| Professional development plan should be included in | | | | speaking skills. |
| every organization's sales plan within the strategic | | | | - I will attend a seminar that focuses on effective |
| plan. Given that effective selling is more and more | | | | networking techniques. |
| about relationships, then every sales person | | | | - I will hire an executive coach that specializes in |
| should be actively working to increase both their | | | | developing sales professionals. |
| business sales skills from a people and | | | | When discussing professional development as part |
| performance (applied skills) perspective. | | | | of the strategic plan to increase sales, I |
| With the year coming to an end, now is the time | | | | consistently hear two main obstacles: |
| for sales professionals to reflect back and | | | | - Price - Professional development costs too |
| honestly answer these questions: | | | | much. My company does not reimburse me. I |
| - Did I achieve all of my sales goals whether | | | | cannot afford it. |
| revenue or units? | | | | - Time- I do not have time to do what I need to |
| - Did I miss any sales goals whether revenue or | | | | do for my job or my business less alone spending |
| units? | | | | time on more professional development. My free |
| - For those goals not achieved, what was the | | | | time is for myself and my family. |
| obstacle or obstacles? | | | | Consider, if price is an obstacle, then |
| - Did I experience repeating obstacles when | | | | - What is it costing in you real dollars or in future |
| attempting to achieve a sale? | | | | promotions by not investing in professional sales |
| - How much time did I plan for professional | | | | development? |
| development such as sales training? | | | | - How do you know that a professional |
| - How much time did I personally invest in | | | | development plan costs too much? |
| professional development? | | | | - Have you tried to negotiate better fees or |
| - If I had invested the time in professional | | | | payment terms? |
| development, would I have been able to turn | | | | - Whose responsibility is it to better yourself - |
| those lost sales into signed contracts? | | | | you or your company? |
| - Did I consistently set and achieve all my | | | | Think about, if time is an obstacle, then, |
| personal goals? | | | | - What is poor time management costing you in |
| HINT: For those individuals who answered No to | | | | missed business sales opportunities? |
| questions number one and eight, this may indicate | | | | - Do you have a personal action plan for success |
| a gap between your personal beliefs and your | | | | that includes mental, financial/career, social, |
| sales behaviors. | | | | physical, family and ethics/beliefs goals? |
| Professional development should not just be | | | | - Is time management a real obstacle or a |
| regulated to attending off-site sales training | | | | symptom of a deeper problem? |
| conferences, but should be a plan that provides | | | | Unfortunately, the real obstacle is commitment. |
| for the measurable achievement from a variety | | | | Unless you whether you are an organization or an |
| of learning resources or activities. Consider, | | | | individual are truly committed to changing, to |
| committing to writing some of these goals: | | | | growing, to evolving, to being the best that you |
| - I will attend one conference devoted to a new | | | | can be, developing and executing a professional |
| product or service each quarter. | | | | development plan will never become a priority. |
| - I will read one book on selling per month. | | | | And don't worry about it because your |
| - I will find a mentor who can assist me in | | | | competition is hungry for the next client or job |
| improving my sales skills. | | | | promotion and you can safely bet that they have |
| - I will join a mastermind group that focuses on | | | | a plan to leave you in standing in the dust from |
| selling skills. | | | | the results that are being delivered by their highly |
| - I will join a local Toastmaster's to improve my | | | | developed and trained professional sales staff. |