On July 4, 2000 I sold a career best 23 accounts in just over 12 hours! I was totally in ‘The Zone’ and it seemed like everybody I talked to wanted to sign a service agreement. Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player ever, once described ‘The Zone’ by saying, “The basket appears to be six feet across. The nine other players on the court seem to be moving in slow motion! I know exactly what everyone’s going to do even before they know.” Getting in ‘The Zone’ doesn’t happen by luck. It takes hard work, mental focus, skill and planning…even for Michael Jordan.
The day I sold 23 accounts was incredible, but it was a few days prior to this day that made it possible for my success on the 4th of July to be realized. While selling on a full time basis I made it a habit to drive my area and develop a weekly game plan as to where and when I would knock certain streets. A few days before the 4th I happened to find the neighborhood I knocked that day by chance as I had never noticed it beforehand. It was a small, three street neighborhood that was hidden behind a strip mall and a dense row of trees. Although I worked my tail off that day, only taking two small breaks to devour a sack lunch and stock up on service agreements, my epic success was ultimately made possible because of the game plan I had going into the week.
Sales reps can waste a lot of time driving around looking for places to knock doors and unfortunately, this is often done during optimum knocking hours. Having a game plan eliminates unnecessary drive time and keeps sales reps in the best position to make sales, which is standing in front of potential customers delivering their pitch. Make it a point to develop a game plan before starting each week and increase your chances of getting in ‘The Zone.’