Selling is such a big part of what we all do in business, it’s a wonder that it is still such a mystery to so many people!

Why is that?  Why do so many people struggle with sales?  Why are so many so fearful of it?

It’s almost like it is some sort of dark art – and yet, selling is actually a very predictable process … or at least it should be!

When you get on a plane, you hope that the pilot isn’t fearful or unsure about what they need to do.  And of course they’re not.  Interestingly, one of the main tools pilots use is checklists … for everything.

If you go into hospital for surgery, you absolutely hope the surgeon isn’t just making it all up on the fly.  We all hope they are practised, skilled and rehearsed.  Of course, surgeons also use checklists … lots of them!

When you plan an overseas trip, a move to a new house, a birthday party, wedding or other big event, I suspect you turn to checklists as a way to keep everything in order.

So it intrigues me that when it comes to selling so many people think it’s just a matter of having “the gift of the gab”, winging it or just going with the flow.

Selling should be a choreographed, thought through and scientifically designed process … and of course, it should have checklists!