Читать книгу Selling - Nick Constable - Страница 12

Because we salespeople are often under pressure to find new prospects and constantly add more opportunities to the pipeline, we can often find ourselves tempted to chase every possible sales lead. But not everyone who expresses interest actually has the authority, motivation and ability to buy.

Let’s look at some pitfalls and how to avoid them:

 Who owns the problem? One of the best guides for identifying the correct people, or person, is to find out who has ultimate responsibility for the business problem or ‘pain’ that you think you can solve. Remember that they may still lack the authority alone, but it’s a good starting point.

 Come out of your comfort zone. It’s easy to get stuck in your comfort zone, convincing yourself that those friendly individuals who always take your call are the ones who will buy. This is especially true with existing customers. Force yourself to ask hard questions of yourself and them, and to make new contacts with greater authority.

“There are one hundred and ninetynine ways to get beat, but only one way to win; get there first”

Willie Shoemaker, American jockey

 Make a straw man. Draw up a profile of your ideal customer, and their attributes, as a sort of test. This is called a ‘straw man’. Look at your previous and existing customers. Consider the ideal types of business they are in, and typical job roles.

 Spot the ‘tyre kickers’. There’s a big difference between people who take great interest in your product, and those who actually have the authority to buy. Some people, and companies, just want a free education, and will give the impression they can buy so that you’ll let them play with your product.

 Are you first? Ask yourself: is this customer already evaluating other suppliers? Have you come to the party late? If you’re second or third, it might be an indication of their serious intent. On the other hand, experience shows us that if you didn’t get there first, you’re probably just ‘cannon fodder’, there to provide a comparative offer.

Do some analysis and research to make sure you target the right companies and individuals.