To do great things, two things are necessary:
a plan and not quite enough time.
—Anonymous

There is an old saying, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” In The Art of War, Sun Tzu says:

Now, the general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple ere the battle is fought. The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand. Thus do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat: how much more no calculation at all! It is by attention to this point that I can foresee who is likely to win or lose. (Lionel Giles translation)

Sun Tzu’s words ring loud and true for change-centric selling. Do you like to plan? Do you always take the time to plan properly? Some people derive a tremendous amount of comfort and security from having developed a game plan. Others think about that task and immediately feel tired, preferring just to “wing it.”

A good example of planning is professional American football. It may seem like the players rely on incredible instincts and agility to adapt to conditions on the field. But what you may not know is that before every game, football teams spend hours and hours watching “films” of the opponent to study every move the opponent makes. Then, by game day, every move the football players make has been predetermined and preprogrammed. They are simply executing the “game plan.” Only after tremendous planning and preparation do the players awe us with their “amazing skill.”

Whether you like it or not, the reality is, the more you plan and the more you prepare, the more value you will deliver as a change agent—and the more your income will grow.

Therefore, planning skills and tools are critical if you want to grow your income. Constantly develop your skills by taking classes and staying abreast of current planning methodologies. Studies in the areas of business management and project management are also important.

Develop a standard account planning template that includes key principles of change-centric selling. Consider attending a ChangeCentric Selling® Bootcamp, which provides a rich set of account planning tools and techniques for leading change and growing revenues.

Be sure to share your account planning documents with the internal change agent in your accounts. You are partners in the same boat. So she will want to help you calibrate expectations and develop successful plans.

Plan to succeed. Develop planning tools that can be used repeatedly and refined over time. Constantly invest in your own skills.