(By Rick Fink) When training media reps, it’s one of the strongest sermons I preach: “You MUST be prepared for tomorrow before you leave the office tonight, and you MUST be as prepared as possible for next week before you leave the office on Friday!” Those that do it are typically successful. Those that don’t rarely are! Preparation is the key to success.
Abraham Lincoln understood the value of being prepared when he said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the ax.” Regardless of your profession, being prepared equally applies to everyone. If you’re having a medical procedure tomorrow, you want the doctor to review your charts and prepare today.
Have you heard (or used) these? “I don’t have a written plan,” “I work better by just going with the flow,” or “I have a plan in my head”. No, No, and NO!!!! Going with the flow or having a plan in your head doesn’t cut it. Every time I heard it, it was spoken by a below-average media rep. A written, detailed, daily plan is the only plan to maximize your day and work towards success.
You can plan your week first thing on Monday morning, or your Tuesday on Tuesday morning, but the mind is a funny thing. If you plan it, write it down, and think about it, your brain will actually help with preparation in advance! Sure there will be cancellations and gaps. When this happens, fill them in with prospecting or use that time to plan the rest of your week and sharpen your ax.
Benjamin Franklin said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
Make it a habit! Start preparing to plan your days and weeks…in advance! Never leave the office today, until you are prepared for tomorrow! It’s a GOOD plan.
NEVER Stop Learning – Get Better Every Day!
Rick Fink from ENS Media can be reached at 605-310-2062 or at [email protected]. Read Rick’s Radio Ink archives here.
