I don’t need to prepare, I got this.

Thorough and strategic preparation is the foundation for successful selling.

You know that…but why, then, do you sometimes "dial it in"?

It’s because your "I got this!" kicks in… and makes you believe you do.

The worst feeling in the world is walking out of the meeting mumbling, "I shoulda done more homework."

Prep is a controllable variable. You don’t have to prep the same way for every meeting, but you must prepare for every meeting if you want to be in the TOP 10%.

Build an agenda today for your next pitch meeting with these elements:

1. Client names and titles. (Confirming titles and functions in your meetings is easier when they’re written down.)

2. Meeting agenda/goal. Cater to what the buyer cares about. List one or two items…max.

3. "Issues." Don’t refer to them as "objections and obstacles," but that’s what they are. Presenting them on the agenda forces the conversation.

4. Next steps. It signals that the buyer is a partner.

YOUR meeting goal will not be shared with the customer, but it’s important to prepare for that, too. Same with your stories and strategic questions… those go in your version of the meeting agenda.

Nobody understood preparation theory like Kobe Bryant (RIP)!

The week started off with Kobe on commitment and dedication (pull it out if you didn’t watch Monday); the week ends today with Kobe in this Short on the art of preparation.

(Only the good die young.)