I have been asked to touch on a specific subject by some of my readers and although I usually don’t do that, this subject seems to be timely.

The only thing that will hurt your sales efforts more than the “hard” close is the “no” close. Too often, reps assume that a prospect is not ready to buy and the tiny window of opportunity closes shut; sometimes forever. It’s understandable that reps are hesitant because of the economy. Nobody wants to look over eager to close but by the same token, today’s economy does not lend itself to very many lay down sales either.  What’s a rep to do? It’s like trying to heat water to an exact temperature. By the time the thermometer shows the right temp, it’s too late. You slide right past it. Turn the heat down and again, you slide right past it going the other way. There is no doubt that selling in today’s economy can be tough but… If it were easy, everybody would do it! If it were easy, there wouldn’t be thousands of postings for sales people all over the job boards in a tough job market. We didn’t get into this profession to take it easy or to “coast”!  So let’s regroup.  Here are some important things to consider while approaching your market.

1.    No whining- It’s contagious. Your bad day or bad meeting does not need to turn into a negative office attitude! Conversely, if somebody else is whining, get away from them ASAP!

2.    Trust your instincts- That is, if your instincts are normally good. Veering off of your normal sales rhythm is dangerous. Not only can it blow your sale but it can also shake your confidence and ruin your career. It is very difficult to get your “sales mojo” back once you have lost it. SO DON”T. I tell my reps every day to lose the sale because of closing too hard before losing it because you bored the client to death! I cannot emphasize this point enough. Whether you know it or not, selling is a very rhythmic process that coordinates a lot of moving parts. If one aspect is off… well, you know.

3.    Fundamentals- I know it sounds contrite but when things get tough, always go back to the fundamentals. Things like trial closes, qualifying questions, needs based selling, etc… These things served us well in our early days; they will serve you well again. Refreshing ourselves with these simple, yet very poignant tactics can often times improve your overall approach.

4.    Technology- Use it, own it, know it, and demand to have it at your disposal. Here is a quick list of tools that you should be using if you aren’t already: Hoovers, Jigsaw, Netprospex, Gist, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc… I’m sure you are using at least some of these, but are you using them to gain expertise with your prospects? My reps know A LOT about everyone involved in a decision before the first meeting. Want to separate yourself? It doesn’t take much. Starting a presentation off with, “I’ll talk slow since we have a Cornell grad in the room” will get a laugh and can be the difference. Just a small example…

5.    The Close- Sometimes a tough market can rattle your confidence just enough to be visible to your prospects. Closing strong is the only way to close. I don’t care what industry you are in or what the economic conditions are like! Make them say no; don’t hope they say yes! My diving coach used to say,” If you took the time to get out of bed and put your shoes on, you may as well be perfect!” How true that is, coach! Nobody is kind of pregnant! Similarly, nobody is kind of closed! They are in or they are out and it is your job to put them in one of those two clubs. Either one is ok, just as long as you know!

The bottom line is that as sales and marketing people, it is on our backs to keep the companies we work for in business. Ever see an operational person generate revenue? Ever see the CFO add anything that wasn’t created by the sales team? You never will. The economy is bad… I get it. Don’t let it ruin your career and don’t let it ruin your disposition! Forge ahead and do what you do best. Selling smart will always pay off in the long run and without a doubt, things will get better!

        

It is normally at this point that a weaker and more politically correct writer would begin by excluding groups of MBA graduates from this statement. Even though that would weaken ones stance to do so, watering down bold statements is just not my style. If you have an MBA and you are in charge of a sales and marketing department, you need to read the following words as much as the companies looking to replace or grow these departments. The proverbial bottom line is exactly what is called for here. The pursuit of new business and increased revenue from an academic perspective will only add layers of red tape between your sales staff and its’ collective goal. The reason for this is simple. If learning business strategy in a classroom predicated on books and the world views of professors, you must suspend the most challenging aspect to business; the rapidly increasing speed in which our markets are evolving. As you read a book about finance relating to venture capital for example, what you are actually reading is, at best, several years old. Chances are that the author spent 2-3 years doing research for that book, another year writing it, and then there is the process of editing and printing the book. Plus you need distribution time and time for the professor to acclimate themselves to the “new” material. So what we are talking about is 4-6 years from the time the data was actually relevant. In finance, that may be acceptable. (Probably not but I am not a finance expert) What I do know is that any specific sales strategies that are “learned” in traditional academic settings are inherently flawed because of the common challenge we all deal with in sales and marketing. What is working today will not work nearly as well in two years. This relates to the process strategies, the marketing strategies, the closing techniques, and even the vehicles we use to disseminate our message. Effective managers stay ahead of the curve instead of chasing the leader. The academic process both as it relates to the classroom dynamic and as it relates to the approach is simply out of touch with market realities.

This is true as it relates to the way MBA graduates are taught to analyze the processes themselves. The tools and methodologies in this area evolve and improve with technology as well. A perfect example can always be found within the real world applications. One of my clients has an MBA as their “Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing”. I never did meet their junior VP or even their regular VP of sales and marketing but that is indicative of the problem. After delving into their market dynamics, we saw a “seem” to exploit. Our client, along with most of their competitors had hired sales reps with impeccable backgrounds that were deeply rooted in industry circles. The problem, as we saw it, was that these circles were comprised of executive vice presidents and the like. The decision maker for their product was primarily office mangers. Essentially, everyone had surrounded themselves with elitists to sell to a middle class psychology.  They were not incapable of selling but we knew that changing our clients’ sales dynamic would greatly lesson the resistance. We wanted to pursue reps that were currently working in retail. I won’t get into why but the psychology just made sense. This recommendation was met with stringent objections from our SVP of Sales and Marketing. Even after detailed explanations, she fought us on making this change or addition. Their industry had operated this way for 50 years and she was not about to buck the trend. We went to the CEO and asked that she allow us to hire two or three to test our theory. Within the first two weeks it was obvious that we were not only right but that the failure to implement this across the board would simply cost them money. Lesson learned. The fact that we won is not what you should focus on. Instead, focus on the fact that we almost lost the argument. Academic elitism is flatly counter productive in the one department of your company that needs the ability to innovate quickly and adapt to real time data in real time. Red tape is not “careful deliberation”, it is costly and will weigh down your sales staff.

Two pieces of advice:

1. Never hire a man wearing spandex shorts, a white tank top, and hat that says “I’d rather be…….” For your next CEO.
2. Never hire someone for the most innovative part of your company that basis their decisions on CYA and “industry best practices”