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Returning to the buyer that ghosted you
I decided to go back to a buyer who ghosted me receiving my proposal.
He did not seem the type to behave this way. But some people are uncomfortable about being open about how they really think.
I let it go for a couple of months. And this week I sent a brief email, thanking him for the opportunity and to ask for feedback.
Any response would be a positive.
And surprise surprise!
He immediately wrote back and said the decision was deferred. ¸This has now given me a window of opportunity to visit him next week and reestablish the relationship.
I still don’t know why he ghosted me, but it is good to be speaking with him again. When you have contact with the customer, you can have influence.
Storytelling Basics
One of the biggest mistakes companies make is communicating how good they are.
This can be obvious through their website and LinkedIn profile.
We are so good.
We are an awesome place to work.
We are the best in our category.
We know what you want.
You need us!
It’s a load of crap.
They fail to connect with their audience.
Their customer is the hero.
Billion dollar companies like Apple get it.
It is always about the customers.
Their hopes and dreams.
What is Sense Making in Sales?
In Solution Selling, when the customer has a problem, they would allow a supplier understand the situation and then prepare a “solution”.
Solution Selling was useful for the seller when they had greater insights than the buyer. It usually placed them with a strong position of power influence. We call this Information Asymmetry.
But thanks to the Internet, this has now changed. Buyers can solve their own problem through research. By the time they meet with a seller, their perspective has been quite fixed. According to Gartner’s 2017 Digital B2B Study, the buyer will complete 62% of their time learning and researching in comparison to the time they spend with the supplier.
It becomes very challenging to then come up with a way that effectively helps to influence the sale.
Enter Sense Making Sales by Gartner.
Sense Making “is the process of creating meaning from information, events, and experiences. It involves identifying patterns, interpreting data, and understanding the implications of various pieces of information. Gartner's sense-making framework helps organizations make better decisions, understand trends, and develop strategies based on a deeper understanding of the information at hand”.
“Key aspects of Gartner's sense-making framework include:
Data Collection: Gathering relevant data and information from various sources.
Data Analysis: Identifying patterns, trends, and relationships within the collected data.
Contextualization: Understanding the broader context in which the data exists.
Interpretation: Drawing insights and conclusions from the analyzed data.
Implications: Determining the potential consequences and future impact of the insights gained.
Actionable Insights: Using the insights to inform decision-making and strategy”.
The bottom line is that buyers are confused with all the “good information” provided by suppliers.
The more they research, the more they get confused.
Sense Making helps the buyer make sense of all the information and builds the confidence to make the right decision.
The longer I stay in a sales role, the easier it is to naturally become a Sense Maker in sales. You have a strong understanding of their challenges and can give them insights that really helps. Done in the right way it can be very effective.
Maximising our most precious resource
Early in my career I worked hard. Phone calls were made, emails sent and meetings conducted. But all the while, I was being ineffective with my time.
I work less intensely now, but I am more effective in what I do because I priorities my most important activities first.
Every day I write down a list of priorities . As I complete those tasks I get a highlighter and mark them completed. It is satisfying at the end of the day to have almost all my all activities marked up.
It is wonderful to be in sales and to have so much control over my time.
Many people are aware of the Franklin Covey Time Management Matrix. We can use it to maximise our most precious resource.
Writing one crappy little article per day…
In the movie, The Dark Knight Rises Bane says to his captors: : “It doesn't matter who we are, what matters is our plan“.
My 20 years in enterprise sales have yielded both ups and downs. Some roles have been average, some bad and others I’ve done well in. This past year I have sold over $20M in direct sales. So far my best year yet.
I’ve had time selling professional services. It becomes a problem when you run out of professionals’ time to sell. I am now selling a combination of hardware, software and professional services with fewer supply problems.
What do I love about my job? The ability to have control over my time and how I go about getting my targets. It sucks when you are behind targets. But you feel awesome when you achieve success for your customers and your employer.
A lot of sales people yearn for sales management. Its easier than selling. I’ve spent time mentoring and coaching others but have not yet found the right opportunity. When you are hitting your targets, your sales commissions are a great alternative to the prestige and ease of a sales manager title.
