Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/276079
March/April 2014 39 efforts. The way to avoid a challenge is to communicate, position or identify issues at the beginning of your selling process instead of just waiting until your customer is unhappy (or even worse, just buys from your competition). The way to deal with the complaint that "your price is too high," after you deliv- er your quote, is to communicate up front, before any prices are given, that you will likely be a higher price but can prove you are a lower total cost. The majority of all business-to-busi- ness selling is a process and not just a single-call sales event. A challenge occurring with a customer at any time is likely a sign your multiple-stepped selling process needs to be changed, defined, adjusted or tightened. The goal is to look at any challenge as a prob- lem or gap within your selling process, instead of just trying to solve a customer challenge as a single stand-alone event. How can you adjust the earlier stages of your selling process to improve your chances of winning the business (and causing less challenge and concern for the customer)? Ultimately, the best way to solve any problem is to make ear- lier adjustments so the problem never occurs in the first place. Question #6 "What else can we be saying/ communicating?"--This final question is really a summary of the first five ques- tions. How could your team have com- municated earlier (or better) so this identified problem could have been pre- vented from even occurring? An easy solution to any problem is to increase your communications with your custom- er. By communicating or by bringing up the tougher topics or questions, you and your team can take more control, actually driving your powerboat instead of just waiting for the wind to move it. The job of an effective sales manager and leader is being redefined today. The old "transactional sales manager" role of only reactively focusing on special pricing, expediting, problem solving and customer thank-you calls might be enough to manage your sales team, but you sure aren't leading them with these efforts. The proven goal today is to func- tion more like a "selling process sales manager," where you're proactively involved as a coach and strategist. What can you do, as a leader, to help your sales team to understand and stop chas- ing symptoms and start solving prob- lems? After all, we know your team is good, now the only question is are you and your entire sales team good enough to get better? About Jim Pancero Jim Pancero has been directly involved in "business-to-business" sell- ing for over 35 years, first as a top salesperson at IBM before starting his own training and consulting compa- ny. He works with experienced busi- ness salespeople, their front-line sales managers, and the owner/executive in charge of leading a sales force. To learn more (and see a variety of free sales and sales management videos), visit his website at pancero.com or his YouTube channel "2SellMore."