Matthew 18:15

Matthew 18:15 

​“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.

Christian Based Selling:

As professional sales people, we are often working with a variety of colleagues in our "pitch" meetings.  It is important to schedule prep meetings in advance to not only bring these colleagues up to speed on all aspects of the pursuit but also to discuss roles in the meeting.

Your colleagues will possess varying degrees of sales skills and experience.   It is critical that there is only one person leading a prospective client meeting and that should be the sales professional.  The sales person needs to control the flow of the meeting as well as run the sales process.  This is not to say that your colleagues cannot ask questions regarding the prospects challenges.   However, the sales professional should be the only one asking pain discovery and sales process questions.    

It is confusing to a client when someone other than the sales person starts asking sales process questions.  The prospect starts to feel that this new individual may be their main contact going forward.  They can also feel bombarded and fatigued by a series of disconnected questions.  They will be aware of the tension between you and your colleague and will be unimpressed by the lack of coordination.  

We need to discuss our roles in advance of the meeting.  If your colleague oversteps his or her role in the meeting then discuss it with them in private after the fact.  Explain what happened by recalling the dialogue.   Then give them a chance to react.  Perhaps they were not aware that they were overstepping and will be agreeable to being more self-aware in the future.  

There are other reasons that a colleague may attempt to take-over the sales process.  It may have to do with ego or perhaps the individual is  interested in flexing their sales muscles. In either case, tell them while you appreciate them wanting to help with the sale that two people asking sales process questions is actually counter-productive to getting the deal.   Tell them why you asked them to be in the meeting in the first place and reinforce that you have 100% confidence in their ability.  Then ask if they have the same confidence in you.   

Hopefully they say yes!   Ask them to trust you to do your job just as you trust them to do theirs.  It takes years of sales experience to master the subtle art of selling.  Without compromising your role, ask how the two of you can work together better in future meetings.   

By addressing these issues  immediately and in confidence, you will build trusted and valued professional relationships with your colleagues.   By providing and asking for open and honest feedback about performance in prospective client meetings you will become known as a strong leader who is collaborative but directs your pursuit teams to victory.  

Do you have a colleague that takes over the sales process in your meetings?  Have you talked with them about it?