There is no doubt that we are living in politically and economically uncertain times. The United States is on the brink of a war, perhaps on two fronts. Stock markets around the world, which hate uncertainty, are fluctuating wildly as they go nowhere. And, in North America anyway, even the weather, barely predictable in the best of times, is adding to a sense of foreboding.
If I allow it, the current reality can have a very negative impact on my sales efforts. In times like these, my mind (which is often out to get me) offers up these excuses; “Nobody is buying because of politics/the economy/the weather. So there’s no point in a) making the extra effort, b) calling those prospects, or c) following up on that lead.”
Fortunately I have a choice; I do not have to act on the advice of this “stinking thinking”.
Instead, I can choose to entertain more positive thoughts like, “There are people out there today closing deals”
“Out of turbulent times emerge new winners”
“Ten percent of my customers are frozen with fear; so go sell the other 90 percent who are not”.
“If my customers are cautious, I simply need to be more patient “
“Selling is about helping people get what they want. What do my customers want in uncertain times?”
“If I stay in touch today, I’ll get orders tomorrow”.
“This too shall pass”
Fear freezes us. Today it may be fear of uncertainty. Tomorrow it will be fear of something else. Fear interferes with our willingness to do the activities that lead to results. President Roosevelt was right: we have nothing to fear but fear itself.
In addition to setting my thinking straight, it is important that I choose to take action. I can modify my sales activity. I recently re-read Werth and Ruben’s wonderful book called High Probability Selling*. In it, there are two important messages for the current times.
1. Give prospects the opportunity to disqualify themselves. Ask early in the process if they are MAD (have the money, authority and desire). If they are not, find the ones who are, because they are out there, even today.
2. Don’t demonstrate or show your product unless the prospect is fully qualified. Get an understanding of their needs and requirements first. Then get a pre-commitment to buy, provided that your product meets those needs and requirements. How many times have we expended time, effort and money, doing “dog and pony shows” for semi-qualified prospects? You know, the prospects you’d enjoy doing business with, or those you think ought to be doing business with you, or the ones you are almost certain are qualified, or you hope are qualified, or who will be qualified after the demo, or those you assume are qualified. Do not kid yourself. Accept the reality. Sell the qualified, but forget the disqualified.
So, I can allow the uncertain times to effect me negatively, or positively. I can slow down my sales activity and wait for tomorrow, or I can recommit myself to finding those prospects who are ready to do business today. It is my choice.
Selling in Uncertain Times - To learn more about this author, visit John Brennan's Website.
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John Brennan
(Visit John's Website)
John Brennan Ed.D.
Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal
Development, LLC, a training and
development firm. Interpersonal
Development has provided sales training
and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps
from over 100 companies.
A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan
received his doctorate from the University
of Rochester. His dissertation researched
the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling
Technology in training people in
interpersonal skills. While he has spent
most of his career designing or delivering
training, he was also a Vice-President of
Sales of a training and development
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Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered
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When Microsoft wanted Best Practices
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called Dr. Brennan. The results are at office.microsoft.com/e
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His firm’s clients have included Volvo,
The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman
Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the
Economist Group and countless small
businesses.
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