Selling in a Crisis

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When you lose momentum in the sales process, deals stall. In a crisis, once a deal stalls, getting it moving again is almost impossible.

When things are volatile, buyers are consumed with an underlying fear that change will make things worse. A hunker-down-and-wait-it-out mentality takes hold and they gravitate to options and decisions that they perceive carry the least risk.

For most stakeholders, doing nothing and sticking with the status quo is perceived as the safest, least disruptive path. This can be maddening for salespeople, who lead thirsty horses to water but despite pushing, shoving, and cajoling cannot make them drink.

The number-one reason why opportunities stall in the pipeline is not price, product specs, delivery window, or any of the things we often blame. It's the fear of negative future consequences. Potential negative outcomes are magnified and take on a life of their own in a crisis, making the status quo your most formidable adversary. This is exactly why it is so difficult to get prospects to meet with you in the first place.

The good news, though, is that when they agree to meet with you, there is a reason. Something – discomfort, pain, worry, problems, opportunity, aspiration – triggered a disruption in the status quo.

At that moment, you must strike. If you allow enough time to pass, whatever disruption triggered them to meet with you will dissipate and they'll revert back to the status quo with little motivation remaining ...