Thoughtful Thursdays - It was a pleasure to meet you.

This series of posts is all about closing a sale faster. Not being mindful of the topics on the list absolutely does not mean you will not make the sale. - It may just take longer.

Things That Can Lengthen Your Sales Cycle - Not developing the supplier/customer relationship - TRUST

Customer service begins from the second you meet your prospect, long before they are a customer. Perhaps even before you come to the realization they are even a prospect.

As it has been said before, the first sale you make to your customer is you, not your product or service. Set the bar early and set it high. Take the time to get to know them and develop the relationship that will lead to the business you are going after. Your approach is key to closing the sale faster.

Use your own experiences to guide you. Think about why you decided on a particular supplier of a product or service rather than a competitor. Why do you continue to give your business to certain businesses?

How will you make the purchase of your product or service an outstanding experience for your customer?

A few words that come to mind are integrity, meeting commitments, helpful - I am sure you can add to the list. If your customers associate you with these words you can be sure that a good relationship is developing and the resulting trust will shorten your sales cycle.

Good selling,
Richard

Thoughtful Thursdays - "Trust me, I will increase your sales"

This series of posts is all about closing a sale faster. Not being mindful of the topics on the list absolutely does not mean you will not make the sale. - It may just take longer.

Things That Can Lengthen Your Sales Cycle – Hiring the wrong sales agents.

While there is no guarantee that any sales agent you engage will work out, there are factors you want to think about before making your choice. Today's thoughts consider some of those factors. I won't get into the details of compensation, let's assume that the package is acceptable. I will also assume that you have done the arithmetic and it makes sense to have an agent representing your business.

A good sales agent like a good customer represents great lifetime value to your business. When you find them, treat then like gold and keep them.

• Is the prospective agent currently calling on any of your customers?
• Have you checked references?
• How long has the agent been in the industry?
• Are they a member of key industry associations?
• Do your customers know this agent?
• Does the agent represent products complementary to yours?
• Have you set sales expectations?
• Is he/she genuinely interested in your products?
• Does he/she share your values?
• Does your product represent a good opportunity to the prospective agent?
• Are you comfortable with him/her?
• Do you get the sense he/she considers the topics on the Things That Can Lengthen Your Sales Cycle list important?

As mentioned at the beginning of this post, there can be no guarantees, only steps you can take to help you make the best decision.

What I did not cover is the natural tendency for everyone to sell what is easiest. Remember that you are competing for your agent's time that is spent on other product lines. Just as you facilitate your customers' buying processes, you must also make it easy for your agent to sell your products. Be prepared to spend time with your agents, supporting their needs and listening to what they have to say, keeping in mind the value that a good agent will bring to your business over the long term life of the relationship.

Good selling,
Richard

Thoughtful Thursdays - I know that I can help you

This series of posts is all about closing a sale faster. Not being mindful of the topics on the list absolutely does not mean you will not make the sale. - It may just take longer.

Things That Can Lengthen Your Sales Cycle - Not believing in the product/service you are selling.

An almost sure way to lengthen a sales cycle is to come across to your prospect as not really believing in the product and/or service you are offering. A lack of confidence is not an uncommon characteristic for one who does not have a lot of experience selling. Some may say it is normal to feel this way. Whatever the reason, the cause for the barrier to sales must identified and overcome. After all, how can you expect your prospect to have confidence in your proposed solutions, if you appear not to.

If you truly feel your product/service is not the appropriate solution, then tell your customer up front and make the appropriate recommendation. Perhaps you can refer them to another supplier. Although you may not get the business this time, you will earn the respect of the customer and may position yourself as the supplier of choice when the next opportunity comes up.

Remember that it is about helping. Of course you want to have the business, but there will be instances when you will have to walk away. It is far better to walk away rather than offer a solution you may not believe in.

Putting yourself in the shoes of your customer, how would you feel about it? Would you want to continue to do business with someone who sold you a solution that might not be the best alternative, or the one who kept your best interests in mind?

If you generally are lacking confidence in the product/service offering, you may need to look at how you are positioning it and re-target it to a more appropriate audience.

I will repeat; if you do not believe, how can you reasonably expect to interest your prospect?

Good selling,

Richard

Wise Wednesdays - High Value Activities

Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration. - Thomas Edison

Have you had days where you feel you haven’t done anything productive? Maybe you’re spending your time on low value activities. A low value activity is something that in the long run will not make much of a difference.

For example, spending excessive amounts of time on your website, administrative work or social media. Not that you shouldn’t do these activities but not at the expense of the high value activities.

High value activities are activities that are not necessarily urgent but important for the long term sustainability of your business. Things such as market research, proper business planning, developing a consistent marketing strategy, a follow thru strategy and developing an extensive customer satisfaction process are good examples of how to maximize your time.

These are activities where you don’t see the results right away but certainly make a huge impact to your business.

It takes a lot of discipline and fortitude, for example, in planning a weekly networking strategy and having a follow up system. Yet it could be the best use of your time.

In this era of “I’m so busy” the real question should be, “what are you busy doing?” Busy is a poor substitute for effective results. Make sure you know the difference.

Cheers,

Dominik

Thoughtful Thursdays - How much do you know about your customer before you meet them?

This series of posts is all about closing a sale faster. Not being mindful of the topics on the list absolutely does not mean you will not make the sale - It might just take longer.

Things That Can Lengthen Your Sales Cycle - Inadequate research

Coming from the positive side, things that can shorten your sales cycle, include today's thought on research.

At any stage of your sales cycle, from first contact to making a presentation, information gathered through research can facilitate the process. Remember that research can be primary or secondary. Let's focus on the early stages of your sales cycle.

As the saying goes, there is only one opportunity for a first impression. With that in mind, why wouldn't anyone want to do their best to make a this first impression their very best?

It sounds pretty simple, but how many times have you encountered a situation where a first impression has not been the most positive experience and only subsequently and after a length of time you might have had the opportunity to change your mind about that person.

This can surely translate to the addition of weeks or months to your sales cycle. Here are few tips that can help you make a good first impression better and shorten your sales cycle.

• Know your prospect's business and the products and services they offer
• Have an idea of who is their target market is
• Know if you can bring them any business as a result of buying from you
• Learn about the industry they participate in
• If they are a public company, learn how the stocks are performing
• Have they been in the news lately?
• Are they an industry leader?

Make a habit of taking the time to conduct preliminary research and you can shorten your sales cycle.

This speaks to facilitating your prospect's buying process by establishing confidence in you early in the process.

Good selling,
Richard