It’s the end of the month. Where does the time go? If you’re like me, there’s always too little month at the end to meet my monthly goals. In the past 30 years, there is only one thing in common with all my sales management roles. I never had enough deals closed at the end of the month. Even when my team was having record setting months, I would get the call asking for more business by the end of the month. I’ve learned seven ways to get another deal or two to make your goals become a reality.
I know you may be reluctant to try these ideas in a soft economy, but I would suggest that this may be the best times to use them. It takes a certain level of self confidence to try these moves, but isn’t that why they pay us the big bucks? These may sound like a throwback to my career selling door to door, but I’ve seen them work in closing $50 million deals selling to the government. And this was back when a $50 million deal was a big deal.
1. Get together with your team every month. It can’t happen only one month and have any long term success. Get together with your team in the final week of the month to uncover the deals that have the greatest probability of closing. My former boss used what he called a hotter than hot sheet to help evaluate the best deals to go after. Your sales team has to be confident in your ability to make things happen and make sure this pressure doesn’t ruin their relationship with a client.
2. Put time on your calendar to work clients through the process. No going into the end of the month without time on your schedule to close one more deal. Put it on your schedule. It will get you to close earlier or you and your team know you will be working on this. This increases the pressure to get done early. The end of the month only comes once a month.
3. Know your team’s business and get to know which team members can be appealed to to win the game. Winners like to be in control at the end of the game. You have to appeal to this if you’re hoping to make it work. I pride myself on knowing which member of the team can make things happen and which would prefer to watch things happen. You must be willing to feed their reputation; many astute clients know the call is coming, so we don’t want to disappoint them. My reputation was “Expect a call from me near the end of the month to get a deal you can’t believe. I need this deal to win a car, a trip, or golf tickets for my clients.” Be prepared to explain to clients what’s in it for them. If you do this on a regular basis, they will get used to it. Have a plan that appeals to their wants and needs. Great sales people have an intuitive understanding of what the political environment is within their clients business and know when to seize the moment. Having been on the buying side of the business early in my career, it’s important to show your muscle by negotiating a great deal. This also shows your peers and your boss you’re earning you pay. Be willing to appeal to these intangibles to help use close the deal. I’ve seen vanity, arrogance, pride, or self preservation help close deals that I thought would drag on forever. Sometimes a little emotion can go a long way if you use it selectively.
That’s the first three tips; my favorite four will appear here on Friday, April 30. These last four tips may help you close business this month (yes, I mean April)! See you tomorrow morning because I know what it’s like to have a boss that wants one more deal this month . . . .
Tripp Braden is a marketing consultant who specializes in developing seven figure partnerships. Discover how to grow your company through extraordinary partnerships by visiting http://www.HighGrowthBusiness.com where you can find resources and products to increase your success.