Today’s post is sponsored by ActiveCampaign and Mindstudio.ai.
“You make your money going in.”
That’s true when buying real estate, businesses, and sales.
Old school goo-roos have told you ad nauseam to…
“Only ask open-ended questions.”
“Never ask a question they can say ‘no’ to.”
“Get them nodding by asking a bunch of questions they have to say ‘yes’ to.”
“Never discuss price until the end.”
Good golly, Miss Molly!
To hell with all of that. All of it.
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But many, if not most, salespeople follow all of that advice to the letter to this day, which is why most salespeople do not hit their sales targets. (You don’t know how to prospect, or you know how but don’t want to do what it takes, so you hold onto these mediocre deals so your pipeline appears full, in a futile effort to keep management off your back for a month or two. How’s that working out fer ya? But I digress.)
To stop being a professional visitor…a free consultant…a starving salesperson…get to the important stuff right up front.
“Oh yeah, Wes? Just show up, take their money without so much as a ‘hello,’ and run?”
For you, Sparky, the answer is yes. For the adults in the room, continue reading…
In a complex sale, it takes time and consensus to get them to sign on the line which is dotted, so I’m not saying you’re closing major deals within ten minutes of your first meeting.
But what I am saying is that you can and should cut to the chase sooner rather than later with every prospect, and keep pushing the pace to ensure the deal is on track.
Rookies, shysters, and hustle bros will take this to mean to show up and ask, “So, are you the decision-maker on this project or do I need to go above you?”
Pros ask, “When you’re considering a training program/CRM like this, who on your team usually leads the discovery and evaluation?”
Same question, technically, vastly different question, stylistically and effectively.
There are only ever a few show-stoppers that would keep your prospect from moving forward.
If you have a $50k training program and they only have $5k, you need to have that discussion right up front.
If you sell Chevys and the fleet manager is a direct descendant of Henry Ford, you probably couldn’t give your trucks away, so move on.
If you sell solar, a renter ain’t gonna give you a nickel.
You get the point.
Your job is not to sell. It’s to prospect. And your job when prospecting is to sort, sift, and separate.
That’s what I mean when I say, “You make your money going in.”
Disqualify everyone you talk to, or get good at talking to recruiters, because your boss will soon stop accepting your excuses about why you keep missing your number.
Wanna sell big deals like it’s no big deal? Let's talk..
Market like you mean it. Now go sell something.
~Wes
P.S. Want feedback from fellow closers? Drop your story in The Whisper Room.