Part Two

Putting The Lens into Action

The Lens is not capable of generating leads and business on its own. Once you have created your lens you will need to start implementing it. A successful sales strategy does not pretend to answer all questions. It does predict the future but if it’s a great strategy it will reduce the risk when environmental things do change. It must always be modified. Take disaster situations and go back to The Lens and figure out what was not fit and adjust the lens.

Saying no to people outside the lens is what makes your business successful.  In the pharmaceutical business, the most successful companies aren’t those with the publicized home runs as much as they are the ones with the best yield, i.e. they spend the least amount of resources (money) on the drugs that never make it to market. In the same vein, your business will be far more profitable if you do not waste time with clients who are likely to not be a good fit. These clients will offset your more profitable jobs.

The irony of this strategy is that because of the traditional sales methods like cold calling and pipeline management having so much power over the mindset of sales people only a few who read this will make the breakthrough to understanding and implementing these ideas.
Here are some real world examples of what customers or prospects say to challenge your lens:

1. The ridiculously low fixed budget approach.

"We want to build a full automated building management system for a 150 unit development. We have $600 to make this happen."
Ask nicely if they realize a project like this would cost 10 times what they have to spend. If they keep pushing the low fixed budget then there is little you can do about this except walk away. It’s a good rule of thumb to walk away from any potential client with unrealistic goals. You will never make this type of person happy.

2. Using outsourcing to India or China as a scare tactic.

"I've already received a quote from India for $12 an hour so you know what you are up against."
Outsourcing has given people unrealistic ideas about what can be delivered for a few hundred dollars. Don’t be tempted to negotiate. Just explain your rates and let it be.

3. Pitting you against the client’s friend or family member.

"My cousin said he can do the site for half of what quoted me.”
Then he’s probably going to love doing the project.

4. Bartering with equity.

"What would you be willing to do in exchange for equity?"
Nothing. Equity is a distraction that has no value in the short term and almost no value in the long term. Unless the founders are family members be very cautious about going down this road.

5. Using historical relationships with vendors to scare you into submission.

"We've already fired four of our previous designers but we think you might be the one to turn our bad streak around."
If they are going through design companies that quickly then you’re likely to be the next victim. Don’t believe their laments about not finding the right fit until you have had a chance to check their story. Serial killer clients are common and it always works out badly for the designer.

6. The promise of more future work.

"If you do this work for free, I can refer you to loads of other clients."

The standard response to this is, “We’d like that but we would prefer to settle out on this project and then reward you with a commission or discount on future referrals or projects.” Keep it simple and make sure all work is supported with an agreement and an invoice.

7. Ridiculous threats that force you into making commitments you cannot make good on.

"You told me two months ago you had people available to do the work, now you tell me they are committed to another project. How do you run your business like this? I want a discount now."
This kind of unreasonable challenge is a red flag to run for the hills. The prospect or client clearly has no respect for the design planning process. It can only get worse from here. Explain to them you are managing resources on a daily basis and you cannot hold your people committed to a project unless there is a written commitment and deposit from the client.

8. Negotiating a deal based on massive discounts.

"I promise I'll spend at least $50,000 with you if you can discount your rate by half."
 Why would you work twice as much for half the rate? Don’t get mesmerized by the big numbers. Gross revenues are not important if you are running at zero profitability.

9. Huge projects coupled with unrealistic deadlines.

"Our idea is sort of like eBay, MySpace and del.icio.us mashed up. We'd like a proposal this week."

Sure, our idea is you send us a bag of cash in non-sequential numbered notes tied to a gold bar and tossed through the office window. Unrealistic requests should be met with the respect they deserve.

Above all else my favorites are the companies that insist on asking us to sign an NDA before we look at their idea or business plan. Firstly, we are not in the business of stealing our client's ideas, there are just so many reasons why this doesn't make sense. Secondly, businesses succeed because they execute on a good idea not because they have a good idea. If I had a dollar for every new business idea that comes across my desk, I wouldn't need to work. My advice to you is to do exactly the reverse and tell everyone you know. You are going to need all the help you can get.

This sales system is based on a theme that assumes all businesses have the fundamentals to succeed. The system first awakens this idea then offers a solution to prospects. The solutions start with a low-risk, non-committal option and slowly develop the prospects interest into a full paying client.

Our solution is a sales process model which is a series of customer-focused steps that enables sales professionals to close more sales and build better relationships with customers and suppliers. Research shows that adoption of a formalized sales process can increase close ratios by 20%, decrease sales costs by 20%, and increase sales revenues by 25%.