13 questions you should ask about your business development activity
April 5, 2013I recently gave a key note speech about business development - "The Anatomy of an Enterprise Sale". I wrapped up the speech with 13 (unlucky for some) key questions you should ask yourself about your business development activity, lots of people liked these - they are great reminders!
- Are you planning to fail or failing to plan
- Are you consciously using all your skills or running on autopilot?
- Are you confusing activity with results?
- Are you becoming too dependent too few prospects, solutions, markets and customers?
- Are you giving your prospects a good reason to meet you?
- Are you qualifying your opportunities objectively or are you kidding yourself?
- Are you offering a solution that is a nicety or a necessity?
- Are you talking to all the right people - decision influencers and decision makers?
- Are you mapping the political landscape?
- Are you winning support from the right people?
- Are you differentiating your offer only on price?
- Are you submitting a proposal or is it really a quote?
- Are you really asking for the order?
April 5, 2013 at 05:54 PM
Angela - depends what you are selling. The longer the sales cycle, the longer there is between the orders, the more complicated the product or service - the more inclined you should be to pay a base salary. The simpler the product or service, the quicker it sells, the more leads you have for it - the more inclined you should be to pay commission only. You want the sales person to worry about selling not how they are going to live. More often than not for solution selling, selling professional services and the like, its false economy not to pay a base because you will have difficulty hiring good people. Hope this helps.
April 5, 2013 at 05:46 PM
Not sure this is applicable to this specific blog, yet in my planning for the Business Development team - I am trying to discern as to if I pay a base or not vs straight commission plus bonuses. Can you provide some direction or direct me to one of your articles. Thank you
