Let the madness begin - April is just around the corner - sell, sell, sell

As we come to the end of another "interesting" financial year, most of our clients have that glazed look in their eyes associated with trying to end the year in style.

We thought it would be useful over the next 4 weeks to examine the important things we should all be focussing on:

• Winning the winnable business
• Setting the right targets for next year
• Building the roadmap for a successful year
• The client's perspective of their new year

Winning the winnable business

The big challenge for all of us sales people is to remain focussed as our managers and directors keep asking "how are you doing?", "have you closed xxx yet?" As an aide memoire we thought we would give you our top tips to closing out the year.

1. Vigorously qualify the client
• Do you have a winning offer?
• Is it really compelling enough for them to say "yes please"?
• Do they need to make a decision now?
• Can you meet their delivery timescales?
2. Vigorously qualify your processes
• Can take the order in the timeframe (Ts&Cs, set up as client, etc.)
• Understand what decisions you can make and what you need to refer to a higher authority
• How quickly can you get a decision from your higher authority?
3. Can you financially engineer?
• Does your customer need to buy quickly (use up 2009/10 budget)?
• Can you take an order without completing all the paper work?
• Can they buy now pay later (order in this year, cash in next year)?
• Do you understand your internal revenue recognition process?
4. Do you want the order now - How desperate are you?
• Are you the only one who wants to bring the order forward?
• Can the customer use this as a negotiating point against you?
5. Forecast accurately
• Good forecasting keeps you in control of the sales cycle
• Good forecasting forces you to continually qualify your opportunities
6. Focus on the important not just what you (or your manager) perceives as urgent
• It is important that you qualify to identify what is winnable in this financial period
• It is important to agree with your manager your negotiation limits and how to deal with anything outside of this
• It is important to keep your forecast accurate
• It is important to take the order "properly" so it can be delivered
• It is not important to urgently update your manager every hour - let them review the forecast (which you have kept up-to-date)
• It is not important to urgently chase delivery every day on the status of the order. It only becomes urgent if there is a problem (did you properly qualify?)
7. Don't get desperate - you will only run around wasting energy. Focus on what you can win
8. Don't hope for a bluebird - They do come along occasionally, but you cannot base your forecast on them

Be patient - You cannot force a client to buy

It does not matter how desperate you or your manager is to win business, the client is the one who places the order.

Be patient and do the right things and if they are ready they will buy. If not, but the need is there, they will buy later.

The financial year is just the end of one week and the beginning of the next

We are not underplaying the importance of the financial year for our bonuses, the tax man, The City, etc. But ultimately it is only the end of one day. There is still business to be won the next day.

Don't fall into the trap of ignoring business to be won in April, or you will start your new year immediately behind target.

Next Week - Setting the right targets for next year

We will examine how effective target settings will drive the right behaviours and help you achieve the highest level of sales possible.

Do you want to know more?

Either read our "Helping business drive sales" document or contact mark.savinson@sales-accredit.com and Mark can take you through more detail.