Posted in Art of conversation, Discipline, Qualifying, Re-setting expectations, Sales, Toolkit on May 1st, 2012
Ever had a “groundhog day” sales meeting? You walk away thinking; “Damn, we already had this meeting…we haven’t moved forward. Same old stuff.” We have all made this mistake. Part of it is just plain preparation and being clear on the agenda. But that’s not all. There are two tactics that high-performing sales professionals use consistently; the purpose, benefit, check and pivots. The purpose, benefit, check is the way EVERY sales meeting should open:
“The purpose of our meeting today is to discuss your sales toolkit and how it supports your sales process.
I think this will provide you with a strong sense of how the toolkit could be enhanced to strengthen the sales team (benefit).
How does that sound (check)?
The “PBC” gives you three critical things: aligns your prospect’s expectations with your own, demonstrates that you are prepared and organized, and shows respect for your prospect’s time.
It also points your body down the hill. (What does that mean?) In giant slalom skiing, the racers fly through the gates at high speed. But if you watch them closely, you will notice that their bodies are pointed at the finish line, even as they are subtly shifting their weight to pivot around the next gate. Just like high-performing sales people, skiers know they have to hit all of the gates. They know they can’t miss even one. And they know they have to do this as fast as they possibly can.
Pivots are the same. As mentioned in previous posts, pivots are the transitions you make in a sales meeting to ensure that you are tackling your own objectives. If it is a qualifying conversation (is there any other type?), you are pivoting from budget to timeline, from timeline to decision-makers, and so on. In my experience, sales professionals can make 3 to 4 clean pivots in a sales meeting, and when they do, they walk out having significantly moved the situation forward.
Every sales meeting should be going somewhere. You determine where you want it to go and then you set the course (PBC), pivoting through the gates to get there. As fast as you can.
Have you used “purpose, benefit, check” in a sales meeting? How did it go? Was the meeting more effective because you initiated this process? Let us know via Twitter! (You can also follow Sales Engine CEO, Craig Wortmann, directly!)
Posted in Art of conversation, Qualifying, Sales, Toolkit on April 20th, 2011
Ever had a “groundhog day” sales meeting? You walk away thinking; “Damn, we already had this meeting…we haven’t moved forward. Same old stuff.” We have all made this mistake. Part of it is just plain preparation and being clear on the agenda. But that’s not all. There are two tactics that high-performing sales professionals use consistently; the purpose, benefit, check and pivots.
The purpose, benefit, check is the way EVERY sales meeting should open. “The purpose of our meeting today is to discuss your sales toolkit and how it supports your sales process. I think this will provide you with a strong sense of how the toolkit could be enhanced to strengthen the sales team (benefit). How does that sound (check)? The PBC gives you three critical things; aligns your prospect’s expectations with your own, demonstrates that you are prepared and organized, and shows respect for your prospect’s time.
It also points your body down the hill. Wha? In giant slalom skiing, the racers fly through the gates at high speed. But if you watch them closely, you will notice that their bodies are pointed at the finish line, even as they are subtly shifting their weight to pivot around the next gate. Just like high-performing sales people, skiers know they have to hit all of the gates. They know they can’t miss even one. And they know they have to do this as fast as they possibly can.
Pivots are the same. As mentioned in previous posts, pivots are the transitions you make in a sales meeting to ensure that you are tackling YOUR objectives. If it’s a qualifying conversation (is there any other type?), you are pivoting from budget to timeline, from timeline to decision-makers, and on. In my experience, sales pro’s can make three to four good, clean pivots in a sales meeting, and when they do, they walk out having significantly moved the situation forward.
Every sales meeting should be going somewhere. You determine where, and then you set the course (PBC) and pivot through the gates to get there. As fast as you can. Break a leg.
Posted in Qualifying, Sales on February 4th, 2011
When should you qualify your prospects? Right now. The earlier you qualify potential prospects the better. I know, I know, this is hard. Yes it is. But this is why you are getting paid. Here are my favorite qualification questions:
Does this initiative have an established budget?
Is that budget taking away from other projects you are responsible for?
How has this initiative been funded?
What visibility does this have with leadership?
How will this decision be made?
What risks do you see for this project?
What could happen to derail this effort?
What issues are driving your decision?
How does the contracting process work?
My advice to you is to put these on a checklist and make sure you ASK THEM ALL, even if some of them sound redundant. You never know…sometimes prospects just aren’t ready to answer the tough questions. But if you don’t revisit the same questions, you will get burned. And, if your prospect qualifies himself out, move on. You will thank yourself.
