THE FIVE PLANKS
THE FIVE PLANKS OF DOOR-OPENING SUCCESS TM
BY: CARYN KOPP, CHIEF DOOR OPENER, KOPP CONSULTING
THE perfect pipeline includes a consistent, incoming flow of new prospect relationships with the exact right decision makers. Most business leaders and sellers say they can close sales most of the time when they are in front of the right prospects. The problem is they just can’ t get in front of enough of the right people. If this sounds familiar to you, and you are not meeting enough of the right prospects, there is likely a problem in one or more of the Five key Planks of your Door- Opening Success.
The Five Planks of Door-Opening Success:
1
2 3
The Right Target.
In my experience, at least 25 percent of most sellers’ time is spent on prospects unlikely( or unable) to say“ yes” in a reasonable time frame. To narrow your focus on the right prospect group( s), ask yourself three questions: Is my offering the obvious solution to these prospects? Will they willingly pay what I want to charge? Do they have urgency around having a conversation and taking next steps? Spend your valuable time on prospects who will say“ Yes!”
The Right Sales Message.
Your sales message is not the same as your marketing message. If you don’ t have a sales message, get one. Be specific. Use compelling, relevant, emotional words and phrases to make strong connections with the exact right prospects. When communicating with a single decision maker, research and further personalize your message. Inspire individuals to act.
4 5
The Right Hunter.
Finding the right hunter is hard. Some hunters are“ Openers” who excel intuitively at( and enjoy) creating relationships where none existed before. Other hunters are“ Closers” who excel at taking existing relationships from initial meeting to closed sale. It’ s rare to find one hunter equally talented at both opening and closing. If you need an Opener but don’ t have one, sales success will be difficult, unpredictable, and sometimes impossible.
The Right Execution.
Having the right target, the right message, the right objection answers, and the right hunter will not ensure success unless you are executing properly. While there are many aspects to execution— like how often to approach prospects, varying communication delivery, and enlisting support from gatekeepers— the most common mistake is not spending enough time weekly on door opening to make a difference. There is a direct correlation between time spent and success. To succeed in opening more doors, spend more time on door opening.
If you want to outpace your competition and need to meet more prospects to do so, take a hard look at your Five Planks. Make sure the right recipe is in place. Once you do, structure onboarding and management to ensure all sellers consistently follow the right recipe.
The Right Answers for Objections.
If you can’ t overcome an objection, you will never close the sale. It’ s that simple. Track objections which stall sales to know which answers need improvement. Using questions as answers for objections is an overlooked but powerful method to pinpoint real issues and move past them. Practice delivery of objection answers until they don’ t sound rehearsed.
Caryn Kopp
Caryn Kopp is the Chief Door Opener at Kopp Consulting, whose Door Opener Service helps clients get in the door for initial meetings with high-level, hard-toreach, prospect decision makers. Kopp Consulting is recognized on the Inc. 5000 list, was named one of New Jersey’ s 50 Fastest Growing Companies, and was named Sales Outsourcing Provider of the Year. Caryn’ s book, Biz Dev Done Right, co-authored with Carl Gould, is an Amazon best seller. She is also the author of The Path to the Cash! The Words You Need to Bypass Those Darned Prospect Objections and is a faculty member of Gazelles Growth Institute. You can reach her at www. koppconsultingusa. com.
27