Want to Make More Sales? Do This...

If you are professional B2B sales, there is a lot you must learn and understand to be successful.  You need to have great communication and relationship skills.  You need to have great attention to detail and follow up.  You need to think differently about how to work with clients and find creative solutions and ways for them to do business with you.  You must learn to create value and show how your value aligns with the wants and needs of your clients.    And you must be consistent and dependable.

I could go on with what it to takes to succeed, but there is one very important thing professional salespeople must learn to do - and it is very hard for them.

What is it?  It is the willingness to walk away from a sale.

Sometimes, things just are not a good fit.  And as a pro, you must recognize that and be OK with it - even after all the effort you put in to try and get the sale.  

A lot of salespeople have trouble with this.  They get emotionally attached to an outcome and they also have the pressure of getting new business.  But, if things are not a fit and sales are made desperation, then several things happen.  First, the salespeople devalues their solution and themselves.  This may also lead to low profitability for their organization (if any at all).  Second, when this happens, most salespeople resort to discounting their value and lowers your capability to be paid what your solution is worth in the marketplace as word typically gets out on pricing.  Third, if a salespeople resorts to do this, they very rarely get anything in return.  This is a problem.

There is not doubt, in today's world, that in some industries is it harder to make sales and get to a decision.  The pandemic is still having an effect.  This is where leadership must be innovative with their sales teams and figure out the best solution for the market that is fairly prices and gives a good value to the client.  And there will be negotiations.  But, as a salesperson, you need to know where you will walk away prior to the negotiation and why - as you should clearly articulate that to a prospect.  If someone is a great fit for your product and needs your help to get on your solution - work with them, but don't give up everything to do so.  You can do things like help them pay over time or build setup fees into the monthly fees, or sign a longer term agreement and amortize costs over that time.  If you are going to give, you will want to get something in return.  That will be different for each situation, but make sure you are getting value in return for giving up value.

You must be innovative as a salesperson, but you must also be willing to walk away if the exchange of value is just not there.  You'll be surprised at how your conviction and willingness to stand up for yourself and your solution will end up getting you the sale in the end.