21st century selling
Please, Please Please. Stop selling likes it’s 1999! There are far too many salespeople who still think that the things that were successful in the 1990s still apply to effectively selling to customers today in 2020.
Breaking news the 20th century is over. If we want to keep helping our customers solve their problems, we need to start thinking like 21st century professionals.
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The Covid Opportunity
While a global pandemic is a terrible thing there are also some great positive possibilities.
I have helped business build very successful remote sales systems for more than 2 decades. While the world has rapidly changed for many people, those who had already embraced remote selling didn’t skip a beat.
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Service is everything
To lead is to serve. I know some people would disagree but if you really think about it, the leading businesses all have one thing in common. They all serve their customers better than anyone else.
How can you develop a business culture of service? It starts from the top. Lead by example. As the business leader you must serve your people just as much as you serve your customers.
Here are 5 ways you can improve your level of service.
Needs without Wants
Far too often sales leaders teach their reps to uncover their customers needs. Unfortunately, there is a big problem with this. Think about it in your own life. When you need something to you go out of your way to get it right then and there? Or do you put it off until later?
For example, if you have a leaky faucet do you fix as soon as you discover it or do you wait until it gets worse? For most people if the problem is not to painful, they wait until the pain becomes unbearable. Then and only then are they ready to do something about it.
But when you want something. You will do what it takes to get it as soon as possible.
The same principals apply to sales.
What is Value?
Too often sales professionals are told by their leaders that they must create value. However, there is a fundamental problem with this advice. Value is not what you say it is. Value is what the customer says it is. If you don’t understand what is of value to the customer you are just doing a lot of talking.
Delusional Forecasting
As we begin the new year how does your opportunity pipeline look? Too many business owners build their annual forecasts based on myth. They set goals that are unrealistic and often bae them on fiction. The fiction they use is the bad data in their CRM. Some times they are not even using a CRM. They just have a list of suspects that they believe are prospects.
How do you know if your forecast is real? You have to first understand your data. The problem however is too many leaders do things to sabotage themselves. The require the entry of false data into the CRM, so they end up with false reports. Then they act surprised when things do work out as planned.
There are ways to understand if your data is real. Unfortunately, too many leaders are not willing to do the things necessary to really gain true understanding. They would prefer to believe in the hype. They hope for the best. All successful business people know, hope is not a strategy.
So how can you know for sure if your forecast for this year is accurate? You could work with someone who has a decade of experience developing 100% accurate revenue forecasts up to 2 years out.
But you would have to be willing to take a deep hard look at your business. If you want to be like the ostrich and just stick your head in the sand, go ahead. But while you are ignoring the danger signs your competitors will be busy taking your customers, and winning the competitive bids that you thought you had in the bag.
You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by doing a factual pipeline review.
So, what are waiting for?
Its January 3rd now is the time to schedule an opportunity assessment and start the year armed with the knowledge of exactly where you will end 2019.
Or you could just keep guessing, and see how that works out for you. Do you think that’s what your competitors are doing?
Contact us and find out what your real 2019 forecast is today.
7 General Orders of Sales Leadership Free for a Limited Time.
Right now you can get a Free copy of the 7 General Orders of Sales Leadership. With only 3 months left in the year make sure you have the right tools to finish 2018 strong. Just complete the short questionnaire below. The offer ends October 15th so don’t delay. The free book is only available to the first 15 responses.
P.S.
If you miss the deadline you can still get a Free copy. Just schedule a no obligation initial business assessment. Complete the business owner survey here or call 703-226-6200 to schedule.
How to prove your solution is the right solution.
Ensure you have properly defined what problems your solution solves.
Ensure you understand the problems your prospects have.
Ensure your solutions align with your prospects problems.
Present evidence that eliminates any doubt about your solution.
If you are not sure how do develop a process that will allow you to provide the proof needed to win 99% of the time then a process improvement professional can help.
4 reasons you lost your last sale.
Why did you lose your last sale?