“Plans are nothing. Planning is everything.”
by Todd Youngblood
Who am I to argue with General Dwight D. Eisenhower?
Dwight Eisenhower made this comment regarding the Normandy invasion. He was reflecting upon how little the actual battle resembled the D-Day? plan; a plan that resulted from a truly stupendous effort on the part of the Allies.
What makes the quotation profound is the fact that one of history’s great leaders, while he insisted on painfully detailed, documented plans, expected things to NOT go according to plan. In fact, he believed that the plan itself was almost superfluous. The real value, he felt, came from the rigorous, vigorous discussion of ideas, challenging of assumptions and exploration of alternatives among the smartest people he could find.
It was the General’s way of avoiding surprises. By forcing a disciplined planning process, he forced critical thinking and over time, created a team that could anticipate and successfully react to a vast array of complex situations.
Sales leaders take heed! Insist that your reps develop a written plan for every sales campaign and every sales call. It’s so simple …and powerful. It will prepare them to deal with whatever the customer or the competition can dish out.
Plan every sales call! No exceptions!
