Weekly Tip: 5-Minute Sales Strategy

Wing it…that’s the dominant approach that I see with teams when they are going to a meeting, writing a proposal or presentation. Oh, there’s discussion, but often it is meandering supposition and devil’s advocacy. That may feel like strategy, but it is a pale shadow of what real strategy development is. Why do smart people rush to work on the deliverable rather than create a thoughtful strategy? Time is often the given answer…and that is legitimate. So, let’s think about a faster way to develop a strategy foundation.

 

Ask these questions to build your strategy foundation:

• What’s the business problem the prospect has?

• How long have they had it?

• Why haven’t they fixed it up until now?

• Who wants it fixed?

• Who doesn’t want to make any changes?

This short set of questions gives you a frame for messaging, connecting with the right people and designing your approach to the meeting, proposal or presentation.