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The Defining Moments in your Sales Cycle

  
  
  

Dave Kurlan is a top-rated speaker, best-selling author, sales thought leader and highly regarded sales development expert.

What are some of the more subtle, but important, key moments in your sales process that affect every sales outcome?

If I were to review some recent conversations with clients and their salespeople, crucial accomplishments included:

Company A - Getting the prospect to visit them rather than vice-versa.  Shows commitment, importance and builds credibility.

Company B - Tonality - it's the difference between an extended phone conversation and lack of interest.

Company B - Handling Stalls and Put-Offs - keeps prospects on the phone long enough to be sold.

Company C - Up-sell and cross-sell opportunities - they have a mature market so when salespeople seek out these opportunities and build cases for them, the company grows.  When the salespeople are complacent, growth and earnings are flat.

Company D - Asking the right questions in the first 2 minutes of the call.  It's the difference between an engaged prospect and "next?".

Company E - Setting Expectations with regard to money.  When they ask if a certain amount would surprise their prospect, they eliminate the sticker shock factor at proposal time and learn whether they need to discuss money and value in more detail now.

Company A - Taking advantage of the opportunity to push back and challenge.  This establishes value and credibility and differentiates them from all of their competitors.

What are some of the key moments that impact your sales outcomes?  Sometimes, just the act of identifying what they are will make everyone pay more attention to doing it more consistently.

(C) Copyright 2010 Dave Kurlan



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Posted by Dave Kurlan on Wed, Jan 13, 2010 @ 08:32 AM

COMMENTS

Isn't there a danger when "pushing back and challenging" that you may end up "painting seagulls in your prospect's picture"? 
 

posted on Sunday, January 17, 2010 at 8:50 PM by Charlie


@Charlie - if I remember the 1980's accurately, that sounds like a Sandler rule which, if I can translate it effectively, means not to recite features and benefits that they didn't ask for and don't need... 
 
I am suggesting that salespeople, if they want to differentiate themselves, build credibility and be seen as experts, challenge with excellent questions. For instance, if the prospect says, "we want to do A, M & Z..." the salesperson might say, "that's a good plan, but wouldn't it be more effective if you did C before you attempted M?

posted on Monday, January 18, 2010 at 6:58 AM by Dave Kurlan


Dave, yes it's Sandler. 
 
But that's my point. Isn't there a danger in asking your "but wouldn't it be more effective if you did C..."? Isn't it a better approach to ask more questions about the prospect's pain until you can eventually ask, "That sounds like you have <pain-solved-by-doing-C>. Is that right?" 
 
(P.S. I thought you were part of the whole Sandler shebang. Sounds like you're not.)

posted on Monday, January 18, 2010 at 8:28 AM by Charlie


i put and end to a mastermind session once with this----------- 
 
you get 200 leads yearly,with a 20%close--your client attended 2 presentations before/WHO DO YOU THINK IS BETTER PREPARED FOR THE NEXT ENCOUNTER?

posted on Saturday, January 30, 2010 at 2:04 PM by Barry myatt


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