You're On the Clock, Dawdle Ye Not

August 2017

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​What if a stopwatch managed your work on each customer and account, and you only had so much time to get it done? 
 
Well I got bad news for you, on most of your accounts - the way you've been selling - you've probably got about 3 seconds left. Sorry. Truth hurts. But not is all lost, you can get a lot done in that time as long as you STOP MESSING AROUND and stop treating time like it is limitless.  Here's the secret:
ASK THE HARD QUESTIONS...NOW. TODAY.  On

ALL of your sales calls. To ALL levels of buyers. Ask the SPECIFIC QUESTIONS that extract the information you need to best understand how to attack that account and know where you stand!  

​Okay, I’ve calmed down, which means I can now remember back over the last couple weeks working with the talented Polly Lieberman and her passionate, ambitious teammates at Aki Technologies (killer secret sauce that drives mobile ad performance).  Throughout our sessions, I found myself repeating, “time is the enemy” frequently.  I was encouraging the team to be more direct with their selling efforts, and specifically, more pointed with their probing and qualifying questions.  Buyers don’t have time to waste – neither do sellers – so why all the wasted words?  …the wasted slides?  …the wasted conversation?  …the wasted time?
 
Specifically, I pushed the Aki team to ask direct, smart, probing questions that uncovered obstacles and insights that lead to better selling.  They responded favorably because we organized our approach around some basic principles:

1. Preparation: they wrote down their three must-ask questions they need to ask in each customer sales meeting.  Do not walk out of a meeting without getting the answers you need...some of these answers may be tactical ("when are you planning?", "how do you plan?"), and some should be strategic ("where do we stand?",  "what part of our offering would help you most to meet your KPIs?")  If the questions are written down there on your agenda, hey, ya have to ask 'em!  NO salesperson or manager is that good where they can wing it and execute with the "must asks".  Prepare ahead of time!  
2. Listening: the Aki team learned to qualify buyers on just about everything said.  Buyers aren’t always ambiguous - and certainly not on purpose - but let’s make sure to probe them a little with qualifying questions so we know specifically what they mean and want;
3. Act like you’re on the clock: the shortest distance to Point B is a straight line…why not be direct and honest in all your dealings with buyers?  Ask the hard questions and don’t be afraid if things get a little thick – obstacles will surface and even some of them will trap you.  But don’t lose your courage.  

Finally, don't wait one more day listening to the little hand ticking around the dial: CALL ME.  This stuff is really, really hard and unless a professional (yes, me) is guiding you and your team through exercises designed to create muscle memory, then your time will truly expire and you’ll be eating hash this holiday season!  (If you actually do want to call...which you know you want to, dial 917-207-5183.)

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