Tim Russert was the best at his craft and I was struck by a common thread through all of the tributes I’ve heard this weekend after his death on Friday. It was how prepared he was for each of his interviews. Everyone says if you were being interviewed by Tim, you’d better be ready. He’ll know more about your situation than you do.

In our appointment making programs, I talk about how the sports teams we’ve played on in our lives (who profess to play for fun) concentrate on practicing basic fundamentals (Art) and then specific plays (Best Practices) until they are second nature, yet we, who profess to belong to the ‘profession’ of sales, insist on ‘winging’ it.

Perhaps what we can take from the success of a man like Tim Russert is to apply one of the attributes that made him great. Prepare for your calls by knowing what you’re going to say each and every time and be prepared for 80% of typical responses you’ll hear. Then practice, practice, practice until it is second nature.

If you’d like some help with a formula for that process, let us know. We eat, breathe and live this stuff!