Small Business: Assertive sales approach

The mind-set of the corporate buyer has changed, and so has the selling cycle. In many cases it's taking two to three times longer to close a deal.

Corporate buyers are more reluctant to make buying decisions. That requires sellers to be more assertive in their sales approach, offer solutions and provide enough perceived value to speed up the sales cycle, say experts.

"If you're on a journey to sell more complex solutions to customers, you have to build a 'challenger' selling approach," says Matthew Dixon, a managing director of the Corporate Executive Board, an advisory services firm in Arlington, Va., and co-author of "The Challenger Sale" (Portfolio; $27.95).

It's not enough to rely solely on relationship building, says Dixon. Rather, "you want to challenge and push the customer thinking" and bring new ideas on how he can make or save money or hedge risk, he notes.

So if a buyer says she doesn't have the budget to make a buying decision, instead of saying you'll try her back later, you might challenge her: "I understand this might not be the right time, but let me share some insights about how other customers like you were able to accomplish extraordinary benefits," says Dixon.

One of the best things a sales person can do for prospects is help them understand what's going on outside their organization, says Lenann McGookey Gardner, a consultant in Albuquerque and author of "Got Sales?" (Jarndyce & Jarndyce Press; $29.95), who believes in Dixon's challenger approach.

Bring prospects information that can help them run their business better, says Gardner, don't just appease them.

"A relationship builder is typically lessening the tension" in the relationship, she notes. But with a challenger "it's exactly the opposite." If they say they don't have a budget, the challenger might say, "Can you afford to do nothing about this?" says Gardner.

Balancing act: It requires a delicate balance, though.

"You want to be assertive, but not aggressive," advises Jeff Goldberg, who has a sales consulting/training firm in Long Beach. "You always want to move the sale forward."

Never leave a meeting or phone call without setting up the next meeting or phone call, he advises. A great way to see whether a prospect is interested is to see if the person will take another meeting with you, he says. If you are put off, say, until the next quarter, the next question should be: "What's going to happen between now and then?" says Goldberg.

Ask outright why the hesitation, advises Bob Lewent, a senior account manager for Coffee Distributing Corp., a Garden City Park supplier of office refreshment products, who actively sells. Address what's holding the prospect back.

If you're dealing with a commodity item, you have to sell beyond just price, with factors like personalization and service, says Lewent.

Ask the right questions: Mike Krause, president of Sales Sense Solutions Inc. in Rochester and author of "Sell or Sink" (AuthorHouse; $24.95), says that to engage the sales cycle, consider these four questions:

1. Do you have the correct decision maker?

2. Has the prospect thought about a budget for this project? If not, you can then educate him on costs.

3. Ask the prospect: When would she like the solution or product delivered? This establishes reasonable expectations for the sales cycle.

4. Is the prospect in pain? Assess if he really needs your solution or it is something he can do without. You might ask, "If my solution doesn't fit for you, what's Plan B?" Krause notes.

"If you follow these four questions, you will have a faster sales process," he says.

Fast fact

The average sales cycle from start to finish has gone from 90 days to six months only five years ago, to about 12 months now, on average.

Source: Mike Krause, president of Sales Sense Solutions Inc.