The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

During a recent workshop, I played the part of the prospect as one seller after another approached me with their list of needs analysis questions. And almost without exception, the sellers' priority seemed to be getting through the list of questions they and their team had prepared, rather than harvesting the information I was hoping to offer.

Package selling is not necessarily for product peddlers only. You CAN sell a package without losing focus on the customer and her unique needs.

So, you have an appointment with a new prospect. That’s good. Is it clear to the prospect what you’ll be talking about, or did you sort of leave a few important details out just to get your foot in the door?  After all, once they spend a little time with you, they’ll be charmed with you, right?

When you come up with a proposal for a client or prospect, where do you believe the “value added” is? Do you think it’s in the price-per-product cost? Do you think it is found in free services that come with the proposal? Or, do you believe most of the value added lies in your ability to uncover the prospect’s critical needs, and the bright ideas you’ve brought to the table to solve those specific needs? 

Additionally, might some of that value be in the assistance you’ll provide to implement that solution without a hitch? Or, could it be that you are knowledgeable about their industry, and have spotted trends for them in the past?  Could it be the expertise you drew upon to come up with a creative and specific solution to their most pressing need? 

Here's a provocative thought; you may be getting objections just as often by asking for too little as you do by asking for too much!

As we head into mid-February, it makes sense to take a look back and review some of the top blog postings of 2012.

With everyone's time at such a premium these days, many of us have come to rely too much on our phones. Perhaps it would be healthy to step back and consider what the telephone can and cannot do for your sales strategy: 

Beware!  Danger to your sales strategy is lurking as close as your telephone receiver. How so?

Of course you wouldn't. Whether you're a manager, salesperson or consumer, you wouldn't hire someone to do a job or to work for you without ample evidence they have been successful for other people.

Sometimes, despite all our efforts to break the ice and establish credibility in advance of that first call to a prospect, and despite having well-crafted and articulated valid business reasons, the prospect is still reluctant to see us.