As we approach the upcoming Fourth of July holiday, our own Walt Gerano shares his thoughts regarding the obstacles holding us back from experiencing the sales success we desire.
243 years ago, 13 colonies declared themselves as newly independent sovereign states and no longer a part of the British Empire. Instead, they formed a new nation—the United States of America.
Have you declared your independence from the things holding you back from experiencing the success you desire?
When you look at your business today, you might agree that you need to prospect more consistently, qualify better and know when to move on from a prospect. But you still have opportunities in your pipeline that are stuck. The question is why and what are you going to do about that?
Why don’t you prospect more consistently?
- You don’t have enough people to call on.
- When was the last time you asked for an introduction or spent meaningful time on LinkedIn?
- You don’t have the time.
- What activity is more important to the growth and success of your sales practice than prospecting? Schedule prospecting time first.
- You are fearful of rejection.
- Rejection is nothing compared to failure.
What about qualifying?
- Do you prepare with a pre-call plan for every call to make sure you know how you will get the answer to the question; “why am I here?” (First question you should ask on a call)
- Are you ready for the curve balls? Those are the annoying questions that you wish they didn’t ask.
- How and when will you deal with the incumbent?
Why are “opportunities” stuck in the pipeline?
- Does the prospect really have enough PAIN to move forward and make a change?
- Do they have the money to fix the problem? Did you even ask about it?
- Are you meeting with all of the decision makers prior to presenting your solution?
- Have you dealt with the “return of the incumbent?”
There is nothing here that you don’t already know. It’s the middle of the year so take a few minutes and evaluate where you are and what you will do about it.
Claiming your independence requires nothing compared to what was sacrificed all those years ago. Let’s remember this week what was at stake and what an incredible gift their fight and sacrifice is to this day. God Bless America.
