2013 is still going, but as we get to mid-October it is obvious that you have just under three months to make goals, and possibly save your job, or make additional gains which might also give you a financial boost.

You almost want to tell your prospect or customer: “It’s the Fourth Quarter, Do You Want to Buy or Not?!!!!”

Three months is far from an eternity, but it is enough time to make some things happen.

It is a tough economy out there so some customers are not making decisions with the timeliness that you might need, but that is the way that the last quarter goes.  I am going to pose some basic actions that might make it more clear what your opportunities are, and maybe even help give results when you need them most.

It’s Not Now or Never – But Now Would Be Better!

I once was buying for a large social service organization.  Having had a sales background I marveled at how many of the sales professionals (some more professional than others) tried to get me ‘off the dime’.  In many cases they did not realize some of my limitations, such as the funding cycles of a not-for-profit.

As a buyer, and as a sales professional and sales manager, I recognize that the more you know about your customer, and their liberties or limitations, the better you are.  Remember as well that everything pivots off of the relationship.  If you have a strong durable relationship, you can approach topics that others might find more difficult.

Stay in front of your buyer – But with a purpose! – Face-to-face is the always the best way to put the gentle pressure on to close a deal.  For customers who appear slow to make a decision you will want to set-up last quarter meetings to discuss any number of items (customer satisfaction, upcoming year needs, recaps of services during the current year, etc.).  If you set up these meetings at mid-year, it puts you in front of the client at a crucial time…decision time.

Use tact and probes to determine objections. – This is no time to ‘jelly foot’ around.  You need to use your probing and interview skills to determine why you can’t close this one.  Be tactful and direct in determining what the objections are, and realize that getting to the bottom of this is easier than finding a new prospect.  Something is keeping the customer from making a decision; your job is to make sure that it is not some aspect of your product, organization, or you.  If you don’t have the right product-price combination, get your customer to tell you without negotiating against your own organization by cutting the price before you know if that is the problem.

Add something of value! Move to close. – I am not into ‘smoke and mirrors’, but you may have to find something that has either service or economic value, and ‘sweeten the pot’.  You can’t let the offers hang out there indefinitely, but you probably don’t want to retract them.  A suggestion is that you can try adding  things to the offers for a limited time.  Make sure it is something that you can afford to give, and remember that you should be able to put some value on it, because if you cannot, your customer will assume it is of little value.  An example would be, a financial products sales professional indicating telling the customer that if he/she consummates the deal that in the months of November or December that they will receive a retirement planning session for free.

Keep Score

Nothing is worse than believing in the unbelievable.  Make a list of your prospects/customers that owe you answers and grade them.  Just being honest with yourself is worth bundles.  Spend your time making the most probable ones happen, and move down the list from there.

Don’t leave stones unturned and questions unanswered. Tie up the loose ends and by all means, be the professional.

Your comments are welcome.