{"id":23648,"date":"2022-12-15T09:07:09","date_gmt":"2022-12-15T09:07:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/12\/15\/finishing-the-sales-year-strong-with-sales-guru-james-buckley\/"},"modified":"2022-12-15T09:07:09","modified_gmt":"2022-12-15T09:07:09","slug":"finishing-the-sales-year-strong-with-sales-guru-james-buckley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/12\/15\/finishing-the-sales-year-strong-with-sales-guru-james-buckley\/","title":{"rendered":"Finishing the sales year strong, with sales guru James Buckley"},"content":{"rendered":"

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For most companies, Q4 is the largest forecasted quarter of the year. It\u2019s also a short quarter\u2014not only because it\u2019s cut short by the holidays, but because sales teams often stare down the business end of unmet quotas and unclosed deals.<\/span><\/p>\n

These realities are connected, says sales guru James Buckley: \u201cThe reason why Q4 is often the most forecasted quarter, the biggest quarter, is because sales reps have been bullshitting their numbers the entire year. What they\u2019ve actually produced is not what it should be, and they\u2019re in danger in most cases.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

James knows his stuff: as a member of the Sell Better by JB Sales team, he\u2019s dropping knowledge daily to elevate the sales profession.<\/span><\/p>\n

He recognizes that the end of the year tends to exacerbate a development team\u2019s worst habits. We all feel the pressure to close deals and meet targets by the end of Q4. So James offers perspectives on how to convert our worst practices into solid ones that actually improve our chances not only of closing deals\u2014but of closing <\/span>quality<\/span><\/i> ones.<\/span><\/p>\n

His Q4 tactics bear fruit all year round, but are particularly beneficial to teams looking to maximize these final weeks of the year. These best practices apply just the same throughout the year for round-the-calendar pipeline health. And they go beyond prospecting to closing deals and coaching SDRs for continued growth and effectiveness, setting up sales teams for next year\u2019s success\u2014now.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Instead of discounting\u2014add value<\/span><\/h2>\n

Sales teams proactively discount all the time in order to close deals under deadline, and James finds the practice distasteful. \u201cWhen you do this, you essentially say to the prospect, \u2018I knew this wasn\u2019t worth what I was charging you to begin with, and now I\u2019m validating and confirming that by telling you that I can do it for this cheaper price,\u2019\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n

Instead of proactively discounting prospects, add value for them (and incidentally for your org) instead. For example:<\/span><\/p>\n

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  • Offer a multi-year contract.<\/b> This actually increases the contract value for the prospect, and you land your team more time and opportunity to show your worth to a loyal customer long-term. \u201cIt\u2019s a better, more effective way to add more value to the deal and convince them to close,\u201d James says.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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    • Add straight gives at no cost.<\/b> Demonstrate some of the value you offer customers by providing some collateral that is actually helpful for the prospect\u2019s team. Show your appreciation for the back-and-forth so far by offering to waive service fees for folks who need to close in Q4. You\u2019re not undercutting the deal\u2019s worth to your org, and instead making the deal more valuable to the prospect.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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      • Ask for value in exchange for discounts.<\/b> If you truly need discounts to sweeten the pot, James recommends not just giving them out like candy. Instead, ask for reciprocity: discounting is doing the prospect a favor, and you want the customer to support your company in return. \u201cWhen we provide discounts on products, we ask for social shares, X referrals per month, case studies,\u201d James says. \u201cA discount is something we can use to our advantage if we use it right.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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        Instead of fabricating urgency\u2014create connection<\/span><\/h2>\n

        Creating urgency happens consistently throughout the year, but it gets epidemic in Q4. \u201cThis thought we can create urgency where there is none\u2014this is a myth,\u201d James says.<\/span><\/p>\n

        Of course, <\/span>real<\/span><\/i> urgency helps close deals. He points to John Barrows (of JBarrows Sales Training) teaching that we can uncover urgency rather than fabricate it. But what if instead of dealing in urgency, we dealt in connection?<\/span><\/p>\n

        James points to video as a powerful (and underutilized) tool for personalizing communication and connecting with prospects.<\/span><\/p>\n

        \u201cOftentimes we get bogged down in prospecting with video,\u201d he says. \u201cWe think it\u2019s only useful for prospecting.\u201d But if you\u2019re trying to close a sale, send a quick video and walk the prospect through whatever stage you\u2019re at or whatever documents you\u2019re sending.<\/span><\/p>\n

