Colleen’s Blog

Your customer today is in a tough spot when making decisions. If you’re a seller trying to convert new prospects into buyers, you’re feeling the effect.

It used to be that buyers needed to know you first before they could trust your product. Today the reverse is true.

Decision paralysis is a real thing. It's when your buyers are so overwhelmed with information that they can't make a decision. Best case, they simply delay. Worst case, they cancel the project, spend their money on something else, or they just go with the incumbent. Neither of those options are good for any of us, especially when you're the incumbent.

I don’t need to tell you that the 2020 global pandemic was a watershed year for change. But, what gets overlooked far too often is that the conditions for change—especially in sales—were apparent for years. Selling was ripe for disruption because, as the marketplace changed, the behaviours and assumptions of sellers did not.

The biggest challenge sales leaders are reporting to me right now is how to get their salespeople in front of buyers. 

Prospecting during these uncertain times has been a popular topic. This is because prospecting in person—whether at a networking event, an association meeting, or through old-fashioned door-knocking—is just not happening anymore.

The very best reps I know own their territories as if it were their own business. They plan for success in those territories proactively, rather than just taking whatever comes their way, crossing their fingers, and hoping for success.

I want you to throw out the concept of an ideal buyer. They just don't exist anymore.

Be honest, is your sales team, or are you lacking consistency?

I get called in a lot when organizations are struggling to hit their sales targets. Generally, the first thing I'll do is look at their pipeline. Why?