Whereas the CEO runs a company, the Strategic Account Manager runs the account as a project. The strategic account manager that fails to remain strategic compromises the position and therefore, account. For instance. The CEO of say, a manufacturing entity, tells his company’s bank relationship manager (RM) that he needs a personal credit card. The
Read More
Keeping a consistently poor performer hurts the business financially and affects the team morale and therefore productivity. “How long should I keep a non-performing sales newbie?” The short answer to this question I get asked often is this: three months is too short, a year too long. If however his is an attitude problem, three
Sales people that buy into this, “Bado mapema” mantra struggle with jumpstarting their selling batteries, the more post their holidaying. Buyers have the luxury of excuses for not getting into the thick of (business) things in January but you don’t. The favourite ones include, “Bado mapema, boss” (It’s still too early in the year) and
Are you Kenyan enough? To be a ‘cool’ enough Kenyan, you must wait until the last possible minute, and then complain… A new year beckons, but not a new Kenyan I’ll bet. No. I won’t; I’ll guarantee it. So sure am I, that I’m writing this well before Christmas Day. After all, the peculiar Kenyan
December is not the time to say, “Is a meeting next week on Thursday at 10am a good time to meet, or is Friday same time better? I’d like to present our product?” If the latter is your lingo, you have 2019 to amend that. December not only closes the year but ‘hanging’ sales too.
In many ways the obsession with total marks and not how they were arrived at, is reminiscent of how buyer’s buy-selectively. “What did he get?” This question was asked by millions of Kenyans last week immediately after the results for the national examination (KCPE) were announced. The expected response to a child’s performance in the
In all three instances, the seller let down his guard. What about you? What mistake has cost you the sale Let’s talk today of mistakes that can cost us the sale. Years ago, as a novice insurance sales agent, I once landed a huge prospect. I was now in his office, this Chief Engineer of
Gatekeepers exercise the basest form of leadership-position authority. Gatekeepers are a challenge to overcome in selling. Not an excuse why you shouldn’t. I’m referring here to askaris (security guards), receptionists and such other personnel who have the capacity to deter you from meeting the buyer as you must go through them. So what to do?
Usually, this requires that you understand his circumstance because it is the lens through which he is looking at the problem. Think for the buyer to accelerate the sale. Leave nothing for his imagination Spell out how you see the sale going through from his point of view. And do this without disrupting his circumstances,
Assurance. A singular word that means a plural of emotions. And, retained, or new, sales. Assure buyers by addressing needs, not wants. Assurance is a positive declaration intended to give confidence; a promise. Assurance is what a customer who is going through uncertainty needs- not what he says he wants. Confused? Hang on. You have