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If you’re a regular reader, you know I’m an enthusiastic supporter and ardent believer in the value of preparation.

I’ve even encouraged you to go A.P.E.! Meaning, you need to apply the proven three-step formula — Anticipate, plan and execute.

The impact and ability to go A.P.E., has lots of applications. Like: - the questions you’ll ask a prospect or client during, an initial or follow-up interview, the obstacles you might encounter, the objections you’re likely to get, the negotiation strategies you may need to implement, i.e., knowing the objectives you seek, the value concessions you might make, etc.

Now, it ain’t easy to be really adept and effective with the preceding. It takes hard work. Practice. Preparation. Rehearsal. Practice. Repeated execution. Ongoing upgrades and tweaking. Have I mentioned practice?!

Yet, here’s the good news. It’s doable. And the payoffs and rewards are huge. Happy customers or clients. More sales. Bigger earnings and the freedom, flexibility and independence that come with improved performance, greater profits and higher commissions.

And, here’s the great news. The preceding are all learned skills. That’s right, they’re behaviors that can be mastered with diligent effort, focus and discipline.

However, most folks won’t do it. If they’re your competitors, send ’em a “thank you” note. If it’s you ... shame on you!

Here’s something I don’t get. I meet lots of folks who spend hours, (hundred of ’em) working on their golf game. They’ll hit countless buckets of balls at the driving range, stand over numerous practice putts and invest in coaches and lessons. Yet they’re unwilling to devote the same kind of time, money and energy to “business skills” that’ll produce remarkable results — financial, emotional and psychological.

It’s incomprehensible to me when people justify their laziness with inane and lame statements like, “I’m way too busy to read a business book!” or, “When I’m in my car, I don’t want to listen to inspirational or educational CDs, I need that time to clear my head.”

Hogwash! Bull! Bunk!

Well, maybe that’s not fair. It’s their choice. But then don’t complain when you’re not generating the results you want or earning the income you think you deserve.

The skills, strategies and tips I write and speak about work. Big time. Quickly. Ethically. Dramatically! Yet I always tell folks, it’s up to them if they choose to take action. If they choose not to, I’m not offended.

Everything I share is on an “action continuum.” Meaning, you can either ignore or implement. Or erase or embrace. Or anything in between.

Yet, if you choose to take action, know that perfection or mastery isn’t easily achieved. Like any skill, it takes time. Now, I’m pretty good at the “stuff” I urge others to execute on. But I never take these skills for granted. That’s why I’m in a constant state of upgrade. Improvement and enhancement.

Since we live near our community’s high school, our daughter Brittany will often have her girlfriends over for a quick lunch. As they fly past my office, I’ll hear them exclaim, “Hey Brit, just passed your Dad’s office, sounds like he’s talking to himself!” Brittany answers, “Yeah, Daddy does a lot of that. He’s very strange. We just leave him alone!”

Brittany’s right! (In many ways!) It’s pretty common for me to be rehearsing/practicing/preparing out loud! I could be “playing” with new questions to ask a client or the pacing, inflection and volume of my voice for a story or anecdote.

However, when I repeatedly recommend, strongly suggest and unequivocally urge others to “practice and prepare” I’m often challenged with skepticism and cynicism.

Workshop participants will say, “I don’t want to sound ... ”

– Artificial

– Rehearsed

– Phony

– Robotic

– Insincere

– Glib

– Scripted

Understandable concerns. Yet, unfounded.

This was really driven home, in early December, 2007. I was in New York City for two speaking engagements in Manhattan. Since my hotel was a 12 minute walk from the theatre district, I decided to see two Broadway shows; a musical and a play.

When I attend the “theatre” I like to sit close. Ideally, center stage, in the orchestra section. Within the first 10 rows. How come? I like to listen and observe the performances up-close. The actors’ nuances. A furrow of a brow. The turn of a lip. The tilt of a head. The emphasis of a word or syllable. These subtleties give me ideas and possibilities for my “stage presence” and “performances.”

Now I know, every Broadway dance step, every stage movement and every word have been highly choreographed and exhaustively rehearsed. Which is why, they look so natural.

It’s only when you’re not prepared, that you appear clumsy, uncomfortable and unprofessional.

Heck, when we see an athlete make a phenomenal play, we even exclaim, “Whoa! They made it look ... !”

That’s right, “Easy!”

Yet that “ease” only came with grueling hours of practice, preparation and rehearsal.

If you want to soar or fly above the rest ... this ain’t the time to “wing it.” For instead of a flight to new heights, you’ll likely crash land. Ouch!

So go A.P.E. — Anticipate, plan and execute.

And reap the rewards of rehearsal!

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Jeff Blackman is a speaker, author, success coach, broadcaster and lawyer. His clients call him a “business-growth specialist.” If you hire speakers, please contact Jeff at: 847.998.0688 or jb@jeffblackman.com. And visit jeffblackman.com to learn more about his other business-growth tools and to subscribe to Jeff’s free e-letter, The Results Report. Jeff’s books include; Stop Whining! Start Selling!, (an Amazon Bestseller) and the newly revised 2007, fourth edition of the bestselling Peak Your Profits.