Today sales trainer Skip Miller shares how to clean out your pipeline to separate the real prospects from those that are just taking up your time and energy. A good summer cleaning will do wonders for your time and ability to reach good prospects!
End of 2Q coming up. Pipeline looks OK, and what does not close this month will slide right into July and start the second half of the year off with a good head start.
You're kidding, right?
Most sales organizations live with 40-60% forecast accuracy. That is to say, given 50 deals and a 90-day window, about half will close. Other deals will come in, some others drop out, bluebirds will peek in, etc. It gets to where you ask 'why bother with forecasting anyway'; just close what you can.
Sales people can be really ProActive if they want to make sure they are forecasting real deals, and have a better than 50/50 shot.
Get an I-Date
What date does the prospect say they are going to use your stuff, not when they are going to buy it. I-Dates are dates the customer is going to start using what you are going to sell them to make money, save time, or lower their risk, and their has to be a reason for the I-Date; not just because the prospect told you so.
Get a Cause
What is causing the prospect to change, to do something different, to spend time talking to you? Not what do they want (feature/benefit), but what is the reason they are changing the way they are doing things, and why are they talking to someone like you?
Get a Homework Assignment
It is amazing that sales people believe if they do everything the prospect asks of them, they will "reward" them with an order. Such a push. It's OK to ask the prospect early in the sale to do a homework assignment. Give them a task to do. Have them give you a referral, red line an agenda, kick off a demonstration. The more "sweat equity" they invest early in the process, the better chance you have of determining if this is a real deal. If they are unwilling to do some homework, what does that really tell you about the commitment they have to working with you? Hmmm.
You have 30 days to close and clean out that pipeline. Yes, you will end up with a short pipeline list and have to go find (prospect for) more business. Myths and delusions are hard to close. Better you hunt early than go after table scraps.
A recognized authority on the psychology of sales performance, Skip Miller has helped countless companies, already at the height of success in their respective fields, achieve an even greater level of sales productivity and success. Learn more at www.m3learning.com
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