Only make one sale

Can such managers be sold? Of course, eventually. But something I learned from selling Macintoshes back in the day is this: only make one sale. Convincing someone they have a problem is one sale. Convincing them you have the solution is another. And convincing them that today is the day to act is a third. If you have to do all three at the same time, you are doomed.

This is why experienced companies distinguish sales from marketing. The first two steps are marketing, the third is selling. When you are a new company, you don't have the resources to market and sell. You have to work with an established pain point (eliminating the first hurdle), then use PR and limited marketing funds to get the word out that you have solved the problem (the second hurdle). You only have time and energy for the third sale, separating customers from their money.

Posted at 2007-06-12 08:51:07 by Richard • Link to Only make one sale
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