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How Fast can you Close Deals?

May 15, 2013 by Karin Schwartz

When I’m asked a question like this I immediately start to wonder if this prospect is the right fit.  Why are they asking this question?  I get it, you’re looking for Return on Investment, I understand completely, you’re putting out money and you want to know the value of what you’ll receive in return and here’s the answer…I don’t know yet.

Let’s face it sales can be a bit of a crap shoot.  Anyone who guarantees you increases in sales/revenue at “x”% is without question lying.  A couple things we need to consider:

 

  • What’s your currently sales cycle?  Why is it that long?  Are there challenges that contribute to the length of the cycle or is it just that long?
  • Who is your potential buyer?  And why?  How do you connect with the potential buyer currently?
  • Do you have a presentation or marketing materials?
  • How do you price?
  • Who’s your competition?  What do they do really well?  What’s unique about you?

Many of these questions may seem silly but here’s why I ask:  We can typically shorten the time it takes to get to a decision maker but the sales cycle is the sales cycle.  You should not expect any major changes to the amount of time it takes someone to close a deal just because you’ve hired an outsourcing firm.  That being said it’s not uncommon for us to close deals in half the time it takes you but for others it may take longer.  It depends on the complexity of the deal, the process necessary to get the deal complete (RFP, multiple decision makers, large vs small deal, etc).  We find that many of our clients don’t have a strong grasp of their target market or they target someone they want to be a client but will never be one.  We find that many of our clients have little marketing materials that are usable while others have too much and it can become confusing for the prospect.  We don’t rely on marketing material but it can be a good conversation starter so it’s certainly helpful if done right.

When we ask you about your competition there’s nothing that drives me more insane then hearing you say “Well, our people are smarter and our service is better.”  As if your competition would actually say, even if it were true, that they hire below average staff and their service stinks.  This is the equivalent of telling your prospect “blahblahblahblahblah”.  What makes you unique, if you don’t know, it’s time to figure it out or you can forget competing – you’re essentially making yourself a commodity and now it’s all about price.

Pricing.  Oh pricing, it can be the devil in this relationship.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve taken a prospect into a decision maker for a deal that would double the revenue of their company only for them to price the project so far out of the realm of possibility that the prospect is literally in shock.  They loved you, you came highly recommended, they felt you could deliver and make them shine like the rock star they are and you blew it with cocky aggressive pricing and then you blamed me for losing the deal.  Here’s the deal, when it comes to closing with outsourced business development, it’s a partnership.  You rely on us to ensure you have a qualified lead, a decision maker with a budget and a strong connection either personally or professionally.  We rely on you to showcase your value, deliver high quality and always on time, and to price competitively.  We can go to bat for you if you’re within reason but if you’re off the mark, there’s nothing we can do to help.  In fact we’ve probably damaged that relationship by bringing you in the door.

So how fast can we close deals?  I don’t know, it’s different for every client.  Some happen within the first 2 months while others can take a year or two.  If you’re not viewing business development as an investment in your company’s future then perhaps it’s not right for you at this time.  If you’re counting every dollar and every minute that goes by you’re not seeing the forest through the trees.  Business development is about building the relationships that are going to change your business and when was the last time you built a long lasting, happy client relationship over night?

Filed Under: Business Development, Federal Government Sales, Outsourced Business Development, Outsourced Lead Generation Services, Sales Outsourcing, Springboard Difference Tagged With: Baltimore, business development, business development challenges, closing a deal, Outsourced Business Development, outsourced sales solutions, Outsourcing, potential client, professional business development firm, sales pitch, Springboard, Springboard Business Development, Washington DC

The Mental Game of Sales: Keeping a Positive Mindset can Change the Outcome of a Sales Meeting

December 9, 2011 by Karin Schwartz

All too often, salespeople are their own worst enemies. And to make matters worse, they don’t even know they are sabotaging their own sales. You may be wondering how this is possible, so let me tell you. It is actually quite simple. Salespeople out think their way out of a sale.

or example, if you focus on failing, catching a cold, dropping a ball or striking out, then don’t be surprised when those dreaded events actually happen. The same goes for sales. If you focus on losing a sale or fumbling through your sales pitch, then that will probably happen. You have doomed yourself before you even met with your potential client. And this type of sales behavior happens all the time! Below, you will find the top 10 ways in which salesmen and saleswomen think their ways out of sales:

1.     Trying too hard.

2.     Attempting to micro-manage.

3.     Self-instruction during their performance.

4.     Negative thoughts.

5.     Negative mental images.

6.     Negative beliefs.

7.     Preconceived beliefs.

8.     Self-limiting thoughts.

9.     Lack of self-trust.

10.    A busy mind.

On the other hand, if you stay positive and focus on making the sale, you will have already increased your odds of success. It is that simple.

Now don’t get me wrong, there is a lot more to sales than just having a positive attitude. But even the most fundamentally sound salesperson can ruin their chances of closing a deal if they dwell on the negative. It shows in your facial expressions, your body language and your speech. And if you don’t believe in yourself or your product, why should your customer?

So instead of dwelling on the negative side of sales, readjust your mental focus to a more positive place. Try practicing the following mental sales techniques:

Quiet The Mind: When your mind is calm and not racing from thought to thought, you can better focus on the task at hand – the sale.

Let It Happen: Let the sale come to you. Do not try to force it. So relax and let the sale unfold on its own. Do not try to micro-manage and control the situation.

So get out of your own way and start selling like you have never sold before!

If you have any questions, contact Springboard Business Development by calling 410-832-7560 or click here today!

At Springboard we offer outsourced sales solutions for businesses in the professional services arena. It’s simple, while you focus on delivery, we bring our sales expertise and connections to focus on your business development challenges.

Our approach to business development makes it easy to find new clients without the concerns of sales team turn-over, lack of sales expertise and payroll.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter as well!

Sources:

The Mental Game of Sales Success

The Inner Game of Sales

Filed Under: Business Development, Maryland Business Development, Outsourced Business Development, Sales Outsourcing, Sales Tips Tagged With: A busy mind, Attempting to micro-manage, business development challenges, businesses, closing a deal, control the situation, dwell on the negative, facial expressions, fundamentally sound salesperson, get out of your own way, having a positive attitude, Lack of self-trust, losing a sale, mental sales techniques, Negative beliefs, Negative mental images, negative side of sales, Negative thoughts, outsourced sales solutions, Preconceived beliefs, professional services, Quiet The Mind, readjust your mental focus t, sabotaging their own sales, sales behavior, sales expertise, sales pitch, salesmen, salespeople, salespeople are their own worst enemies, saleswomen, Self-instruction during their performance, Self-limiting thoughts, selling like you have never sold before, Springboard Business Development, stay positive and focus on making the sale, The Inner Game of Sales, The Mental Game of Sales Success, The Mental Game of Sales: Keeping a Positive Mindset can Change the Outcome of a Sales Meeting, their own worst enemies, top 10 ways in which salesmen and saleswomen think their ways out of sales, Trying too hard, your body language, your speech

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