The Top 5 Sales Blind Spots
Avoid missed opportunities in your sales strategy.
It’s not uncommon for professional service consultants to experience blind spots in their sales process. Even the most experienced professionals can find themselves caught off guard by sales issues they weren't aware of or prepared for. Let’s take a look at the five most common blind spots.
1. No clear sales process
Too often, consultants assume their sales process will happen naturally without taking the time to map out a clear approach from the perspectives of both the prospect and the sales pipeline. Mapping a formal sales process will help you avoid possible pitfalls and ensure that you are present at every stage of the buying journey.
2. Targeting the wrong industry or prospect
Lead generation is challenging for many organizations for a number of reasons. If you haven’t spent time clearly defining who your target is and how you’re qualified to help serve their needs, you may be going after the wrong prospects and missing out on revenue opportunities.
3. Non-existent follow-up
I hear this all the time: “I’m really bad at following up.” This comes from a mixture of not wanting to be “too pushy” and the lack of a follow-up process. Changing your mindset and finding the right balance for your business are the keys to unlocking this step. Following up with the customer is essential for building trust and ensuring the customer is still interested. Great relationships are built over time, and they need to be nurtured.
4. An over-reliance on technology
Technology can be a great tool for streamlining the sales process, but it’s important to remember that it’s not a substitute for personal interaction. This goes hand in hand with follow-up. It’s still important to provide potential customers with a personalized experience. You can leverage technology to complement a personal approach along the customer journey, but you can’t rely solely on automation.
5. No Data
You can’t improve what you don’t measure. You’re simply flying blind. Most B2B firms either don’t formally measure their sale process or they track lagging indicators like sales revenue which happens after the fact. Tracking sales data along the process helps you better identify the most profitable opportunities or potential issues and make adjustments along the way. Many firms don’t know where to start or think it will take too much time, but this doesn’t have to be the case. Start small and build on that data.
Don’t get blindsided!
My goal is to help you reveal these blind spots so that you can avoid missed opportunities, close more sales, and increase revenue. Not sure where to begin? Book a free consultation with me.