Start Early for Improved Sales Effectiveness

Don’t wait till the customer is in her search for a solution and shows up in intent data.

That is too late. And all your competitors are pursuing her, too.

Map your market, reach out and start conversations. Be a part of the prospect’s arsenal of hidden power. Share your knowledge and expertise.

Customers are people like you. Intelligent, analytical, selfish and grateful.

Your customer knowledge is your biggest asset. The longer you spend cultivating, learning, knowing your customers the better off you will be. For example, can you estimate how large the problem is for the prospect? Does it impact, say $10m top line for the company?

That knowledge will make it immensely easier to propose a $50K solution to their challenge. You cannot estimate the size of the problem unless you spend time listening to the customer, early on. No one shares information in a rush. They share RFPs – and as you have understood, if you are being invited to participate in an RFP – it’s already very late in the game.

Sales effectiveness requires more than product knowledge

While deep product knowledge is a must – primarily the application areas and outcomes – it also makes us like a hammer in search of a nail. Or a solution in search of a problem. Product knowledge often blinds us to the problems or challenges being shared to sift through and locate the ‘nail’ we want to hammer.

To avoid these pitfalls, start early and engage with your customers. Learn about their real problems, issues that need addressing because their survival rests on that. Then build a total solution for that specific purpose and communicate the top line commercial benefit the association with your company is likely to bring.

While you’re at it, remember to provide ample social proof. Customers buy from other customers and rarely from sales folks.