There I was in the final minutes of the presentation. Heads were nodding “yes”. The body language was positive. So I asked for the order and got: “That was a great presentation. You answered all our questions. Looks like it will solve our problem. Let us think it over and we will give you a call.” I was young and naïve. I waited for the call that never came. Over time I learned never to accept “I want to think it over.”

Great Salespeople Work Hard To Prevent IWTTIO
Image from Pixabay

The Close Begins At The Beginning

Great salespeople know that the opening sales conversation begins the close. And when the sales process is followed the close naturally follows. So if we have identified a problem we can solve, understand what the problem is costing the prospect, proven competence in solving this type of problem and proposed a solution within budget when we ask the decision maker for the order they just say “yes”. Yep, that’s true most of the time. But when we miss a step or something changes during the sales cycle, that’s when we get stuck in limbo with “I want to think it over.”…

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I was reading chapter Six in The Seller’s Challenge by Thomas Williams & Thomas Saine (Tom&Tom). This informative chapter about selling against the status quo reminded me that unless there is a compelling reason to change a prospect won’t. Great salespeople not only need to find or create pain in a prospect but be able to convince them to use your solution.

Selling Against The Status Quo Means Making The Leap To You
Image by Igor Link from Pixabay

Finding The Pain

Create enough pain and the prospect will likely change. Or the prospect may already be in pain and recognizes the need to make a change. While pain is experienced emotionally as frustration, fear of failure or job insecurity, the source of pain is rational. Buyers are looking to solve problems of existing bad service, poorly functioning business processes, market changes, etc. Great salespeople ask good questions to find the source and severity of the pain….

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Great salespeople take the time to understand the competition. Like winning sports teams look at films and data on their competition, you need to know all you can about the competition. By cataloging the strengths and weaknesses of the competition great salespeople know how to position themselves to win the deal.

Great Salespeople Study The Competition ‘s Strengths And Weaknesses
Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay

Who Is A Competitor?

The simple answer is any other company who wants the same business with a customer as you do. They either are the incumbent supplier to a company you want to gain business with or a company looking to take business away from you. Sometimes the customer can be seen as type of competitor when they are reluctant to change from the status quo regardless of the current problems….

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Of course it is. A period of poor economic times always follows a good one. But one lesson I learned from my father is his belief that “just because there is a recession, you don’t have to participate.” So what do great salespeople do to get ready for the inevitable?

Recession Is Coming!
Image by Mediamodifier from Pixabay

Listen To Your Best Customers

If a recession is coming, your customers’ reaction to it determines how it will affect your business with them. Keep in close touch with your A list customers. Ask good questions about their outlook. Find out their plans to deal with a business downturn. Share this information within your company so you can adjust your business plans to prepare for the coming recession….

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Great Salespeople Know When To Declare Independence From Bad Customers
Image From Pixabay

This blog is posted on July 4, 2019. In the United States of America we celebrate July 4th as Independence Day. This is the date when the Second Continental Congress declared the United States to be a free and independent country.

The Declaration of Independence asserted each of us has the right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. And that free people can institute governments to protect these rights.

What Does Independence Day Have To Do With Selling?

We call this blog Secrets of the Softer Side of Selling because over the 45 years of selling experience we learned that the “soft skills” are effective in changing behavior. The Founders of the United States had tried to change King George’s behavior by petition. But he was tyrannical in his behavior to the petitioners. So the Founders decided to declare independence and “fire” the King.

There have been times over my selling career when the relationship with a customer wasn’t mutually beneficial. When I couldn’t change that, I “fired” the customer. The Founders were not able to have an amicable separation from Great Britain. However, I always worked hard to part friends with customers when the relationship wasn’t mutually beneficial. I continued to keep in touch with past customers in hopes their situation would change and we could again do business.

Good Selling Sometimes Means To Declare Independence

Great salespeople approach each new prospect with optimism planning to develop a mutually beneficial long-term relationship. Most of the time it works out that way. But when it doesn’t great salespeople have the selling skills to end the relationship. And do it in a respectful, professional manner.

What You Can Do Right Now

Look at your customer list. Which ones are great customers? Those where you have a strong long-term mutually beneficial relationship. Are there customers you would rather send to your competition? They take more time, energy and cost more to maintain rather than produce sufficient profit. If so plan a strategy to either improve the relationship or “declare independence” from them.

To learn more sales secrets see Chapter Twenty-Two, Customer Management, in Secrets of the Softer Side of Selling. For even more sales help, join our FREE Sales Club! “See” you next week.

Good selling!
Don Crawford & Lois Carter Crawford