AUGUST 2013
Issue: 77

WHY IT IS URGENT TO CREATE URGENCY

Medical Helicopter  
Dan,

I am working with a number of clients whose projects tend to push out or delay. I find my forecast is rarely accurate. This gets very frustrating for me and my manager.

Can you help me with this challenge?

Zach,
Kansas City, MO


Zach,

I hear you. This is a very common issue faced by all sales representatives. I would like to share several best practices with you by asking the following questions:
  • How Do You Know When Your Customer Has No Urgency?
  • What Is a Critical Event?
  • Why Do You Need a Critical Event?
  • Why Does Your Customer Avoid a Critical Event?
  • What Do You Do if Your Customer Does Not Need a Critical Event?
How Do You Know When Your Customer Has No Urgency?

Ask your client, "Do you have a critical event date for this project to be completed?" If your client tells you anything other than "Yes," your Superstar alarm should sound.

Uh oh. Why is there not a critical event date? There could be a number of reasons for this. As a Superstar, you need to go to work. Find out what is going on. Make it your goal to help your client
understand the necessity of urgency. Discover and define your client's critical event.


What Is a Critical Event Date?
Let's back up for a moment. Just what is a critical event?
TTS workshop attendees know that a critical event corresponds to a SPECIFIC date on the calendar. If the date passes, there will be serious, "life-threatening" implications. For example, the budget may disappear or key equipment will not go "live." Your client might face an end-of-lease problem, a competitive threat, a risk of equipment/solution failure, lost opportunities, and more. 


Why Do You Need A Critical Event Date?
This is all about "driving the process," as we discuss frequently in TTS workshops. When your customer's project has urgency, it is relatively simple to define the process. In order to do this, we need to establish or uncover the critical event date. A project with a critical event date necessitates scheduled vendor selection and purchase order deadlines. For you, that means rock-solid forecasting. That's something that you and your manager will really appreciate.

In addition to securing good forecasting, having a critical event timeline is necessary to qualify major opportunities.


Why Does Your Customer Avoid a Critical Event Date?
Imagine this: you are the supervisor on a road crew that is responsible for laying concrete for a 15-mile stretch of highway. You and you team are working diligently on mile number four when a senior executive visits your construction site. She unexpectedly announces that there is now a "critical event date" for this project. You and your team must complete the 15 miles of roadwork by next Sunday.  

You say, "No way!" Now you and your crew are accountable and must work overtime to meet this "critical date."

Now it should be clear why lower level managers rarely enjoy agreeing to critical event dates. The story is much different when you move up a few levels where senior executives clearly understand the need to set and exceed goals. This brings me to the last question.

What Do You Do if Your Customer Does Not Need a Critical Event? 

Some of your prospects may say, "We don't feel we need a critical event date for this project."  Now what? Average sales representatives will accept this statement, not wanting to rock the boat. They are, however, setting themselves up for heartache and migraines because this deal will slip and slide into the next calendar year.  All the while, they will waste precious resources without an end in sight.

The superstar rep takes this challenge head on and realizes that she must help the customer to create urgency. How?
 
Review The Difference Between Dreams vs. Goals
Explain to your prospect the difference between dreams and goals.  Goals have critical event dates and sound, documented milestones.  It's easy to turn dreams to goals--start with a simple stake on the calendar.

Move Up In The Organization
As mentioned previously, lower level managers often see critical event dates as burdens which mean overtime and accountability.  No client wants you to go above his head. You will find, however, that once you escalate within the client's organization you are more likely to find executives who value projects that have timelines associated with them.
 
Review/Explain and Prove The Project Benefits
You must emphasize the business case benefits to be achieved by moving forward. For example, efficiencies can translate into dollars for your client. In addition, the ultimate user of your new and improved product may be more productive, also affecting the bottom line.

Discuss The Competitive Threat or First-Mover Advantages
In highly competitive markets, your client may find value in being first-to-market with your solution. Alternatively, your client could be playing necessary catch-up to others who have already discovered a new solution.

Review The Reliability Fears of the Existing Solution
When replacing old/outdated equipment or technology, there are serious risks associated with end-of-life or dependability of the existing solution.

Call Upon Impending Laws
It is often the case that a change in the law or tax code may serve as an impetus for nailing down a critical event date.

Cite Examples of Chaos & Stolen Funds
Using "situational fluency," the rep calls upon a "Similar Situation Approach" to help the customer understand the choice between the world of utopia vs. chaos. One can draw a stark contrast using real world examples to depict what happened to clients who DID have  urgency and those who DID NOT.

Those Who Did
  • Projects happened on track on time and on budget
  • There were few surprises
  • The project leader was respected by senior executives

Those Who Did Not
  • Chaos!
  • The project was delayed, and there were missed timelines along with budget overruns
  • The competence of the project leader was questioned by senior executives
  • Funds were diverted to other more professionally managed projects
Can you appreciate how much a timeline helps your client?
Establishing a critical event date is tremendously helpful. It keeps your client's project on track, on time and makes him look like a star.  As a secondary benefit, you prevent deal slippage and establish yourself as a trusted adviser.

Good Selling! 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Daniel Adams
Adams and Associates
263 Barefoot Beach Blvd. Suite #405
Bonita Springs, FL  34134
630-215-5090

Email: [email protected]

Web:  www.trusttriangleselling.com


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