You Have to Sell Before You Sell

Note that the journey from prospecting to close is called a sales “process.”

That’s because to close a deal, a salesperson has to follow a series of steps. Successfully completing one step allows you to continue the process. Failing in a step can be the end of the pursuit.

One of those first steps is getting a meeting with a potential client to introduce them to who you are and what you have to offer. The process of getting the meeting is, itself, a sale. You are trying to offer something of value (information) and get the potential client to buy it with his or her most precious commodity: time. If we look at the request for a meeting from the client’s perspective, what is being offered in exchange for time has to have clear and immediate value.

So, you have to sell before you sell.

When reaching out to potential clients just to get a meeting, the offer has to include “what’s in it for them.” For example: “Hi, would you have 30 minutes to hear about how our products can help your business?” (No. I have no sense what you’re offering and whether this will be worth my time.)

Versus: “Hi, do you want to keep wasting money on marketing and CRM programs that provide little results in actual leads? I’d like to share some simple and cost-effective CRM strategies that others in your industry are using to increase sales. Is this a bad time for a quick 15-minute overview?” (No, let’s talk.)

In the second introduction, the salesperson suggested a possible issue, and information on something the competition is using to solve that issue. Now, the potential client has a sense of urgency: what is everyone else doing that I am not?

A successful sales process must provide a continuum of value to the client as they will keep asking themselves, “Is this still worth it?” The process will continue as long as the answer is always “yes.”