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Six Tips for Helping Reps Sell More During the Economic Slowdown
by Erin Flynn
Many managers I work with seem to be asking themselves, "Does the bad economy equal poor sales?" Some managers report that their reps are telling them, "The prospect has no budget" or "We can't close as many sales due to the economic standstill."
These managers I talk to are nervous they're not hitting quota.... and think the economy is partly to blame. So is the fiscal slowdown responsible for low sales? Or are self-perpetrating negative beliefs the problem?
Whatever your answer to these questions, now is the time to help your salespeople if they're having trouble meeting quota. Don't put off the task of reviewing problems with your team!
If sales flaws are not fixed immediately, they may snowball into a larger--often unmanageable--problem. For instance, if your reps don't have any sales meetings this week and your sales cycle is roughly eight weeks, you're going to be in some trouble two months from now.
Sit down with your reps one-on-one and strategize ways you can work together to get the prospect more involved in the sale. Encourage your reps to do the following:
- Bring in a technical or product expert. When your people ask for a second appointment, suggest they return with an associate who can help clarify your products and services or add value to the discussion.
- Offer an invitation to a company-sponsored event. This is an effective strategy for getting the prospect to learn more about your business.
- Suggest some calls to happy clients. Have reps think of clients they have worked successfully with who could put in a positive word for your company and share their stories with new prospects.
- As part of your daily routine, get more involved in the sales of your reps, especially on large deals. You can bring insight into a deal that a rep might not be aware of as well as help this person get to the next stage.
- Ask your reps individually, "What can I do to help you win the business?" Ask them questions about specific sales, and then suggest ways you can get involved.
- Do you know someone at a prospect's organization who is higher up in the chain of command than your rep's contact? You could then call this decision maker and escalate the sale.
This was the case recently for a client in the electronic trading industry. Chris, a sales rep, initially met with a managing director at a bank to discuss their electronic trading initiatives.
Post meeting, Chris briefed Joe, his manager, on the status of the appointment. As it turned out, Joe had a business relationship with the bankˇ¦s senior managing director for many years. Joe met with the senior person ... and Chris got a large contract.
Bio: Erin Flynn is founder of Flynn Media, a New York-based communications firm that offers writing, editing and publicity services. Erin has been published in over ten sales publications and writes frequently on the topic of careers. She can be reached on the web at www.flynnmedia.com.
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