Sales pipeline running dry?
Here is 1 approach to root causing, and correcting, it
I have worked with many sales teams who feel their superpower is delighting their customers. But the data does not prove that to be true. So, let’s stop assuming and roll up our sleeves and look under the covers.
In this case, the covers are every single customer touchpoint from lead generation to close.
Start with a list of those touchpoints. You can assign this task to a BD, a few BDs the entire team or do it yourself. But find a quiet moment to brainstorm every touchpoint you have with the customer – if it varies by product line or service offering, pick one and start there.
Do not write down what your SOP says.
Write down what you actually do.
Once you have your list, invite others to provide input until you have a list everyone agrees with.
12 questions to ask yourselves
Start with the first touchpoint / call / meeting and answer the following:
1. What is the objective?
2. Who, on our side, is involved?
3. Who, on the client side, is expected to be involved?
4. Who, on our side, owns the call?
5. How do you prep for this call?
6. How do you document the results of the call?
7. Is the client clear as to the next steps after this call?
8. Is your side clear as to the next steps after this call?
9. Does your client know who to contact, on your side, if they have questions?
10. Do those on your side have performance metrics that support the behavior you need for success on this call?
11. What % of time do you reach your objectives and advance to the next step in the cycle with the client?
12. If you asked the client how to rate this experience, would they say “These guys are SO easy to do business with!”?
NOTE: If you don’t know what these questions mean, or how to answer them, you have a problem. And delighting your customers is NOT your superpower.
Repeat these questions for every single touchpoint and I guarantee you will uncover why your pipeline is running dry. And you will know exactly what you need to do to correct it.
Notice I didn’t ask about, or reference, your CRM tool. This behavior is tool-agnostic. No tool is required to delight your customers every single time.
