Be Prepared

General Sales
Be Prepared
By Jim Meisenheimer
Mar 24, 2004, 14:05

(Note:
You can order Jim Meisheimer’s ebook The 12 Best
Questions to Ask Customers by visiting:

http://www.salesvault.com/products_main_12bestquestions.htm)

Last Monday
morning, after checking out of the Hyatt Hotel, I went to the main
entrance and asked for a taxi. The doorman blew his Hyatt Silver
Whistle and sure enough a taxi appeared from the queue a block away.

After putting
my newly arrived luggage into the trunk of the taxi the driver jumped
back into the cab and greeted me with, "What time is your flight?"
I told him and he said, "The reason I'm asking is because I
have to stop for a few minutes to get some gas."

Now I'm a reasonable
person but the last thing I expect to do on my way to the airport,
which has become my least favorite destination, is to stop for gas.
OK, that's the story - Here's the point: A taxi driver who picks
up a customer with not enough gasoline is like a salesperson making
a sales call without clearly defined objectives. Both are unacceptable
and oftentimes create an unfavorable first impression with a customer.
The taxi driver did not make my day.

When we got
to the airport I wanted to give the driver a tip - a verbal one.
Since I hadn't, up to this point, done a good deed for the day,
I skipped the verbal lesson and gave the driver, instead, a little
less than normal tip.

Preparation
is everything. It doesn't matter whether you're driving a taxicab
or making a professional sales call - always be prepared. You never
know when a really good first impression will lead to a long lasting
business relationship.

About
the Author:

Jim Meisenheimer works with business owners and salespeople who
want to significantly increase their sales. His 5th book, 57 Ways
to Take Control of Your Time And Your Life, has just been released.