The Ongoing Process
Unless you’re in transactional (commodity) sales, and you closed the sale in a one-call-close, you’ll have to keep the LAUNCH process going.
You must track, monitor, discuss, and update the following on a regular basis:
- The value of the business now, and possible value in what’s still in your sales funnel.
- The time frame for closing each opportunity.
- Competitive position: Are you going to be the sole source? Are there competitors but you’re in the lead?Are you head-to-head or woefully behind?
- Are you listening to the right people? How do you categorize them in terms of helpfulness and where do they fit on the decision tree? Who can potentially kill the deal? Who is the ultimate decision maker?
- Whom should you be listening to, but weren’t given the opportunity to do so? You have to find a way to talk to her (them), to get her (them) onboard.
- What are your overall strategic objectives? This is different from the objectives you had going into the sales meeting, which were tactics derived from your strategy.
- What’s your internal action plan, including responsibilities and dates? If you’re on your own, make sure that you have a very clear list of actions with a timeline.
- What’s your best sales-action plan? What’s the plan that’s going to win the business? This is not “Talk to Jim by Monday.” These are the moves you’re going to make on the chessboard.
- With regards to pricing, keep track of all negotiated price changes and what took place to cause them. What dynamics are in play that’s revising the price?
