Is it possible to leave out a step in a process and still get a successful outcome? Well, I guess some may think it depends on what step is missed, or what the process is, or what you consider a successful outcome looks like. I would argue though when it comes to sales process steps that if a step is included in a process that isn’t vital, then it shouldn’t be in the process to start with. I am realistic enough though to know that some steps may be more important than others. For example:

• A pilot coming in to land and missing out the part where they lower the landing gear – probably not wise.
• A surgeon about to start an operation and missing out the bit where they knock the patient out – if I was the patient, this wouldn’t be my idea of fun.
• A car manufacturer missing out the connection to the brake pedal – let’s just hope they fitted the airbag!
• Me leaving the house in the morning and missing out the bit where I put my trousers on – not great in the summer but a definite no-no at this time of the year…

I could go on, but you get the gist. There are clearly some steps that could have catastrophic effects if omitted.  

This is true in the sales process as much as any other.

Why missing one step can kill a deal

I once had a sales manager who had a member in his team who was just not closing business. The manager had sat in the early parts of the process, and the sales person was a rock star. They were able to secure really good meetings with perfect matches to our Ideal Customer Profile. The discovery calls were always thorough with great insights discovered. The prospect would generally be asking for next steps; they seemed so keen to move forward. The presentations were really solid, and again, the prospect seemed sold. However, inexplicably, the deal then seemed to hit a dead end.

The sales person was going on holiday for a couple of weeks, so the manager took the opportunity to follow up with the stalled deals to try and find out directly from the prospects why they hadn’t moved forward.

Over the next 2 weeks, the sales manager spoke to 7 prospects, and the results were as follows:

• 1 had decided to engage with a competitor as they felt they were a better fit than our offering.
• 2 had decided not to move forward as they were happy with the status quo (aka not enough value had been created to encourage them to move from their current position or more likely the urgency had died over time).
• 4 of them closed.  

Yep, over 50% of the deals that were stalled went on to close in just 10 days.  

What was even more amazing was that they all closed the first time the manager spoke to them. No back and forth, no negotiation, no need to sell the product as the client was already on board and ready to move forward.

The sales step that was missing

What transpired was the salesperson had done everything right and followed every step in the process except one fairly fundamental step. The one where they actually asked for the business. They were avoiding the question, subconsciously choosing to stay in the game rather than risk hearing ‘no’ from the prospect.

In any conversation, not just a sales conversation, to assume that the other person understands what has been said and what the next steps are is easily done.

The assumption from the salesperson was ‘they really like my offering, so if they want it, they will ask for it. I have made it really easy for them to want it, so if they don’t ask, they obviously aren’t ready to move forward.’

The customer, though, was thinking ‘this is a great solution to the issues I am facing, so why isn’t the salesperson asking me to sign a contract? Maybe they aren’t sure or have some doubts that it is a good fit for us.’

Without realising it, the salesperson was creating doubt in the client’s mind.  

Potentially, if the question had been asked earlier, the two prospects that decided not to move forward at all may have closed. The client would have felt reassured, the doubt wouldn’t have had the chance to grow beyond the point of no return.

It’s easy to see how this miscommunication occurred. We can probably all recall similar miscommunications in our lives. It is constantly happening in all types of communications— between parents and children, between partners, between managers and their team, between salespeople and their prospects.

Checking understanding is key.

Listening to what the other party is saying, really hearing them, is of course key but only half of the picture. The questions you ask will also help to ensure you are both on the same page.

So next time you are not hearing the answer you want, ask yourself: have you even asked the question?  

Ray

The Sales Doctor

Consult | Assess | Recommend | Execute

Post by Ray King, 10th October 2024