Q:
Dan, I would like your feedback on a recent major loss. My manager asked why we lost. Based upon your coaching, I said, "I was outsold." But honestly I don't know why we lost. We were able to give them exactly what they wanted and we met all of their bid specifications. I don't know what else we could have done.
Matt
Raleigh, NC
A:
Matt:
GREAT question. "I feel your pain." Losing a big deal is never fun. But, congratulations for wanting to learn from your loss. That is the sign of a sales Superstar.
One recommendation: reconnect with your client to find out what happened. Why did they make that choice? Click HERE for information how to use a "loss letter" and how to conduct a loss feedback meeting with a client.
Here are a few key thoughts I have about your note:
- Sales Superstars rarely, if ever, allow the client to solely determine what she wants.
- Sales Superstars always have a strategy for each major opportunity.
- Sales Superstars rarely, if ever, use a Frontal Attack strategy.
Sales Superstars rarely, if ever, allow the client to solely determine what she wants.
"If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses."
Being a true Superstar is all about providing insight. You must gain trust, and then use your experience and knowledge to solve your client's major problems. Henry Ford knew that the real challenge was transportation--not the speed of the horse. Like Ford, Superstars research, ask questions and uncover perceived and real customer needs, challenges and goals. Armed with that data, the sales Superstar then crafts a solution which both solves the client challenges AND gives the Superstar a unique advantage.
Sales Superstars always have a strategy for each major opportunity.
Some of my favorite quotes illustrate the fact that Superstars ALWAYS have a strategy for each major opportunity.
"Hope Is NOT A Strategy!"
-Unknown
"A Sales Representative Without A Strategy Believes In Miracles"
- Unknown
"You Can Win Without A Strategy. It's Called Luck"
- Rick Page
"Those Skilled In War Subdue the Enemy's Army without Battle. They Conquer By Strategy"
-Sun Tzu
I developed an app for the iPhone, iPad and iTouch that will simplify the process of properly qualifying an opportunity. The app helps you select and deploy the correct strategy. It has built-in intelligence to provide feedback on your chances to win the deal. Check it out HERE.
Sales Superstars rarely, if ever, use a Frontal Attack strategy.
Matt, from the limited information I have on your loss, it appears that you had a strategy but you did not know it. You used the strategy that 99% of the sales reps on the planet are using. They all do exactly what the client tells them to do. It's called a Frontal Attack strategy. As you have seen, it is almost always a recipe for disaster. It should only be deployed in the rare case where your solution is seen as having a colossal benefit over the closest competitor in the eyes of the decision maker. True sales Superstars call upon one of the other 11 major account strategies, all the while taking pulse of the account's fluid situation. They are prepared to assess the need to shift strategies at any point in the process.
To some of you, my description of the Frontal Attack may seem arrogant. After all, most reps were taught that in order to build rapport, you must do what your client tells you to do. It reminds me of a two-year-old child being told to obey Mom or face a timeout. Well, you are not two years old anymore! Time to step up and really help your clients! I firmly believe that "helping your clients" in almost all cases does NOT mean doing exactly what they say. It means providing insight, consulting and sharing the best practices of other clients who have been in the same situation.
It is critical to understand that being a Superstar is not about being arrogant or controlling. It is about "guiding" your client. Some reading this article will say, "Dan is telling us that we shouldn't do what the client tells us to do." That is NOT the case. I'm saying that you need to gain trust and then GUIDE the client on a pathway along which you both will succeed.
