Solution Selling Blog

How to become a sales superhero without super sales talent...

2010-07-21T12:00:39Z

What do you do to stay on top year after year? I asked one of the few top performers I know how he manages to be the #1 salesman of his company. The answer was not what I expected…

The Fear of Prospecting: "Phone-a-phobia", Part 2 of 2

2010-07-14T12:00:36Z

What is a prospect? For most salespeople, a prospect is someone that is currently looking for the kinds of products or services that their organization provides. With this definition in mind, many salespeople think of prospecting as hunting for people that are looking for them a relatively small number of hard-to-find opportunities. What would a salesperson’s life be like if we turned the typical definition of a prospect on its head? What if we defined a prospect as a person who is not actively looking for your products or services at the time that you call on them? The universe of potential prospects grows tremendously under this expanded definition.

The Fear of Prospecting: "Phone-a-phobia", Part 1 of 2

2010-07-12T12:00:16Z

we have found that common disease now infects a huge percent of the salespeople around the world.The disease is phone-a-phobia, the fear of picking up the telephone and encouraging a new prospect to start looking at your product or service. This disease cripples the careers of many salespeople. Phone-a-phobia not only affects salespeople’s ability to develop new sales opportunities, it also adversely influences how they interact with current prospects.

Keith Eades comments featured in Selling Power Magazine...

2010-06-28T12:00:07Z

In a recent article by author Heather Baldwin, “The Rebirth of the Purchasing Manager; How to harness the power of the new (and much more important) purchasing manager” (Selling Power Magazine - May/June 2010 issue - Vol.30 No.3), this trend in titles and responsibility structures is examined and scrutinized to the overall conclusion that they not only play a vital and important role in the sales cycle, but to overlook their influence is to potentially lose the deal.

A Short Chat with a Procurement Manager About RFP´s...

2010-06-17T14:27:33Z

What is in the head of a procurement manager? Is it true what we say in Solution Selling training about the buyer tactics? Do they really eat salesmen for breakfast, lunch and dinner? How can we use this knowledge in our sales efforts? My conclusion is that we have to comply with their way of viewing the world, but also understanding that procurement is only the gatekeeper to the real power sponsors.

How's Your "Middle" Doing?

2010-06-09T12:00:47Z

Many of the prospects I initially call on tell me going in that they have a sales process in place. At first look, that often appears to be the case. Most have an installed CRM system and a long list of internal activities/ steps that sellers are suppose to follow, i.e., make 25 phone calls a week, make five in-person sales calls a week, enter all data into CRM, issue contracts, etc. It all looks good. The problem is none of it has anything to do with how their buyer’s buy —- buyer alignment.

Real Selling Starts When the Customer Says "No"

2010-05-20T11:00:55Z

Sometimes you lose because you have not made the best sales effort, sometimes your product or price (or both) were inferior, and sometimes you were not with power. But as long as you have had the best intentions with the customer you can always comeback

The "Column Fodder" Principle in Action

2010-05-18T11:00:38Z

By understanding where the buyer is behaviorally and procedurally, we can make an educated business decision what to do. It may be difficult to muster the courage to walk out, but now I know the power of understanding and applying the Column Fodder principle to my advantage.

Product Marketing's Blind Spot

2010-05-11T11:00:39Z

The fundamental difference between product messaging and solution messaging is the process of breaking down a customer’s problem into its underlying causes. Sales people have been taught this concept for several decades now, yet over 95% of business oriented marketing organizations fail to reflect this fundamental aspect of a solution strategy in the content they produce.

The Risk of Being in the Risk Phase

2010-05-06T12:03:08Z

Have you ever felt the horror of being on your way to losing an important opportunity? All you hear from the customer indicates problems. They are asking for proof on things you thought were perfectly clear. New competitors show up and seem stronger than before. The panic is near…

What is the solution to such a situation?

I met a salesman this week who truly are feels the risk of being in the risk phase. The snowball started to roll when he was on a vacation and the CFO (power sponsor) checks with the CEO about the business case. The CEO asks the standard questions: price level, who else did you look at, is this the best alternative etc… The CFO felt she had a lot more homework to do, like talking to more vendors. The CFO is now in the risk phase.

Rule #1: Keep talking to the customer
Rule #2: Ask why they need the proof
Rule #3: Give them all what they want

And the most important rule:

Rule #4: Demonstrate how much you want their business

People buy from people …who are serious and willing to go the extra mile.

Written by and posted with the permission of:
Jens Edgren, Lindgren Partners Solution Selling
+ 46 8 651 25 00
www.lindgren-partners.se