The question: "When should a growing company slow down its sales function and focus solely on delivery?"
The answer: "Never!"
When fast growth is the focus of your company, the only constant is that you will always, and I mean always, need more sales. It doesn't matter how full the sales pipeline looks, you need more sales. It doesn't matter that you have no idea how you're going to deliver the order you just took, you need more sales. And it doesn't matter that you're booked for the next year, you need more sales.
To understand why you must keep selling in the face of certain income, I will introduce you to "Murphy's Law" of Sales which states that "whatever business can be lost, will be lost!" Customers will change their mind, cancel orders, and in some cases just go out of business altogether.
There are numerous snags that can stop your sale before it hits accounts receivable and unfortunately most are beyond your control. The good news is you can protect yourself against this uncertainty by filling the sales pipeline at all times, no matter how good things get.
Enlarge the Pipeline
A great way to protect your sales future is to increase the expectations of your sales pipeline. If you think you need to put $1 million in the pipeline try moving that number to $2 million. I'm not suggesting that another million dollars worth of sales are going to magically appear just because you updated your Excel spreadsheet. Instead I'm suggesting that you raise the bar on your projections so that you can absorb the inevitability of losing sales along the way. It's far better to be over prepared.
Spread the responsibility
Because small companies typically cannot afford to hire several salespeople they often rely upon the founder or another single person to do the job for the entire company. The problem with this approach is that there is too much reliance on one person to feed the entire organization. Sometimes people run into a cold streak, get distracted, or just aren't the right fit at the right time. Any one of these factors can cripple your sales pipeline.
Instead of relying on an individual to bear the company's entire sales load, spread the responsibility across all members of the organization. A great way to do this is by giving other people in the company an opportunity to participate in the sale process as well. Allow others to help prepare presentations, give them responsibility for "up-selling" existing customers and ask them to use their professional networks to identify new opportunities.
When you're hot, stay hot
Another mistake growing companies tend to make is celebrating their victories and resting in the spoils of sales. You've just won that huge account and now you don't have to sell for six months while you rake in the dough, right? Wrong! The worst thing a company can do when it's hot is to stop selling.
The confidence and positive energy behind a big win is a force you cannot possibly replicate with bonuses, company meetings or sales team pep rallies. Harness the positive momentum from big sales to make more phone calls, setup more meetings, and close more deals. It's much easier to call that next client after you've made a big sale than when you're on month three of a cold streak.
Keep your sales team in sales, not delivery
Now your winning sales team is landing customers left and right and it's time to start delivering on the promises they made over those expensive dinners. Since the customer naturally expects the sales team to be along for the delivery, your top salesman should be along for the ride, right? Wrong again.
The sales team is there to sell, not deliver. And any time that they spend servicing your existing customers is time they aren't spending finding the next customers. As soon as the shoe salesman becomes the cobbler he's doing the wrong job. Get your sales team right back into the field as quickly as possible and let the people in your organization responsible for delivery service your customers.
Watch the Horizon
It's easy to get distracted today with a big win and all the obligations that come with delivery. All of a sudden you need to worry about staffing, office space, equipment and of course satisfying that customer you just spent all your time wooing.
While you don't want to miss delivery, you simply can't afford to lose sight of the next sale on the horizon, which means it's time to pick up the phone, schedule a meeting, and close that next sale. The only thing more important than your last sale is your next sale!
- Wil
Wil Schroter is a serial entrepreneur, author, and public speaker. Wil has been recognized as U.S. Small Business Person of the Year, twice as the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year (1999 & 2004), and is a member of the Business First Top 40 under forty. Connect directly with Wil at wschroter@yahoo.com. Visit http://www.goBIGnetwork.com.
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
The success of a small business depends upon a steady... Read More
Lead Generation is vital to all businesses. All companies try... Read More
Many participants in my programs ask how to deal with... Read More
Here are five sure-fire ways to guarantee you will not... Read More
Hypnosis has been a taboo word for far too long.... Read More
Terminology / AcronymsABC figures: This is the independently audited sales... Read More
Let me create a picture for you. This is the... Read More
I learned something very interesting this week. Thankfully, what I... Read More
People ask me, "What should I charge?"I say, "Ask your... Read More
We use this method to find new cleaningcustomers, and it... Read More
The topic of this issue's article is a response to... Read More
Web sites exist for essentially two purposes. The first is... Read More
Everybody is familiar with the old retail chant, "Location, location,... Read More
As a professional service provider you face special challenges promoting... Read More
A closing question asks for a final decision. A trial-closing... Read More
An attractive woman has a decided advantage as sales representative... Read More
One of my first internship jobs as a college student... Read More
It may sound funny, but honestly, if you're opening up... Read More
I went shopping for clothes today.My plan was to buy... Read More
If you have competitors, then you should have at least... Read More
If you are in the mortgage business, the very first... Read More
What comes to mind when you think of networking --... Read More
Selling To Women - Selling To Men - It Isn't... Read More
Can you close a sale in just seven seconds? If... Read More
Part one of this article is available at ... Read More
After our first half-hour telephone coaching session, when asked what... Read More
When it comes to effective selling, one simple fact never... Read More
Your choice of materials for store fixtures includes wood, metal,... Read More
Now business owners and sales professionals can develop a Faster... Read More
For the past months, maybe a year, I've been hearing... Read More
Everyone wants the best possible value in every transaction, but... Read More
1. Animate your window display.How often do you change your... Read More
Going into your workday and waiting for things to happen,... Read More
We are complex. We confidently assert that we are independent... Read More
No matter how big or small your business is and... Read More
There are hundreds of books available to teach you how... Read More
The difference between antique or vintage store fixtures and used... Read More
Benefits are what motivate people to purchase from you, right?... Read More
Consulting Vs Selling, How we can make sales by not... Read More
Successful salespeople have the ability to turn the customers they... Read More
Robert Louis Stevenson said 'Everything in Life is Selling' and... Read More
How many sales opportunities have you lost to competitors who... Read More
Mannequins are primarily used in stores to display clothing. A... Read More
A few weekends back, the Brobdingnagian Bards performed at the... Read More
There are thousands of books and seminars on how to... Read More
How many of you made as much money as you... Read More
Having good telephone skills is crucial as the call may... Read More
Prospecting is the engine that propels anyone in sales. Without... Read More
GIVING Vs "SELLING"Never lose sight of the importance of providing... Read More
When I write sales letters for my clients, one rule... Read More
BackgroundThere's a conundrum that currently exists between the customer and... Read More
Awhile back you had a great idea. An idea that... Read More
Offering gift certificates is an excellent way of increasing sales... Read More
Depending upon how much you enjoy writing, writing sales proposals... Read More
JOHN DI LEMME ON "5 + 5 = Your Dream"... Read More
In my professional experience as a sales and marketing coach/consultant,... Read More
How many times have you heard that you gotta get... Read More
Everybody is familiar with the old retail chant, "Location, location,... Read More
1. Make your reader visualize they have already bought your... Read More
Obtaining merchant status will help to increase your sales. Consumers... Read More
There are many tactics and techniques that go into converting... Read More
Terminology / AcronymsABC figures: This is the independently audited sales... Read More
Business owners of long standing know the cardinal rule "take... Read More
As a result of providing marketing consulting, training and coaching... Read More
You have just walked out of the office of a... Read More
When I first started out as a loan officer, one... Read More
Sales |