Seven Deadly Sales Sins

So you’ve made some sales and exported some products.  Your company is growing but perhaps not as fast as you would like.  And it’s hard work to close those deals and build new markets.  Why is it so hard? 

Blame the economy, the competition, too much regulation.    The sales team’s not working hard enough.  The sales culture in the export markets is slow.  The new version would help, if only it was finished …….   But could it be because your sales team (or you) are committing some deadly sins?  Let’s see.

Are your team wasting time calling non-decision makers?  Certainly, there are gate-keepers to be managed and, in the public sector, grade 5 managers play an important influencing role but do you really qualify who your team are spending their time with and why?   They may be making their meeting or activity quotas but if they’re talking to the wrong people then so what?

Are your salespeople struggling with closing?  Perhaps, but the chances are their problem is not closing.  Their problem is wasting time trying to close deals that they should never have qualified into in the first place.   Check your qualification process (and it is a process, not a one-off activity at the start of a sales cycle).

So, you’ve made a couple of great sales but finding it difficult to make more.  Is your sales process consistent?  Have you thoroughly analysed why you made those wins and why you’ve lost others?  If you don’t try and document your process, you are doomed to re-invent the wheel each time.  What a waste of effort.

What’s the fastest way to get rid of a salesperson?  Ask for a proposal.   And it is so easy to fall into this trap.  It makes us feel busy, engaged, building a pipeline.  Equally, there is a good chance we have been thrown a bone to stop us pestering someone, make up the numbers, give them reasons to turn us down.  Again, this can be avoided through good qualification and dealing with decision-makers only.

And there are more sins.  Do you have measurable sales goals & objectives?   Are you getting sufficient customer referrals?  Do you think that software (contact management, CRM) is the answer?  If you want to know more, talk to me.

Happy Selling.

Geraldine Fusciardi

www.strategy-structure-sales.com

Swamped

Recently I’ve been doing some Market Research -  trying to talk to busy executives about how they set their targets and track their performance.  It has been an interesting experience.  Not least because many of the people who met with me, I would rate as among the busiest (and successful) people in Northern Ireland.   Yet they had time to talk to me about how they meet their targets and still have time to actually meet their targets.    
 And it was good when people came back to me promptly and said that they couldn’t meet (for whatever reason).  I was then able to plan my time and focus accordingly.  It was the people that never committed either way that were the most frustrating.  And every salesperson knows what I am talking about.  The prospects that never say yes and never say no.  Aren’t they the most frustrating? 

And then I discovered that I had become one of them.  I had spoken briefly (and with some interest) to a sales guy from a company that sold performance software - and then ignored his messages because I was so busy!  However, he reengaged me with some humour that I thought I would share with you.  

I suspect you must be up to your armpits in alligators because it has been impossible to get through to you. When the alligators take a break, could you please give me a call? …  In the meantime, I'd sure appreciate it if you could provide me with an update. Just check one of the items below and email me back. I appreciate your time, thanks a lot!

1. You're right, I'm swamped. Call me on or after __________ so we can talk.

2. Don't quit trying. I admire persistence!

3. Don't call me. I'll call you.

4. I'm not interested at this time.

5. Don't have an answer for you yet. Call me after __________.

And I replied within the hour and told him exactly where I was in the swamp and I know he appreciated it (and I felt better for having treated him with respect).   

You need to get this information from your leads as soon as possible otherwise you end up wasting a lot of time.  It’s all part of a good qualification process.  And humour does work.

Happy Selling.

Geraldine Fusciardi