What Separates Elite Salespeople From Average with Deal Qualification

I am so pissed at myself. When deals go sideways it is almost always because something was foundationally wrong with the deal - and we didn’t realize it until it was too late. The part that sucks isn’t so much that this thing exists; this “hole” in the foundation. It is that we have put so much time into the deal, talked about it with colleagues, got people emotionally connected to the opportunity - and it was a big waste of time.  

It’s amazing how often deals do go sideways when you miss a fundamental thing.  

One of the things I frequently say to my teams/ colleagues is that ‘even Michael Jordan practices his free throws and layups’. You’re never too good to not focus on the fundamentals and drill them into your head.

The trick is understanding WHAT to focus on. What are your particular company’s deal fundamentals? If you are truly going to be able to help this prospect, what certain things must be true in order for your potential partnership to work? About the pain points they have, who feels those pains, why do those pains matter, who pays for those things and who’s ultimately responsible for solving those things?

Once that is understood, it is good to also understand the WHY behind them. This is what allows you to identify dependencies and when certain “deal killers” surface, understanding those dependencies enables you to create alternative paths to getting things done. The “why” behind things is what enables some salespeople to see a path to a deal when others do not. This is where truly elite salespeople can differentiate themselves.