Seal the Deal more Effectively!
Sales people can short-circuit the sales process and be more efficient in closing sales. I was interviewed by Techslog.com about how I coach sales reps to be more effective in closing sales. Below is the answer…
If by effective we mean fast-track results, or an expedited business development strategy, the key is in taking integrated action. Business development, or rainmaking, is comprised of three distinct domains:Networking, Marketing and Sales. If we are only focused on the sales piece of that picture, we will have results that are fairly predictable and depend on how we are working the numbers game of the sales process.Likewise, if we are only focused on the networking piece or the marketing piece, we will eventually have results, but not in a timeframe that anyone would consider reasonable.The secret lies in the intersection point of all three. I find many people have a clouded definition that combines some elements of all three, but incorporates mindsets and beliefs about each one where we get in our own way.
Lets distinguish these first, then look at how you can get out of your own way to get all three to work in strategic concert to get business.
Networking is the relational aspect of your business. It is connecting with others for the purpose of sharing resources, information, leads, referrals, ideas, etc. Cultivating a working network of relationships is crucial to your business development system, but in and of itself will not be the way you build or expand your client base.
Marketing is about preparation…how you will prepare yourself to take your company’s products, services, unique identity package, irresistible offer, and message to market. This involves a lot of strategy, design work, writing, and outreach, but those things alone will not get you the clients you want. Branding is part of marketing, and so is PR to some extent.
Sales activities are about implementing your business development strategies. Simply put, Sales involves making appointments, seeking to be of service, making fabulous and bold offers, and asking for the business. It is possible to transcend dysfunctional sales practices and simply help people in ways that they will appreciate. Sales feels uncomfortable when it is not aligned with core values. When it is integrity-based, it gives you energy because it is linked to your core values.
Identify your current mindsets and assess if they are supporting your growth sufficiently to achieve your goals. Ask yourself these questions: What am I already doing in each area? What else could I be doing? What percentage of my time is spent in each? Where have I collapsed these distinctions? Where and how might I integrate my activities across all three domains? What would the impact and value be if I were to generate a quantum leap in my rainmaking results? What mindsets or beliefs do I notice that are limiting my ability to easily and effortlessly seal the deal? What shift is required to align my beliefs with my core values and my organization’s mission?
Closing a sale becomes as easy as saying, “yes, we can do that” when you’ve lined everything up in all three domains simultaneously. The close means that your prospect got clarity about the value your organization, service or product provides, it is not about you getting the sale. There’s only one thing that has people buy…the moment of the sale is when they become crystal clear about the value of what you are selling.
Lets distinguish these first, then look at how you can get out of your own way to get all three to work in strategic concert to get business.
Networking is the relational aspect of your business. It is connecting with others for the purpose of sharing resources, information, leads, referrals, ideas, etc. Cultivating a working network of relationships is crucial to your business development system, but in and of itself will not be the way you build or expand your client base.
Marketing is about preparation…how you will prepare yourself to take your company’s products, services, unique identity package, irresistible offer, and message to market. This involves a lot of strategy, design work, writing, and outreach, but those things alone will not get you the clients you want. Branding is part of marketing, and so is PR to some extent.
Sales activities are about implementing your business development strategies. Simply put, Sales involves making appointments, seeking to be of service, making fabulous and bold offers, and asking for the business. It is possible to transcend dysfunctional sales practices and simply help people in ways that they will appreciate. Sales feels uncomfortable when it is not aligned with core values. When it is integrity-based, it gives you energy because it is linked to your core values.
Identify your current mindsets and assess if they are supporting your growth sufficiently to achieve your goals. Ask yourself these questions: What am I already doing in each area? What else could I be doing? What percentage of my time is spent in each? Where have I collapsed these distinctions? Where and how might I integrate my activities across all three domains? What would the impact and value be if I were to generate a quantum leap in my rainmaking results? What mindsets or beliefs do I notice that are limiting my ability to easily and effortlessly seal the deal? What shift is required to align my beliefs with my core values and my organization’s mission?
Closing a sale becomes as easy as saying, “yes, we can do that” when you’ve lined everything up in all three domains simultaneously. The close means that your prospect got clarity about the value your organization, service or product provides, it is not about you getting the sale. There’s only one thing that has people buy…the moment of the sale is when they become crystal clear about the value of what you are selling.