This article provides a tool for managers to use with their salespeople to improve project management skills and ensure no customer commitments fall through the cracks.

As a “good sales manager,” I jumped in to help a salesperson prepare for a joint call that we were scheduled to make on a key account. We defined the call objective, went through the pre-call planning process, the anticipation of questions and objections from the customer, and role-played the “what if,” in anticipation of the perfect sales call.

The proposal was flawless, the value proposition was sure to help the customer reach their goals, and the timing could not have been better. We went into the call with high expectations and excitement about the positive outcome that we were sure to get. After greeting the customer, and before we began to talk …