Don’t Know What’s Holding Back Your Sales?

Many big challenges in life can be broken down into separate problems with separate solutions. In our experience, tough sales challenges can be met in the same way.

We know that’s true  because for nearly 30 years we’ve been helping sales representatives, sales teams, sales managers, entire sales organizations, and professionals who are also responsible for business development generate more revenue. Here are just a few questions we’ve helped our clients answer.

· Sales cycle too long? Let’s cut it in half.

· Social interactions not leading to business? We can help break the ice—gracefully.

· Not enough productive referrals? Our pay-it-forward process can fix it. (And, no, the most effective step isn’t just mutual referrals.)

· Can’t open the  right  doors? A few straightforward skills bring results.

· Prospects using your intellectual property without rewarding you? Attorneys, especially, you know exactly what we’re talking about.

· Invited in to compete but not winning business? We can identify the obstacles—and change the dynamic—just by role-playing buyer while you play seller.

· And the most frustrating failing of all? Not closing a sale when you absolutely know your product or service is hands-down the best way forward—and best value—for your prospect. The solution: Communicating the true value of your offerings in a persuasive, not educational, way for  this  prospect.

Business developers face an unlimited number of problems in growing their top line. But these challenges, as insurmountable as some might seem, can also be broken down into separate problems with separate solutions. Some examples:

1.     Introducing a New Product:  One client had developed a revolutionary lease-management service but went an entire year without making a sale. We diagnosed the problem as their sales process and within 90 days we helped them acquire three new clients—and bring a valuable new approach to the industry.

2.     Reducing the Sales Cycle:  Another company struggled with an average sales cycle of 12 to 15 months. We promised to get it down to under three months. Soon, they were closing after two calls, and the sales cycle was about 45 days.

3.     Reaching the Next Level:  One client was bumping up against a glass ceiling on the size of new accounts won. Their largest was $125 million a year, and they lost all opportunities above that figure. The first sale they made after we reviewed their sales process and trained their salespeople in a more persuasive approach was $1 billion each year for five years.

4.     Identifying the Problem:  A law firm lost five  Fortune  500 competitions in a row, and the partners came to us looking for a new strategic plan. But that was clearly not the problem and changing the strategic direction—setting the entire ship on a new course—was not the solution. After all, the right prospects were inviting them to present. We tagged along on a presentation to better understand what they were doing and, more important, what they were not doing. We helped them modify their planning for and execution of their typical two-hour presentation. They went on to win five  Fortune  500 opportunities in a row.

If these stories sound to be good to be true , we understand. But true they are. One reason is that we use a proven proprietary process to assess sales and business development approaches. Another is that we always work closely with our clients to develop solutions. No one knows your business better than you do. And we know from our customers that no one else does exactly what we do. We find both strengths and weaknesses, and then we make the most out of one and improve the other. What we do isn’t magic, but it does work.

One way we’ve always addressed sales issues  is with our FOCIS® Consultative Sales Training Course, which takes place over about three months with both in-class sessions and weekly individual coaching. But thanks to one customer’s request (always listen to the market!) we recently developed another way that focuses on single issues with individuals in short one or two-hour workshops. Two examples:

· Similar Product, Different Market:  An organization modified a successful product for a different market and simply couldn’t crack the code. One salesperson was charged with making it happen. Working with the client, we diagnosed the problem in a one-hour session and role-played the solution in a second session. A common issue is that an unsuccessful sales process is too much education and too little persuasion. The challenges are that the solutions, though similar, do vary case by case and persuasion isn’t what many people think it is. In this case, a crucial step just wasn’t there.

· Selling and Socializing:  A recent client with extensive professional experience who consults with major corporations and teaches in a prestigious MBA program was struggling to turn social situations into business opportunities. (This issue, we’ve found, is a widespread challenge—and with good reason. It’s not only counterintuitive but also typically seen as unacceptable. Understanding the nuances, however, prevents it from being either.) He’s confident that a recent one-hour consultation coupled with a month of pick-up-the-phone coaching and practicing will help.

We do not charge for the initial conversation  to help us and our prospective client determine which single issue to address—or even if there is one. To learn more, just get in touch at 847-446-0008 Ext. 1 or  pkrone@productivestrategies.com .