aQuity

Confession

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I am a Serial Closer. I confess it all. It is an obsessive and captivating condition. It governs my deeds and actions. B2B Engagements are my drivers and my passion. This drive is relentlessly. My commitment is irrevocably. I live by my credo. Client issues are my obsession. Examining the symptoms and reviewing the possible causes, is my MO. No stone is left unturned. I am the driver to the screw and the hammer to the nail. I never letup on my mission.

Listening and not prescribing is implicit in my MO. My confession is that I ask many questions. I confess that some of my questions create discomfort. Understanding is an obsession and I can’t stop being curious. I confess that I am obsessed with grasping the big picture. I admit that I desperately need to understand the minute details. Constantly searching for those who experience the pain points – those in need of the solution. I don’t limit my options to the hammer and the screwdriver in my toolbox – I know where we can obtain the services of a saw, a chisel and a lathe. Whatever it takes to soothe the pain.

Why & How?

Establishing that a genuine need is present. Continually testing the resolve and motives. These are the means that have fine tuned my passion. Testing that the need can be satisfied and serviced. Validating that the determination to satisfy the need is evident. The fourth and final step is leading the horse to the water – Connecting those who can make things happen with the solution which adds value, is what stirs the fibres of my being.

Admission

I learnt a vital lesson – don’t short-circuit the path to success by only focussing on the symptoms. Unsustainable short-term quick fixes, seldom help the Client to lance the boil that causes the discomfort.

My addiction thrives on planning, observation, questioning, analysing and diagnosing. I test the diagnosis and validate it against the evidence provided by verifying with other Client members. Evidence must be tested for veracity. I formulate a prognosis and review this for feasibility. My approach is scientific, like a medic, like a sleuth. Symptoms, diagnosis – prognosis. Means, opportunity – motive. The Client becomes involved in the prognosis and clarifies any obstacles.

Solution Development

My Client invariably provides and is the source of relevant details. The Client can see and taste a solution – a possible solution, a desired outcome. I get a kick out of gaining the trust of a Client. I am addicted – totally. These are some of the confessions of a Serial Closer. I admit that this approach makes it difficult for the competition to gain traction. My admission is that the Client has acknowledged my value and that of my prognosis.

The prognosis, the cure and solution are solid propositions. Overcoming the final obstacle is to secure the Client’s commitment. Fortunately, I have a disorder and these final confessions of a Serial Closer may inspire. Observation and analysis, curiosity and question have resulted in understanding who is who in the zoo. Who has the need, who has the influence, who has the authority and who has the power to make things happen.

I confess that I don’t develop the solution and don’t write the winning Proposal. I just provide the framework. The Client connects the dots. My Clients always manage to do the hard yards, I merely provide the guidance towards the obvious outcome. The Client is my inspiration and guiding light. I merely point them to the path of deliverance.

Planning

Every engagement requires a plan. Planning is fundamental to success and feeds my addiction. What do I plan and what plan do I follow? 1. I have developed an Engagement Plan. 2. I plan every meeting or conversation. 3. I follow a strategic plan – an Opportunity Management methodology. These are the three essential elements towards becoming a Serial Closer.

Oops! Between writing, coding, some hobbies (woodwork, bonsai, history, gardening, cooking, viticulture, Kumiko) and completing this blog – I got interrupted by a poignant question. ‘Do you have a template for a Sales Strategy for a B2B outfit that we could apply to our next consulting engagement?‘

My response with a request for context was obvious. Which industry, product, target market, Client maturity, etc? B2B engagements have many different nuances. I am versed in complex requirements and solutions. I cautioned that we should not ignore the intricacies which result from other and more subtly nuanced situations. Pause: I am interrupting this confession to address the vexing question – Is there a one size-fit-all B2B Sales Strategy? I shall return!

Why did you become a Serial Closer?

OK, done. I’m back. ‘Why did you become a Serial Closer?‘ was the next interruption. My knee-jerk response could have been: ‘Why is the sky blue? What’s the alternative?‘ A gentler response is an explanation. A person of value is one who respects themselves. Respecting the challenges encountered by colleagues and Clients is an essential trait. Accepting mediocrity and going with the flow is not the hallmark of those who wish to make a difference and to be acknowledged as creating value. The flip side of this many sided coin is that an arrogant approach drenched in a cloak of self-interest, does not garner enduring traction.

“Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value”

Albert Einstein

These words attributed to Einstein imbue a sense of purpose and at a deeper level, a vast cloak of humility. These words do not seem to resonate with those who wish to become legends in their own lunch boxes. They don’t resonate with the ‘selling’ sales folk who don’t aim to resolve. And those who don’t create value – the hit and run brigade. Let them continue to wonder why they seldom get invited back. They are vexed by the consequent lack of a sustainable cluster of ‘dripping fat’ Clients. As would the dearth of references and repeat business.

Purpose

Fundamentally, the Serial Closer cherishes her reputation and values her integrity – true to herself and true to others. She never ever allows that the mandate to meet her targets get in the way of meeting her Clients’ ambitions. She invests in her knowledge and skills to serve her Clients. Her approach is unapologetically service and nurture based.

She is a realist and knows that most of humanity does not abide by her principles. She has developed a self-defence mechanism against those who try to take advantage of her intentions. Not being not starry-eyed and bushy tailed, her self-defence mechanism provides the added benefit of:

• Preserving valuable selling time and effort
• Ensuring purposeful engagements
• Facilitating focused Client solution
• Eliminating the competition
• Highly improved close ratio
• Revealing her ethics and displaying authenticity

B2B Engagement Maths

Experience is the best teacher. She learnt ‘B2B’ maths in her dealings with Opportunities. Engagement Maths: +1 -1 = 2 gain/loss. True, the Opportunity that was lost results in – Competition +1 : Me 0. Pure mathematics cannot compensate for your time, effort and cost invested. The efforts may have been about equal. Ergo, Competition +1 : Me -1. The delta is 2. The wasted effort could have been applied gainfully elsewhere. The delta will always be 2. One party’s gain is another’s loss. Her efforts resulted in the acquisition of a new Client. Her competitors’ investment resulted in nothing more than sunk cost and effort. This maths reality has been a valuable lesson in subscribing to the value of a realistic, purposeful and scientific based qualification method – an Opportunity Management methodology. A methodology that ensures that the outcome will be +1, 80% of the time.

An Approach

All other factors being equal, with two competitors, the odds are 50:50. With four competitors, the chances are 25%. Closers aim to create an uneven playing field and improve the odds to 80%+. Serial Closers employ and deploy the principles of the Science of Selling.

Her go-to method and practised approach is the 4 x 4 Matrix. Easy to understand, easy to deploy and effective. Deploying the aQuityOM app in every B2B engagement guides her Engagement Plan. It allows her to focus on that which is important to the prospective Client. In turn this elevates her status in the Client’s view and eliminates the competition. Avoiding wasted effort and time is the bonus.

Results speak for themselves and the scorecard does not contain a remarks column. That’s what Serial Closers do – follow a tried and tested method.

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