Sales Clarity: Accelerate the Close, Maximize Profits

If you don’t have clarity, nothing’s going to happen.

Top salespeople need clarity of which solutions they provide. They also need the ability to communicate that outcome clearly to customers, connecting with them at a level they can understand.

When was the last time you reassessed your ideal customer profile? Or your list of outcomes you provide?

A confused customer doesn’t buy.

Clarity has to come through in everything that we do, because a confused customer does not buy.

We know our product well, we know it inside and out. The challenge is: our customer doesn’t exactly wake up in the morning and say, “Oh man, I want to know more about that product.” What they wake up saying is, “I have a solution I’m looking for.”

via GIPHY

Your number one competitor is no decision.

Clarity is about being able to articulate your solution in a way that the customer can understand quickly. Remember, the number one competitor we face is no decision. In other words, the customer says, I’m not going to make any choice at all.

Why does the customer say that? Because the customer is still confused. The customer hasn’t seen enough value. There is a direct relationship between the value you create and your ability to create clarity. If your customer is not seeing value, chances are you’re not demonstrating clarity.

Read the 4 Steps to Qualify Prospects Earlier.

Your messaging must be clear.

Look at all the questions you ask. I want you to look at everything you say, everything you do, and ask yourself, is this clear for the customer? Actually, that’s not for you to answer, it’s for the customer to answer.

If you are finding customers, getting to the first call, maybe the second call, but then it’s stopping and you can’t engage them further, then you aren’t demonstrating clarity. You haven’t given them enough reason to continue on.

Clarity is about your messaging being straightforward. In other words, look at your prospecting messages. Are they feature-driven or are they outcome-focused? And is there a clear CTA, call to action?

Check the speed, size, and profitability of the close.

Clarity comes through in three ways. First, it comes through with the speed of the close.

It also comes through with the size and profitability of the close. If you create absolute clarity, the customer will see value, and when a customer sees value, they’ll pay a higher price. When a customer sees clarity, they’ll actually speed the process up and they’ll buy faster, too.

Assess and reassess your ideal customer profile.

Clarity also deals with the customer you’re facing. Are you really dialed in to your ICP—your ideal customer profile?

So many times I see salespeople chasing anything and everything. Just because the customer has a heartbeat doesn’t make them a customer. My dog has a heartbeat. My dog’s not buying anything from me. Slow down, be focused. Have absolute clarity as to who your ideal customer profile is, and this means that every year you’ve got to assess it.

via Nebraska Humane Society on GIPHY

Take a step back.

Customer outcomes change, marketplaces change. It’s amazing how dynamic everything is out there. I’m not saying you change anything 180 degrees, but it might be a 10 degree pivot.

It might be that the outcome you’re focused on now is a little more focused around helping people minimize labor, whereas before it was helping them get projects out the door. Whatever it might be, refine and create clarity around the outcomes you create.