Tough Get Selling

When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Selling

Dave Brock, Partners In EXCELLENCE

The current economy, business uncertainty, the global political environment creates difficulty for virtually every company, globally. Difficult times require toughness in execution, not wishful thinking.

Sales leaders creating the best results are doing a number of things to extract the best results possible:

Vicious disqualification: When there seem to be fewer customers buying, many sales people tend to hold onto bad opportunities too long. They succumb to wishful thinking, wasting time and resources on opportunities that are not real or for which they cannot effectively compete. The top professionals are pragmatic, realistic and focused. They focus intensely on the opportunities that are the best fit, pursue them viciously and win. They disqualify bad deals early, utilizing their time and company resources most effectively where they can create real value, differentiate themselves and win.
Value focus: The best professionals demonstrate and deliver value from the very first sales call, they continue to do this through the sales process. They create a strong business focused proposition, using the customer’s data, demonstrating strong return. If they cannot create a compelling value proposition, addressing the customer’s highest priorities, they move on to other opportunities.
Passion for customers: Sales leaders are passionate about solving their customers’ problems. They are driven and they demonstrate that passion in everything they do. This passion is contagious and engages their customers, creating success for both.
Process driven: When the going gets tough, the tough work their process. The best sales professionals are always process driven. They have learned what they need to do to be effective. They tune their process to maximize their efficiency. They execute the process with precision.
Numbers(read “performance”) driven: They are not only quota driven, but they know their own key performance indicators. They know how many prospects they need to be developing, they know their selling cycle, they know their win and conversion rates. They viciously track their performance to make sure they are on target. As soon as they find they are off track, they take corrective action.
Ruthlessly fact oriented: They don’t fool themselves with wishful thinking. They aggressively seek facts about each sales opportunity and their own performance. They know that acting on facts produces results. Whether the facts are good or bad, they can always develop a strategy to address and correct a situation when they deal with facts.
Time oriented: They guard their time and how they use their customers’ time. They know time is not recoverable and seek to make the best use of their time. They constantly seek to accomplish more in each call with a customer, reducing sales cycles and using time well. They refuse to engage in activities and opportunities that waste their time or their customers’ time.
Seek simplification: Many sales people, driven by wishful thinking develop convoluted and complex strategies, trying to fool themselves into winning. Tough-minded professionals focus on the basics and execute ferociously. They are direct in their behavior and actions.
Optimistic survivors: Professionals maintain their optimism. They know they can survive by executing with focus, precision, and discipline. They constantly monitor the indicators of success and know they are on the right path. They know there is light at the end of the tunnel.

True professionals will find ways of surviving in tough times. They are driven, confident and focused. They know when the going gets tough, the tough get selling!

Partners In EXCELLENCE provides many training programs that provide great impact in improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the sales teams. For information on the Dimensions Of EXCELLENCE training programs, follow the link.

Partners In EXCELLENCE works with its clients in assuring their organizations perform at the highest levels in these tough times. For tools and white papers on various specific aspects of managing in tough times, visit our web site at www.excellenc.com. For more discussion and insight on the items discussed in this article, please call at 949-305-7146 or contact us at info@excellenc.com.

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