Prepared Territory Sales Plan
Replace anxious wandering with a preplanned daily sales route
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 96%
The Prepared Territory Sales Plan converts a broad sales target into a route that can be executed without deciding everything in the moment. Before the day begins, choose the geographic area, list the businesses to visit, and prepare a low-pressure way to open each conversation. During and after the route, record what happened so the next day's plan improves from evidence. The mechanism is straightforward: advance decisions reduce uncertainty, reduced uncertainty makes action easier, and repeated action creates more opportunities and better feedback. Shawn French describes this as the shift that stopped him from driving aimlessly around his territory and helped him produce sustained sales results across two industries.
Origin
After nearly quitting payroll sales, Shawn French identified lack of preparation, planning, and strategy as the cause of his poor performance. He began planning routes by zip code, selecting stops, preparing talking points, and taking daily notes.
Core principles
- 01Preparation shrinks avoidable anxiety
- 02A specific route beats vague activity
- 03Simple opening lines create momentum
- 04Daily notes turn experience into a repeatable system
How to run it
- 1
Diagnose the execution gap
Review why the current sales day is failing. Separate a lack of preparation or structure from a lack of ability.
Pro tip Look at the previous week rather than judging yourself from one difficult call.
Watch out Do not turn a process diagnosis into a story that you are inherently bad at sales.
- 2
Select the territory
Commit to the zip codes or compact area you will work that day. Make the boundary specific enough that you cannot drift into aimless driving.
Pro tip Cluster stops to preserve time and momentum.
- 3
Predetermine the stops
List the businesses you intend to visit before leaving. Treat the list as the day's route rather than making each choice from the vehicle.
Watch out Do not confuse planning with endlessly researching each prospect.
- 4
Prepare a respectful opener
Choose a simple introduction that identifies who you are and invites exploration without forcing a pitch. Keep it natural enough to deliver under pressure.
Pro tip Use your own words instead of copying a trainer's personality.
- 5
Execute and log
Run the route, then capture what worked, what stalled, and what should change. Use those observations to plan the next day.
Pro tip Record notes while the conversations are still fresh.
Watch out Activity without reflection can repeat the same weak approach.
In the wild
Shawn was driving around his Florida territory without a plan and sometimes could not leave his truck. After deciding in advance which zip codes and businesses to visit, preparing simple talking points, and taking daily notes, he stopped improvising the entire day and began executing a repeatable route.
→ He says his sales exploded that month and continued strongly for years.
A roofing representative could choose one storm-affected neighbourhood, list ten businesses or property managers, prepare a short problem-focused introduction, and log each response before planning the next route.
→ The rep gets a measurable day of conversations instead of spending the day deciding where to go.
Common mistakes
Starting the day without a route
Choosing each stop in the moment increases uncertainty and makes avoidance easier. Decide the route before entering the territory.
Overcomplicating the opener
A polished feature dump can create more pressure than a simple introduction. Start a respectful conversation and explore whether a need exists.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for field sellers who know their territory but freeze or wander without structure.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for sellers whose main constraint is an unqualified market rather than preparation or execution.
From the transcript
“I wasn't prepared enough. I didn't have a plan. I didn't have a strategy.”
“I made commitments of what zip codes I was going to be in every single day and I predetermined where I was going to stop”
“from that day on, I caught fire.”
From the episode
Shawn French: Conquer Fear and Self-Doubt to Build an Unstoppable Mindset
Shawn French