To pinch a line from the comedy archives; the secret of good business is… Timing.
Timing is very important during the whole sales process and in business development.
- When do you move from small-talk to focus on the business opportunity?
- When should you follow-up your proposal/quote?
- When do you attempt an Interim Close?
- When should you follow-up your communications?
- When is best to start ‘closing the deal’?
- When should you ask for the business?
These are just some of the useful questions you can ask yourself about the process of securing the opportunity.
Following-up your proposal too quickly could jeopardise your chances of winning the opportunity. Asking for the business too soon could upset your relationship with the prospective customer.
The questions are important, as are the answers to these questions.
Timing is important.
What about the timing of your ‘Continuous Improvement’? If you have not focused on making improvements to your turnover and profit then your business is likely to be stagnating, if not declining.
When is the best time to work ON your business as opposed to working in it; when should you plan to improve your own and your business’s performance? The simple answer to this is when your customers are quiet.
Do you experience a slow or quiet time in the summer? Perhaps that is the time to arrange training or coaching to bring you back to the ‘top of your game’?
You could be working on ways to find more customers and win more sales so that, come mid-September you are well prepared to deal with the flood of new business enquiries!
Think ahead and book some extra coaching or training now, so that you can find more and win more business. Why not NOW!
…and if you are not sure of the answers for 1 to 6 above, get in touch with me.
I can help.
What’s Next?
Selling is not strange magic, it’s a skill which can be learned. Let me show you how it’s done.