| The other day I was working out in the gym | | | | that will expose their challenges. If your success |
| when a guy asked me to spot him on the bench | | | | metric is to gather all of the data needed to put |
| press. For those of you not familiar with the term | | | | together a pricing proposal, the game plan is to |
| "spot," it means to watch and assist the lifter if | | | | ask all questions needed to craft a solution for |
| they need help. Of course, I agreed to do this. As | | | | this prospect. |
| is customary when spotting, I asked him how | | | | From a prospect's point of view, they have no |
| many reps (number of times lifting the weight) he | | | | time or tolerance for sales people who show up |
| planned to do. He looked at me very puzzled and | | | | on their doorstep and ask pointless questions for |
| said he didn't know. Humorously, I followed that | | | | an hour. They are busy and very sensitive about |
| with asking if he expected to do it once or a | | | | their time. If they accept a meeting with a sales |
| hundred times. He laughed and said it would be | | | | person, they expect that sales person to arrive |
| more than one, but not sure how many he would | | | | having done their homework on their company |
| do beyond that. | | | | and with a laser focus approach to the meeting. |
| He began the lift and performed three reps. I | | | | Remember, sales is a profession. They expect a |
| asked him if he felt it was a good set. Was he | | | | professional experience. |
| happy with his performance? Did he achieve what | | | | Another common time when sales people lose |
| he set out to do? He said, "Yeah, I guess so." I | | | | their way is when they are notified that they are |
| went back to my workout wondering how he | | | | a finalist for an opportunity and are invited to |
| could determine if he had met his goal. If you | | | | come in to deliver a presentation. In essence, |
| don't have a goal, how can you determine if you | | | | they are told that they are one of a handful of |
| achieved it? | | | | providers that are being considered for the |
| This experience reminded me of a time when I | | | | business. The typical response is to say "Great!" |
| went to Chicago on a call with one of my sales | | | | almost like Tony the Tiger. They hang up the |
| reps. Prior to the meeting, the sales rep, his | | | | phone, do the happy dance, and send an email to |
| manager and I met at a coffee shop. Over | | | | their manager telling them that they made the |
| coffee, I asked the sales rep to imagine that it | | | | finalist list. There is nothing wrong about being |
| was now an hour and a half later. The meeting | | | | excited to hear the news. You've probably |
| was over and we were back sitting at the same | | | | worked hard to get to this point. However, you |
| coffee shop debriefing on the meeting. I asked | | | | can't cash that commission check just yet. How |
| what I thought was a fair question of the rep. I | | | | can you develop a game plan for this meeting if |
| asked him, "This was a great meeting if what | | | | you don't know who will be in the room, what is |
| happened?" (By the way, this is one of my | | | | important to them, or even why you made the |
| favorite questions to ask of sales reps.) I | | | | finalist list? |
| received a blank look and finally a request for help. | | | | Recently, a colleague shared with me a story |
| Mind you, we were fifteen minutes away from | | | | about her experience as a finalist. The RFP |
| being in front of a prospect and clearly there was | | | | questions that the prospect had provided lacked |
| no game plan. | | | | focus. It was not clear what they were hoping to |
| We talked for a few minutes and developed our | | | | accomplish by selecting a new provider. She called |
| success metrics for this meeting. With those | | | | the Procurement Agent and began asking a series |
| identified, we developed our game plan to achieve | | | | of questions about their objectives and goals. The |
| our success metrics. Many of you are thinking | | | | Procurement Agent told her she was the only |
| that a successful meeting is defined as being | | | | sales person to contact them and ask these |
| awarded the business. You would be right if it was | | | | questions. The Agent agreed that the RFP lacked |
| that type of meeting. However, this was a | | | | focus and could not fathom how the other |
| second call in a business environment where the | | | | selected finalists could prepare. Needless to say, |
| buying process is typically twelve to eighteen | | | | this sales person won the business. (Need help |
| months. In this environment, other success | | | | putting together a game plan when you are a |
| metrics are needed for each step of the process. | | | | finalist, send me an email and I'll email you back a |
| Defining success metrics allows you to formulate | | | | checklist that will lead you to victory.) |
| a game plan for your meeting. If you know what | | | | Ask any successful person how they became |
| you need to accomplish, the roadmap becomes | | | | successful. They will tell you that they had a vision |
| very clear for what you need to achieve. If your | | | | and developed a game plan to achieve that vision. |
| success metric is defined as your having a | | | | Sales is no different. Know your success metrics |
| comprehensive picture of their challenges with | | | | and develop your game plan to achieve them. |
| their current provider, you can prepare questions | | | | |