It takes months to build quality pipeline. You can destroy a deal in a minute. When sales leadership focuses on late stage deals it leads to inconsistent revenue flow. Here’s a piece I wrote that applies: Proactive vs. Reactive Sales Management This may make the point even better.
Being a sales voyeur again I was sitting in a staff meeting with a client in which – the President and Sales VP’s were discussing negotiating, discounting and holding the line on price. One sales manager said, “If we can prove technical superiority, then I can discount less. But if I can’t prove product superiority you can’t expect me to hold the line on price!” … Read more
While I have heard various versions of what the acronym SMART stands for… Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic Timeframe …it never includes “Emotional Basis” Why we need emotion Our brains prefer the path of least resistance. Under duress, we revert to habit because the neural pathway is well worn and is, therefore, the path of least resistance. The brain is malleable, but neurons that have fired … Read more
We naturally focus on facts, not emotions It is natural to use facts and figures to convince prospects to buy. But stories make communication more effective. Ground-breaking work done at Princeton University by Associate Professor of Psychology, Dr. Uri Hasson, Ph.D. has shown that the brain of an individual listening to a story synchronizes with the brain of the individual telling a story. Use Stories … Read more
Sage advice from Simon Scaife of Synopsys to his sales team on 2-5-2019 “Know what you are going to say, before you say it, and say it with conviction.”
Kaizen started as a US Military process of continuous improvement and was adopted in Japan after WW II. It was then that the practice was named Kaizen. Kaizen means: Ask small questions. Think small thoughts. Take small actions. Solve small problems. Small rewards along the way. Change is Scary Our primal (limbic) brains highjack our thinking brain when there is a perceived threat to our … Read more
The sales challenge I recently talked to a sales manager about a coaching session he had with a sales rep. The sales rep was having a good sales call. The client had a problem they could solve. The conversation was positive and engaged.” Then the inevitable price question arose. The client said, “How much does it cost?” The sales rep gave them a range, $25K-$50K, … Read more
Forecasting is an old problem During World War II, a group of Army officers, led by economist Kenneth Arrow, were assigned the task of forecasting the weather a month in advance. Concluding that their numbers were no better than those picked out of a hat, they asked to be reassigned. The reply they received said, “The Commanding General is well aware that the forecasts are … Read more
When to apply a strategic selling process Not all opportunities require a strategic planning process. Too much process is like cutting butter with a chainsaw. But, if you are cutting down an oak, you don’t want to use a butter knife. Three Battle Fronts Major opportunities are fought on three fronts: Technology – WHAT do we need? Financial – HOW MUCH financial return vs. competing … Read more
A single silver bullet fired by the CFO shoots down many good projects. “Why now?” I just had lunch with a friend who advises Federal CIO’s and CFO’s on procurement. He said 75% of projects fail in the business case, not the technical evaluation. When we propose a solution, we may think the question we are trying to answer is, “Does my solution produce a … Read more