        These videos don\u2019t have to be polished productions. But they <\/span>are<\/span><\/i> personal. They are ways to say you put in the time to make and customize the process for a prospect. And it opens dialogue\u2014whether the prospects simply appreciate it, or they want to clarify some things, which just earns you another phone call.<\/span><\/p>\n

        \u201cThese are great ways to start getting them thinking about moving forward,\u201d James says.<\/span><\/p>\n

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        Instead of prospecting only new contacts\u2014dig for CRM gold<\/span><\/h2>\n

        It\u2019s easy and tempting to think of closed lost opportunities as done deals. Really, they\u2019re not-yet-done deals. You\u2019ve already established contact and engaged in conversations. It just didn\u2019t work out the first time.<\/span><\/p>\n

        So the legwork is done. Now\u2019s your chance to throw your hat back in the ring.<\/span><\/p>\n

        \u201cAsk, \u2018Did you ever find a solution?\u2019 That is a simple email to send out to your closed lost opportunities, and you might have some that get back to you and say \u2018No, we\u2019re still looking,\u2019\u201d James says. Then you use the magic language (presuming it\u2019s actually true): \u201cA lot has changed on our end\u2014I\u2019d love to connect and show you some stuff.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

        If things actually <\/span>have<\/span><\/i> changed in your features or services, this is worthwhile to discuss with them. And if not, it\u2019s still possible your prospect\u2014having failed to find the right solution\u2014will see yours as the best available solution and sign up before end-of-year. After all, decision-makers need to do the things they\u2019re held accountable for: if you can provide solutions and situation improvement with the least effort on their end, they\u2019re more apt to talk with you.<\/span><\/p>\n

        You just have to rekindle the conversation.<\/span><\/p>\n

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        Final thoughts: Instead of just pushing for immediate wins\u2014coach for <\/span>next year\u2019s<\/span><\/i> Q4 wins<\/span><\/h2>\n

        SDRs aren\u2019t alone in feeling the pressures at the end of Q4. Leaders are ultimately responsible for the team\u2019s numbers. So the temptation is to sideline everything but sprinting over the finish line, and to save everything else for Q1\u2026 or Q2\u2026 or Q3\u2026 and then you\u2019re right back in the same boat next year.<\/span><\/p>\n

        James believes that more involved coaching is part of achieving immediate Q4 progress\u2014while simultaneously setting up SDRs for a better Q4 <\/span>next<\/span><\/i> year.<\/span><\/p>\n

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        • Pair struggling reps with accounts primed for wins.<\/b> \u201cThere\u2019s no shortage of people you could sell to, if you know your ICP and the personas you sell well into,\u201d James says. So if you identify SDRs running light at the end of the year, find them some likely accounts to reach out to. This sets them up to win as often as possible\u2014and your team knows you\u2019re in it to help them win.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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          • Play to your team\u2019s weaknesses.<\/b> Let\u2019s say an SDR is sending a disproportionate amount of automated emails and making noticeably fewer calls. James proposes coaching to that weakness: \u201cLet\u2019s be cautious about going too heavy on email because it could damage our domain. Let\u2019s talk about deliverability in the future and a better balance and workflow for your daily routine. You\u2019re not in it to criticize or condemn or hold her accountable in that moment. You\u2019re coaching her to her need.\u201d If you do this with every rep you have\u2014find where they\u2019re weak and really dial it in with them\u2014it will catapult that individual and their results forward.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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            • Focus on the future.<\/b> Sales success rests on both reps and leaders\u2014and Q4 is not the time to sleep on offering resources and coaching reps through pipeline management skills. 1:1s and coaching in general don\u2019t have to take a back seat to closing deals; instead, use the immediate needs of Q4 to facilitate better coaching in the long term. \u201c1:1s are not real 1:1s if you\u2019re not coaching to the individual and helping them improve both personally and professionally so they can grow in their careers,\u201d James says. He likes to wrap those meetings with a big-picture question: What does your future here look like in your mind? \u201cIt lets me know my leadership is looking at me as having a future there, which is really comforting,\u201d he says. \u201cAt the same time, it makes me think, huh, what do I want out of this job? And now I\u2019m working for something <\/span>I<\/span><\/i> want.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

              TL;DR? Great leaders never stop leading, even when end-of-year concerns start full-court pressing. It\u2019s back to ABC for James: \u201cAlways be closing, yes, but always be coaching too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n