Tuesday 27 March 2018

Hold on to That Sale!

When selling to someone, we have literally a matter of seconds to make the right impression and get their attention.  Experienced salespeople know this, but it takes practice to know what to do and how.

One mistake I constantly see myself (and others) making is to waste those vital first moments with too much detail.  I recently had an experience where I agreed to assist a company in finding a potential market for its product and suggested to the person introducing them that they contact me direct.

The company did so, but what they sent was a long, detailed email with attached links to other sources.  My eyes literally glazed over and I replied to the company that a different approach might be in order in the particular market they were looking at. 

In those instances where we rely on someone else to support, I find that this approach works better:
  • Having been introduced by the mutual acquaintance, send either a short email with basic information (max. ½ side of A4) or offer to call the person who has agreed to help.
  • In that first email/phone call, try to establish what the other person needs to know to provide initial advice.
  • Allow the other party to digest and then one proposes a way forward.
  • Identify potential target clients and a suitable approach (either with the other party or on our own).
As more people experience more demands on their time both internally and externally, it’s up to us to respect that time and make their job as easy as possible.  The key information they need is:
  • What does it do?
  • What problem does it solve?
  • How does it solve it?
  • Why is it better than other solutions out there?
  • How easy is it to set up?
  • How easy is it to use?
  • Who does it help?
If they don't understand what we’re selling or how it works in the first few minutes, there’s a problem.  These are the questions we need to answer first.



I have spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With more than 20 years in international financial services around the world  running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management.  I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email . My website provides a full picture of my portfolio of services.  For strategic questions that you should be asking yourself, follow me at @wkm610.

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posted by William Martin @ 08:45

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