It’s true, and you know it! Be honest — it happens all the time. When was the last time you gave your prospect (or current client) all the information they needed to buy from your competitor? Last month? Last week? Yesterday? Hurt’s doesn’t it? Did you do it on purpose? No way! But it does happen.
Looks like this: Prospect is “interested” in something you offer. You meet with them — get the specifics, and get to work. Here’s what you offer:
- Proposals
- Quotes
- Case Studies
- Engineering solutions
- Creative Ideas
- Pricing
- Proprietary (yeah right) Information
- Trials
- Demos
- Samples
So far your prospect has a lot — take a look at that list! What do you have? You have what a lot of World Cup Soccer Teams have after 90 minutes of play this summer — NIL!
Prospects want it this way — it keeps them in control. They will need you in 6-10 months to play this silly game again so they can’t tell you NO — they just won’t return your call — or they’ll say, “We’re still considering it…” But that does nothing for you salespeople. When you lose control you can kiss that World Cup good-bye. You might as well turn the TV up loud and put yourself into a coma with the annoying and irritating constant murmur of those obnoxious horns — because it’s over.
What to do… what to do… what to do…? You know what to do — take control of the sale. Set expectations (crystal clear expectations) — ask the qualifying questions (even the tough questions) — make sure you are telling your story to the appropriate decision-maker(s), and that you have uncovered a budget or target for the project. This is nothing new — it’s professional selling and has been that way since way before the U.S. got it’s first World Cup win back in 1930.
You can do it… you just have to want it!
 all the information they needed to buy from your competitor? Last month? Last week? Yesterday? Hurt’s doesn’t it? Did you do it on purpose? No way! But it does happen.){kind=link}