The sales cycle is a marathon, not a sprint. From that first cold call to the fresh ink of a signed contract, there are hundreds of variables at play, which means potential problems loom around every corner. One thing a savvy sales manager can do to alleviate this headache is learn what an ideal client looks like.

Lots of time is often spent guessing the type of client that might be a good fit for a brand, but not enough time is spent on evidential data, researching and evaluating key indicators. The challenge, which can turn into a fine balancing act, is determining whether a client is worth pursuing before wasting lots of time and legwork gaining intel on them. 

Ideal Customer

In the simplest terms, every worthwhile client should possess three things: a need of some sort, a desire to fix that need and a budget that will allow them to address their issues. It’s imperative that they have a clear vision and be able to tell a salesperson their idea of success. It’s then the salesperson’s job to understand that vision and provide the means to bring it to fruition. If a salesperson gets to the end of their presentation only to hear “no,” that likely means they did not do their homework or else missed clues dropped along the way.

Discovery

This is where discovery call questions come into play. Asking the right questions is the fastest way to find out if a lead is a qualified sales opportunity, and AdMall from SalesFuel can help. Using the Account Diagnosis tool at the bottom of the main featured page, users can use research from the Local Account Intelligence Report, as well as AudienceSCAN data and more, to tailor questions to fit the prospective client and their needs.

If the call reveals the customer doesn’t have a need, then there’s no reason to spend any more time with them. And, little precious time has been spent on the effort. Likewise, if the customer doesn’t feel like they should make a purchase, the salesperson has a decision to make; keep at it or move on. In the fast-​paced world of sales, “no” means “next.”

Podcast pick of the month: http://​salesfuel​.com/​m​a​n​a​g​e​-​s​m​a​r​t​e​r​-​5​7​-​e​a​t​i​n​g​-​y​o​u​r​-​c​o​m​p​e​t​i​t​o​r​s​-​l​u​n​ch/