If you follow my work, you may be familiar with my belief that the most critical part of the sales process is between getting someone to say yes and when that order actually comes in.
The shorter you can make this time period, the less likely you are to lose the sale.
Let me tell you a “funny” story. Yes…let’s call it “funny.”
Years ago in Fort Worth, I had a $600,000 dollar deal sitting on my client’s desk, and I was just waiting for their signature. Believe it or not, a tornado went right through their office and blew all my paperwork away! They did end up finding it, well, fragments of it, over two miles away! I wish I could say I was kidding!
If I had been able to shorten that timeframe, I would’ve been able to get the deal done. You’ve likely, perhaps minus the tornado, have been in similar situations where a client has agreed to work with you, only to hear radio silence in ensuing weeks or months.
So, never take the client’s verbal agreement for granted, ensure you have the processes in place to solidify the agreement as quickly as possible!
Far too many sellers hear a yes from a prospect, and lose their sense of urgency because the “deal is done.”
The deal isn’t done until it’s done, and besides, transitioning a prospect to a client is no time to ease up on your responsiveness and communication.
Ensure you’re using electronic documentation and signatures wherever possible, and that your team is aligned quickly so everyone knows their role, responsibilities and to ensure communication isn’t delayed. It’s essential for success with your clients!
What’s one thing you do to ensure you’re not delaying your own sales process?
