ABT Trumps ABC in Presenting

Why do sales stall out after a seemingly successful meeting and  demo or presentation?  Everything appeared on target for a win: you got the appointment; the right people were in the room; budget was available; they liked you; the need was clear. And, then—nothing.  Could it be because you failed to establish the answers to these three questions?

Why Now?  How Important? What will Happen Next?

At any given time in any company, sales, technology, marketing, operations, recruiting, management, etc. could always be improved.  However, unless the reward or negative consequence of a change is perceived by the buyer to be greater than the status quo, nothing is likely to change. Second, unless there is some real perceived urgency attached to that reward or negative consequence, nothing is likely to change. Third, even with the first two conditions met, unless there is commitment to taking the steps to make the change, nothing is likely to happen

For example, only one of the situations below will likely lead to a sale

1. Definite Need. No urgency. No value. No commitment. No sale.  

It would be nice to improve our systems, because we would definitely increase accuracy and timeliness of our reporting.

2. Definite Need. Urgency. Value. Timing. Likely Sale

We have lost one major account because of the inaccuracy and lack of timeliness in our reporting systems and are on the verge of losing a second for the same reason. We have to get this worked out  sooner rather than later or word will get out and we will be out of business. We are willing to take the necessary steps to do that.

Engage Mind Before Mouth

Some people sell with ABC  (Always Be Closing). They hear a whisper of a need and jump right in to show the elegance of their solution.   I prefer to think ABT (Always Be Thinking). ABT gets you further  and faster with greater effectiveness and efficiency.

Before you invest time, money, and resources into presenting your solutions, ask or establish the answers to three critical questions:

• What is happening now in their business/company/industry/department that makes this of interest to them?

• How important in terms of revenue/profits/viability/growth/market share/other metric  is improving/reducing/addressing this to their business? What will happen if they do nothing?

• How prepared are they to move forward if they see the right solution to this situation?

Before they can see the value of what you are selling, they need to believe there is value to them to change, to change now, and to take the necessary steps to effect that change.

Anne Miller

Make What You Say Pay!