The demos are great but the POs are not coming in…

I wanted to share an experience with you I had a few years ago. I was working as a mid-market Account Executive for a leading B2C engagement platform. I was in negotiations with a rather large European prospect. I had a very positive, telling discovery call with their CMO and their Director of eCommerce. This interaction provided all the considerations for a custom-made demo platform on which I shared with the prospect the tremendous value that this platform would provide to their business and how easy it was to deploy and use. The CMO was unequivocal in his response, turning to his Director of eCommerce and telling him: “This is exactly what we need. Please follow up with Moshe so we can get this platform implemented as soon as possible”.

I never heard back from either of them. I called, emailed, and messaged, NOTHING! It was as if they completely vanished!

Does this scenario sound familiar, if so, it may be because over 50% of “great demos” end up like the ones in my story.

So what was wrong if everything felt so right?

Well, as we know hindsight is always 20/20. And after some deep analysis of this and many other sales engagements both as an Account Executive and as a Sales or Business Development Executive, I discovered the clues as to what went wrong and how to prevent it from happening again.

Professional sales guidance and mentorship would’ve resulted in a higher conversion rate and greater ROI for everyone involved, the company, the client and yours truly. So, I learned the hard way. But did the company? Not so sure on that one.

Often, companies provide their staff with some Sales Methodology workshops or certifications. In my case, I can vouch that my previous employers invested in some of the industry best: SPIN, MEDDICC, SANDLER and many others. All of these are amazing tools for which I am eternally grateful as they are invaluable components in my sales kit.

Unfortunately, these workshops and certifications aren’t always sufficient. The company and the sales leadership need to be equipped to support their teams in making these methodologies their own. It goes without saying that it’s all not about whether the Account Executive phrased the “up-front contract” exactly the trainer demonstrated in the class.

A company would do well to foster its own distinctive sales mystique. A sales team is driven by the company’s goals. A sales culture is imbued with the organization’s unique values. Salespeople are the company’s ambassadors so they reflect directly the business’ values when they relate to prospects and customers. Genuine relationships will always be a major component of any high-value transaction. And like the song says: “You can’t hurry love… it’s a game of give and take”. This means that every sales engagement is like a new dance in which knowledge and technique is important, the goal is not to step on each other's toes.

Figures, spreadsheets, dashboards; all have their place in Sales Management. But they won’t drive sales, won’t increase revenue, won’t lift ROI.

Professional sales guidance and mentorship provide experience directly from your company’s environment, they have been tried and tested. They enrich your company’s sales culture and will provide new tools and perspectives. The result will be a sales process fully prepared to take on the challenges that have frustrated them in the past. It will be reflected in significantly higher closing ratios and increased ROI for your company, your clients, and, of course, for your sales professionals.

Now go out there: Have Fun, Help People and Make Money

Moshe Avrahami

Avrahami Business Development