WorldWide Drilling Resource

WorldWide Drilling Resource ® is a proud member of this association. National Drilling Association Tel: 877-632-4748 Fax: 216-803-9900 www.nda4u.com Sales Tips by Tim Connor Do you discover the sense of urgency? “We do not choose our own parts in life, and have nothing to do with selecting those parts. Our simple duty is confined to playing them well.” Epictetus One of the critical factors in a suc- cessful sales outcome is the sense of urgency a prospect brings to the sales process. A question I have been asked many times in my sales seminars is, “Can you create a sense of urgency?” Yes, but it takes skill and effective communication ability, right attitudes, product knowledge, and confidence. What is a sense of urgency? Let me give you a few quick examples: 1. You discover your prospect’s pri- mary supplier is backordered and they need the supplies yesterday. 2. Your prospect just sold his home and has to be out in15 days and, you guessed it, he needs a new home yes- terday. 3. Frommy personal experience, the prospect calls and has a meeting in two weeks for 500 people and their speaker just cancelled. Urgency means the prospect needs a solution, answer, product, or service NOW. Price is not the issue, terms are not the issue. Your ability to deliver ac- cording to their needs or expectations is the ONLY issue. Why do many salespeople spend literally hours every week in front of pro- spects who have no sense of urgency? Yes, you have to spend some time with them to determine if there is a sense of urgency, but once you discover there isn’t or you can’t create it, NEXT. (That means move on to the next prospect.) Yes, you need to continue to cultivate new and existing prospects and cus- tomers for new business and the out- comes of these relationships will vary, but sales are generally made only when there is a certain amount of urgency, tension, or concern on the part of the prospect, and you have helped them ease these emotions as a result of your sales message and performance. Believe me, you will waste a great deal of time, corporate resources, and energy chasing prospects without this sense of urgency. I can hear many of you now, “But I have to see five prospects a day...my management requires that I see each prospect through to the end...” How can you create a sense of urgency? By focusing on the critical business factors, weaknesses, prob- lems, and needs while showing the pro- spect how waiting will cost them more than they are going to want to pay. Let’s look back at one of the above examples. Let’s assume the current sup- plier is not backordered with the prod- ucts your prospect needs. Here are a Connor cont’d on page 74. 11 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® APRIL 2014