The 89-Cent Solution

How often have you been sitting in the car after a sales call, and you thought of something you should have done that would have been more appropriate than what you just did? "I shoulda said...," "I shoulda asked...," "I shoulda...," "I shoulda...," "I shoulda..." You make a mental note of the shouldas...and then what? Nothing! With everything else that goes on during the day, your shouldas become a distant memory—lessons that could have been learned, but were lost instead. Invest 89 cents on a spiral notebook and keep it on the seat of the car. Draw a line down the center of each page. Label the left side: The Prospect Said/Asked/Did. Label the right side: I Should Have Said/Asked/Done. The next time you have an impromptu debrief in the car, record the prospect's action along with your shouldas. Don't record what you did: record what you should have done. (The purpose of the journal is to reinforce good behavior, not remind you of poor behavior.) If you're not sure what a more appropriate behavior would be, consult with your sales manager or a fellow salesperson at a later time. You won't have to rely on your memory for an accurate description of the event: it will be recorded in your notebook. So, the next time you think, "I shoulda...," write it down. An 89 cent investment and a few minutes of your time will return big dividends in the form of improved performance and increased sales.