How to Prepare for a Sales Call in 4 Easy Steps

“Preparation is the key to success.” Alexander Graham Bell famously said that. Seeing as he invented the first practical telephone, it’s advice worth listening to.

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Preparing for a sales call is not always easy. It’s a skill that comes naturally to some, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be trained. If you want to learn how to prepare for a sales call and increase your chances of successfully closing, this guide will help you in four easy steps!

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The Importance of Being Prepared

Many so-called experts in the sales industry will tell you that you either have what it takes to succeed in this field or you don’t. They’ll say that those at the top of their careers just naturally succeed without any preparation or plan.

However, this myth has to end. It’s holding so many people back, and it’s completely false.

The truth that all those so-called experts don’t want you to know is this: Being successful in sales is simply the result of being prepared.

That means the only thing standing between you and your goals of being a high-ticket closer is knowing how to effectively prepare for the work in front of you.

Anytime you see someone great at sales, you can guarantee they’re prepared. Where most people leave it to chance and set themselves up for failure, the best lay a foundation of success from the very beginning.

They have a plan.

They have a routine.

They turn up focussed.

They know what to say and do before they even say or do it. This is what it means to be prepared. It’s one of the most important disciplines you need, and it’s something all the experts forget to talk about.

Why? Because anyone can work on this. It’s not a unique skill out of your reach.

Most of the time, preparation is what separates high-ticket closers and top sales professionals from the rest.

That’s what this article’s about. In the following sections, you’ll get a glimpse into what makes successful sales professionals so good at their jobs and what they do to prepare.

4 Steps to Prepare for Any Sales Call

If you’re not taking the time to prepare for your sales calls, you’re crippling your chances of success. Here are a few signs that you need to focus more on being prepared.

• You turn up to a sales call worried and anxious.
• You put off planning for a call because you want to do something else.
• You wish someone would handle your sales for you because you’re no good at it.
• You turn up to the call and “wing it” because the less time you think about it, the better.
  

If you can relate to any (or all) of this, t’s likely due to a lack of preparation and a few mindset blocks—which are, fortunately, easier to fix than you may think!

This guide will take you through four easy steps that you can follow to be ready for any sales call.

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Step 1: Set Your Environment

The first thing you need to do is get your environment right.

Make sure you’re in a quiet room with zero distractions. Don’t call your prospects if you’re in the car, in the middle of a busy office, or have any type of interference in the background.

These things don’t make a good impression on the other person. Your prospect won’t feel like they have your full attention, and that’s because the environment you’re in is distracting you from what’s important.

If your sales call plan doesn’t include a quiet room with no distractions, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Consciously, you’re making it hard to concentrate. Subconsciously, you’re telling yourself, “This isn’t important to me.”

Fix this now. It’s step one for a reason.

Step 2: Set Your Equipment

Once your environment is set, you need to make sure your equipment is ready.

To begin, make sure you record every sales call. There are a couple of reasons why you want to do this:

• You can re-listen to the sales call at a later date.
• It sets the expectation that the call is important.
  

You want your prospect to turn up prepared. Recording the call sets this expectation. It says to them, “This is important.”

However, whenever possible, avoid doing the call via your laptop or computer. Use your phone. This allows you to get up and move, which helps you remain focussed and “in flow” throughout the call.

If you’re at your laptop, you’re stuck in that place for the entire call. Being on your phone gives you options, and options are good.

Just make sure you use your headphones so that you remain hands-free throughout. This means you can make notes, which is a habit every single high-ticket closer lives and dies by.

Step 3: Set Your Area

As your sales call nears, make sure you have everything you need for the call: 

• Have their completed questionnaire in front of you (if they completed one).
• Have any notes you have previously made about them, their personality, or their business.
• Most important of all, have a pen and notepad ready!
  

Make notes. Good preparation doesn’t just happen before your call. The notes you make during your sales call will prepare you for what comes after you’ve closed the sale and the time comes that you have to deliver.

This is why you need your hands free throughout the call. Get into the habit of making notes. 

Just about every high-ticket closer I know makes a lot of notes. Throughout the call, you’ll hear their pen scratching away. It’s a great sound to hear if you’re a prospect because it proves to them you’re present.

This brings us to what you should not have in your area during a sales call:

• No distractions
• No shiny objects
• No screens (If possible, close your laptop altogether.)
  

Your area should be just you, your phone, and your notebook. This is how to prepare yourself for the sales call. It brings clarity and removes all white noise.

Now, you’re ready to focus, which means the only thing left to prepare is your mindset.

Step 4: Set Your Mindset

Good preparation doesn’t only involve what’s around you. It’s also about what’s inside you.

Your sales call plan needs to take you into account. Before your call, ask yourself:

• How are you feeling?
• What state of mind are you in?
• What emotions are present?
  

The point is to center your focus and sort through your thoughts. No amount of good preparation will matter if you aren’t in the correct mindset. Here are a few things you can focus on to help you get in the right frame of mind:

• Release all attachments to the word, “Yes.” Don’t focus on getting the sale. Instead, focus on getting an accurate diagnosis. Your job on the call is to help your prospect figure out what they need to and see past their objections and resistance. That’s it.
• Lose all previous emotional baggage. Forget all those previous calls that didn’t work out. Be tranquil. Be focussed. Be in control of your emotions.
• Do not bring a desperate mindset into the call. Don’t be too hungry. Don’t push too hard. Let your prospect talk, and listen to what they have to say. Those who come across as desperate rarely get the ending they desire—and that isn’t only true in sales.
• Commit to the 80/20 rule. Listen 80% of the time, and speak only 20% of it. When you do speak, make sure you’re asking the right questions.
  

Go through these positive affirmations before your sales call. Think about what to do and what not to do. More importantly, remind yourself that you have what it takes to succeed and that you have the confidence to close the deal when the time comes.

Success won’t come to you on its own. You have to turn up prepared for that to happen. 

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Wrapping Up

Every time you come across someone who makes it look easy, remember that it only is because they make it that way. They have a routine. They follow good habits. They’re prepared before the sales call and throughout it—from the first “Hello: to that all-important close.

Hopefully, this article has helped you see the light and appreciate how easy it is to make a change. You’ll realize what a difference being prepared can make and the massive impact it can have on your career, business, and even personal life.

Preparation is the key to success.

This is as true in sales as it is in most aspects of life. You can have what it takes to be a high-ticket closer. You just need to put in the necessary work and come prepared—-whether it’s for a sales call with a client or any other part of the job.

Scale Your Business with The Sales Connection

We’re always prepared at The Sales Connection.

Aside from connecting clients with the best sales professionals, we help businesses scale through custom-tailored strategies backed by decades of experience. Reach out to join our team or learn how we can work together.

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