Proudly Pinoy - Planters Development Bank

SALES TRAINING
“What’s Going
On?”
In this less than ideal economic climate, many salespeople are having a tough time earning
business. You can be extremely diligent and think that you’re doing everything correctly and still
be finding it difficult to make a sale. No doubt, it’s frustrating!
The unfortunate reality is that the power to say yes or no completely rests in the hands
of your prospects. Your job is simply to present value and benefits, overcome hesitancies, and guide
them to want your solution to improve their situation. So, what if you’re doing all of these important
things, and your prospects are still not budging?
Photo: Business team
- Dreamstime
Before you simply blame your bad luck on the economy, you need to ask yourself the following:
Are you 100 percent certain that you have
addressed all of your prospect’s hesitancies
and concerns?
You won’t be able to overcome a hesitancy that
is unspoken or hidden. Take the time to probe
thoroughly for what’s on their mind and help them
reveal the true situation.
Have you made certain that the competition
hasn’t wormed into the deal and caused
your prospect to have second thoughts?
In many industries, competition is fiercer than ever
before. It’s very likely that prospects are also talking to
your competition. Be prepared for this, and take the
necessary steps to shine above others trying to hone
in on your prospects.
Are you 100 percent certain that you
presented to the correct person
who has buying and influencing authority?
You can make the most compelling sales presentation
known to mankind, but if you’re pitching to the wrong
person, you’re not making the sale. Qualifying your
prospects is essential!
Are you aware of any “big” change
that might be happening in your prospect’s
company such as mergers, acquisitions,
or changes in management?
These transitions can significantly delay decisions
or require you to modify your sales approach. Don’t
forget to ask prospects about any current or upcoming
changes that could potentially impact a sale.
Are you confident about your touch point
management program so that you can stay
on the grid throughout an elongated sales process?
Evaluate how you go about staying with prospects
through extended periods of time. If you don’t have
a good system to keep in touch, you could be losing
out on valuable sales.
Finally, if you’ve answered yes to all of these questions,
don’t be afraid to ask, “What’s going on? ” Sometimes asking
a question as simply and directly as this can give you all the
information you need to make the sale or cut your losses
and move on.
Based in New York, Adrian Miller is the president of Adrian
Miller Direct Marketing, a sales training and consulting
company that provides customized, results-driven training
programs to companies worldwide. AMDM’s programs
focus on the techniques and skills needed for building
new business and retaining existing business, resulting in
increased ‘ROA’ (Return on attention). She can be reached
at amiller@adrianmiller.com.
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VOL. NO. 03 / ISSUE NO. 04