June 2024 Infrequent Flyer

Welcome to your June edition of the “Infrequent Flyer!” We share carefully-curated insights for you, all with the goal of empowering you to win more (and enjoy some life along the way).

By this time of year, our clients have usually established some solid sales in their pipeline and are working through the process to get them over the finish line. Our clients are tremendously skilled salespeople, but even elite sellers can get some nasty surprises at the end of the process.

So in that vein, here are a few things we’re sharing with you in this month’s “Infrequent Flyer” to help you bolster your sales and secure your so-close-to-the-finish-line wins:

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1. Fun 3-minute YouTube video

2. A related book excerpt

3. Favorite Slattery Sales tip of the month

Have a prosperous June!

1. Fun 3-minute YouTube video

Don't celebrate to early!!

(See a parallels to sales...?)

See the video here: 

2. A related “Wimp Junction” book excerpt

In chapter nine of our book “Wimp Junction”, we talk about the last stage in our sales process: SECURE. It’s tempting to feel confident here! After all, you’ve made it through the longest and hardest parts of your sale, right? Yes, but… there are still competitive threats to be aware of, even in this late stage of your sale.

Here’s an excerpt from our “Wimp Junction” book that talks about the need to secure your win with some “victory insurance”:

You won! Congratulations… but you’re not out of the woods yet. This is the place where many salespeople get blindsided by sudden unexpected changes in heart and mind. You must prepare for inevitable competitive reactions, both internal and external, to avoid any nasty surprises here.

Every sale is competitive – that is, there are always competitors in the race with you, ready to take the business away from you. Even if your only competitor is the status quo favored by the Logical Customer, it’s still a competitor. Your questions throughout your selling conversations – especially around their process to evaluate and decide on a solution – helped you get a strategic view of the competitive landscape, and you probably have a pretty good idea of who your primary competitor is in this sale.

When you are advised you have won, you must reconfirm it. Don’t throw your victory party yet.

We talk further in the book about how to secure your win with some “victory insurance”; find it on pages 255-257.

(You can also find there the short story of the victory party that turned into a wake…)

3. Favorite recent Slattery Sales tip:

Strategically defend the business you've already won.

You did a great job positioning your value to get the business.

Your competitors are doing the same thing right now.

Your best customer is being discussed in someone else’s sales meeting.

Here are 4 ways to defend your accounts strategically

1) Make sure your Client Success team, your Account Managers, and anyone involved in retaining this customer are empowered to continue selling your value into that relationship long after the ink has dried. They’re not just there for their technical expertise, but also for their ability to communicate.

2) Make sure they know the difference between selling and telling. Especially if they’re skilled subject-matter experts who are good at explaining things. Asking questions, leveraging value, and engaging neutral or even hostile players (and keeping their goodwill) may be outside their current skillset. Help them if necessary.

3) Keep your channels open to the players in the cast of characters who will value your unique Differentiating Value (DV) – they’re often not the same people your team got handed off to at implementation. The original executives who valued your unique DV are the ones being targeted by skilled competitors. Keep them close.

4) Yesterday’s differentiators are today’s table stakes; refresh your Differentiating Value (DV) regularly to stay agile. The marketplace terrain shifts, competitors’ solutions catch up, and prospects’ needs & desires change. The best, longest-lasting DV is usually hidden in your business model.

(See the original May 23 post here. These tips are in addition to the strategies we share the book, so make sure to check out Chapter 9 of Wimp Junction, too!)

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Have a wonderful month, and we wish you continued success!

Thank you for being part of the Slattery circle. It's a privilege to have you here.

Cheers,

Terry & Jennica

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At Slattery Sales Group, we empower great companies and sellers to win more business in less time.

Our clients tell us we help them raise revenues, bolster margins, shorten sales cycles, and compete more effectively in the marketplace.  We'd love to help you do that, too.

To expedite your progress:

🔷 Grab our book HERE to get that important sale moving again.

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If you want to learn more about how we've helped over 2,400 enterprises enhance their sales processes, contact us through phone: 952-832-5436, or email: info@slatterysales.com. We'd love to connect.