Three Things Not To Do Early In A Sale
(and a quick video with more details)
Today's Slattery Sales tip: 3 things not to do.
π‘ Here are 3 things NOT to do early in your complex sale, in order to help you accelerate your deal and protect your margins:
β‘οΈ 1) Donβt tell them about their pain. If you tell the prospect what kind of problem they have and how much itβs costing them, youβll only end up fighting with them on the numbers. Stay prospect-centric, and let them tell you about their problems. Listen well. π
β‘οΈ 2) Donβt tell them about your solution. If you talk about your solution before youβve qualified the opportunity, youβll risk getting sent down the escalator to procurement/I.T./purchasing, and youβll have a hard time getting back up to the elevation you need to close your sale at high value. (Youβll also risk annoying your prospect, since prospects HATE getting a presentation they didnβt ask for.) Stay prospect-centric and focus on their world, not yours. π«’
β‘οΈ 3) Donβt assume they know how to translate your value to their world. If you trust them to do that translation work, it may never happen; they donβt have the time, bandwidth, or experience to do it, and youβll probably end up with a deadly βthink it overβ (which means fiction in your forecast) because they canβt entirely piece together what your value will mean for their world, and how it compares to the pain of change. (The status quo is your greatest competitor!) Do that translation ahead of time so youβre prepared to ask the right questions. β
Instead:
πΉLet them tell you about their pain. (Ask great questions!)
πΉKeep qualifying. (Avoid premature pitches!)
πΉTranslate your value. (Do your homework!)
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