Maverick and Company

When the economy gets tight (whether in your household or the world’s) people start getting nervous.  When they get nervous, they tend to rush the sales process. Remember, selling is a lot like baseball.  You can’t stand on home plate and score.  YOU HAVE TO RUN THE BASES.

Ever meet someone at a networking function who handed you their card and practically demanded not only your business but also your referrals?  They’re rushing it.  And you feel rushed. I know you feel pressure to make the sale, make money and make the mortgage payment.  But rushing it is a good way to loose it in sales.  Instead of trying to instantly convert people, focus on moving people around the bases (yes, it’s kind of like a pipeline but a more fun analogy.)

First base is meeting someone and recognizing a mutual interest in knowing more. FIRST BASE TIP:  Share stories when people ask what you do.  Tell them your title and then tell a quickie story about a great client you just helped.  This helps them understand what you do and puts a specific idea in their head about how you might be able to help without being pushy.

Second base is a specific conversation about needs and services. SECOND BASE TIP:  This doesn’t mean you’re actually talking about a sale.  It means you have some resources or knowledge they may find useful.  It could also mean they begin sharing a specific problem with you.  Details are swapped.  Again, DON’T RUSH IT.  Focus on moving to 3rd base.

Third base is a conversation about the possibility of doing business together. THIRD BASE TIP:  Not everyone who makes it to third will become a sale, NOR SHOULD THEY.  At third base, you’re thinking through the details and what it might look like to work together.  You’re talking about a real possibility.  Success at third base is about BOTH OF YOU doing the work to see if you’re a good professional fit.

HOME!!! is when the sale is made, but the “selling” work isn’t over. HOME BASE TIP:  Make sure your invoice process prepares your new client for how it will look to work with you.  Give them the guidelines for how to make the most of their investment.  This is the NATURAL selling process.  It’s what happens when it works.  it can happen very quickly but you can’t really score without running the bases.

NEED SOME HELP???  Remember, this month’s SCREAMIN’ DEAL is a $50 First Hour OR $90 for 90 ($90 for 90 minutes.)  If you’d like some coaching to get new clients, call or email me today alecia@maverickandcompany.com (offer expires April 1, 2009, restrictions apply)

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 4th, 2009 at 8:43 am and is filed under MAVERICK More Great Stuff Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.