Benchmark Business Group

Create - rather than find - sales

September 11, 2018


In sales, it's easy to be stuck when you can't find an opportunity to move the conversation forward.

Common objections, such as not enough money or time don't have to kill the momentum of your sales conversation.

The truth is you won't always have the perfect opportunity to move the conversation forward. You have to create opportunities, not find them.

Creating opportunities requires you to keep a prospect talking about their needs and to establish a connection so they know you can solve those needs. It isn't always about closing a sale now, but at the very least includes scheduling a next step. The goal is to KEEP the conversation going.

Which requires you to be in control of the conversation. The prospect shouldn't lead the conversation. You should always be creating the ability to move forward with the prospect. And you do that in BITS.

Be curious - When you're curious about what a prospect is saying you'll learn more about their needs. For instance, if the element in the way of your opportunity is budget, be curious about what their budget is or even what solving their needs would be worth to them. Don't try to solve the need without spending time listening to the prospect. 

Insight: Have a few basic questions that you can revert to in order to keep the conversation moving forward. The best questions are often simple: Can you tell me more about that? 

Inform - Look for areas where you can inform the prospect about something they didn't already know. Something that would help solve their need or that they might find interesting. This helps establish your credibility and relationship with the prospect. It can also get them to ask you for more information, thus moving the conversation forward.

Insight:  Keep a list of interesting, or not well-known, facts for your products/services so that it's easier to use them within a conversation. Client stories and testimonials can work great to inform clients about benefits.

Think Solution - Always keep the conversation centered on solution. If you feel the prospect is moving away from the conversation, restate the needs and the objection followed with a redirect to the solution. 

Insight: When possible, have a list of options that you can offer a client so that it's not a one size fits all. Be willing to work with them to find the perfect solution for their needs.

Schedule - If the conversation has reached a stopping point, create the opportunity to pick it back up at another time. Don't waste the lead! Every time you schedule a next step with a prospect you've moved them further down your sales pipeline. 

Insight:  Be sure to have an excellent system in place for organizing follow ups.

Trying to find opportunities leaves many prospects as prospects. Creating opportunities by using BITS turns more prospects into clients.

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