There are so many potential variables and unknowns in any complex B2B sales environment that the idea of running a completely perfect sales campaign feels like an impossible dream (or more accurately a hallucination).
That’s why rigid sales scripts, standard sales presentations and canned product demonstrations are largely ineffective in convincing the modern prospect to move forward with you – they expect more than that from you.
But it is entirely possible – and I would argue, very necessary – to focus on avoiding predictable and preventable errors when pursuing a sales opportunity…
Preventable errors fall into three major categories: errors of ignorance, errors of application and errors of competence.
Errors of Ignorance
Errors of ignorance happen when we fail to uncover accessible information that in retrospect turns out to have a material impact on our sales strategies, tactics or chances of success.
These errors of ignorance typically stem from