Would you rather tell your crew your hunting saga of how you tracked a gray squirrel and blasted him out of a pine tree with a .22 rifle, or would you prefer to recount your big game hunting trip to Colorado, where you stalked and bagged a 1000 lb., 6½ ft. tall elk with your Browning BLR ’81? OK, that’s a rhetorical question, so quit scratching your head, Bucky. Likewise salespeople always want to recount the BIG sale because who doesn’t want to have a “Donald Trump moment” as often as possible?
The bad news is that the big sales, the complex ones, cause salespeople to check their brains at the gatekeeper’s desk and forget all the common sense selling basics conveyed by mentors and managers during recurring weekly training events, because size always matters and reps desperately want to strut into the sales room with their trophy game in tow.
A high percentage of big sales are unprofitable due to the terms agreed upon by both sides. Big deals are fantastic but must be negotiated and closed according to good business principles. The coaching point here is to determine and get approval for any and all concessions on the front end, knowing that it’s unlikely your testosterone will allow you to be prudent and walk away if you are deep into the sales process. Although you might think you’re a hero as you walk into the office with the contract, you will probably feel a lot differently when you get perp-walked into the sales manager’s office, once he’s sees what you gave up.
Rather than filling the role of peddler, it’s much better to partner with the customer as a valued consultant. You can only accomplish this by being conversational and realizing that questions are your best friend. This will reveal the pain the prospect is having and prompt you to describe all the solutions available that will make them well.
Additionally, you certainly realize you’re not the only game in town, and that there will be proposals from other providers. That said, you will be better served by not asking which competitors are in the hunt, but rather focusing on all the options the buyer may be considering. This is the best way to ensure closing the door on the competition, by offering everything the client wants to evaluate, thereby demonstrating a concise understanding of the prospect and avoiding incorrect assumptions.
My last comment is to remember that emotion plays a big part in the selling process, and the bigger the sale the more the emotion. Just make sure you maintain your objectivity and professionalism, and that it’s the prospect that gets emotionally involved.
Being aware and following these coaching points will help you land lots of elephant sales, but without running the risk of giving them away and facing a career-limiting perp-walk. In the process your reputation will ripple outward to other large businesses, and referrals, endorsements and testimonials will help you increase your footprint in the marketplace.
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“Doug’s Blue Collar Training approach speaks a language that our technician-based sales force understands by addressing real situations they face every single day. These sales training sessions are the most energetic and interactive we’ve ever had.” Joe Johnson, VP American LubeFast. Do your own investigating here.
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