I’m serious about starting my side business.
I will start with executive coaching/training and then sell my own digital courses.
Helping others to unlock the mysteries of sales success is very satisfying.
So here I am.
With four kids and a job to hold down there is not a lot of spare time. I have dedicating one hour per day on my craft.
It has begun by writing open crappy little article per day. It’s been almost two weeks and I feel good about that. I will reach 100 articles soon and expect it will place me in a better headspace to design my courses.
Unlocking the art of persuasive sales presentations and micro-content is my passion. This is where I will be doubling down to produce content this year.
Here we go!
Between Living and Death
Today I received from said news about someone that I know and greatly respect has a terminal diagnosis.
In my personal life I have a faith in Jesus Christ and in His plan for me and all of God’s children. When a death happens with my fiends and family, I am more equipped to draw comfort in others.
But at work, we all come together from many different belief systems. I don’t want to intrude on another’s privacy. But we are all human and should find ways to express our appreciation for their example.
Life can pass you by quickly. I spoke to a colleague and the next Saturday night he died suddenly. Another died from COVID just after having a baby. Customers have shared with me news about serious illness before taking leave and then passing away.
This week I will share with this person how I appreciate their example and courage.
Circle of Influence vs Circle of Concern
Have you ever heard, “If engineering just fixed these bugs, we would so much more”
Unfortunately life is not perfect. You will always face a problem with your product that impacts sales.
However worrying about them will hold back your sales and cause you to over stress.
You just need to focus on the things that you can control.
When you lose a deal about something beyond your control, move on quickly to the next sale.
The more you focus on what is inside your control, the more effective you become.
Keep reminding yourself this.
Being a Sales Professional
If you work in sales, you need to be passionate about what you do.
The best sales people are hidden, because they do not appear to be “selling”.
A sales professional has the following qualities:
A belief that you are making a positive difference.
You like your customers.
Can explain to customers where the value is.
They are highly competitive and goals driven.
Professionals care about the things that others cannot see. They are working back late in the office to ensure a presentation or proposal is perfect.
Professionals are lone wolves. They are focussed on achieving success.
They think deeply about customer interactions, and to understand their perspective. At times it appears they can accurately interpret their thinking more quickly than others.
Another way of explaining how a professional is different is from my favourite movie, “The Fifth Element”, Zorg (Gary Oldman), explained what it meant to be a professional (killer): I hate warriors, too narrow-minded. I'll tell you what I do like though: a killer, a dyed-in-the-wool killer. Cold blooded, clean, methodical and thorough. Now a real killer, when he picked up the ZF-1, would've immediately asked about the little red button on the bottom of the gun.
If you are in sales. Be focussed. Be Professional.
The 80-20 Rule in Sales
If you don’t know, the Pareto Principle is that 80% of the outcomes come from 20% of the causes.
It occurred to me, while watching the original Aladdin cartoon movie (1992) that Robin Williams was the standout supporting character. He carried the entire movie.
His impact inspires new generations of followers each time its played.
Aladdin and Princess Jasmin are very wooden. The antagonise, Jafar is good. But the genie brings everyone to life.
Williams was only paid $75,000 for his work. Vastly underrepresented in the impact that he made on the film.
Aladdin went on to earn over $500M at the box office and to become one of Disney’s greatest animations.
Similarly in sales, there are some who have a disproportionate effect. They sell $20M in a year, when the average is $4M. Another example of the Pareto Principle or 80/20 rule.
High performing sales people are usually contrarian. They are disinterested in most things except closing deals. And when they are focussed on their job it is something to behold.
If Williams’ agent was one of these sales people, then maybe he would have gotten more?
Managing customers relationships - AT SCALE
In my current sales role, I have about 60 customers and 200 individuals that I need to maintain a relationship with. There is no effective way to have a 1:1 relationship with them all in the traditional sense. So what I will be doing is emailing them one a month with a 10 min video to share with them the latest trends and updates. The following article by Wistia is great on how to write great customer scripts for videos.
https://wistia.com/learn/production/wistias-scripting-tips
