Particularly if you are new to selling, asking for an order or to close a deal can generate some anxiety. If you have participated in athletic or other competitions, you have heard the term “choking”. No worries…it’s normal. I have been playing tennis competitively for almost 50 years and still get nervous at key moments. […]
Tag: #sales
Handling objections – customer does not want “something new”
People are naturally resistant to change. Customers become comfortable/complacent with current solutions even if there are deficiencies. How might you address this challenge? Identify why there is reluctance to change Customers want to look good internally in their organizations. They measure “perceived risk” with going to a new solution. If they put effort into selecting/implementing […]
Got goals?
What do you want to accomplish in 2021? We all have many distractions…so here is the challenging part…establishing and staying focused on the goals. Why have goals? Ever feel like your selling effort is not focused or lacking direction? Having goals gives your selling effort purpose and enables you to “recenter” yourself when you feel […]
Got issues you cannot control?
We all face many challenges in our selling effort. Some issues you cannot control (e.g. supplier, technology, weather). However, you can control how you communicate with your clients. What is the best approach? Proactive Do not make your clients chase you for updates. This will erode the trust you worked hard to build. Be sure […]
Which sales opportunities to pursue?
You are one person with “X” amount of time…where do you focus your selling effort? Deciding between smaller opportunities that have shorter sales cycles and larger opportunities that take longer to close can be challenging. A couple of ideas that may help you prioritize… How do you define a “Qualified Opportunity”? Having a definition for […]
How to make it easy for the customer/hiring manager to pick you!
Since face-to-face meetings are still rare, communicating the value you provide has become increasingly difficult. This applies whether you are in a sales role currently approaching customers or interviewing with a prospective employer. Have no fear! John Madigan, President and CEO of Executive Talent Services, LLC in Farmington, CT has a simple and highly effective […]
Have enough contacts in your large customer?
Large accounts are worth pursuing many times because of the potential payoff. Making progress in large accounts requires patience, thoughtful planning, and persistence. After you start doing business with large customers, it is good to evaluate your “position” and pursuit strategy. Some questions to consider… How many decision makers? Decisions in large accounts many times […]
Getting your customer to leave a competitor
We all wish this would happen quickly. However, many times the customer perceives risk in change. Some thoughts on how to make the decision to change more comfortable for the customer… Understand impact of change on customer Depending on the size and complexity of your prospective customer, changing partners can have wide ranging impact. Sampling […]
How to use your proposal to further qualify a customer
In my 4/8/2021 blog post I shared some thoughts about pursuing opportunities when competitors might be ahead of you. Ok…let’s assume you have decided to move ahead while you know you need more information. How you can further qualify the prospective customer while reviewing a proposal… Proposal is a “Qualifying Guideline” Your proposal “tees up” […]
Competitors are ahead of you…pursue the opportunity?
So you are pursuing an opportunity and find out that competitors are ahead of you or more entrenched than you currently are. Should you bail or continue to move forward? When to continue It can be a tough decision. Some ideas on when you should consider continuing: Prospective client’s interests/challenges align with your capabilities Significant […]