The biggest impediment to a sale is the status quo! It’s often easier to live with something than spend the emotional energy on changing. Even if it’s in your best interest to
do so.
To have a flourishing business you need to be both efficient and effective, especially in your sales activities.
I’ve written about the 4 stages of Clarity to Commitment you and your prospects need to understand before they’ll buy.
Given this, here are 8 questions you must be crystal clear on as a vendor.
- Ask yourself dispassionately if you’re a good fit for what they’re looking for.
- Will we win this deal?
Take a realistic look at the competition. Who else is in the game? Is the organisation predisposed to a competitor and getting you in to just tick legal boxes or validate their decision?
- Do you completely understand the pain/gain equation?
The prospect might well tell you what they want – but have you gone to the next level and gained a deep understanding of their pain/gain? What do they really, really want? You need to determine the logical and emotional payoffs – both for the organisation and the individual decision makers.
- Are you just another apple in the barrel?
Have you differentiated yourself from the competition? Related your product or service to their values? Have unique offering that they can relate to and go , “I get it – that’s why we should go with you?”
- Are you talking to the right decision makers?
I can’t tell you how many times salespeople are fooled by prospects claiming to be the “decision maker”.
When working with clients we drill into how to Network, Navigate and Negotiate so you know all the players and their agendas.
- Urgency?
Is there one? If things are going along, and there’s no imperative to change, why would they?
- Quantified the logical value they will receive (ROI)?
Have you helped your prospects calculate the ROI over time? Either what they’ll gain or conversely lose by not taking action? Providing a logical reason to buy will help prospects “justify” their emotional decision to buy – to themselves or to others as appropriate.
- Are they emotionally on-board?
Have your prospects bought into your solution emotionally? Will they go to bat for your solution when there is pressure – not to spend money, go with a competitor, or try to reduce the scope?
Whether you’re the business owner, sales director or at the coal face, it’s up to you to keep asking these questions and not taking answers at face value. Anything else is fooling yourself and wishing upon a star!
Wrapping up, if you’d like our help to create efficient and effective sales systems so you close more high value business with less effort, reach out.
