One of my colleagues was recently lamenting about his frustration in a sales pursuit. To me, he committed two really big whoppers of sales mistakes. He was not successful in securing the business with a client he wanted, which is a shame. The prospective client had a tough problem which could have been alleviated with my colleague’s help.
For Fred, my colleague, it was not only a lost sale but a missed opportunity to contribute his unique expertise and make a positive difference. By all rights he should have won this … Read More
Every once in a while something happens that changes your life forever. Here’s what one man taught me that formed my selling mindset. I learned that the right selling mindset is the fastest way to produce sales results.
In the early 90’s, Al Kupcis was President and CEO of what was then Ontario Hydro. He led the company through an intense period of deregulation and massive change including downsizing, reorganization and restructuring. Al Kupcis has no idea how much my one meeting with him changed my mindset … Read More
Are you converting enough of your sales as fast as you’d like? If not, maybe it’s time to examine what you’re doing with your sales closing strategy and specifically your Call to Action.
Many factors are out of our control when it comes to how long it takes to close business. For example, we have to work with our clients to meet their specific timing requirements. And certainly internal changes in the client organization can cause delays.
But … Read More
It is as long as you think it is.
As we think, so we shall do: If we think something will take a long time, it most certainly will.
While there are many factors that contribute to compressing sales cycle time, shifting our beliefs and assumptions is certainly a critical starting point. It’s like the classic children’s story about the little engine that could. ..”I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.”
A client recently … Read More
If you don’t know the answer to this question, it’s costing you sales. I challenge you to address it. You should be able to list your sales cycle steps on one sheet of paper.
In a recent blog post, I wrote about the importance of mapping out the specific steps in your sales cycle. Even though every situation is different, it makes good sense to have a proactive, intentional approach to guide opportunities forward to a successful conclusion. People rarely do this. Why is that?
Everyone “gets” the importance of … Read More
When I am driving to a destination, unless I am in site-seeing mode, I plan my route and look for the fastest way to get there. That’s true for many people. But when it comes to selling, it’s astonishing how this simple concept isn’t tackled with the same fervor and consistency.
A client recently told me that the sales cycle for their business is a “long process and it just takes time.” I hear this a lot. In fact, … Read More
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