The current coronavirus situation is, of course, creating enormous challenges for many businesses. Challenges of this magnitude will turn the customer’s attention internally. They are less likely to “make a change” in the midst of these issues. How can you provide value and/or get their attention? Identify the challenges they are facing Focus every possible […]
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Feel confident going into your next presentation
How many presentations have you done in the past few months? What kind of grade would you give yourself on how they went? I know sometimes I have looked back after presentations and realized I could have done a better job preparing. Particularly when you are squeezed for time it helps to have an outline […]
Looking for a new sales role? How to impress the hiring Sales Manager.
In my post on 3/4/2020 the focus was on differentiating yourself in the interview process by doing homework on the company and contacts…becoming an expert. Let’s assume you have done the homework and you clearly understand the company’s strategy/trends, background on the contacts, decision process, decision criteria and timeline. You should now assume your competitors […]
How to differentiate yourself when you are interviewing
Whether selling is something you are comfortable with or not, a critical part of the interviewing process is understanding the competitive landscape. Here are some questions to consider: How many other candidates are you competing with? 10? 20? More? If you cannot get this information, assume you have many competitors…it will make you work smarter. […]
Managing communication when pursuing a large/complex deal
Managing communication internally with your team and externally with the customer can be the difference between winning and losing a large/complex deal! Why does communication need to be managed? When you are pursuing a large, complex opportunity there are numerous people involved and a lot of information is flying around. Just look at the themes […]
Understanding your competition
Over the past week or so I have covered three important components of a sales pursuit strategy: 2/14/2020 Key contacts and their roles 2/18/2020 Mapping the customer’s decision process 2/21/2020 Customer decision criteria This article focuses on understanding your competitors and what they may be doing. Learning about your competitor’s approach to the opportunity is […]
Understanding your customer’s decision criteria
Over the past week I have covered two important components of a sales pursuit strategy: 2/14/2020 Key contacts and their roles 2/18/2020 Mapping the customer’s decision process This article focuses on identifying each key contact’s decision criteria. Gaining a solid understanding of this information will help you align your proposals, presentations and discussions to the […]
Mapping the customer’s decision process
In my 2/14/2020 post you have an outline of roles key customer contacts can play and how they may evaluate solutions they are considering. The next step is to clearly understand the steps in the customer’s decision process. Attention to detail is critical for this step. Upcoming posts will be focused on understanding decision criteria […]
Navigating the pursuit of a complex opportunity made easier
It would be great if most deals we pursue were straightforward where it was obvious how decisions would be made. However, if the sales cycle on solutions you sell are several months or more it is likely the sales process is not simple. In this and a few subsequent posts I will share an approach […]
Get off to a FAST START by learning from co-workers
One of the common traits in top athletes is that they are curious…always trying to learn, trying to improve. Whether you are a highly successful veteran sales representative or new to a sales role, there are always opportunities to learn. If you have started a new sales role you may have a longer learning curve […]