In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald Kelly meets with Paul Owen, the owner of Sales Talent, to discuss the importance of planning when it comes to sales, and why all salespeople should have some sort of a plan to maximize their performance. The importance of planning in the world of sales: Many salespeople will go into a deal without a plan in mind. Instead, they simply rely on their past experiences and instincts. This CAN work in some instances, but having a plan is always better. When you approach each sale with a structure in mind, you can replicate success more reliably. Instead of winging it and simply having one-off successes, a plan gives you the framework and tools you need to consistently make a profit. Why don’t salespeople utilize planning more? A lot of salespeople believe that going off of a plan is too RESTRICTIVE. One big misconception sellers have is that sales are too dynamic and unique to utilize one sales plan. Sales are unique, yes, but they still have some commonalities. These commonalities allow sellers to actually utilize a plan to better equip themselves to finalize the deal. Another reason why salespeople don’t use planning more is that they’re naturally good at selling. As the saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. This CAN work if the salesperson works individually. When they start to build a business, however, they’ll run into issues. Unless the entrepreneur finds people who are also naturally good at sales, they won’t be able to teach new sellers how to effectively sell. Having a plan in place can alleviate this problem. How can you start using planning in your sales? Take notes of past sales, and what did and didn’t work, and utilize that to create a plan. Although sales are unique, there are still common themes and elements between them. Take those common themes and elements and use them to create a framework for your future sales. Use buyer feedback. Ask past clients for their experience and utilize this feedback. Implement what works and get rid of what doesn’t to streamline your sales process and create planning designed to increase your sales. You can get a hold of Paul Owen and learn more about using structure and plans in your sales through LinkedIn. Owen also runs a website for his company called www.salestalentuk.com with blog posts and more information. 1. This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. 2. This episode is brought to you in part by Scratchpad. Scratchpad is the first Revenue Team Workspace specifically designed to adapt to each salesperson’s workflow, so you don’t have to change your habits. Get Scratchpad free at Scratchpad.com.  3. This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn.  The sales landscape is totally changing. You need to adapt to succeed. Deep Sales, a part of the next generation of LinkedIn Sales Navigator, can help you do just that. Check it out yourself and get a 60-day free trial at Linkedin.com/TSE. 4. This episode is brought to you in part by Calendly. The power of scheduling automation has never been more critical than it is today. Your sales team needs a solution to easily meet with prospects at the right time, every time. Finish the year strong and request a demo of Calendly today at Calendly.com/TSE.  Credits As one of our podcast listeners, we value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or Spotify.  Audio is provided by Free SFX, Soundstripe, and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.