Are You Gonna Sell Me or What?

THAT client is on the phone. You know the one. That same client that won’t take any of your calls, then does the same thing to you every single time they call you. They waited too long, they don’t have a great idea about the budget, and they’re hoping that you’ll save the day with pure magic from your fingertips. As is always the case, not much else is known about the project, as its something that’s “still in development”, and the person that you’re dealing with is not the person that makes the final decision. What you choose to do in that heart-wrenching moment is dictated by a lot of factors, but, your reaction tells the client volumes about the nature of their relationship with you as a salesperson. If you don’t take this order, you run the risk of leaving the door open for a competitor to strengthen their relationship with your buyer, at the peril of the associated bad name you’ll get if you take on the order and fail.

Think hard. Often times, I think we all SAY we won’t take that order, but, sometimes we just need that order. But, like drinking cold coffee, you’re justifying a means to an end. (Coffee was never meant to be had cold, sorry Starbucks).

What’s your take? What are the critical factors to consider when making this decision? How have you structured your sales organization to handle this situation? Do you just take the order and not worry about it?

In short, how do you handle your client asking “Are you gonna sell me, or what?”