I will not take your call if you don’t make the short list of vendors unless you give me a clear, compelling reason to do so. If you find yourself unaware that a buying journey has been initiated by a potential prospect and you are not on the short list, who do you blame? Marketing? Business Development? You? It really doesn’t matter who you blame, that won’t change anything. Realize that YOU must do something and fast. You must take definitive action to even get in the door on the deal and you must shine brighter than the competition, who is already in the room. You may have the best product or service but you obviously were missing something. You need to overcome that barrier to entry first and foremost. You must compel the buyer to let you in after the Journey has begun.
Not an easy task to say the least. Remember, that is just getting in the door. Now, you must also catch up to the competition on the path to purchase. You must find ways to get your questions answered quickly (buying criteria, decision maker, etc.) despite the fact the competition has been there and done that already.
You are now required to consolidate your process and be compelling. Here are some questions you should ask yourself:
- Do I know my competition well enough to set the appropriate F.U.D (traps) quickly and effectively?
- Do I have existing relationships within the potential client organization or my network that can assist in gaining attention?
- Can I identify the purchasing criteria in the time frame to have a successful sales campaign?
- Is there a strategy to produce a time frame that will assist me in my sales campaign?
- Where does my product or service provide the most compelling reason to be included in the existing purchasing process and how do I get attention to that reason(s)?
- What can I do to shine brightly enough for the potential client to believe “Better late than never” or “Glad you threw your hat in the ring, I wasn’t aware of your product or service”?
- Based on the answers above; should I pursue or take the “L” and move on?
This is a very real scenario that happens every day. Why? That question should be answered without doubt. The correct time for those discussions is immediately after you can shift your focus after the deal is won or lost, not now. Who is to blame should not be the question! What can WE do different to ensure that doesn’t happen in the future? That should be the question going forward.
If you would like to learn more about Winning sales campaigns, Marketing appropriately and directing your business focus on Traction in Business Performance, contact us.
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