It’s Month End Sales time.
Sales Leaders and Sales Pros… As we near the end of the month, you may be feeling pressure. Maybe it’s self-imposed. Maybe it’s coming from above. Maybe both. Pressure to hit your numbers. Especially now as we head into Q4. Don’t turn month end sales into relationship-end sales.
Remember, your numbers for this month are a part of quarterly goals which in turn are a function of annual goals. Do you want to hit those numbers? Of course. I want you to hit them too.
And if you’re feeling a ton of pressure, I hope you can chill out so your sales don’t. Some pressure can motivate and drive performance. Too much pressure cools sales performance.
Because pressure will always find an outlet. Too often, your best prospects may be that outlet.
TOO COMMON MONTH END SALES BLUNDER
When the pressure is mild or moderate, you remember you’re here to provide value to your clients. Same with your team of sales pros. When the pressure mounts, however, you and your sales pros go into self-preservation mode. That’s how your brain is wired. Survival is job number one. And heavy pressure feels like a threat to survival. It makes us tone-deaf.
Many people in sales start calling people to talk about the end of the month. “I need to finish the month strong. Let’s do this.” Or, “Because we’re nearing the end of the month, we’re offering a great deal — limited time.” Maybe, “It’s that time again… I need to close out the month with a bang. Do you have any referrals for me?”
There’s a problem with this approach. When you make it about you, your prospects run away. They know you’re no longer there to help them. You’re there to help you.
A BETTER WAY TO CLOSE MONTH END-SALES
I want you and your team to close out the month strong. Bring home the fruits of your labors. Make it about the client — just like you have been since your first call. Don’t let the end of the month pressure sour the relationship you’ve worked so hard to build. Build the relationships further.
Keep thinking and talking about your clients’ and prospects’ needs and goals — not your numbers. How does the end of the month affect them? How does the arrival of Q4 affect them? How can you help?
Remember, it’s not their job to help you hit your numbers. It’s your job to hit your numbers by providing value to them.
If you and your team have been cultivating relationships and providing value, keep it up. Make the end of the month a great time to ask for the business, if the relationship is ripe and the qualification and alignment complete. If not, keep moving the relationship forward. Close the next step.
If you’re feeling the pressure of Month-End, turn up the intensity of your activity adding value to your contacts and prospects.
There’s an important and relevant principle of Adeptability at play here: It’s never about the thing. It’s always about the relationship.
When folks put “the thing” — the sale, the outcome, the goal — ahead of the relationship, they sometimes get what they’re after. When you put “the relationship” — value, good will, understanding, communication, alignment, affinity, support — first, you’ve got something that will add value today, tomorrow, next year… a decade from now.
Relationships first. Sales come from that. So do referrals. And long-term clients. And enduring trust.
BONUS
When you ramp up your efforts to add value to the lives of your prospects at the end of the month, you can see just how fun it is to be out there adding value. You can see just how fun it is to operate at the top of your game. You’ll get into a flow state, and grow your capacity to perform. You’ll feel alive.
And you can make that your new normal. That’s a rewarding mode of operation.
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If you’re interested in Adeptability Training to boost sales on your team, read more here.