There is a lot of great sales training content, methodology and skills being taught every day in the sales world. Yet we still see salespeople defaulting to nonproductive selling behaviors, such as discounting when they know they sell on value, writing practice proposals because they didn’t gain access to all the buying influences or not confirming the prospect’s ability to invest time and money. There are a lot of reasons for these bad selling scenarios, and an empty sales pipeline is a big one. Here’s a reality check:
Full sales pipelines set you free.
If every salesperson had a big sales pipeline, bursting with qualified prospects, there would be no need for formal sales training. (OK, I am exaggerating a little.) But think about it. A salesperson with a full pipeline demonstrates the selling behaviors that lead to success because they are comfortable, confident and as a result avoid three things:
#1: They avoid discounting. Is a salesperson really going to give a discount when they have 20 other qualified opportunities that value their expertise, product and service? Not happening. Instead, they give this price-driven prospect a referral to a desperate salesperson who is staring at an empty sales pipeline.
Full sales pipelines set you free.
#2: They avoid writing practice proposals. Salespeople with big, qualified sales pipelines are much more discerning about which prospects receive a recommendation. They can’t afford to waste time with prospects that aren’t serious about changing or improving, so they amp up their qualification process. If a prospect isn’t willing to share their budget or give them access to other buying influences, the salesperson with a full sales pipeline is comfortable telling the prospect no, “This isn’t a good fit.”
Full sales pipelines set you free.
#3: They avoid working with dud clients. One of the biggest benefits of a full sales pipeline is increased enjoyment of your job as a sales professional. When you have a full sales pipeline, you get to choose the clients you want to work with. You choose clients that treat you as a partner, not a vendor. You work with clients that are competent and pay for value. And I find that the better clients are also fun clients. Work becomes a true pleasure.
Focus on filling your sales pipeline, because they set you free.
Good Selling!
