Your Pipeline Is Thinner than a Pipe Cleaner

by David Matos

Your pipeline was bursting at the seams a month ago, but now it seems every sales meeting you run just isn’t quite going your way.  You keep trying different phrases, different presentations, and different closing techniques.  You could say that each new sales meeting is run completely differently from the last. So what is the golden rule for selling?  Look no further than the golden arches!  Yes, you heard me correctly.  Allow me to explain.

What made McDonald’s so successful was their ability to bottle a winning formula.  They knew exactly how to make a cheeseburger, take your order, and have your meal ready in minutes.  Why?  Because they have a system firmly in place.  Not only have they systematized the art of making a burger (fries too), but more importantly it’s scalable.  Last I checked they weren’t doing too badly in the sales department either.

What was the point of that story?  Simple – sales is a process that tends to repeat itself over and over.  One of the biggest problems salespeople make is “winging it.”  I believe you should always grow and try new techniques when you sell, while still using a core process that has a proven track record of success.  This is what separates top produces from those who have inconsistent results.  Top producers know what to say and what not to say.  They have a system that works and they use it.

Here are some questions you need to ask yourself before every meeting.

• How do you open a meeting?
• What initial questions do you ask?
• How do you structure your meeting?
• What does the next step look like?
• How do you stay in control of the sales cycle?

How do you systematize your selling?  What repeatable actions have you found to be effective?  We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.

And don’t forget to register for our sales improvement forum this month entitled Control the Destiny of Your Sales Meetings to learn how develop your own system for selling.