What you do before and after your sales meeting is as important as what you accomplish during it.

How often have you been reflecting on a sales meeting thinking of something that you should have done that would have been more appropriate than what you just did?

Should’ve said… 

Should’ve asked…

Should’ve not ……

You make a mental note of the Should’ve’s and then you do what?

You do nothing.

With everything else that goes on during the day, your ‘Should’ve’s  are forgotten—lessons that could have been learned, but were lost instead.

Starting today, invest a couple of Pounds in a spiral notebook and keep it in the car. Draw a line down the centre 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 ‘Should’ve’s.’

Don’t record what you did: record what you should have done. (The purpose of the journal is to reinforce good behaviour, not remind you of poor behaviour.) If you’re not sure what a more appropriate behaviour 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.

The next time you think, “I should’ve,” write it down.

The next time you are going to a meeting with a customer or a prospect, take a few minutes to organise your thoughts and formulate your road map for how the meeting will run. Refer to your ‘Should’ve’s’ .

You will be surprised at how a small investment and a few minutes of your time spent on a pre-brief and a de-brief will return big dividends in the form of improved performance and increased sales.

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