Common Sense in Selling B2B™

The seasoned sales person is always watching for something which could go astray in the sales process.  Complacency and over confidence can be your worst enemy.  You can be positive the deal is moving along smoothly through your pipeline only to discover (quite possibly too late) it’s stalled, or worse gone completely.  Here are five clues you should be aware of – and some possible steps you can take to make sure you don’t spend your time on something which will never happen.

First Clue:  The Potential Client Seems Indifferent.

A client who is interested in doing business with you should have questions and concerns.   They should be engaging in a dialogue. Hesitancy is okay, especially early on in the conversation.  However, if they don’t outright reject you and don’t have any questions either, you better be on the alert.

If you suspect this might be the direction of your discussions, try creating a more advisory relationship with your client. You can let them know   you’ll help either to solve their problem or point them in the direction of another business that might be a better fit.  Offering to help people find other vendors might seem counterintuitive, but it can go a long way to earn the trust you may need to win over a client.  People have a tendency to share more with an advisor than a salesperson.

Second Clue:  If there’s no hard deadline for a decision. 

A mutual recognition of the urgency around a sale is the best indicator you’re on the right track to a close.  At a point early in your conversation, ask potential clients about their timeframe.  Those companies with a hard deadline you’ll want to prioritize highest.

If you’re having difficulty pinning down a definite time line with a client there are way you can help the client firm up deadlines.   Depending on your product/service limited-time offers or discounts can be effective to create urgency around a sale.  Perhaps point out what the competition is doing, or identify the financial risk involved in not acting quickly on the sale.

Third Clue:  You discover you’re not dealing with the decision maker.

It is generally acceptable to start out talking with a junior-level employee who is vetting options and/or alternatives.  But you should become suspicious if your conversations stall or if you’re not put in touch with the ultimate decision maker after a few conversations.  It’s probably a sign the company isn’t serious about buying what you’re offering.

Getting past this roadblock can be somewhat difficult and challenging.  It’s very likely the bigger the deal and/or the larger the organization, the more layers of management you’ll have to navigate.   One effective strategy would be to create a presentation which your initial contact could easily show to their superiors and upper management.  Create something which would pique their interest, and prompt a “top-down” request for additional information.  You also might request a quick conference call with the senior-level person involved.  Remember, trying to get around lower level decision makers is a sticky situation. You need to be always respectful of the person you are talking to and not undermine them.

Fourth Clue:  Your price is too high. 

When your service or product is dismissed solely on price, it’s because the client doesn’t see the value in what you’re offering and they believe they can find the same product or service for less or because you’re trying to sell more than they need.

If your competitors are offering a lower price, focus on how you can provide added value.  But if you’re offering more than a client needs, you may need to re-think and scale back the initial proposal.  You also could offer creative payment alternatives, such as incentives on the first purchase if the customer continues to buy more.

Fifth Clue:  If you’re offered a boiler plate RFP instead of a conversation.

When potential clients ask for a proposal before agreeing to talk with you, it’s usually a sign they’re simply gathering price quotes from vendors. This is often also closely followed by a vague decision date, (see clue number two).

Before submitting a proposal, ask what the client is looking for and what criteria will be used to make the decision.  Reaching a verbal understanding on those issues increases the likelihood you’ll have a better appreciation of what the client is really interested in.  The problem with a submitted proposal prior to any discussion is there is no chance for you to get any immediate feedback on what may be wrong or off-track with it.  When you can engage in a conversation you can work through all the nuances verbally and offer a value proposition which has a better chance to win the sale.

There are, of course, many more clues to be watchful of.  These are what I’ve found to be the most frequently overlooked.  I invite you to add to this list, along with your suggestions for a solution.  And as always, your comments are welcome.