Riding the Highs and Lows of Sales? Inherent in the roles of entrepreneur and sales professional is the desire to bring more business to our respective organizations. Naturally, this comes with highs and lows—the high of landing a new client and the low of a loss we thought we surely had in the bag. It makes sense that those of us who will succeed in our respective businesses are the ones who best manage the emotional roller coaster of sales. One of the ways I have found to keep the roller coaster in check and to put my best foot forward is to have a blueprint to follow. On mornings when I’m riding the high of a big win, I resort to a blueprint as a means of grounding myself and focusing on what’s next. On mornings when I’m dusting myself off from a loss, I return to a blueprint as a means of moving forward again rather than wallowing in self-pity. A successful sales blueprint includes a number of key elements. Perhaps the most important element is the identification of who we should talk to at a prospective client company. Too many times we miss opportunities because we have not properly identified who we should spend our time with at a new, prospective client. Many times we focus on one individual who we are comfortable talking to. But does that person actually hold the key decision-making ability? Very seldom does one person hold this ability. Therefore, it is critical for the blueprint to identify all the people who may influence the client’s purchase decision. Who are these decision makers and influencers? Here are four: The signature The practitioner The evaluator The linchpin

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