Always Be Ready
You’ve probably heard of ABC (Always Be Closing) but have you heard of ABR (Always Be Ready)?
Recently someone in a field sales organization told me that there will be a call later that day that will mean big company changes within their organization. No one knew what it meant. It could have meant layoffs. People were scared. They knew it was not good news. My advice in that situation was fairly simple:
- If you have a company phone, ensure all your contacts in your phone are backed up somewhere else that you can get them.
- Immediately print off all your sales reports and save them.
- Pull anything and everything out of your company email that you want to save.
- If there's training, processes or anything valuable that you want to keep and apply at a new employer GET. IT. NOW.
No matter how long you’ve been there, there are things of value you’ve learned. Make sure those travel with you wherever you go. (Disclaimer: If things are not labeled confidential or for company use only, of course.) 🙂 Run this question through your mind: “If I am laid off on this call and they cut me out of all systems, “Do I have everything I need and want — both to help me get my next job and make me successful in my next job?” Come to think of it, that’s a useful exercise even if you’re not awaiting a scary company-wide conference call.