Develop Dissatisfaction to the Point of Action There are endless reasons why a potential buyer may be looking for a new software solution, but it usually involves some level of dissatisfaction with the current solution. Unfortunately, dissatisfaction alone is not enough to close a sale. Deals can stop because the financial decision maker feels there are other priorities, or because someone on the purchasing committee … Read more
Action Items “When you leave a sales meeting, it shouldn’t only be you who has an action item. The customer needs to have an action item too.” This statement came from a salesperson in one of my training sessions. Though early in her sales career, she had already realized that you need the prospective customer to buy-in to the process and work with you to … Read more
Building the Business Case: Real World Sales Conversations In Building the Business Case: Financial Decision Makers, I suggested that, to translate technical wins to revenue, we have to ask questions that: Connect the buyer’s need to enterprise priorities (the arrow labeled 3 below) Quantify the financial impact (the arrow labeled 4 below). If you need help on how to translate the Need Diagnostic outline into … Read more
Leading Change through Sales Methodology Training Creating change in a sales organization requires a sales leader to utilize sales methodology training. Change is hard because most people take the path of least resistance and gravitate toward old habits. Leading a sales team starts with putting your sales playbook in place. If your new sales methodology makes their job easier, the sales team will use it. … Read more
Focus On the Sales Basics: A Checklist #1 – Prospect to Power Establishing Value on Major Opportunities Opportunity X-Ray The Perfect Discovery Call Checklist #2 – Understand customer problem & impact The Need Diagnostic: How Buyers Decide Brain Science and Decision Making: How Buyers Decide in B2B Sales Dispassionate Diagnosis: The Key to Consultative Selling The B2B Elements of Value Co-Create the Solution with the … Read more
Why Sales Forecasts are Still Inaccurate 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 … Read more
Major Opportunity Planning 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 … Read more
A Proactive Sales Leader Knows How to Increase Sales This tip provides a series of sales leadership activities, recommended by sales leaders who know how to increase sales. The sequence starts with suggested actions when you first take over a new sales team. Following these initial actions is a cadence of annual, quarterly, monthly and weekly activities to drive a high level of sales performance. … Read more
Proactive vs. Reactive Sales Management The Problem with Your Game If you hired a golf pro, what would you think if he said, “The problem with your game is that the ball does not go into the hole early enough and often enough!” As ridiculous as the golf coach’s advice is – and let me ask this very gently – is it the sort of … Read more
How to Sell Why doesn’t my product or service sell? Have you ever wondered, “Why doesn’t my solution sell?” Or maybe it was closer to, “Why don’t these idiots buy my solution?” If you imagine a chain with two links, the weak link is either: What you are selling. How you sell. Link #1: What You’re Selling People who are satisfied with the status quo … Read more