Today I made a mistake that I shouldn’t have. I skipped a basic, fundamental step in the sales process. I should know better, but my enthusiasm frequently pushes me ahead of myself and costs me in the end.
I’ve nurtured a potential account for the past 2 1/2 months. Multiple face to face visits to uncover their needs. A comprehensive proposal was made and despite my repeated attempts to get feedback from the prospect, they simply wouldn’t respond.
Finally I found a reason to get back in by offering a demo of a new product. I was ready to get signatures today. Even if I had to throw in unauthorized incentives, I was feeling on the brink of a close.
Demo in the bag, reaction was underwhelming. Then they told us they’d already commited to a competitor.
I never asked who else was involved in the decision. Basic, basic, basic and I forgot it.
A friend of mine who is an accomplished seller told me that she keeps a checklist she obtained from my blog right beside her phone because she references it almost daily when speaking to customers. I have the same checklist beside my phone. But I forget to look at it because it has become part of the scenery.
Sales don’t always follow the same sequence of events. But there are certain fundamentals that always have to be covered. Qualifying the decision maker is key. The basics, when executed consistently, can save you a lot of time and error.
It didn’t cost me the sale. I never had it. But it cost me time that I should have spent on a qualified prospect.
