Recently I made a call on the Vice President of Sales for a company which sells highly specialized equipment and services into the law enforcement and military markets.

I prepared carefully, researching his company and coming up with interview questions to ask to learn about his needs. He gave me 30 minutes. That is not long enough in my business to learn all I need to know. It is enough time to establish rapport and to determine if he is a prospect. I allowed myself, however, to get pulled into this retired military officer’s “no nonsense” quick decision style to quote for a sales meeting coming up in six weeks.

As I thought about it, however, I realized I did not know enough about him and his company to make an effective proposal. We had identified a need, and he had agreed to the value of my training methodology. I failed to clearly get agreement on the cost to his company of the problem we identified. I also failed to learn the size of his budget for this meeting.

Was he looking for a $2,000 speaker, or did he want the $20,000 culture change program I was thinking about? I made a great “customer focus” start, and at the first agreement of need, slipped into a product focus. Even an “old salt” will sometimes let an old habit surface and take charge.

What should I have done?

If I could do this call again, I would say at the end, “Tom, my time is up, but I need to ask you one quick question: What kind of budget have you set up for this training program? We have only a few short weeks, and I want to be sure I am working within your parameters.”

Whatever his response at that point, my next step should have been to set up another meeting with him, perhaps over breakfast or lunch, to complete my interview. “Based on that, I can see that I need more information. Can we have breakfast or lunch one day later this week so I can get the additional information I need to help you?”

I don’t know if I will get this business or not. I am confident he needs what I have, but I’m also confident he’s unconvinced. This failure to focus on my prospect’s need is an expensive lesson.

But I’m still learning and growing. Are you?

 
Sell More — Serve Better

J. Mark Walker