It is Q4. Better Save That Deal.

Two Minute Read

As summer ends and family vacations wrap-up, there is a tendency for buying cycles to accelerate. One of the keys to making your number in the last quarter and ensuring a robust pipeline going into Q1 2019 is to remain focused. The potential customer may have slipped off the grid during the summer. Complex deals requiring multiple buyers tend to disappear for periods at a time. Summer is usually one of those times. Do not be alarmed and do not panic. As long as you have been completing the necessary activities required of you to keep the deal fresh. In the event you have also taken a brief respite from those activities….fear not. Take the following corrective action steps immediately and you can still salvage the deal.

• Be humble. Let your customer know that you lost track of the relationship. Most customers will tell you that is no problem. They have had other priorities as well during this period. They will appreciate your honesty.
• Research your customer using industry articles, events, website news, etc. Identify any recent challenges effecting the scope of the original solution. Develop a personalized message and let the customer know that your solution can be tweaked to provide the financial benefit they originally expected. This demonstrates your willingness to understand their business and not just force a half-baked solution upon them. You would be amazed at how a simple refresh of your solution matched against the revised business challenge can snap the deal right back in line.
• Qualify the customer again. One of the worst things that can happen to you during a Q4 pipeline chase is a last minute surprise. Never mind how bad you are going to feel about losing bonus/commission. Your worst nightmare is upon you from sales leadership when you have to walk back your forecast.
• Line up your internal resources and champions. In organizations that rely on delivery teams to help close a deal and commit to project timelines this is imperative. Your colleagues may have been all ready to go three-months ago, but their projects have been changed and re-prioritized. Keep your colleagues informed and use their insight to lock up a deal that will guarantee success and secure a new trusted advisor position with your customer.

This only took you 2 minutes to read. That leaves you with 58 minutes this hour to get back on track to being that Q4 rockstar for your organization.

About the author - Gerard J Bradley is a senior sales, marketing, and finance executive with a record of accomplishment of success and expertise in revenue expansion, market penetration, and change execution at the highest levels of healthcare technology entities. Focusing on taking concept to market ideas in a practical and expedient manner.