Patience is a Critical When it Comes to Strategic Sales
An aggressive mentality tends to be something we look for when identifying sales potential. It is a characteristic that we reinforce when recognizing top performers and one we tend to highlight during an interview process. What about patience though? Where does patience fit in? Can you be patient and aggressive? Is there a difference between patience when it comes to your career versus how you manage sales cycles?
This week on the Catalyst Sale podcast we discuss patience, revealing urgency, and the importance of planning. We also discuss how a lack of patience may be driven by ego and the risk of letting your ego get in the way.
Planning is Key
Planning is critical in sales. When it comes to managing sales cycles, a project plan can help you help your customers navigate the decision process. Develop a plan, and work the plan. When it comes to your career, an honest assessment of where you are and where you want to go are important for your long term success, and determining if you are on the right track.
Is it You or Them?
When you feel a lack of patience is getting in the way, take a breath, and ask yourself is this for the benefit of your customer, or for the benefit of you/your organization. Self-awareness is a characteristic of good sales professionals and leaders.
Sometimes the delay is due to something out of the customer's control. Maybe they recently heard that layoffs are going to occur in the next 90 days. Maybe something has changed in their budget cycle, maybe something has changed in their personal life.
Best Practices.
DON'T- React
- Lean on tricks and gimmicks to drive urgency (You can't create urgency, you can reveal it).
- Let your perceptions get in the way.
- Establish what is driving the lack of patience or the urgency from your perspective
- Establish what is important to your customer
- Establish a timeline
- Establish a plan
- Execute, Evaluate, and Adapt
What's Next?
Plan the work, work the plan. This is where 30/60/90/180, past 90, documentation can really help. Over time your Account Plan should be able to tell a story about where you are going and where you have been. Communicate with your customer/contact, validate that the plan is still accurate, iterate as necessary.
Take the same approach when thinking about your career. Communicate with your leadership and mentors, validate that you are on the right track, identify when scenarios have changed, and adjust as necessary.
Thank you
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Also, thank you for listening to this week's podcast. Please send listener questions and feedback to hello@catalystsale.com or contact us directly on twitter, facebook or LinkedIn.
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Catalyst Sale
In every business, in every opportunity, there is someone who can help you navigate the internal challenges and close the deal. There is a Catalyst. We integrate process (Catalyst Sale Process), technology and people, with the purpose of accelerating revenue. Our thoughtful approach minimizes false starts that are common in emerging markets and high growth environments. We continue to evolve our practice based on customer needs and emerging technology. We care about a thinking process that enables results versus a process that tells people what to do.
