Creating the future of startup sales
The issues listed below are just a small sample of the challenges corporations are dealing with. Some of them transverseover several years. Some of them are dictated by the Board of Directors and carry significance importance.
Decision Maker’s buy based on Meeting their Business and Personal targets.
Answer this few questions, and take the time to review them with your VP of Sales, Manager and favorite customers. If you work at a small business, have the CEO or Owner help you to get into the skin of your buyer
Themorewecanhelpourclientsconnectthevalueofourtechnologyorsolution totheirbusiness and personalobjectives,thestrongerthe buy-in andmotivationto takeactionand buy more, with larger more strategic deals. They want to do business with you as an advisor and NOT as a perceivedvendor.
When I think of all the sales training I have had, or have learned about, most, to all, have been effective and well worth the effort. Yet, few to none, have focused on time. Time from the perspective of having more of it for selling, thinking about strategies, doing more research, analyzing my pipeline, and the list goes on and on
Whenrespondingtocommonobjectionstakeadeep breathand hold it for3seconds.Youneedtobecalm,focused,and fitthecontextofthe relationshipyouarebuilding.Ifyouneedtousesometech-talktoanswer an objection,counttothree,andsound natural
Thebestsalespeopleknowthatsellingcomesdown torelationship building,and doingitquickly.And sincejustabouteverybody resents beinginarelationshipthatfeelsdisingenuous,it’scrucialthatyoudo NOTsoundlikestereotypicalsalespeople.
Theart istofocusonthe latentpain,whichisunderthesurfacetomostsalesfolks.With allproducts or solutions,thederived benefitsarealways,andI mean always,subordinated to thecustomer’sissues orpains.To start theconversation, “mention thatyourprices arenot thelowest;yoursolutions donothandleevery condition,etc
They are pre-occupiedwith their ownneedtosatisfytheir impulse to“getwhattheywant vs.get whattheyneed”.Whileyou’rebusytelling yourfeature/benefits,askingthemquestions,orsharinginformation, their attentionisfocused elsewhere.Salespeoplemust knowthisandquicklyrecognizeit.
Strategic priorities: Confirming the customer’s underlying strategic priorities and critical success factors not only enables salespeople to verify the accuracy of their assumptions, but also earns them credibility by demonstrating that they have done their homework.
Superior execution in these three areas yields great advantage but requires much work(free “gifts of Knowledge”). The salesperson must develop a deep understanding of the customer’s company; its products, services, and markets; and its organizational strategy, mission, and structure.
