Greg's Right FIT #376

Quick notes to help you grow your business in less time with less effort. . . sometime next week. 

In this issue: 

- Thoughts on Selling
- Being Human
- Random Stuff

Thoughts on Selling

• Take action, but be patient with results. Developing new clients relies on a number of events and decisions taking place. Believe in action, but tie it to patience.
• When you're in the early stages of a decision with a prospect, stay naive. They don't need another subject-matter expert at making assumptions in this stage. Be patient. Say things like, "Wait. . .can you tell me more about that?"
• Patience. Giant outcomes are produced not so much from lightning bolts of luck , but little gains picked up every day. 
• Taking a new product to market is a challenge. It requires pivots and backtracking. Getting the right people in this role is imperative. Look for curiosity and abundant patience. 

Being Human - Wait for it, wait for it

“No greater thing is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig." – Epictetus

There are a number of sales books on the shelves and most of them focus on what to say when you're in front of you target market or buyer. In my little sales cycle grid, this is more about closing the sale than finding the right prospect in the target market. 

The assumption is that you're in front of people who are real buyers of your products. In my experience, most sellers are too excited to get to the closing part of the sales process. I get it, it sounds like the most exciting part of sales. Holding the pen out and waiting for the prospect to grab it and sign the contract. 

I'm going to suggest you'll have more success if you view the closing part of sales as the most boring. The opposite of exciting. Sure, it's great to make a sale and get paid, but by the time you get to the "close" there should be no drama. The final part of the sale is simply reiterating the client's problem, discussing solution options, and agreeing on the outcome. 

Boring. 

The exciting part happens long before, in the prospecting part of the sales cycle. Where everything has promise and the world is your oyster. The close is all about patience. Waiting for all the T's to be crossed and I's dotted. The devil is in the details, so dig in. 

To stay sane during the close, get out and find some new business. It keeps you patient as you wait for your buyer to consider and re-consider the outcomes they're after. Give them time to imagine the benefits, consider what life will be like, and get incentivized to push through the details without your prodding. 

Plus, it gives you something to do after the sale closes. On to the next one. 

It starts with getting more excited about the opportunity than the proposal. This little shift makes you more patient with buyers, creates bigger opportunities, and results in better delivery. 

Good stuff. 

Random Stuff

“- He says we're going the wrong way.
- Oh, he's drunk. How would he know where we're going?
- Yeah, how would he know?" – Steve Martin/John Candy in P, T, A

It's men's college basketball tournament time, March Madness™ as they say, and it's time to turn in your brackets. 

In all of my years participating in various sports pools I have come in last place more times than I've won. Except the men's basketball tourney. I tend to be in contention until the end. Especially in years when my alma mater, the Creighton Bluejays, are in the big dance.  

I'll let you in on my secret. When the Jays qualify, I pick them to go to the Championship game. I never pick them to win the whole thing, just to get to the big game. The rest of the bracket is 100% favorites. 

This strategy works because no one ever picks them to get into the final four, let alone the championship game. Or at least it worked until this year. Scrolling through social media I am dismayed to see the Jays consistently showing up as a trendy dark horse candidate to be in the final four. 

I've lost my edge. I guess there's only one thing left to do. 

What's that? 

Win the whole f'n thing. 

RDJ!