Depending on who your target market is, the process used for sales can be very different. As I mentioned yesterday, after 4 years, we have just now launched the first product that requires sales to large corporations. Having no experience with corporate sales, I’ve learned quite a bit.

Luckily for us, our recently hired VP of Marketing comes with over 10 years experience of selling to corporations in our industry. Here is key difference I have noted:

TIME TO SALE

When you sell to consumers, you typically put together a “mass sales” strategy and put that strategy into action…

- Marketing
- P.R.
- Vendor/Distributor Relationships
- Good location for stores, etc…

However, when you’re selling to corporations, the process is very different and far more “personal.” A sale to a corporation typically requires a sales “team” that is very good at following up and answering multiple questions.

Any time there are multiple people involved in a sale, you have to be prepared for a lengthier process and also many “custom” proposals and “per case” pricing.

In a large corporation, there are many layers to the sales process - you have to find your way through the gatekeepers in order to get to the main decision-maker. Even after you find the main decision-maker (let’s assume you’re selling to the CEO), in larger corporations, that CEO will then want to have a meeting with the appropriate manager of the department to which you’re selling.

Some advice if you’re selling to large corporations:

1. Prepare to wait for the sale to close.
2. Assign a “sales agent” and make sure there is a close follow-up process.
3. Prepare for multiple sales calls/e-mails.
4. Pre-sales, ensure there is strong brand.
5. Hire as many “well networked” individuals as you can into your company.

The best way to decrease the sales time is to be heavily networked - the higher up the totem pole you start the sales process, the quicker the process will be!

The biggest piece of advice I have with corporate sales is that PATIENCE is key.

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As I recently reported, I’m back into the sales game baby! I’ve been on the phone non-stop, schmoozing and talking to potential customers - has it been draining? Yes. Have I loved every minute? Absolutely! Most of the business our company has done in the past has been through consumer sales and this time it’s all corporate sales. Let me just say that the process is entirely different.

The 3 rules I live by, whether I’m selling something or trying to get a vendor relationship going are:

1. LISTEN

This is one thing I’ve had to work on for sure - I have a habit of wanting to talk and control the conversation. However, the best sales people are great listeners. They control the flow of the conversation through short remarks, but spend most of the time listening.

A sales call = therapy sessions.

You’ll find that people love talking about themselves, their success, their problems - everything. If you just give them a bit of time to talk, they’ll sell themselves. They will tell you all of their pressure points that you can then “strategically” hit in your “pitch.”

2. Don’t Negate or Argue

The easiest lure to interrupt someone and take over a conversation (also lose a sale) is to negate someone when they’re talking. You will always hear something that you don’t agree with or even a statement about your product that is completely false - DO NOT INTERRUPT OR ARGUE.

The best thing to do at this point is make a note of it and LET THE PERSON FINISH. When they finally stop, actually ask them “OK, mr. buyer, I hear you loud and clear and you brought up some great concerns, was there anything else you were concerned about?”

Most likely, the person will either continue and give you even MORE pressure points to write down or they will really say “Nope, I’m done” - wait until they say they are done for you to start your part. But, still when you start - NEVER tell the person they are wrong about anything they said.

Rather…position yourself as saying “Mr. Buyer, I completely understand where you’re coming from, actually, if I was in your position, I would feel exactly the same way - you’re definitely not alone in feeling that way. Let me explain how this feature works…”

Note how I never used words like “But” or anything else that would imply I’m negating their point. You can actually explain your view without ever negating someone. The best way to convince someone that they’re wrong is to let THEM decide they were wrong. You are just there to explain the feature in a way that resolves their concern.

Be understanding, agree and wait your turn.

3. Get As Many “Yes’s” As Possible

The trick to closing a sale is to get the prospect to say yes as much as possible. One of the easiest way to get a yes is to simply listen, hear them and then make a statement that you know they would definitely agree with…here’s an example:

“Wouldn’t you agree that it’s pretty tough to find great candidates for this job you’re trying to fill?” Once you get the prospect rolling on yes’s, you can start to slip in discussions of features of your service that would make this problem that much easier to solve.

As you’re explaining, you’re build a relationship, you’re getting the prospect excited and comfortable.

So, remember…LISTEN, Don’t Argue and get the prospect to say yes.

Follow these 3 rules and you’ll find it much easier to sell someone!

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One of the things you learn as the business grows is that the “role of a CEO” can get more and more routine and even boring - it’s like I mentioned yesterday, you start to become more of a robotic manager. There are certain things that you may personally love doing that you slowly have to part with because you just don’t have the time and you have to hand those responsibilities over to others…

For my specific example, I absolutely LOVE selling. Selling is a drug for me, it makes me feel high. My adrenaline gets pumping, I can’t sleep…

I love the “win” feeling you get when you close someone or when you convince them to buy from you - something about it. I’m not sure if it’s the feeling of power or just excitement and a sense of pride. This may sound or seem a bit “vicious” but here is how I feel after a good sale (btw, I really am a nice person

(Before Clipart.com sues me, this is THEIR poster and I already bought one for my office…to buy it go here…)

The poster says First Round, First Minute - look at Ali’s face, doesn’t that excite you! That’s the kind of rush I get when I close a sale. Unfortunately though as the business grows and I’ve had to start getting involved in other areas (more management and legal related), I’ve had to pass on the selling responsibility to a very capable and well networked VP of Marketing we brought on.

I do miss it though. A lot.

My solution? At least at the size my business is right now, I feel I can still take some time to get involved with sales. Maybe I don’t do it ALL - but I can still do some! So, as of yesterday, I started sending out more e-mails and I already lined up a big company who we’ll finish the conversation with tomorrow.

My advice to CEOs - No matter what it takes, keep your hands at least a little bit on the part of the job you love(d) the most. Otherwise, being a CEO can really get freaking boring.

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