Sales isn’t for the faint of heart. If it were easy everyone would do it. To truly excel you need to listen, ask direct questions and be diligent in your follow up. When a hot prospect goes dark or you need to hit quota, this is the time to be shameless.
I don’t mean to be needy or appear weak. I mean to have the confidence to let your client know that you have a job to do and it happens to be solving their problems. Year-end is when the shamelessness should come out strong.
Let’s talk about clients you are trying to land. AKA prospects. You’ve met with them a few times and they still haven’t signed. This is the time to get them off the fence. (Hopefully, the tire kickers have already been vetted out of your pipeline.) Be shameless. Make a joke about how you are in sales and it’s been fun to visit, but you need to know when they are going to move forward. Not if- when. Especially if its the end of the year. If budget has been qualified for that year, close now so you don’t have to requalify the following year.
And salesperson to salesperson, there may be bonuses or extra spiffs for closing new logos. Why aren’t you being shameless in asking for the sale? There is money on the line. What’s the worst that can happen? You lose the deal? You didn’t have it to start with if you can’t ask for the close.
When you are working with current clients and cross or upselling being shameless is a little easier. They already know you and they know your product. They use it and like it. They understand that you have a number on your head that you need to meet. If you are in danger of losing them as an account, tell them that. This is being shameless. When the rapport is built you can be brutally honest and let them know the heat is on and you may be pulled off if something doesn’t move.
Year-end is a time to put on the shameless hat and display the confidence to be honest with those decision-makers you are working to close. It’s already a known fact that you are making money off what you sell. So own it.
Comments (1)
great one