How are you doing with your biggest account? Landing the big sale is always a rush but the work to get to the close can be stressful.
The issues that arise and, many times, the fast pace of requests — followed by the slow wait for a decision — can be nerve racking. Without the right balance of how one looks at the opportunity, it would be easy to lose site of the prize and give up. We’ve all seen salespeople give up on prospects, only to have someone else come in and snag the sale.
One of the best ways to avoid being whipsawed by the process is to break down the entire selling cycle into a series of steps and then use the completion of each step as a success to boost your sales motivation. If you wait until the final decision to congratulate yourself, you run the risk of not having enough sales motivation to make it through to the close.
As you break down your selling cycle, be sure to allow plenty of room for all of the additional follow-up questions and requests the customer is bound to put you through. Having the list developed and using it as a checklist to help you stay motivated works. I’ve used it myself and have shared the process with hundreds of other salespeople who have also found it very successful.
One caveat to building your selling cycle steps — do not use it as your work plan. There are numerous other things that need to be included in your work plan when working with a huge customer or opportunity. If you try to merge the two together, you’ll find yourself both missing key things that need to be done and in the end wind up de-motivating yourself.
In summary, when working on a big opportunity, make a list of the key items you need to do in your selling cycle. As you accomplish each one, take the time to congratulate yourself. Sales is a great profession, and it’s even greater when your sales motivation is at its peak.
Copyright 2011, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog.
