What is the minimum acceptable amount of research and information gathering that must be done during pre-call planning? Does your company have some type of prescribed structure for sales calls that outlines the various stages from beginning to end? What materials and tools should salespeople have with them on sales calls? And which tools are better left at home or saved for later in the sales process? (Hint: a projector.) Have you worked through the best way to set up the sales call by sharing the agenda and seeking the customer’s input and buy-in?
