It is only common sense to sell what the customer needs – not more not less. With the best of intentions, doing that isn’t always simple. What can be combined with what? What is the current price of components? Have there been any updates or changes?
All sales representatives have a limited comfort zone, and in a complex portfolio, there will always be certain solutions that they know better by heart. With customers expecting quick replies, it is common that sales team fall back onto a few limited set ups, and fails to find the best matching solution that the company can offer. If the competition matches their solutions better they have the opportunity provide better value at lower cost.
1. Not selling the best available solution
It is only common sense to sell what the customer needs – not more not less. With the best of intentions, doing that isn’t always simple. What can be combined with what? What is the current price of components? Have there been any updates or changes?
All sales representatives have a limited comfort zone, and in a complex portfolio, there will always be certain solutions that they know better by heart. With customers expecting quick replies, it is common that sales team fall back onto a few limited set ups, and fails to find the best matching solution that the company can offer. If the competition matches their solutions better they have the opportunity provide better value at lower cost.
2. Letting the customer wait
Sales managers are painfully aware that opportunities arrive at the speed of a snail and pass out at the speed of lightning. Once an opportunity arises, one cannot afford to lose time. Still, the complexities of configurable sales often steal the initiative from the sales representative. Assembling a correct quote manually consumes time and is often dependent on product experts and back office support. The result is often that the customer has to wait an uncomfortably long time, and still risk specification flaws.
3. Loosing margin by cutting too many corners
All sales representatives want to be fast and competent in the eyes of the customer. Still, it is virtually impossible to keep all aspects of a complex portfolio in mind. To not lose the initiative in a face time situation with a customer, sales representatives often feel compelled to take chances on specifications and price.
4. Not enough support for the customers internal sales process
Convincing the customer representative is often not enough for a closure. Final decisions are often taken through an internal sales cycle that the sales representative have very limited access to. Success depends heavily on how well the sales representative has armed the customer representative with a well packaged business case. Packaging a good business case manually takes time and therefore it is often only the biggest opportunities that get the best attention.
5. Missing out on add-on sales opportunities
The pressure to quickly meet customers outspoken needs often make sales representatives miss out on opportunities for cross selling and add-on sales. Opportunities such as insurance are often overlooked in the chase for a fast closure, although these opportunities could often have made a big impact on the bottom line. Cross selling opportunities that arise, such as equipment from a different department, often require that the sales representative step out of his comfort zone and add dependency on others – in conflict with the pursuit of a quick closure.
