and enthusiasm are gone in seconds. I have been there. It could also be a difficult audience member, a tough boss, or peer. In sales, business, and life, embracing the mantra "expect the best and prepare for the worst" can set you up for success while reducing stress. Here are some strategies to help you navigate challenges like tough customers, tech issues, difficult meetings, and demanding bosses.

Preparation Tips:

1. Understand Your Audience: Whether dealing with customers or bosses, research their preferences, past interactions, and expectations. This helps tailor your approach and anticipate difficult scenarios. Always plan a discovery call in advance.

2. Have a Backup Plan: For tech issues, always have a plan B. Carry extra batteries, have physical copies of presentations, and know alternative methods of communication. I go as far as printing my presentation on a handout, in case the AV fails. Know your content so well that you can deliver without notes.

3. Practice Active Listening: In meetings, listen actively to understand the real issues. This enables you to address concerns more effectively and diffuse potential conflicts. Instead of thinking of your response, seek to understand.

4. Maintain Emotional Intelligence: Stay calm and composed. Recognize your emotions, and those of others, to respond thoughtfully rather than reactively. I have seen presenters crumble with technology failing. All eyes are on you, staying in control is critical. Phone a friend and vent afterwards!

5. Regularly Update Skills: Keep your skills and knowledge current. This makes you more adaptable to changes and ready to handle unexpected situations. Be a student of your industry. Keep up to date on trends.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

- Overconfidence: Believing you’re flawlessly prepared can lead to oversight. Always double-check your work and assumptions. Do not make it a habit to 'wing it' - practice makes prepared!

- Lack of Flexibility: Sticking rigidly to a plan may prevent you from seeing alternative solutions. Stay open-minded. If your presentation is not landing with the audience, take a break and talk to the event sponsor, and be open minded to feedback. Correct and continue.

- Failure to Reflect: After every difficult interaction or meeting, reflect on what worked and what didn’t. This reflection helps you improve for future situations.

Anticipating challenges while planning for success prepares you to handle whatever comes your way. What particular area do you feel you need the most strategies for right now?

salessuccess habitsmotivation
Amy Lemire CSP DTM works with success-driven leaders and teams who want to be more, make more, and sell more with confidence, with momentum. She is the creator of “The Best Version of You: Success Habits Breakthrough” Program. For the past 10 years, she has trained thousands of sales and business professionals on standards of excellence, and mastery of the keys to success and the ‘Sales Confidence Code.’ Her focus is on how to win the inner game of self-confidence to drive peak performance results in sales, business, and speaking, through the mastery of success habits. After spending 2 decades in business-to-business and medical sales and training, Amy founded AIM Training and Consulting International. She is a certified “Habitfinder” Leadership Coach. Amy is the author of 2 books: “From Zero to Sales Hero,” and “From Zero to Speaker Hero.” Amy was recently designated as a Certified Speaking Professional, in March 2023, by the National Speakers Association, for delivering over 300 hours of training and speaking. She is also a VISTAGE-certified speaker. Amy is a Distinguished Toastmaster, the Past President of National Speakers Association, St Louis Chapter, and a Member of the National Speakers Association. She has been recognized as a Fortune 500 top sales performer and sales trainer for over 3 decades. When she is not working you may find her at local rock concert, personal development seminar, or at home with her husband Nigel and her cat Brianna.

Amy Lemire CSP

Amy Lemire CSP DTM works with success-driven leaders and teams who want to be more, make more, and sell more with confidence, with momentum. She is the creator of “The Best Version of You: Success Habits Breakthrough” Program. For the past 10 years, she has trained thousands of sales and business professionals on standards of excellence, and mastery of the keys to success and the ‘Sales Confidence Code.’ Her focus is on how to win the inner game of self-confidence to drive peak performance results in sales, business, and speaking, through the mastery of success habits. After spending 2 decades in business-to-business and medical sales and training, Amy founded AIM Training and Consulting International. She is a certified “Habitfinder” Leadership Coach. Amy is the author of 2 books: “From Zero to Sales Hero,” and “From Zero to Speaker Hero.” Amy was recently designated as a Certified Speaking Professional, in March 2023, by the National Speakers Association, for delivering over 300 hours of training and speaking. She is also a VISTAGE-certified speaker. Amy is a Distinguished Toastmaster, the Past President of National Speakers Association, St Louis Chapter, and a Member of the National Speakers Association. She has been recognized as a Fortune 500 top sales performer and sales trainer for over 3 decades. When she is not working you may find her at local rock concert, personal development seminar, or at home with her husband Nigel and her cat Brianna.

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