You Can't CLOSE a Deal Before You OPEN..........">
One of the most common things sellers say is: “Get me in front of the right guy, and I can close them”. Big deal, so could any monkey dressed in a nice suit. That is why the big money in B2B sales is made by those who do actually go out and get in front of the right guy - long before the closing monkeys show up.
When A Tree Falls In The Forest
"If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" Although historically this has been more
of a philosophical debate, the conclusion of this proverb rings true for business.
“Can something exist without being perceived? Can we assume the unobserved world functions the same as the observed world? Let me explain where I’m going with this. When sales people or organisations get asked whether they could make or exceed quota by only closing those
opportunities initiated by the buyers themselves, most admit – “No”. This implies that they have to go out and prospect buyers, who
left to their own, would stay on the side-lines and remain oblivious to any social activity, messaging, or any other online activity. It is very much
like the tree falling in the forest. If the buyer is not in the forest (online), but instead in their own lives, their shops, trucks, or offices, doing
their thing, then they can’t see or interact with anything you may dangle out there. This, by the way, represents about 70% of any defined market,
if not more.
Sure, one alternative is to double down, increase your efforts to entice and succeed with those buyers who are interacting with what you’re dangling. But we also have to remember that these buyers are rarely monogamous. They are visiting all your competitors’ sites, and playing footsie with all they’re dangling too. In a “good enough” world, you all begin to look the same at about the 67% – 70% marker in the journey, leaving price as the big distinguisher.
BACK TO THE START
You can't CLOSE a deal before you OPEN..........
The risk these days is that everyone is so fixated on CLOSING they overlook the need for Openers, placing all their early cycle success in means that are not delivering.
The emphasis is not placed on opening the opportunity and creating a base for success. Without that foundation it is hard to build.
Unfortunately, the discussion of successful sales methods has eroded into a question of style - social vs. traditional marketing. But the impact has been deeper, as many who shun traditional prospecting, for instance telephone prospecting or cold calling, also abandon the skill of opening, as that step is left entirely to the buyer.
The time has come to focus on why we do something, not just the how.
To all you real sellers out there: “The why is about the OPEN.”
- -Openers know how to identify and speak with those 70% who are entrenched on the side-lines.
- -Openers can shape the thinking of the buyer much more so than one could at the 67% marker.
- -Openers know how to frame the opportunity in ways that will directly influence how those buyers will filter your competitors.
Feeling inspired to mastering the art of OPENING? Contact us for an obligation free consultation in Sales Optimization.
