While working on my new book, " Smart Calling -Eliminate the Fear, Failure, and Rejection from Cold Calling," (out in March 2010) I had the opportunity to interview some very fascinating people who have lots to offer for us salespeople.
Craig Elias was a top sales rep for telecommunications company World-Com. During its collapse, Craig realized that he could either find another company to sell for, or do something on his own. He chose the latter. He felt that he could help other sales reps use a model he discovered and fine-tuned while rising to the top at Worldcom.
When analyzing his six-and seven-figure sales, Craig noticed a trend emerging. Every sale was a result of a Trigger Event that shifted people from being someone who never would have bought from him previously into someone who was highly likely to buy from him now. These events moved people into what Elias calls the "Window of Dissatisfaction."
Elias’ model identifies three categories of Trigger Events. Determine how they apply to you.
1. Bad Experience: The buyer has an unpleasant experience with a product/service, people, or a provider. For instance, there may have been a product/service change with their existing supplier that creates dissatisfaction.
2. Change/Transition: The buyer has a change or transition in people, places, or priorities. For instance, there may have been a change in the buyer at an account.
3. Awareness: The buyer becomes aware of the need to change for legal, risk-avoidance, or economic reasons. For instance: The person may have a new understanding that buying from someone like you is less risky or cheaper than continuing to buy the existing solution.
These events are the types of information you would like to learn before speaking with your decision maker. Craig has a useful tool at his site called a "Won Sales Analysis" that I suggest you download for free. Instead of focusing on the sales you’ve lost, this application helps you to analyze the sales you have won to help identify the common Trigger Events that place buyers in that Window of Dissatisfaction.
Get it at www.WonSalesAnalysis.com.