Sales 101: Remember What You Came For

...And when you get it, leave. Simple, but way too often overlooked.

Sales in the digital marketplace is different than paper. Paper is real, it can be compared and touched. It can be price negotiated. Our customers know paper. They've dealt with it for years and they can buy it on the spot. Digital technology, including construction information management, is a different ball game.

The first thing to remember when selling digital services is 1.) Don't get frustrated. This sale is not as quick, not as easy. Nothing good is easy and if you do it right, this is going to be very, very good.

2.) Remember what you came for. Define your success and when you reach it, leave. Shake hands and walk out or hang up the phone. A sales call, especially on a large, strategic sale, will never close in one day, or most likely two or thirty. It's going to take a while, but our sales minds will cook if we don't know how to strike a win at every stage.

Before meeting with prospects, I typically create a worksheet of sorts to define what it is that I'm preparing to do. Some of it is redundant, but some of it will work wonders for your call and keep a series of, albeit small, wins on your side which is what we all need to keep a smile and keep charging. Here's an example:

ReproMAX Meeting - July 22, 2008
Client X 11:00 AM - Conference Room A (client)

Attendees: Client1 (president), Client2 (angry PM), possibly Client3 (young CM)

Corporate Overview: Currently uses PlanSqFt, unhappy w/delivery times, cust. svc. Concerned about useful, feature rich planroom for customers. Currently use OnCenter. Bob has long standing relationship (plays golf) w/Client1 (two kids, one kid at Yale Law)

Critical Points to Bring Up: Product points (Integration w/On Center, HP Instant Print, Easy Rollout, promotion ideas to roll HP machines and Software Subscription together, allowing Client1 to resell subscriptions)

MY Ideal Solution: DFS for overall planroom + Instant Print + HP equipment resell deal

** WIN = Agrees to provide active project documents for me to place on DFS demo portal

By building my approach, nothing is left to chance. I know where I want to head with the call, I know what I need to touch on. Having this in the bag allows me to focus on his kid at Yale, his golf game and the stuff he really cares about... not this. He wants to save money, get more work and make people happy. That's it. But to buy he needs to feel comfortable and not pressured. Hit your target, then talk about lunch, golf and Ivy League schools.

If you come prepared and know what you define as success with a clear, unpressured, unwound mind, then you'll come across as more professional, more focused and you'll close more sales!

Remember what you came for, get it, then relax. You'll be able to afford that ski lodge in Vail soon enough...

All the best,
Tanner