“In a highly competitive crowded marketplace, all other things being equal, the one with the most information about the prospect and market, who knows how to turn it into solutions, will win the sale.” ~ Bill Brooks
Bill Brooks was a great sales person I had the opportunity to get to know, before he passed away. He was founder of the Brooks Group, and his work lives on in his books and the business run by his family.
Bill talked about why it’s so important to learn as much about your market as you can. That’s why setting up appointments with key people in your field is so important, so that you can learn what the leaders already know.
Asking people to help you learn will short-cut your sales planning process and make it more effective. And, of course, you’re building key relationships at the same time.
Here’s what else you can do:
- Research the organizations that your potential customers belong to. Join them. Become active. Go to the meetings, breakfasts, dinners, conferences.
- Read the trade journals and publications they read.
- Search the Web. See what others are saying about your potential clients. What are their unique needs, wants, complaints? What do they struggle with?
- Gather as much information as you can about your competitors in an ethical manner.
You want to position yourself as a problem-solver in your field. You can’t do that without information and relationships.
Be ready: Clients don’t do business with you when you want them to. They only do business when they want to do business with you. One of the biggest mistakes a business owner or sales person can make is to have too few opportunities to work on.
It’s a sure path to desperation when you have most of your eggs in one basket. Nothing smells worse to a potential client than the stink of desperation.
If you want to read more about selling, when selling isn’t in your title, I recommend Masterminds Unleashed: Selling for Geniuses. I collaborated with several other people tops in their fields to give you the best advice on selling for smart professionals.
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One Comment
Great article Chip. I went running today and was contemplating the groups and associations I need to engage in order to further my business and make the right connections. Keep up the great work.