In many industries, price has become the only apparent differentiating factor in contract awards. Pricing wars put small and mid size business at a disadvantage because larger competitors can low-ball a bid in order to freeze you out. How will you know if you are in a pricing war? And if you are, how can […]
Many of our clients have never invited their prospective whale customers to their place of business for a presentation. Yet for those who do, they close almost 100% of the business represented by prospects who pay them a site visit. We call it “The Big Show.” Like all whale hunters activity, this one needs to be […]
When your team heads out to a customer’s location for a presentation, how well prepared are you? Sometimes you will be coming in at different times from different locations. You will probably have print materials and perhaps visual materials. Will you bring your own projector or will one be provided? Who will be at the […]
At one or more points in your sales process, you will make a live presentation. Buyers participate in these pitches all the time–how will you set yourself apart? 1. Own the room. Your most important tactic is to control the space in which you are meeting. If the presentation is at your headquarters, you can assign […]
In a complex sale to a big customer, the buyers will want to meet your delivery team. They will not be content to deal only with a salesperson or business development leader. In fact, learning how to engage key non-sales staff in the sale gives you a huge advantage over other competitors, both large and […]
In The Whale Hunters analogy, “the boat” represents the team of players you are going to send after a particular whale prospect. The boat is populated by management [leaders choose who will be involved from various departments or divisions] and directed by sales, either the shaman or a harpooner. The decision to launch a boat […]
If you are going to build your Whale Hunting sales process on the basis of answers that you need from the whale buyers at every step, then your sales team [harpooners and subject matter experts] will need to become very proficient question designers. Asking great questions is an art; those who practice it successfully have […]
In The Whale Hunters parlance, the Polar Bear is the one buyer with the authority to say “Yes” to a deal. All of the caribou (technical buyers) can influence the ultimate decision, but they are relegated to saying NO or urging the Polar Bear to say Yes. Sometimes the Polar Bear does not appear at […]
The biggest lesson in whale hunting is this: it’s not about YOU! When you and your team learn to think like the buyers are thinking, your success will improve exponentially and your business will grow rapidly. YOU tend to think about your solutions, products, and services and how–in your mind–the big customers will gain amazing […]
I wrote yesterday that your early meetings with the Buyers should be all about them and what you need to learn. But the more you learn, the more you need to begin to disclose to them about your products, services, unique value proposition, your team, etc. A strong sales process will identify what you intend […]
Most small and midsize company sales representatives lead with their story of benefits and advantages, even in conversations with a whale. Contrarily, The Whale Hunters Process proposes that you build your entire sales strategy around two core concepts: what you need to discover and what you need to disclose at every step. Today I am […]
When you play Texas Hold ‘Em, you have to be really good at understanding the odds based on your first two cards. Good players don’t kid themselves about their hole cards and play lousy hole cards only in certain specific situations. More often, they fold, preserving their resources until the odds improve. In fact, the […]