Your sales strategy is simply a playbook – what the sports coaches call the predetermined moves you’ll make in particular circumstances set by the opposition.
For a sports playbook you need to understand and stay within the rules of the game. You need to research the opposition’s past performances, seeing how they exploit weaknesses. You need to organise your own resources to counter the other team’s moves. And you need to play to your strengths when its your turn with the ball.
Selling is no different.
Of course it isn’t a game. It’s more serious than that. But the philosophy is the same.
Anybody with a responsibility for winning business can develop their own unique sales strategy.
Management and Marketing can’t do it. They don’t understand the particular chemistry of individual customers with particular hot buttons, and the moves the competition will make.
But you sales professionals can. You are on the street. You can feel the vibes. You know which strings to pull and what happens.
Just like sports coaches, you can do the thinking up front. Put your experience to work. Figure the angles and the plays. Write your own playbook of strategies and tactics which work for you.
That’s your sales strategy – your unique sales proposition – your USP.
If you’d appreciate some help? If you’d like a coach? If you’re not quite sure of how to manage your own destiny?
Check out our tutorial The Why’s and How’s of Sales Strategy which explains how figuring the plays out before the game starts wins you more business, at better prices, with less effort.
