The joy of cycling : Part 2

Value bonds the sales and buying cycles

In the last “Joy of cycling” post we looked at how smart sales people syncronize their sales cycle with their buyer’s buying cycle.

One desired result of this greater syncronization is increased contact with the buyer. Contact, whether email, phone or face to face meeting gives a chance to give and receive important information, uncover and understanding needs and communicating relevant information.

Even though sales people are now fitting to the buyers’ sales cycles more closely, the market is changing rapidly. Reports from the likes of CSO Insights show that sales people across the world are complaining of less contact with buyers – and that more and more of the buying process is happening behind closed doors, away from the sales person. It seems as much as we want contact, buyers often don’t. That said, at some points of their choosing they do want contact. Why is this?

Let’s take a look at the very fundamentals of the buyer/seller relationship. From the buyers’ perspective, why would they engage in any way with a sales person? The simple answer is, buyer chose to have contact only when that contact is useful to them – that is to say, it adds value. Only when it answers a question, brings them a better deal or helps them advance their understanding will they agree to contact with you, the seller. Sure, there are times when a sales person manages to corner/manipulate a buyer into contact, however buyers will see this as leeching value from them and will act appropriately.

Sales people who build their sales processes and activity around providing value to the buyer - at every stage of contact - will achieve more contact with the buyer and therefore will have greater opportunity to influence their decision.

Value bonds the sales and buying cycles – only when there is value in it for the buyer and seller will the cycles connect in any meaningful way.

From most buyers’ perspective, sellers can add value by :
• Giving information that the buyer wants
• Making the sales process easier, quicker, simpler, more interesting
• Explaining, informing and helping buyers expand their understanding (think webcasts, white papers, demonstrations, etc)
• Improving your offering (product, price, service, etc)

A word of warning: Don’t just give value away left, right and centre. Qualify opportunities carefully so that you only give to those who are serious about buying. Give value only to advance the sale – if it’s not moving in the right direction, save your resources.

Why I have a hole in my shoe

Identify the pain or problem behind a “want” – or risk an unsuccessful conclusion

“You know, I’m definitely going to smarten up a bit when we get back to England” I said to my girlfriend as we sat sipping the froth off our cappuccinos sheltering from Rome’s 30 C summer heat, watching smart Italians going about their business in beautifully cut suits, well-ironed shirts and expensive shoes.

My girlfriend, no doubt with images of me looking sharp in new clothing, smiled ear to ear.

Three months later back in Oxford and I’m still clad in my holey old favourites and I think my girlfriend is giving up hope.

“Why hasn’t he done it?” she must be asking herself. “He said he would”.

To me, there always seems to be something more interesting, more important to spend my money on. There is little “pain” in not changing (my friends and family are a laid-back bunch and I have a good wardrobe of smart business clothes to use whenever needed). I’d certainly like to have some more smart casual clothes, but I’m not really that bothered.

When you hear a “want”, qualify it. Is there a pain driving that desire? Is there something really motivating them to follow this through? If not, be prepared for disappointment.

Take a look at the section “qualify the prospect’s seriousness” from the Sales Question Bank for questions to help you identify the pain behind a “want”.