Replace Desparation with Determination

In working with a client yesterday, I spent a good part of the day with one of the top salespeople of the company on a couple of sales calls. Just like many of our businesses, this company is experiencing some revenue and margin "slide" during this economy. In fact, overall, the company is off about 13%. This individual salesperson is currently off about $2500-$3000 per month in personal income due to a drop in sales and margins as well.

The thing that I noticed most was a dramatic change in his approach compared to that of a year ago. On a sales call that was designed to recapture a LOST customer (one worth about $250k per year in revenues) the entire approach was focused on getting to the lowest possible price. All that was discussed was price and product. Although the customer was specifically focused on "what they pay," (and this particular customer was a considerable hard case) the salesperson did not even venture into the areas of benefits. Never once was a discussion approached about profitability or productivity. The conversation started and ended on a negative note of "times are tough" and was only mixed with pessimism and lack of trust.

The offer was presented from weakness. The entire building wreaked of desperation! The customer actually took the written offer from the salesperson and said he would show it to the existing competitor (who took the business away in the 1st place) to see if he would match it and this salesperson said NOTHING! "Oh please buy...oh please...oh please...oh please!" I thought I was going to be ill! Desparate times do NOT call for desparate measures....desparate times call for determination and commitment!

Yes I understand that we needed to get that business back. Yes, I understand that this customer was purely focused on price....most are today! THAT is exactly why I need a committed, determined sales professional today more than ever. Desparation seeks the weakest point and the path of least resistance. Desparation forces us into battles that we are destined to lose. Desparation challenges our character and our standards--a challenges we often lose!

Now is the time we need to draw that line in the sand and determine who we are and who we are NOT! Now is the time that we decide that IF we have to lose, we lose on OUR terms---not theirs! Now is the time that we need to man-up and make a stand for what we know is the RIGHT path. It is not easy but it is simple. As Nancy Reagan once taught us, "Just Say No!" In fact, while we were in the account--and it was not going well--I asked the question "What would the President of your company do right now?" You want to know his answer?

He said, "I have no doubt that he would walk! He would not let this customer ever buy from us again!"

At the end of the day as we de-briefed our time together, this particular salesman and I broke down a few of the numbers and realized that for all of the work that had gone into this customer thus far (and all that would need to go into to it should he decide to come back because cheap customers are the biggest pain in the asses!) the overall commission for the salesperson would come out to be about $40 per week. I asked him if he felt if (as a past $150K per year earner) that was worth his time. You could see his head drop. You see, desparation causes us one final, ptentially fatal problem: We lose sight of our priorities.

I challenge you to re-visit your goals and your approach from last year. (Remember? Back when times were better and customers weren't as focused on your price?) Although a tough economy forces us to adjust our approach, it cannot force us to lower our standards and to challenge our character. Now is the time that we need the strenth of conviction the most from our leaders and from our sales team. Now is the time that determination needs to kick the crap out of desparation!

In many of the battles in our nation's history, many men have died trying to grab the next piece of land or to "take the next next hill." This economy has created a new war-like mindset for many of our competitors and some of our customers! It seems that we are all in a FIGHT for every dollar and every deal we can get. Perhaps we all need to take a few moments to decide who the enemy is and which "hills" are worth fighting for. We cannot make the customer the enemy and we need to decide which hills are worth the fight!

Sell-Smart!!