BEWARE of SNOW SQUALLS… while driving to deliver a Seminar recently on a very snowy day, I came upon a car in the ditch on very straight stretch of road. The car was at least 50 feet off the road and upside down in a very deep snow bank! The police and tow truck were already there. I thought to myself as I drove past, "even though the driving is tricky right now, it seems strange for that to have happened in such a non-threatening stretch of the road". Then it occurred to me, there is a Daily Sales Tip in this situation. It is very easy to end up "in the ditch" if we are not paying attention tat all times. The "ditch" and a lost sale are never very far away.
Here is your ACTION STEP… great Salespeople always follow the proven Sales Cycle. As soon as we lose concentration and "cut corners", disaster strikes! One of the fastest ways to skid off the road is to take a short cut and start "Solution Selling". Solution Selling is when we introduce the solution to our customer before they are ready. We have not gone through the various steps of the proven Sales Cycle. Here are the steps:
1. Prospect
2. Identify a possible lead
3. Prequalify that lead
4. Follow-up with that lead
5. Present and handle objections
6. Close naturally without pressure
Spend a moment and reflect on the Sales Cycle steps above. It is easy to end up "in the ditch and upside down". It happens when we cut corners. Not only are you going to jeopardize your chances but you are being unfair to your customer. Oftentimes we know the right Solution for our customer before they do. We then wonder why they can't say yes to something that is so obvious to us. Don't jump ahead of the steps in the Sales Cycle. Help the Client through the process and be patient. Stay on track. NO Excuses!