One thing every team needs is a written sales plan or sales process. You might say you do not need it or that you use Salesforce for that. I bet writing the plan will add a lot of value.
Oh, you’ve got one? Cool! Do you follow it? I bet you don’t. I get told all kinds all the time by people, and I probably forget 90% of what they said. You sat there in the meeting with your boss – the boss explained the plan – you agreed – it even seemed like a good idea – then you go home.
So, please take a sec to actually print out the sales process and put it on your desk. The next time you get a good deal going, I want you to stop when they really start to get interested. Let’s say the following happens:
- You get this lead and qual it
- It seems like a good deal – they have budget, big pains you solve, and a nice clear decision process
- You go seem them and do a demo
- Wow, they love you!
- The deal got even bigger as you showed them the new confabulator you have
- You go back to your office now
- What do you do next?
Your sales plan should tell you what to do next. Whatever that is, you need to sit at your desk and think if that is the right thing. Just sit….and think. If it is, then do it. If not, find some reasons not to do it and think of something better. Find the reasons for that and do it.
Imagine if you did this at every step of all your big deals. Would you have not lost that one last month?
