Why Rushing Ahead Is Costing You Deals

Today’s Skill: Staying Present

I’m writing this from beautiful Costa Rica, where I’m on my honeymoon.

No lie…despite the gorgeous surroundings, I’ve felt myself get antsy many times.

• Am I falling behind by not writing?

• Am I losing ground by not posting on LinkedIn?

• Could I be serving my audience better?

Then I look up at the ocean in front of me. I see my amazing wife sitting beside me. And I realize how lucky I am to be in this moment.

And, it hit me.

We spend so much of our time worrying about what’s ahead that we rush the moments right in from of us. We forget what matters most is right now. This moment. Today.

And it’s a wonderful metaphor for sales.

Too often we rush to the next step in the process instead of being present with the step we’re in. That’s where deals slip away, we forget to confirm important details, or we alienate our prospects.

Today, I want to share four blind spots I’ve noticed that might be hurting your sales process (and ultimately your revenue). If you can focus on staying more present in these areas versus thinking about the signed deal, you will build more sustainable success with your pipeline which leads to more “Yeses” in the long run.

Cold Outreach

How often do you schedule time with someone that you aren’t even sure what they are providing or if it’d be worth it? The same goes for your prospects. However, I see too many generic, hard pitches in first emails.

Your goal in a cold email shouldn’t be to book a meeting. It’s to get a response. That’s it.

You should be writing your emails for a reply.

They should be highly personalized, speak to specific needs and spark interest. It might take an extra email to get the meeting but your conversion percentage will go up considerably.

Here’s how not to do it, along with ways you can improve your own.

First Calls

Many Founders pitch too soon. They’re already thinking about how to close instead of focusing on the person in front of them.

Discovery needs to be about them, not you (and certainly not your product).

It doesn’t mean you can’t answer questions or share insights, but as soon as you go to “solve mode” you’ve basically said, “I know your problems already and here is how to fix it.”

But, this isn’t like fixing a hole in the wall. They likely have deeper problems, insecurities and hesitations to take action. You need to get to the bottom of it all. It may take more than one call, and that should be welcomed.

So, meet them where they are and help them get to where they want to go.

Remember, your Buyers Journey isn’t the same as your sales process. When you remember this, you put the focus on helping them instead of helping you.

Call Transitions

We rush from one client conversation to the next and forget to recap everything that was just shared. Likely, they’re jumping to other calls as well. So, it’s your job to create internal notes for yourself (recording all of your calls helps!) as well as sharing concise notes with your prospect.

Otherwise, the days roll on and prospects forget the important details and action steps. The details blend together with the other vendors they’ve talked with.

This is where “control emails” come in handy. They anchor the conversation, keep you aligned, and help you stay present even after the call ends.

You need to be sending these after every important call in order to make sure nothing gets lost in translation.

Here’s a refresher on how to send a proper Control Email

Proposals

If a prospect asks for pricing, don’t just fire off a detailed proposal and hope for a response. You’re making a big assumption that they’ll be able to understand it enough to connect the value to the costs. That’s not always the case.

Don’t just “check the box”.

Instead, share ballpark pricing first while understanding their decision making process. When they are ready for detailed pricing, schedule a call to walk them through the proposal so you can frame the value and answer questions live. You can always send the proposal after that call but never send it before.

Be deliberate with this process so you are well aligned and can be there to help them understand everything.

Here’s a simple way to structure your proposal (I‘ve included a template to get you started) - read about it here

The Takeaway

The best results come when you’re fully here, not racing ahead.

Stop thinking about the payday and start focusing on the most important thing to help your clients succeed.

When you do that, even if it feels like it extends your sales process, everyone wins in the end.

Stay present.

Stay in the moment.

That’s where progress, peace of mind and potential revenue lives.

Pura Vida!

Your Action Item

Think about your upcoming sales activities this week.

Where can you stay present and client-focused instead of jumping ahead to “winning the deal” mindset.

It might seem like it’s going to take an extra few steps but the level of care you put in will make a considerable difference in building trust for the long haul.

That focused effort makes a “Yes” a lot easier when you get ask for the business.