I closed my sale. Go and do likewise

Sales and marketing expert Ahmed Al Akber recalls the five steps that helped him win a $150,000 project from a new client.

I recently won a large project with a great client worth about US$150,000. Not bad for someone who works from home and keeps 90 per cent of what he makes.

I don’t mean to brag, but it’s true. And as someone who helps other salespeople to improve their performance, it is frustrating to see many of them working so hard for small deals. For most companies it’s the big deals that matter, as those are the ones that pay the bills.

I have traced my steps to see what was done right and what was not with this recent deal, and here is what I realised:

I marketed to the prospect well

The potential client had first seen me in action when I spoke at a business networking event. That was a great way to establish credibility and position myself as a trusted expert. I added him to my email newsletter list right after the event, so for some time he received regular valuable articles and videos sent from me to his inbox. He probably did not read most of them, but what matters is that over time he became familiar with me. I also came to learn later that he had sent his employees to other events I was speaking at, which he knew about from my newsletter.

I followed up

The prospect came to me after the event and told me he was interested. When I called him the next day, I didn’t get through. I tried another time and got no reply. So I emailed him, but still got no answer. Several emails and calls later, I finally got through to his secretary, who said he was keen to meet but needed more time. I called two weeks later, and continued this process of following up until, about six months later, we had a meeting. I knew following up was a good investment time-wise, as the prospect’s profile (he was a chief executive, open to new ideas and explained to me that he had high aspirations growing his business) and company (somewhat large in size and based in the UAE) really fits my target profile.

I looked for the fourth project first

Business relationships can last as long as you want them to – you just need to nurture them. I sold a small project to him at first with the intention of whetting his appetite and letting him see the value I can provide to their business. This set things up nicely for the much bigger project, which I closed with him 11 months after the first project. Even though I have sold this big deal now, I’m still looking ahead to how I can help him even more in the future.

I sold value, not methodologies or deliverables

My focus during the sale was on objectives (the outcomes the company can expect if they work with me), value (the money and time made or saved) and measures (how we will measure this value). He lapped up every word I explained about it. The methodology and deliverables came as a distant second in importance during the conversation, and rightly so. They are, after all, mere commodities – anyone can do a client interview, create a marketing strategy or anything else I do. But how many can promise a 15 to 20 per cent increase in sales within the first year?

I prepared for each sales meeting

Each time I had a meeting with him, I prepared for it vigorously. I made sure I communicated in advance how he would spend his precious time with me. I anticipated and developed creative responses to objections he had. I even role-played the meeting several times with my wife and my brother so I was completely ready. On the day, I made sure I worked on my mindset so that it was, focused and ready to close the sale. I listened to positive music, I meditated to the point where what I wanted out of the meeting was clear in my head and I was determined to get it.

This reflection strengthens my feelings about certain aspects of selling. Delivering what you sell is the easy part – selling what you sell is the difficult part. When a large opportunity presents itself to you, never jump in without preparing for it. It can mean the difference between winning or losing the deal. Focus on the value of what you sell during the sales process and you’ve got them.

Ahmed Al Akber is the managing director of ACK Solutions, a firm that helps companies improve their marketing and sales results