Driving the Sales Process

In the past week, I’ve spoken with many folks who deferred to their prospect then lost control, leading to ineffectual conversations that went nowhere.

Remember that YOU drive the sales process. You get to decide specific details and steps in a way that may seem hypervigilant or selfish. Even if it sounds minor, you get to determine whether your first meeting is 30 minutes or an hour, the duration of the second call, and so on. Be specific about how much time you need to do what you need to do, and if the prospect is requesting something different, push back.

Do you want to meet via Zoom or by phone? Especially if it's a one-on-one conversation, you decide. Push back as needed.

And you can choose who's attending the meeting. Often, your prospect will want to include a big group before it’s appropriate—it’s okay to challenge the invite list. Or sometimes we know we want a particular decision maker in attendance, then at the last minute they can't make it, and we go ahead with the meeting. Instead of forging on, it’s perfectly acceptable to reschedule.

Always anchor into your process—what you’ve found works best for you and inspires the most efficient, effective conversations. Push back when you need to, acknowledging any fears that arise about making your prospect mad if you do so. Have the highest intent to see if you can help. Take the lead; people want to be led. Be picky about the details, and your sales process will be realized to its fullest.

Onward.

Tom

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