Must Do Tactics for the Next 8 Days

Posted by Jack Derby, Head Coach on Fri, Dec 16, 2016

Here we are on the late afternoon of the 16th...

cold weather-3.jpgWicked cold this morning, so the first hours of the day had everyone talking about the cold. That was 30 minutes wasted talking about today, comparisons to last year and of course, just to waste more time, someone had to talk about back-in-the-day.  

Btw, in case your Time Waster Associate didn't notice, it's the middle of December, and last I looked, it gets wicked cold here in Boston in the winta'.
  • At best, there are now 8 days left in the year, and that's being wicked generous considering that today is gone and also to get to 8, I needed to add together two half days into making one full day.
  • Of course, you and I will be working during the next two weeks to close deals.  Just based on the locker room discussions yesterday at my gym, everyone else I know is either going skiing or driving or flying "through the woods and over the trails to Grandmother's House".  So, if that's the case, just cut 8 in half.  Never being a math guy, I had my CFO calculate that, and I now discover that that number is 4. 

Tactic #1:  Get Rid of the Time Wasters 

You already know who they are. Just politely, or not so politely, let them know that you're focused, and you have no time to talk to anyone other than prospect because you're going to the Sales Bowl Game.  Pat them nicely on the back, and tell them you'll talk with them in January.  

I had one of my best CEOs do that with me this week.  I stopped in to see him unexpectedly since I was in the geo. Had one thing to talk to him about.  That took 5 minutes, and then I was talking about the January board meeting, at which time, he stood up, he kept talking with me, never said anything specifically as he walked over to where I was sitting.  I got the hint and left. There are lots of similar tactics you can employ, including just saying... "I'm really busy and focused on getting to the Sales Bowl Game".


Tactic #2:  Be Like Belichick

belichick.jpgPatriots-2-2.jpg

I don't pretend to know Bill Belichick, but I am an analytical student of football, basketball and Sales.  

  • Short on words and devoid of Chit Chat and Yada Yada
  • Highly focused, down to the minute on time management...exactly as my most successful CEOs and Heads of Sales are.  
  • Driven...let me repeat that...Driven...to success using very specific game plan for Game Day.  Sure, he also has longer term plans for the season and three games away.  But on Game Day, those multiple scenario plans are highly detailed to specific teams (specific accounts for us), individual players on the opposing team (specific buying personas for us), and multiple offense and defense plays (detailed selling tactics for us). Nothing is left to chance.  

    Be like Belichick!  Game Day is in 8 days on December 30th. Success now is only and all about detailed plans, perfect execution and an incredible drive to win.  Time is a finite entity, and just like the Pats win this Sunday, your Game Day is all about executing perfectly to the clock! 

Tactic #3:  Think Like the people on the other side of the Table

Other side of the table-1.png As my last week's blog pointed out, this process at this time, way down in the BOFU, has little to do with you, or even the bells and cuteness of your products or services.  Closing deals at this time is all about the financial and impact value that you, your company, and your products can bring to the specific people facing you across the table and the value you bring to them and their company.  Focus only on your value proposition for the value that your product or service brings them. In 8 days, at the Bottom of the Funnel, that is the only way you will close deals at any time, but especially now!

If you need a refresher on Value Propositions to review tomorrow morning, click here, or give me a call. I'm up at 4 working in the home office and on the hill at Stratton at 7:30 tomorrow, but back in the office at 2:30. Don't think about it, just email me.  

Tactic #4:  Good questions from our hubspot partners for tactical Closings

We're strong supporters of the Hubspot and our team of HubSpotters including 35 of my Tufts alums.  We use their CMS and CRM platforms in our business. (This year we cut the 10 year old SFDC cord).  But most importantly, we love their practical, fingers-in-the-crankcase-oil practical day to day sales and marketing advice.  And this (click above) is one of their examples!  

That's it.  I deed to get back to closing deals for the next couple of hours!
Enjoy the weekend...after you use the first two hours early on Saturday to plan out next week!
Good selling for the next 4 or 8 days!

  Jack Derby
Head Coach  

 Derby Management...for 25 years
 -Sales & Marketing Productivity Experts
 -Business & Strategy Planning Specialists
 -Senior Management Coaches for CEOs & VPs

 Box 171322, Boston, MA 02117
 Jack's Cell: 617-504-4222 
jack@derbymanagement.com

 

 

 

Tags: sales management, sales management coach