The Cycle

Lesson Six - Ownership of the Long Term Buying Cycle is Vital

Die hard sales managers and trainers will emphasize one principle over and over again regardless of what perspective it comes from. That principle is the almighty close. Closing and only closing is the true measure of success for a salesperson.

I'd disagree. I say the true measure of success for a salesperson isn't the deal they seal today, but how they cultivate that close into additional future business.

Most people will agree that part of the decision to buy is based on the product, and part is based on the person selling the product. If that common truth can be acknowledged, then we can move past the initial close to the additional opportunities that can be presented in the future. The relationships you establish with your client base are huge in that regard. Salespeople from decades past will be able to tell you things about their Customers that you may not know about people in your own immediate family. That is because for those in the sales and service industry, knowing your Customer isn't half the battle, its the majority of the battle.

In a prior career in custom clothing it could take weeks to finally get past a Customer's half-truths and insecurities to really understand what they were comfortable wearing. That meant everything from color, to fit, to fabric patterns. I could tell you what pattern of socks a particular Customer hated, and which pattern and collar design their dress shirt had to have in order to make the whole package appear at its best. Believe it or not houndstooth and herringbone aren't the same thing, and spread and narrow collar designs don't both work on the same person, in that case neither does the particular knot you use for your tie.

At the end of the day this reality meant keeping track of a world of details. I'll tell you the difference it makes though in long term ownership of the buying cycle. When a new shipment of product was delivered, I wasn't forced into waiting for people to walk through the door that were in the "just looking" frame of mind. I had the opportunity to go through new product and intentionally contact my Customers to let them know that a piece had arrived that I knew they would absolutely want to pick up.

This doesn't happen because of your ability to sell. It happens when you own the buying cycle of your Customers on a long-term basis and cultivate the initial relationship into future opportunities.

So by all means, close today's business. Close and close and then close some more. Please consider while you're doing that to be cognizant about how it may impact tomorrow's business.

Then watch your proactive behavior pay off.