Can they identify the gap? Can they explain how they calculated it? 4. Can they name the customer’s intrinsic motivations for buying? 5. Can they list the buyers’ decision-making criteria? 6. Can they provide evidence that all of this information is accurate? 7. Do they know what will happen next and when?

You could ask: “Why do you think this problem is happening?” “How do you think your current processes are affecting this?” “How has the implementation of this product affected your business?”

Every sales transaction is about identifying a gap—the distance between where customers are now (their current state) and where they want to be (their future state).

According to CSO Insights World Class Sales Practices Report, only 53% of salespeople in 2016 attained quota, down from 63% in 2012.i What’s going on? Part of the problem is that salespeople have become overly reliant on selling tools. They are also victims of unrealistic sales quotas, poor sales management, and the absence of a formal sales proces

The CRM Challenge is all about making sure you gather and document so much identifiable information about your buyers’ problems that your discovery notes would make it crystal-clear which opportunity it was without you ever having to look at identifying data, or even the industry.

You should follow up: “Can you share with me what’s been the impact of not being able to regularly communicate with patrons?”

You’re selling your customer’s ability to reach a larger audience and increase the revenue of her organization within six months instead of two years. You’re selling the ability for customers to accelerate the growth of their organizations, stop losing money, retain clients, and become more profitable. You’re selling change. Positive, exciting, and

All right, let’s look at all the super simple ways this letter could be improved...

you’re going to use command statement starter words: “Tell me how this issue is affecting you.” “Can you describe the impact it’s having on your department?” “What are the consequences every time this problem occurs?”