How Not To Hear “Sorry - No Sale”

In the globally syndicated BNET blog Sales Machine,  Geoffrey James, the author, featured  an article called A Roadmap to Winning That "Yes!” 

He said it “contains a very clear step-by-step roadmap for developing an initial B2B contact”

Here’s the post By Geoffrey James | July 15, 2011

“My friend (and frequent Sales Machine commentor) Neil Licht recently posted a comment that I think contains a very clear step-by-step roadmap for developing an initial B2B contact.  I’ve minimally edited and reformatted his content, which appears below:”

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Here’s a way to create a path to “Yes!”, based upon my experience in sales and with many clients:

• STEP #1. Do some research and understand the target company, especially how and why your product or solution can help.

• STEP #2. Next, make a short 30 second commercial based on your findings that can quickly and succinctly say what you do, create a reason for listening, relate pertinent issues, benefits and problems solved and let you ask if its something that the prospect needs or would adopt.

 

• STEP #3. Next find and define who would be right to hear that commercial at the highest level of responsibility and authority, relate to it and give you a true assessment of need/value on the spot.  Note: that’s usually not the CEO because the CEO is not focused on running their divisions or departments. Other folks are and can relate to what you have because of that fact.

• STEP #4. Make the phone call to that person and use the 30 second commercial. After the commercial, ask for and qualify the possibility of need or value for what you have explained from the person you are speaking with.  Ask it this way “Is this an idea that can benefit you and your company.” (While this is a “yes or no” question, its what you must know at this stage.)

• STEP #5. If the answer is “no” skip to Step 6.  If the answer is “yes,” start a brief discussion about how, why, reason, problems solved, impact, etc.  This creates a link between you and the person that you have called for the sales process to begin that, if pursued properly, you have the basis of selling value/ROI and not cost and you know it has possibilities to yield a sale based on those criterion.  Skip to step 7.

 

• STEP #6. If no, or you get a weak maybe, stop selling, say thanks and move on to the next prospect. Don’t waste sales time on this one. Say: “Thanks for your time and your honesty. I can see that our solution isn’t applicable to you.”  Then ask “Do you know of a colleague that could use my solution.” You might get a great prospect to call or even an introduction.  If so, go back to Step 1 and start over.

• STEP #7. Ask about the process for moving forward. Find out who else needs to be involved.  Ask: “If we do have a worthwhile solution for you, who along with you would need to be involved in evaluating, adopting and purchasing.”  Since your idea or solution has already been acknowledged as worthwhile by the prospect. using this question also lets you ask them for help in moving forward.  IMPORTANT: Don’t ask: “Who is the decision maker?” That’s an insulting question because it says to your suspect that you consider him or her a peon.

• STEP #8. After you have found out that they may want to buy your offering, state a rough cost right then to your suspect for the solution and ask if there is a budget for implementing the concept if it’s a worthwhile idea.  Don’t even think of continuing the sales process without knowing the answer to this question.  It tells you if you can proceed with your idea and also lets you ask and understand the company’s usual process for evaluating and ultimately purchasing your idea is.

• STEP 9: Set up the next step, which will probably involve meeting (in person or on the phone) with other individuals involved in the decision or purchasing process.

Neil Licht CEO HereWeAre, Chief adviser, Acquiring Paying Customers Consultancy Group
callhereweare@verizon.net
http://www.wix.com/ndlicht/hereweare

Youtube video tutorial http://www.youtube.com/user/ndlicht

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READERS: Huge vote of thanks to Neil for sharing this.  (Note: his original comment is in the post “The Fallacy of Calling High.“) 

I told them why they should buy but nobody bought-Why?

 What you think folks want and the reasons you offer to attract paying customers  are often incorrect and unfortunately fail in its objective because of those assumptions you have made.

Missing this mark is preventable as is getting it right very probable with a little up front homework. You can, with a few easy steps and ways of thinking get your messaging right so it does connect with and gain customers.

Try these steps and ways of thinking so you can,when reaching out, get paying Customers   

1. People do things for their reason's not yours

If you have not done the in depth homework to see how a target audience thinks, what it cares about and how to link what you want to what they want so joining in makes sense, you probably will be disappointed in your results.

2. Its hard to “hear” folks with a background in messaging and connecting for getting results trying to tell you that.

That's because your Belief in your direction is so strong in you that  you think that everyone will agree and want to join in. You get blinded by that belief and it prevents you from being objective about how best to get followers and participants.

Even hearing the communication "experts" saying things like "folks just do not care about that" referring to your pet project, being so caught up in the value of your idea, you resist their expert advice.

Its just too hard on you and your deep seeded beliefs, values to accept what they say.

 3. You can not just wish things into reality

If the audience has or sees no real buy in nor reason that, to them, resonates and says "that's me-that's exactly what I need to do and I am doing it" your message and recruiting efforts will fail. 

There's just to many "you need to do this" messages bombarding us so its critical that you do what is suggested in this step in the way you reach out to folks.

4. Looking at our core traits and what we are really good at, we should see what we are good at and not good at and accept it. Then farm out what we are not good at to someone who is.

If we are not marketing types and we want our idea to connect, get the marketing type to figure out how to do that.

5. Its not ego, its pragmatism that should govern how you and your strengths and weaknesses are played out in trying to make something happen.

Why go it alone when you don't have to? 

Why risk failure trying to do what you know you are not good at,  especially something as important as gaining willing participants?

This is especially true when you want to influence people, their thoughts, manage your messaging so you do gain traction for your idea or project amongst the many different types of audiences out there.

Knowing precisely how to do this with differing approaches that resonate with differing target audiences is how you get to "yes, that's exactly what I need and I want to do it" from the members of the target audiences you have identified as folks who could benefit from participating.

If you are not good at that, be brutally honest and let someone who is great at that help you by doing that part for you.

Failure is a learning experience but you can, especially if you want to create active participation in something, avoid failure if you can adopt the thinking of what's been suggested here in this post.

And remember very simple but useful way of thinking as you try to go and gain joiners and participants:

• 1."People do things for their reason's not yours 
• 2. Imagine the prospect or target audience has a sign on their forehead that says so what!" ( copywrite-Neil Licht, Axioms for success in selling, motivating and getting to yes)

Living those two axioms  when charting connecting, influencing and getting participants goes a long way to realizing success for gaining acceptance of your idea,event  It  goes a long way for you in getting folks to participate and willingly join in with your "vision" and, for their reasons, not yours, make it theirs as well.

For more insights from colleagues and others just like you who "sit in your seat" Please join into the discussion and group on this site called "acquiring Paying Customers" 

http://www.mentrepreneurs.com/groups/acquiring-paying-customers

Acquiring Paying Customers: Discussion and suggestions from folks who sell for a living  http://linkd.in/mHpGcW  and also http://linkd.in/irU5uo 

Blog: "Here We Are" - Your Sales-Marketing OPERATOR'S MANUAL for our new on line-connected business world http://ucanpreventbadhires.blogspot.com/

and lets share thoughts on how to do this in the face of our on line, web and social media "everything's a commodity" sourcing mentality.

Regards,  Neil Licht. CEO Hereweare, Chief Advisor Acquiring Paying Customers group

Web Page    http://www.wix.com/ndlicht/hereweare

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