5, 4, 3, 2, 1….Liftoff to a STRONG Q4 Close!
I was reading the local paper this morning and there was a headline that read “Stock Market Soars to Record Close to Kick off the Fourth Quarter”. This made me think about the fact that we are now in the last 3 months of the year and its make or break for us in the sales community! Yes, the final push is ON. Are you positioned now to close the business and beat your plan? In my last Newsletter, I asked the sales community where you will be on the last day of the year? Relaxing or standing a lonely vigil at the fax waiting for the final orders to come in?
There are some basic things we need to be doing now to accelerate and close business as we begin the final countdown to December 31st!
- Are you quarterbacking your sales campaign communicating with your entire team, virtual and local, about what you expect to close and where you need their support and help? Be careful not to demand-ask. Now is the time to raise our game as a sales community by demonstrating strong sales leadership.
- Make sure you ASK for the ORDER often! I have said this many times and it remains a passionate point. Doing everything right but not asking for the order is a mistake I often see. You have earned the right to the business-go and CLOSE IT! Is this obvious? Yes. Does it happen everyday? Yes!
- Are all of the contracts you need signed approved and in place? Have you negotiated the terms and conditions to a win-win situation for you and your clients? If there is still ambiguity, you will have a harder time getting ink on the contract. Is your legal department ready to handle last minute changes?
- Do you have the agreement from the correct stakeholders that your solution is the right on for them and it works? Now is the time to make sure you are working with the right people! I have seen far to many deals go south at the last moment because the decision maker was not involved.
- If you in a position where your product or service has to be delivered prior to year-end, have you alerted the appropriate members of your virtual team?
- Do you have enough business in your pipeline at the final stages to close to get ahead of plan? Are you relying on one big deal or is your success based on numerous deals?
- Are you reviewing your pipeline with your management to get input and other ideas to guarantee a strong close? I have seen sales people afraid to talk to the boss at this point because their is some fear that a deal might be seen as not as strong….HINT-as a long time sales manager, I would rather my reps come forward now and seek help then wind up with a non-close!
- People generally want to see you succeed, so USE them! Make your virtual team work for you…Can you ask your CEO or VP to make a high level call to reinforce the solution and the relationship with the account?
The best sales professionals are doing this activity and are all lined up to close the business! Great sales professionals are not caught by surprise!
Finally as great sales professionals we are also doing one more thing.….we are prospecting and filling the pipeline every day to make sure that their Q1, 2008 is awesome and they get off to a great start!
Good Selling and Closing!
-Todd
PS-if you have not gotten your copy of my recent white paper ” Understanding Successful Sales Performance: The Sales Success Triad” take a moment and get it now!
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October 3rd, 2007 at 5:07 pm
Good points all-especially about getting the contracts ready! It always seems that the snags happen when least expected and that takes time!
October 10th, 2007 at 8:57 pm
Excellent point to ask your CEO to help. You’re the expert in sales - your CEO should be happy to be your spokesmodel. Do what you love best, let others do the same, and the whole team wins!