We live in a fast paced world, no doubt about it. And if your vocation is that of a B2B sales professional, then you’re no stranger to the ebb and flow of targets, budgets, and expectations around performance. As for myself, I have the luxury of working in somewhat of a vacuum as an independent contractor, and because of that I get to set my own performance parameters.
Of course, my world is the exception rather than the rule. Most people I encounter are beholden to deliverables conjured up by people other than themselves, and with that comes pressure. And in managing these pressures, patience isn’t generally a luxury they can afford; or can they?
My area of expertise is in helping B2B sales professionals become better at building new client relationships. I do this through a proprietary program called First Approach® that gives sales people a process for securing more meetings with business prospects they’ve yet to meet. This is a step by step approach, one that respects the entire continuum that leads to booking the meeting.
What is key in the above description, and germane to this article, are the words “step by step”.
We live in a get rich fast and instant gratification world; a world where most people want to finish at the finish line having started the race half way, or without having run the race at all.
Most commercial organizations, whether they realize it or not, don’t stray too far from this ethos. They emphasize “results” and “orders”. They dwell on how many proposals are in the pipeline now, or how many RFP’s have been submitted now. Their attention is almost exclusively attuned to the “what’s in it for us today?”
If it’s a public company, this focus is over the top.
The impetus for this blog comes from an experience I had recently. It wasn’t at all an unusual experience; it happens all the time.
Part of my day to day routine when I’m in the office is making follow-up calls to prospective clients. These are clients that I’ve connected with one way or another in the past, and those who have indicated they would like further communication from me.
It is rare that I make a follow-up call without a client having clearly indicated that a) they want me to call again and b) the day, month or both that they would like for me to do so. So, it’s rarely a surprise when I call, and it’s never a call made without prior permission. These are far from “closing calls” but rather just the next step in what will hopefully lead to further dialogue and interest. To be clear; there have been no commitments made either by the client or my self in terms of doing business. We’re just talking.
Sometimes I’ll encounter a somewhat contrite response from the client. It’s usually because they failed to look at something I sent, or felt in some way that they just wasted my time because for various reasons they were no further ahead in digesting what we spoke about last, or no further ahead in the process of considering a commitment.
There tone is often apologetic and penitent, as though they’ve just let me down.
Most often though, they presume that my goal is to “close them now” and get on with it; this isn’t a conversation they want to have. And because of that, they feel pressured and often lash out as a defensive mechanism.
Their reaction when I tell them that “closing them” was never my motive is, well, fascinating. They are dumbfounded and flummoxed; they definitely didn’t see that one coming. And then they relax.
They come by this fear honestly, because many sales people are consistently focused on the jugular. Many sales people know how hard it can be to get a potential client back on the phone, so when they do have access, they abuse it; they attack. They try and spin the call into something it was never intended to be, the kind of call the client had never agreed to in the first place. They have crystalized the client’s worst fear, and by doing so, jeopardized an opportunity that could have been.
I know that I’ll know when a client is ready to buy. And I know when they’re not. I also know that it serves absolutely zero purpose to push, when the only thing pushing will do, is push me out the door.
This is of course just one example of how sales people demonstrate impatience; behaviour that will cost them opportunities and money.
The message I’m trying to impart here has probably never been better told than by Mr. Aesop in his fable, “The Tortoise and the Hare”, you know the one.
If you’re a professional salesperson, ask yourself this question; how many deals have you blown because you were unable to practice patience, because you were unable to slow down, because you choose to ignore the “vibe” in the room if you will?
Then ask yourself, if you had slowed down, and used patience as an accelerator, would you have closed a deal that you lost by stepping on the gas pedal?
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