How I knew I was going to lose a $400k dealst

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Remember that deal I was telling you about last week?  

Well, this is about as real of a “Sales from the streets” post as it gets…..

SALES FROM THE STREETS: How I knew I was going to lose a $400k Deal

SALES FROM THE STREETS 

How I knew I was going to lose a $400k deal

If you read last week’s Sales From The Streets section you’ll know how I used my JBScorecard to objectively ‘score’ a huge opportunity I was working on.  

I thought I had done everything right. 

I was referred directly to the Executive who held the budget and was the “decision maker.”

I met with the decision/evaluation team to align on the problem and goals for training.

I identified the root cause problem and the material impact it was having on the business. 

We agreed on budget and timelines.

I engaged with procurement and was through the redlines.

My Sponsor and Champion were proactively updating me along the way.

I have a 90% close rate once my deals go to the “Contract” stage.

And then came one of my least favorite GIVES on my JBScorecard - “More time to make a decision”

The first time was justified by the fact they needed more ROI info, which in itself is a red flag. 

The second time was because of travel schedules.

The third time I knew I was in trouble...

I reviewed my JBScorecard and immediately knew how much trouble I was in and what I had missed.  

In case it’s not obvious, the “score” should remain as equal as possible.  

Then I got the email I was expecting that said:

“Although XXX  held the budget & decision on this and had planned to move forward, we received word that we are now on a company-wide pause for approving all large program initiatives. So, naturally this last minute change threw a wrench in our plans.”

I could use the excuse that there was nothing I could do about it because “ALL” large program initiatives are on hold but that’s just not true. 

After reassessing the deal with the JBScorecard and asking myself the hard questions I realized I had definitely missed a few steps.

I didn’t engage enough with the Executive Suite to ensure alignment with the overall business (vs spending time with just the Sales and Enablement Departments).

I never got access to the final ROI business case they had put together and were presenting internally to justify the investment.    

I didn’t continue to summarize my conversations with them and confirm their priorities and timelines throughout the process. 

There’s more but you get the point.  

(a 20-minute video of me breaking down the deal step by step is included in my Membership if you’re interested in checking it out)

I don’t know if I would have won the deal even if I had done everything “perfectly,” but I know I could have done a lot better, which is what bothers me the most.

These days you almost have to be perfect throughout the entire sales process and even THEN you could lose for some reason completely out of your control.

In my 28 years of selling, I don’t think I’ve ever been in a more challenging sales environment.

This could be demotivating for a lot of sales reps who ultimately might not make it through this mess.  

For others, this motivates them to level up. 

Which one are you?

I know which one I am.

If you’re looking to level up your sales game, connect with a community of like-minded sales pros and get direct access to me to Make it Happen then check this out. 

Yes, this is where I’m going to invite you to join my Membership, but let me tell you why first.

It’s not because I'm trying to make “stacks of cash” so I can drive a Lambo.  If you know me, you know that’s not why I do this.

I’m also never going to promise you that you’ll be able to “10X” your earnings by signing up. 

The reason I’m inviting you to join my Membership is because we don’t have an option to be average any more, especially with all the stuff going on with AI.

We all need to level up together and that’s why I'm out there selling every day just like you and trying to figure out what works so I can share it with you.  

Throughout my career, I’ve focused on practical shit that works and I’ve collected it all in this membership.  

The JBScorecard above is a perfect example.  It’s easy, objective and immediately applicable. 

I also have access to some pretty incredible industry experts who I bring in to do workshops and help us all learn out loud together. 

And finally, the price now is only $419 (which is going to increase when we relaunch our new platform in a few months). If you use the coupon code “newsletter,” you’ll get an additional 25% off. 

If you know me you know I usually don’t pitch my training in any of the content I share.  

I’m using this as an opportunity to let you know that if you do decide to join my Membership, I’ll give you everything I have.  If you don’t, I’ll continue to give as much value as I can.

Regardless, invest in yourself one way or another and focus on getting better every day.  

Sales reps who stay average and go through the motions are already irrelevant, they just don’t know it yet. 

The JB Sales Membership was built to help reps land more meetings and close more deals. You’ll get access to my Filling the Funnel and Driving to Close On-Demand Courses, 2 monthly group coaching/workshop/industry expert calls and access to a community of 2000+ sales reps that want to get better. 

ADDITIONAL WAYS YOU CAN LEVEL UP YOUR SALES GAME 

• The JB Sales Membership is where you’ll get access to my live training, workshops, AMAs and OnDemand catalog so you can level up your sales skills every day!  2000+ Sales pros have already joined. Are you next?

• The industry-leading Make it Happen Monday Podcast where you’ll get insights and inspiration from some of the most interesting and influential people in the world of Sales and business. (this is where you’ll hear the Guy Kawasaki episode on May XYZ)

• The JB Sales YouTube channel with practical tips that you can apply immediately to drive results along with interviews and content that is guaranteed to get you to think differently.