The Center for Sales Strategy Blog

I'm a bit of a neat freak—ok, maybe more than a bit.  So I love Spring cleaning—inside the house and out.

Do you own one of those fans, where the first speed on the dial is the top speed?  At first, this annoyed me.  But I have come to realize that this design is meant to help me make the right choice.  When you live in Florida and the heat rolls in—it's a good idea to go with more air.  

Some of the most important steps in your sales strategy should include asking the right questions and uncovering a client or prospect's true needs. Only then can you provide customized solutions.

I see this happening all the time. You may not stop to think about it, but it’s probably happened to you. 

One of the practices we preach is that every client meeting should start with a quick overview of events leading up to the meeting, and an agenda for what you would like to accomplish during the session. It is a step that people often skip… at their own peril. Why do I make that sound so ominous?  

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.

For example, today’s issue explains how some insurance companies are beginning to target consumers, rather than employers. Of course that means you could be selling to healthcare providers who would now like to establish a relationship directly with consumers.  

Sellers often bemoan that they find themselves deep into the sales process with a new prospect, only to discover there isn't much budget available.

There was an incident when my daughter was still very young, in which she was happily singing-along to a song on the radio.  We got to the grocery store and went in to grab a few things, and then headed back out to the car.  When I started the car, she started to cry.  “What’s wrong,” I asked?  “The radio’s not playing my favorite song anymore…”